Do other people have quiet times in their head or is their brain always talking?

[Smallsteps88]

Do you ever have silence in your head? I never do. My head voice is constantly talking. Shite mostly. It often interrupts conversations I’m having with people and I have to concentrate really hard to “hear”what the other person is saying. I really wish I could switch it off sometimes. I take hours to fall asleep every night because my brain is still going. Is that what everyone else has or do you have quiet sometimes?

My brain never ever shuts up and so many issues on this thread chime with me🌼 lack of focus and easily distracted 🌼maladaptive daydreaming ( I never knew this was a thing until MN but it made such perfect sense 🌼 unless I make a conscious effort to concentrate on a conversation, my brain switched to talking pish mode again 🌼if I wake in the middle of the night ( I'm peri menopausal so I often wake up several times) I start chatting and thinking in my head and I can be awake for ages. Its so draining
. Thank your for this thread OP, its quite comforting to realise other people have similarly wired brains .

It's never quiet here, never has been. Right now, there's a constant earworm, a convo where I'm speaking to someone about this thread (and feeling vindicated) and the occasional video clip based on last night's most vivid and concerning dream. I need podcasts and audiobooks in order to get things done, but can concentrate in a last-minute panic for a deadline.

I fall asleep within minutes with earbuds, sleep for five hours with relentless dreams so vivid that. I need time when I waken to suss out what is real and what isn't. I dream during the day if I try to relax.

Over the years I've had a few GAs in hospital for minor procedures. Recently I realised it was the only time I've felt mentally refreshed, as if a reset button was pushed. This also happened when I fell and was knocked unconscious for several minutes, and also when I had two brain MRIs on older incredibly loud machines.

And yes to ticking the boxes for adhd.

I don't have this usually. When I'm particularly anxious, like when something bad has happened - a death in the family, bad news or whatever, I get anxiety and then I get intrusive thoughts etc. But generally I don't.

I don't even think in English/spoken language so my head is never noisy, unless I'm trying to formulate what I'm going to say. I kinda just think in concepts. sometimes I can't make sense of them or articulate them fully to others, especially if they're very complex. Does anyone else think in this way? (I think my DC do, especially the youngest - both have ASD diagnoses)

I fall asleep easily, as soon as I decide "I'm going to sleep" I'm out in seconds. It boggles DH's mind haha.

This is totally me OP! I thought that was normal

This!

I am watching TV now and because l'm listening to that my thoughts are quiet.

The verbal internal monologue is the most common position - it's not in itself a sign of ADHD. I've heard and read various stuff about this, and am obsessed with it, as I don't have a verbal internal monologue (and nor does my DH) - but our kids do! It's so hard to imagine the set-up your brain doesn't have!

This has reminded me I used to be able to hear music in my head almost at will as a teenager . Now I can’t even if I try but I do have a near constant inner monologue .

This is me too! I'm also one that tells myself stories to get myself to sleep (one day I'll write them as books). I struggle watching films because my brain is thinking of other things so I don't concentrate. I often find I haven't listened to someone's conversation with me as I'm having my own conversation in my head. And if I've been to a class where you have to relax/meditate, etc at the end I don't get it! It's just time for me to sit still and have those thoughts and conversations carry on in my head. My mind never goes blank!

I struggle to read a book because of the noise sometimes being too loud in my head

I have that, usually multiple lines of thought going on at once. It's impossible to keep track of them all. It's called "chatterbox brain" apparently and it's a symptom of ADHD which I am diagnosed with.

I have times like this but it gets worse when I'm stressed. I can calm it down and I work at it. If I actively slow my self down I find my mind will follow. I guess it is a bit like doing meditation (which I do sometimes too) - so when walking for example I actively look, listen, smell, feel instead of thinkthinkthink. I have just made some popcorn and I made it really slowly and I don't remember thinking about anything but the popcorn.

Yes, it's not correlated with ADHD to have an internal monologue.

It is common with ADHD to have one that either never fecking shuts up and/or to feel as though you have several (not in the sense of multiple personalities or heating voices - they're all "me" but talking over myself). I can have conversations where me and the other person are talking over each other and both speaking and listening at the same time, if the other person is also able to do this. My mum can so I didn't realise it was rude for ages

Also constant music. I always thought people complained about it when it was just a particularly annoying song. No, apparently most people don't have a song stuck in their head literally 100% of the time.

Really interesting thread, thanks OP!

My internal monologue runs fairly slowly and is really quite content and kind these days, after time in therapy when I was younger (brilliant for stopping the negative commentary that I had previously about how I wasn’t good enough at doing the things I was doing, always finding fault etc).

I do find that when I am more stressed it speeds up and is more constant. I also get far more compulsive action pictures in my head when I’m anxious, so for example when trying to meditate, I can’t imagine myself somewhere warm and calm but instead find myself eg shooting around massive slides in jungles like a cross between Tarzan and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Often quite fun but hard to bring under control and relax enough to sleep. I use a meditation app as if I focus on the words then my internal monologue stops - or at least I can bring back my focus on the words if my mind wanders, and they usual paint a rich picture that I can visualise.

