CONVERSATIONS GOING ON IN MY HEAD

I am a 28 year old professional female and am suffering extreme anxiety from made-up conversations that I have with a person in my head.  Usually I have make-believe confrontational conversations in my head, that cause anxiety.  Although I realise it is a self-defeating behaviour, I can't stop it.

For example, if somebody has caused me stress or conflict, I "talk" to that person in my head, usually arguing with them.  This is causing me extreme stress, as I am losing my ability to control these conversations.  I can't concentrate on real-life conversations, as "something else" is going on in the back of my head.

What is the correct medical term for this condition, as I have read other people suffer from these "conversations" as well, however have not heard of the specific psychiatric diagnosis.

What can I do as it is getting all too much, especially at work as I can't concentrate on the job with all this going on inside.

Is there any behavioural treatment available without using medication?

I am currently taking 5mg Zyprexa to control my anxiety, without it I wouldn't be able to sleep.  Is there more effective medication to control these thoughts/symptoms, as they are not fully controlled with this current medication?

Thanks

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

What you have is usually called an obsession and what you are taking is a good medication for that, but there are other antidepressants like Zoloft and Paxil that also work well.  YOu should also be seeing a psychotherapist, preferably a psychiatrist, who can also try and monitor different medications as needed....

[Kikisu]

PS. I have tried anti-depressants and they don't have a good effect on me.

[k72]

i haad also faced the same problem and now i am using "ES-PRAMCIT" 10mg one tablet daily.

another solution is that when some thing interupts you, you thought that which thing is more important for you, and i had to do more important thing first and later i will thing about this problem.

act on it and when you feel better tell me.
my id is
care4_all***@****

[Kikisu]

How does the medication help in terms of these conversations in my head?  Does it still the mind somehow or is it up to personal choice, whether I will entertain this conversation in my head?

What can I directly expect with my thoughts as a result of taking meds?  Does the med make it EASIER to ignore the thoughts?  Because at the moment I find the conversations hard to ignore.  

Also I am suffering debilitating headaches and mood swings as a result of this problem, and have lost a lot of time off work due to stress.

Is there a cure????

[sdc1213]

I have the same problem at times only when I'm very stressed about school or family matters. My conversations are from the "What if" thoughts. What if I say this, what if I say that, what would I do if this happens. I recommend trying relaxation techniques, it helps you sleep better and leaves you in a more calm not aggressive state of mind.

Good Luck,
Steve

[k72]

Actually you had two problem
i) Conversation in mind
ii) headach in mind due to a lot of thinking

A conversation will always be going on, because you had someting in your mind which is unsolved, and till that you had not find a firm solution in your mind of that thing,a conversation will always be continued. you had to discus the reason instead of problem.
A solution is that when a conversation starts in your mind, just write down a heading on a paper
"PROBLE"
infront of this heading write a statement which you are going to discus, then write
"Importance and need"
in front of this heading write the importance of the problem,
then you will find that is it important to thing on this problem or not, if the importance is more than write another heading
"Alternative Solutions to problem"
now write down alternative solutions of the problem u r facing
select one of the alternative solutions write reason to select the alternative solution and work on it. then your conversation will be directional and to the point and extra thoughts will not irritate you.

ii) you had headach for that i had told u a medicine.

[lmroswell]

Inner dialogue.  That's what I call it.  I think most people do it.  I have always accepted that it is normal and all people have inner dialogues with themselves.  At least I hope so.  But, anything can become obsessive and/or compulsive.  I think it is up to the person to decide what to think.  Change the thought.  Constructive thinking.  It might take a lot of self-discipline and maybe medication would help, but I would try changing your thoughts by choice first.  An analogy to this would be observing  a two year old, who is having a temper tantrum.  Great success in ending the tantrum is done by distracting  the child by getting him to think of something else.  Maybe the same theory could be applied here.  Just a thought, an inner thought...:)

[Kikisu]

Thanks guys, your advice and techniques have really helped me.  For the first day in ages, my mind is still and I have more control of the dialogue going on in there.  This is step one in a long journey, but I'd like to thank you guys for your understanding and revelations.

