Comments on: Do You Talk to Yourself?

By: LM

LM — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:01:18 +0000

I am concerned about my 14 year old. He is talking to himself alot. I can’t understand anything he says though. He is in Special Ed and was a 30 week preemie. He walked and talked about on time. He is very quiet at school. Should I be concerned?

By: Only with me

Only with me — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:22:36 +0000

I talk to myself of things dat occur through out da day and i guess its just my way of releasing my thoughts good or bad. And ya somethings sound better spoken even if its just listening!

By: Graham Turner

Graham Turner — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:05:41 +0000

Am worried about how much pacing and talking aloud my 16yr 0ld does – she is quite unhappy at the moment as she has trouble socialising and sounds very angry and troubled when she is talking. I am worried that it is not in fact helpful for her to do this so much.Up to now I have tried to allow her to do these things a home – she is aware that they will appear weird in public. I suspect she may be very mildly Asperger or ASD although she has not had a diagnosis for anything.

By: Phil Schwarz

Phil Schwarz — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:55:22 +0000

@SSG Ben Santiago Jr.: This does *not* sound like anything other than a pretty mild set of Asperger traits. If he’s aware of what he’s doing and can self-monitor and avoid doing things that might single him out or put him at a disadvantage in contexts which are intolerant of them (but in which he has a need to function successfully — for example, employment), then there’s nothing to worry about. When he’s in less intolerant contexts, he has the right to be himself. The fact that he’s conscientious about the constructive things he cares about is a good sign and speaks loudest to me.

One of the truly unfortunate historical facts about Asperger syndrome and other forms of autism is the extent to which they have been misdiagnosed as “schizophrenia” or other forms of psychosis, resulting in utterly counterproductive treatment, confinement, abuse, and death.

The so-called “negative symptoms” of “schizophrenia” as defined in the diagnostic manuals greatly overlap traits commonly observed in people on the autism spectrum. Diagnoses of “schizophrenia” are supposed to require the existence of not just the “negative” symptoms but also the “positive symptoms”: hallucinations, delusions, distortions of reasoning-logic — but often such diagnoses were made in the presence of only the negative symptoms.

By: Something(s) To Comment About

Something(s) To Comment About — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:14:21 +0000

[...] father of a teenage boy asked this question in a post on talking to oneself: I’ve noticed my 16 yr old boy pace and talk to himself a few times. He is still a bit [...]

By: SSG Ben Santiago, Jr

SSG Ben Santiago, Jr — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:26:55 +0000

I’ve noticed my 16 yr old boy pace and talk to himself a few times. He is still a bit uncoordinated and has a tendency to walk looking down instead of his head up or stragit ahead. He has above average grades and excels in Japenese but he is a bit sluggish with physical acitivities. I’m a bit concerned becasue his mother (the ex) suffers from schizophrenia and his older brother devleoped a psychois at about 20 yrs of age but had bad grades and drug use may have contributed. Should I be concerned?

By: vscreighton

vscreighton — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:41:32 +0000

You bet I talk to myself! Living near a fairground with a 1/2 mile race track, affords the best form of leg and mouth exercise. Most of my life’s situations are reasoned out by my walking and talking.
There are times that I have focused on where I can be a better human and times when I see I am just fine as I am. If my talking out loud offends you….. don’t listen.

Talking aloud brings clarity to my thoughts..and helps me remember events I need to address. We all have thoughts running thru our heads, some of us just say them out loud…..

I suspect there are worse SIFO’s to be addressed .

By: Bonnie Sayers

Bonnie Sayers — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:14:34 +0000

Nick talks to himself often, but now with a cat to talk to and his zoo tycoon DS game he is not doing it as much.

By: C

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:49:49 +0000

I LOVE to talk to myself! Really, I am my favorite person to talk to – and pace. To pace and talk to myself about anything and everything is like scratching a hard to reach itch. My 5 year old Auti does not talk to herself but does enjoy a little pacing now and then, especially during meal time. And I am supposedly normal…

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:05:41 +0000

We could write a book on SIFOs around here.