10Yr old talks to himself

[jeannette2713]

My youngest son Jacob who is ten  excessivly talks to himself outloud and has many different voices and what i call friends .... you can always find him off to the side speaking to his ''friends'' . We try to tell him he is much to old for this behavior but he refuses to stop he says he likes to talk to himself. He does have some friends but not many do to he sometimes wonders off while playing and talk to himself in the background. He was diagnosed with ADHD a year ago .. he is a very bright boy in school and studys very hard but sometimes says its hard cause all the voices in his head makes it hard for him to concentrate. Is this a true ADHD disorder or could my Dr be off base ?

[1centwiz]

ADHD has many co-morbities along with it that in the past, have been misdiagnosed as single disorders.

It sounds like to me that his friends are his way of coping with the many things he hears in his head. Also a part of schizophrenia. Does his doctor know about the many friends and what does he say about them?

Have you asked your son about his friends? Who are they what do they say to him? Maybe its just his way of not feeling so alone with his ADHD... being bright has it's disadvantages at times.

I'm not a professional, just another adult with ADHD and went undiagnosed for most of my life. I too hear voices, but not like as in schizophrenia, but more like random thoughts that are outside of my head. I've learned to filter them out and ignore them, but one in particular has for years tried to get me to just give up on life. I've never listened to it, but it's always there... I have a strong faith in God and I wouldn't do anything to cause my family any pain. I had a cousin who was an alcoholic and he killed himself when I was in my 20's. Having been through that as a family member I guess scared me straight...

I had "special" friends who went with me on walks, but I think they were really my gaurdian angels. I know sounds pretty silly, but when you are in your head as much as I was, well you make friends that accept you for the way you are...

I would see who his friends are and what they talk about. Maybe a tea party? or an Ice cream social... I wonder why it's ok for girls to do this and have pretend friends but not for boys? I also wonder if girls would cry as much if they did not have such a willing audience and if boys would cry more if they didn't have an audience... I was such a tomboy because there I could fit in... I didn't get the games girls played...

Anyway, I hope you help your little trouper to figure all this out. I like to think of Calvin and Hobbs or Snoopy and Charlie brown... not to mention Christopher Robins and Winne the Pooh... everybody needs a place where everybody knows they name...
Cheers, Tamra

[1centwiz]

oh and I forgot to tell you, I sucked my fingers until my mid twenties... something you eventually outgrow....well I think I substituted a cup with a straw and still carry one around with me everywhere I go...