AIBU to ask whether constant mental chatter is normal?

[blubberball]

To ask is your brain like this all the time? Is this normal? With a couple of songs playing in the background as well

https://youtube.com/shorts/jewuMZEX3jQ?si=4Dg3vBnUQt7LhTi1

I know the video says ADHD brain, but what about neuro typical brains? Is this just life and what having a brain is?

Yep. Constant chatter. Almost always at least one song playing on repeat in my head. Don't think I have ADHD though.

Yes, constant chatter here too and I don’t have ADHD.

Ditto. Don’t know if I have ADHD. It is exhausting sometimes

I always thought everyone had that. Late-diagnosed ADHD here.

Not mine

That's great and reassuring

Mine never shuts up! I am awaiting an ADHD diagnosis though.

at the moment it’s overthinking a (non)issue from work, worrying about DS exams and singing “what’s that coming over the hill” on repeat.

it won’t shut up when I get into bed either and I wonder why I wake up exhausted

And now we can add to that thinking about how my brain never stops thinking!

Mine never shuts up. I have autism

Yep, mine is! I don't know if I have ADHD or not. Certainly quite a few traits, but there's always that question of where the tipping point is between 'traits' and diagnosis. It is absolutely exhausting though!

My mind is always talking!
A constant stream of conversations and music.

I nearly always have a song in my head. And I always have thoughts milling around too. But I don't think of it as chatter.

I often read or hear something which intrigues me and my mind follows the thought through until I reach a dead end. At which point I usually Google a bit to see if I can find any further insight into what I've been thinking about.

For example,I recently read a couple of articles about the use and limitations of AI. That got me thinking about the difference between reading about an experience and actually experiencing it. . Then I moved on to think about why I read about things I've never experienced, and if that reading gave me any useful insight at all.

At 75 years old I've never been diagnosed with or suspected myself, that I was anything other than NT.

Very much me and I am diagnosed Audhd.

I always have a song in my head, but no other chaos, noise or chatter. It’s interesting to see what a ND brain can be like.

I dont have a song in the day but do in the morning normally, although thinking about it I dont think Ive had that for months whereas I had it for years before, it was just normal

I do have a lot of mental chatter, things I need to remember normally.

Another one whose brain won't shut up and as far as I know completely NT. I can do parallel processing, with an ear worm going round and round while thinking about all sorts.

I'd love to be able to switch off, or meditate, but I can't.

I have conversations going on mostly. Not constant but enough for it to be too much.

Also I am going through a phrase of cringy memories popping up several times a day. I hate that.

Reminds me to meditate as it calms down a bit if I do that regularly.

Yes it's the default mode in humans. It's a neuro typical response to being alive!

Look up the default network mode.

No not mine.

Constant chatter, I have regular conversations with myself plus singing/ remembering things in the background.
probably have ADHD, I am autistic.
also no pictures in my brain, it’s loud but not visual.

Yes I would have thought it is. No one would have survived if we had vacant empty heads, its how I know Im not doing ok actually when my head is just vacant (like today)

The constant natter and chatter is because life is overstimulating, our brains represent that.

I always wonder how people can empty their mind to meditate - if I try I find myself having an internal voice going - ooh I'm doing quite well with not thinking about much, but now I'm thinking about thinking about not thinking so no I'm failing emptying my mind! - but yes, I have constant chatter, re-running conversations, imagining how other conversations might go, thinking about what I have to do, what the cats doing, What's happening on TV, how I'm cold - all of these thoughts intertwine and fill my head simultaneously.

thats really interesting. My DH and dd both have ASD and they say their minds are full of pictures rather than sounds.

Omfg I have that stuck in my head all the time! WHYYYYYYY 😩😩😩

Meditation is not about stopping the thoughts.