To wonder if this is odd behaviour

[NameChangedIHave]

I have named changed for this, because admittedly it is rather embarrassing!

I'm wondering how odd it is to talk to yourself and act out fake scenarios. I think I've done this since I was a child, but sometimes I will be by myself, be thinking of something indepthly, then all of a sudden I'll have created a scenario and be acting it out to myself. For example, a moment ago I was being interviewed on television about quite a niche topic, with the interviewee being very impressed with my answers.

I will then realise what I am doing, feel a bit embarrassed even though I am alone, and stop.

These scenarios aren't really things that have happened, just fantasy thinking I guess! Obviously I've never admitted this to anyone in my real life before, so am I being unreasonable to ask if this is odd behaviour, and wonder if anyone else does this?

I do this!

Most common ones are:

1. saving many people from terrorists (and if I have time the subsequent TV interviews)

2. bumping into a Tory politician then ranting eloquently about how horrid they are (tv crew in attendance obvs)

3. me being generally brilliant and heroic in a zombie apocalypse situation

All my life. Kids also holler at me to "stop talking to yourself!"

I was bullied badly so it started with practice how to say something back to the meanies.

Oh I totally do this. I live alone just me and my DS. I don't really talk aloud but more kinda whisper/mouth the words 😂😂😂 I've never once questioned if it's strange or not cause I know it is but I have no one else to talk to so sometimes myself is the only option!

I do this all the time. I just assumed it was something everyone did.

So mine are usually really dramatic scenes from an action film/soap opera 😂 I blame it on wanting to be an actress

Oh I am so glad so many people do this! To be honest, I even white-lied in my OP and said I 'stopped when I realise what I am doing', just in case it was VERY odd. Seems there was no need to pretend I try and curb it!

@NameChangedIHave nah. Embrace it like the rest of us 👍😂😂

If you are not normal then neither am I. I do this constantly!! I do the whole pretending i am frontintg a cooking show, being interviewed randomly when sat on the sofa, accepting awards in the shower, having imaginary conversations out loud in the car. Its basically just daydreaming and absolutely nohing wrong with it!!!

And apparenlty i cant spell so i will now be having an imaginary English lesson.

I do this too. Especially picturing me standing up to people? 😳

Always assumed I was the only one and I was just a bit weird... glad I'm not alone

It has a name. Google 'maladaptive daydreaming' for more info.

Didn’t know there was a name for it, sleep, will have to look that up. Op, I think most if not all of us do it. In addition to the fantasy of being interviewed as a successful novelist haha, I also like pp have fantasized about being the “hero” rescuing people. Odd because I quite like the idea of the traditional knight rescuing the princess, but somehow even though I do want to be the princess, still I am the one doing the rescuing like pp have described.

Sometimes I pretend I'm a vlogger on YouTube when I'm cleaning or doing a declutter or have bought a shopping 'haul' or do a day in the life one with kids. Breaks the monotony. I would never in a bazillion years ever become a vlogger on YouTube.

No. It's called daydreaming. Maladaptive Daydreaming is when you spend days on end in your fantasy world and don't engage with real life.

Me too, Rudolph!

I love those vlogs.

I do this! I’ve always wondered if I was very weird, but the fact that there’s more than one of us reassures me.

I only ever do it when alone or during a long drive in the car to entertain myself (again, by myself — I assume that if anyone’s looking in they’ll think it’s a phone conversation). Sometimes it’s a way to have an argument with someone when I could never show frustration to their face here’s looking at you inlaws

I have conversations whilst out on my own walking my dog. It's only when I walk past other people I become fully conscious that it's out loud!
Sometimes it's a need for mental space to work things out and rather like writing things down, saying things out loud gives the situation a sense of veracity and release it might otherwise not have if it was kept in your head.

A bit like venting to internet strangers on MN!

Told my friend about this thread. She admits to doing this alone in her car. Plus when she uses shake n vac on the carpet - she does the dance as she hoovers.

For Corbynsbumflannel.....with an emphasis on points 3-6 as described by posters here. There are lots of forums about maladaptive daydreaming if you Google. I think the 'medical' aspect kicks in when the daydreaming becomes disruptive, in itself the 'condition' is harmless.

Symptoms Of MD (from medical journal)

There are not any conclusive symptoms of MD, since it's not an official diagnosis, but in view of the research available, there are a few signs that be related to MD:

1. Daydreaming excessively in a way that is often compared to an addiction.

1. This excessive daydreaming often begins in childhood.

1. Books, movies, music, video games, and other media may be a daydreaming trigger.

1. The daydreaming itself is often detailed and elaborate, sometimes compared to a movie or novel.

1. Repetitive movements while daydreaming are common (but not always present in sufferers) — pacing, rocking, spinning, shaking something in their hand, etc.

1. They may sometimes talk, laugh, cry, gesture, or make facial expressions as they daydream. People suffering from this know the difference between daydreaming and reality, and do not confuse the two; this makes them distinctly different from psychotics or schizophrenics.

1. Some people will lie in bed for hours daydreaming, and may either have difficulty going to sleep because of this, or have difficulty getting out of bed once awake. They may also neglect basic functions such as regular meals, showering, and other daily activities because of their daydreaming.

Many people have started forums, blogs, and discussion boards to talk about their MD. While it might be a long way before it's officially recognized, awareness is a productive first step.

Yes I do this usually when I'm driving.

Well some of those points equally apply to regular daydreaming so I can see why it's not a recognised condition since I reckon about 99% of the population daydream.
If people are wasting hours doing it and it's effecting their daily life then yes that would be a problem and probably more of a symptom of wider issues.

Everyone does it, I mostly do it in my head but been known to act out the odd mannerism. It's imagination that's all, most people imagine arguments etc.

Why someone has questioned if your delusional I don't know, delusional people don't question their 'delusions'.

Oh and it reminds me of children playing, I often watch my DC acting out games, scenario's etc. It's fun for them and a form of healthy playing, same for adults too I guess. I do it mostly when extremely bored, I remember having to paint 8 doors, both sides. Imagined arguments and convos with annoying relatives throughout

I do this all the time! I try not to do it out loud though because I don't want people thinking I'm weird or anything but I'll sometimes be muttering under my breath as I 'act out' my daydream. As a child I would spend hours a day doing this, while walking round my room in circles (excellent exercise I'm sure, must have walked miles every day!), except for the times I would literally act it out so physically as well.

Saving people from terrorists is a frequent scenario these days, as is winning the lottery and building my dream house. When I was a child it was often something like dying dramatically and speaking my memorable last words to everyone, or being in Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece or Rome or whatever era we were currently learning about in school.