The other day while I was looking for exciting places to go to when lockdown ends, I realised that all I need to do is stop looking at my phone first thing (like now!) or before I go to sleep, and instead prime my brain to think of somewhere exciting and I can have a brilliant time in my own head where I can do anything without breaking any lockdown rules or having to spend any money! I had forgotten the enjoyment to be had in my own imagination. When did I stop doing this and start relying on my phone so much? Obvs not doing this at the moment though, but might do in a minute!

Small steps - thank you for this bread. My brain is very noisy, sometimes too noisy to read. I have to read to sleep or have the radio on. I have to listen to the radio all the time if I'm going to get anything done. I can snooze n the day outdoors though - maybe the birds help.

I hav also spent many years explaining stuff to medieval people or visiting (friendly) aliens. Doesn't everyone

I feel like the talking inside my head is more of a conscious thing, like I have to somewhat think about the words even though it's in my head (if that makes any sense at all) but I am doing it 99% of the time. Then if the voice is ever quiet there's some sort of image or something going on

@Newuser991

It never shuts up. I'm a maladaptive day dreamer too

I wind myself up and get upset over imagined scenarios in my head

Oh God, me too. Constant rows in my head, it’s exhausting. The only saving grace is that I’m aware of it and can generally catch myself and shut it down quickly, takes practice though.

Another one for Eckhart Tolle here (as you can probably tell from my name)

Thinking is an enormously useful tool, but humans are addicted to it. It's hard to stop. It's totally normal, OP, but if you want to change it, that's what meditation IS. You don't have to sit cross legged and wear orange, but you could look into it. We only have now.

Here you go:

I highly recommend the Nothing Much Happens podcasts to get your brain to shut up when you are trying to get to sleep.

Worked wonders for me.

@Newuser991

It never shuts up. I'm a maladaptive day dreamer too

I wind myself up and get upset over imagined scenarios in my head

Question as fellow MD...Do you find your MD gets worse and more intense at certain times of your monthly cycle. I have never met with fellow MD to ever discuss this with -for me it becomes more intense at around ovulation then stops during my period.

Yes! My brain is like this too! Constant chatter, never ever quiet. It can be anything from replaying every bad thing I've ever said and done, to songs on repeat, conversations I'm yet to have or just total random crap. Worse at night and even worse when I'm pre menstrual. I often wonder if it's normal to never have quiet time in your own head.

@TammyTwoSawnson

I don't have this usually. When I'm particularly anxious, like when something bad has happened - a death in the family, bad news or whatever, I get anxiety and then I get intrusive thoughts etc. But generally I don't.

I don't even think in English/spoken language so my head is never noisy, unless I'm trying to formulate what I'm going to say. I kinda just think in concepts. sometimes I can't make sense of them or articulate them fully to others, especially if they're very complex. Does anyone else think in this way? (I think my DC do, especially the youngest - both have ASD diagnoses)

I fall asleep easily, as soon as I decide "I'm going to sleep" I'm out in seconds. It boggles DH's mind haha.

Gosh...this thread is fascinating...I can’t for an instance imagine not having a spoken language in my head...but have always wondered how I thought before I learnt to talk.... Maybe that’s the opposite of MD that I have? Any psychiatrist out there that can spread light on this

Constantly talking in my head, although fairly (as opposed to very) quiet in real life.

I always wonder how the thought process of animals works, without language. For example, how does a dog or cat think when she is looking at the street out of a window?

My natural tendency is constant inner monologue or dialogue, commentary, analysis and planning. But twenty years of meditation has helped me cultivate inner stillness at times.

I have found mt people, i have anxiety and the voices, and images never fucking stop. I thought it was part of my anxiety.

Sometimes i ask dp what he is thinking and he'll say "nothing" . I never believe him that there are no thoughts...then again

Blimey, that sounds exhausting!

I'm like the pp who said My brain only thinks about things I want it to. I don't 'hear' voices but rather sense them

I do sometimes daydream - when walking say - but can easily stop it if I want to. I very occasionally have an earworm song running through my head for a few hours - I can stop it, but it comes back.

Generally inside my head is lovely and quiet and calm. That's why I spend time by myself when I want to relax. Whilst it's lovely chatting to friends (I hate the social isolation of lockdown) it's also nice to have a rest after a while. But it sounds like your internal monologues are more full-on than my social life!!

I do think my ability to concentrate is quite high - a few people have commented on it at work. I find it very soothing to go into the state of deep concentration I need for work (IT) where all other senses stop and only my line of thought exists. But I have always thought most people were pretty much like me, just maybe get bored of things more quickly. I'm actually quite shocked to hear what it's like inside your heads!