How can you tell the difference........?

Question

..........between thinking to yourself and talking to yourself like your insane? ie Some people talk to themselves when they are trying to concentrate on something but I'm sure this does not make them insane. Or to put it another way how do you know if you have 'voices' in your head or your just thinking?

Answer 1

If it's just thinking then it will be from your perspective, if there are voices it will be from an external perspective. (i.e. not you)

Answer 2

In WWI, there was a psychological test in which the candidate was asked if he ever heard voices of people that weren't there. The idea was to trap guys who were just trying to avoid serving their country. The guys who were trying to dodge the draft said they heard voices of people who weren't there. The nuts knew the people were there.

I'm no psychologist. But I've done my share of counseling.

I'd say that if you're mulling an idea over in your head or verbally, it's ok. As you say, most people do it. Of course a psychologist might say that most people are nuts; but that's another topic.

But if you're walking down the street talking loudly to yourself, I'd you might have a problem... or a cell phone... or both. I've seen such people walking freely about in large cities in the US. Nobody seems to care. They don't even check to see i the individual has a cell phone.

The fact that you're questioning it is a good sign. Keeping tabs on our actions is healthy. But if you let it worry you, that's a bad sign. I once heard that if you worry about what you do, you're neurotic; if you don't worry, you're psychotic. Had to be a psychologist who thought that one up. Probably the same one who said if you don't remember being abused as child, you were.

It really doesn't matter how mentally healthy you are, a "good" psychiatrist or psychologist can fine some kind of syndrome with which to label you. If he can't, he'll make one up, and probably get written up in all the journals as brilliant.

You can monitor yourself better than can anyone else. Don't rely on somebody else to monitor you unless you see your actions endangering yourself or others, and you don't stop. Then maybe you need somebody to help you put on the breaks.

Answer 3

I think voices in your head and thinking out load are two completely different things. Voices in your head, or schizophrenia is a disease. These voices tell you what to do some times. And the voice can even be what they perceive as God. I talk to myself every once in a while or think to myself and that's ME, not Vicki the voice talking to me in my head. I couldn't tell you how you would "know" the voices. I would think when you are schizophrenic you would find it normal, or that they are real. That's why it's tough. SO- I'll answer it this way- if it's you thinking and you talking out load and not a conversation between you and "someone else", you should be good to go!

Answer 4

I had issues like this with my depression and once it was established it was my voice I was hearing then it was ok cause I was literally verbalising my thoughts. I have to say often I was blowing them all out of proportion.
If you hear voices that are not your own that can be a problem.

But everyone talks to themselves and hears there own voice. It is a myth that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity.

Answer 5

Talking to oneself is not a sign of insanity of any kind in itself, in clinical work it alone would not be seen as diagnostic of any condition or illness.

I have also worked with ppl who hear voices, in the way which you may call "insane" and this is quite distinct.

Normally the voices are not their own, when you think you tend to think in your own voice.

Also these voices normally tell the person hearing them quite negative things, or give instructions to do negative things...

All the ppl who I have worked with who hear voices have been quite clear that this is what is happening, if you are in doubt then you probably are not.

Answer 6

in child psychology, children usually talk to themselves when playing, and especially when trying to solve difficult puzzles, or like you say; concentrating.
In the field, it is called 'Private Speech', and it is how children used their new-found mastery of language to aid them in thinking and solving problems.

A developmental psychologist named Vygotsky observed how Private Speech diminished as children aged and turned to whispers and silent lip movements that are present even in adults.

What their research implies is that the Private Speech is a form of preliminary 'thinking to yourself' when you are young. And they found that children with learning and behaviour problems use more Private Speeches and over a longer period of their growing up than normal children.

As for your question, i don't know much because i havent heard of much research that explains why some crazy people talk to themselves.

So for my answer, i'd say that thinking to yourself is something that is functional to the individual, to solve a problem, to answer a question in the mind, or to remember something. Insane self-talk would be something dysfunctional, occurs too much, often impairing function by making the person so self-engrossed that he ignores everyone else, and sometimes causes fear and anxiety in the person talking to himself.

Answer 7

This is a good question...esp. since so many of us talk to ourselves...are we all insane? Could be, huh???LOL

No, really...believe it or not, we do this out of inner knowing about universal structures, without understanding them in our present human state. You see, creation begins with thought...those energies of thought hover about waiting to be used or not...words spoken are the commands to these energies...it sends them out to gather more like energies & then returns to its creator much stronger & greater than it left--another example of "what goes around, comes around".

We more often than not get faster & clearer results of our contemplations when we speak them out...however, a bit of caution...you remember the saying "Be careful what you wish for"? It applies immensely here, since universal structures work on the most basic of levels, the most literal of languages...

Ex: You put out "I want to win the lottery"...you have in reality put out the command that you wish to experience "want"...and so this you shall have...How does it feel to want? And since there is sooo much of this same energy about, you get it thousands-fold right back at ya'! See???

Now, as far as voices in your head...most likely not...they are the voices of your soul sounds trying to get you to listen...it is where your wisest of choices come from...your first thought, that gut feeling, the loud "NO! Don't do that!" that makes you stop & go a different way...Awesome tool, no doubt!!!

Answer 8

A person who claims to hear voices is having an auditory hallucination. This is different than thinking to yourself, or even verbalizing thoughts.

Answer 9

I never have such experience, so I really dont know. But I have heard that some people do think "aloud". Their thoughts actually translate into audible words. But they are not insane by any standard.

Answer 10

If you start hearing things that don't sound familiar to you, then I'd be worried. I talk to myself and my wife talks outloud to herself when she's cooking or doing almost anything. I always have to ask her if she's talking to me. It helps her to concentrate. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Listen to yourself, the inner voice in your head is your subconcious mind. Talking to yourself doesn't mean you;re crazy unless you start to talk to yourself and no one else!

Answer 11

Thinking is just that. ..But voices in your Head ? Sounds like someone or something has tuned in on your, Brain waves. I don,t think, I would like that