S/O Mental illness.

[5KidzRUs]

Is there a reason an adult (without Turrets), when they think nobody is observing, would make odd facial gestures and talk under their breath to themselves? It looks like they are running a conversation through their mind with many facial movements. This adult person is socially articulate and does well in their career.

Is that mental illness or eccentricity or?? Thanks!

[Mommyfaithe]

Sounds like just thinking out loud. Quirky:001_smile:

Faithe

[sparrow]

I'm not mentally ill, I'm running a conversation through my mind, just as you suspected. I typically do it when I'm thinking hard about something or stressing.

[Chris in VA]

Any chance this person could be an Aspie? Sounds like it could be stim.

[Mona100]

If you saw me walking thru Publix or Walmart, you prolly would think I am crazy. I do act like I am carrying a conversation with someone and I should know better. I do try to keep it in check but the conversation is like this "ohh that's cool" or "do I have a coupon for that?" or "this costs too much." If I hear myself, I always have to remind myself I am out in public. I guess I do it because when I'm at home someone is here listening to me talk so I guess that's the deal.

[LaxMom]

I talk to myself all the time, probably with facial expressions since I normally use them (it cracks me up that I actually make the :ack2: face IRL). My dad does it, too (talk to himself, not the face). I don't think either one of us is on the spectrum. (Though we are both introverts.)

[Scarlett]

Is there a reason an adult (without Turrets), when they think nobody is observing, would make odd facial gestures and talk under their breath to themselves? It looks like they are running a conversation through their mind with many facial movements. This adult person is socially articulate and does well in their career.

Is that mental illness or eccentricity or?? Thanks!

 

My ds is a repeater. He says the last few words of the last sentence he said. He does it less now.....he says it is his 'spellcheck'.

 

I have conversations in my head all of the time. Used to be with my then MIL. Boy did I tell her some stuff!

[sparrow]

Any chance this person could be an Aspie? Sounds like it could be stim.

 

My son is on the spectrum and what I think the OP is describing, and what I do, are very different than the kind of vocal stims my son does.

 

If you saw me walking thru Publix or Walmart, you prolly would think I am crazy. I do act like I am carrying a conversation with someone and I should know better. I do try to keep it in check but the conversation is like this "ohh that's cool" or "do I have a coupon for that?" or "this costs too much." If I hear myself, I always have to remind myself I am out in public. I guess I do it because when I'm at home someone is here listening to me talk so I guess that's the deal.

 

I do the exact same things! I'll pick up feta cheese and say something like, "oh, I can't forget the bleu cheese by the deli". I also find myself twisting my mouth in odd ways when I'm shopping. Kind of a perplexed SNL's Church Lady lip cinch :lol:. I stop when I realize I'm doing it.

 

I talk to myself all the time, probably with facial expressions since I normally use them (it cracks me up that I actually make the :ack2: face IRL). My dad does it, too (talk to himself, not the face). I don't think either one of us is on the spectrum. (Though we are both introverts.)

 

I'm also an introvert and an only child, so chatting to myself is something I've always done.

[zaichiki]

I have conversations in my head all of the time. Used to be with my then MIL. Boy did I tell her some stuff!

 

:lol: Me too! (I'd like to actually say some of the things, but... I know better!)

[laundrycrisis]

I do it, to the point that people stare at me. I don't care :001_smile:. I don't think I'm mentally ill. I'm odd and eccentric and I don't care much what anyone thinks of me, but I'm pretty happy and well adjusted.

[Garga]

Mentally ill! Oh my! Count me in.

 

Why would it be a mental illness if they do this when no one is looking? When I'm showering or somewhere else alone, I daydream about things and find myself "talking" about it to myself. For example, I have the lovely daydream of meeting my favorite author and me telling him how much I love his work, blah, blah, blah. If you saw me daydreaming about that, you'd see me making lots of "Oh, I'm your biggest fan!" faces.

[Truscifi]

I'm not mentally ill, I'm running a conversation through my mind, just as you suspected. I typically do it when I'm thinking hard about something or stressing.

 

I do this too. Especially if I'm in the car by myself. I probably do look crazy. Oh well.

[higginszoo]

I do this, too.

 

I'm at the very least, quirky, but likely on the edge of the spectrum, according to ds's psychiatrist who initially diagnosed/treated him for his social anxiety.

Still, having had a close relative who was mentally ill, it's nothing like that.

[GingerPoppy]

Is there a reason an adult (without Turrets), when they think nobody is observing, would make odd facial gestures and talk under their breath to themselves? It looks like they are running a conversation through their mind with many facial movements. This adult person is socially articulate and does well in their career.

Is that mental illness or eccentricity or?? Thanks!

 

How do you know they *don't* have mild Tourettes? It's not always diagnosed, especially if it's mild. It's not always what people think--there is a notion that it's all about inappropriate outbursts, but that occurs in a very small percentage of cases. Tourettes is more of a spectrum that ranges from mild and occasional tics (which can be anything from facial movements to vocalizing to thoughts) to full-fledged Tourettes. It can even be almost a hybrid with OCD, so that it's difficult to know how much of a particular behaviour is OCD and how much is Tourettes.

 

Also, many (or most?) people with Tourettes are completely intelligent and socially normal. They simply have impulses. Many of the impulses are given in to immediately, but some can be held off for a while. If this person thinks no one is observing, that is a "safe" time for them to let the stream of impulses be satisfied. It is very hard work to hold it in, but many people are able to for a while to appear socially normal.

 

I know at least three people who have tics at a low to moderate level, but have not been diagnosed. There is often no point to the diagnosis, as it is mostly helpful if you want medication to help control it, but the medications are very serious and can have nasty side effects.

[gardenmom5]

talking to yourself per se isn't a sign of either - it can easily be thinking out loud.

 

mentally ill people may talk to themselves, but it is VERY different than "just" thinking out loud.

 

(I had an untreated sychzophrenic in my family - and the way he talked to himself was *scary*.)

[Wendi]

Thinking about something important and/or complex.

 

Rehearsing for a play, movie, or TV show. :001_smile:

 

Wendi

[tex-mex]

My SIL does this all of the time -- however, she is also paranoid schizophrenic and on heavy psychotrophic drugs. You cannot tell she is doing the facial tics or talking to herself unless you observe her for a long time and see it subtlely. Echolatia can also be the case for someone who is on the Autistic Spectrum. OCD is closely related to Tourettes and can cause ritual like behaviors (i.e. speech) too.

[BMW]

One of my adhd sons is just like you described...

 

But, so are others who might have no such diagnosis...