[k72]

Good to know that you had started improvement, but you should share it with us so that we may also get knowledge and others may also get help to get rid of it.
I want to write an essay on this problem with the name "Fantacy world"
would you like to share me in detail what was your condition before, how you were suffered of it and by using which thing make you to feel good among many which we had told you.

please mail me on my id
care4_all***@****

[Paule]

In your self dialogue, are you losing the arguments? Otherwise, everyone has self talk that is usually controlled. Hearing "voices" is something else and your on the right med for that.  Zyprexa is not for anxiety as the doc stated

[Kikisu]

No, I am not losing the arguments, but am creating them with people that I have been hurt by in the past, but these arguments consume me sometimes.  I don't hear voices at all, just a whole lot of thoughts going thru my head that I don't have the control over.  However, in the last few days, since I stumbled on this website was that I realised I am not the only person who does this.  Alot of the illness focusses on the fact that one thinks they may be going crazy b/c all this unwanted stuff is in their head.  Once you realise that others do this too and it can be controlled, you gain power of the dynamics that drive your mind throughout the moments in the day.

Boy do I feel good today, yesterday as well!  Most other days are anxiety filled and dark.  I feel really bright and my thoughts are not consuming me - ie. like the vicious cycle has been cut as is common with OCD.

To care4u, good idea for wanting to write an essay on this phenomenon.  I will write to you once I get an email account - which will be soon.

[k72]

there are some persons who are too sensitive to ignore some thing unusual to them. For example if some body had said some thing bad for them, at the moment they don't had answer but later they remain thinking that what should i reply, what i have to say to this person. in their thought they again visualize a situation where other peoples are gathered and discusing the matter of quarell, the person is offending him self.
so this discussion in mind is to defend himself.
it is in result of inferiority complex. It may be that other person had forget about the quarrel but he remain induldged in his thoughts.
so one should divide the things into important and no important.
so he should no think on un important things.

[lmroswell]

When I have been involved in a verbal confrontation with someone, and it is hostile, I usually go into shock and sometimes cannot verbalize the right words to say to this person.  Later, I  will re-play the scenario in my head, and then I can think of many responses to the confrontation.  If I were only a quicker thinker with words...I also think women, because we can sometimes over analyze things, are more prone to doing this.  But that is why we are superior...jk :)

[LvdByGod!]

how about writting down these conversations and trying to gain some insight from them...if these are people who hurt you, you probably need to find a constructive way to share with them how they hurt you. have you considered that you may have a heavy burden on you to communicate to these people and share your feelings...if you can not do it in person how about a letter? once you share with them, you can work on forgiving them and moving on...then there will be no conversations left to think about. you will have already had them with the real live person and gained the peace of mind from sharing it and getting it off your mind.

remember you have no control over what thier response will be...it is not your responsibility to "make them apologize".  the most important thing is to let them know how you feel and then THEY will have the burdon on them to decide what to do from there...but it will no longer be in your hands (head) and you can relax...since you can not make someone say sorry at least you know you can let it go once you have shared your part...the rest is up to them...not you. it becomes thier problem to work out, not yours...this is freeing...but forgiveness is your part. remember you can forgive someone even if they are not sorry...for this you may need some professional help to guide you.

[Kikisu]

Thanks guys once again for your advice and insights.  You have really helped me through this turbulent time.  

I would like to add - it is not just a problem with confrontation to others in my head, but a constant obsessive worry that I have in my mind.  If I'm not worrying about that - I will be worrying about this - and if it is not this, it is that.  

For one of the first times in my life, the circuit or cycle, has blown!  Wow!  This is due to the insights and understanding you have provided me.  And also, that I am not the "only one in the world" with this problem.

Thanks so much and yes, "loved by God", I also believe in Jesus, and He has helped me through the storms of life.  Some issues certainly did have to do with forgiveness, however I also could not turn the "worry tap" off, and now it seems as though it is turned down to low.

Thanks so much...

PS why were you guys on the website.  Will you be kind enough to share any of your problems?

[lmroswell]

A couple years ago, I experienced a sudden onset of weird sensations in my left foot, which have since gone away.  But, I still don't feel 100%, have high heart rate, floaters in eyes, just minor wierd things.  I have always been interested in medicine, and was drawn to this website, when looking for answers.  I still float around and read the various forums.  I find them interesting and informative.  My husband also experienced an unusual heart rhythym, that I thought was a vagus nerve related problem.  Now, he has delayed gastric emptying, and hasn't felt 100% for a while.  This website provides invaluable assistance to so many.  I hope it never goes away.

[Imagined my ex-girlfriend became my cat]

Think I'm going to make a dr's apptment.  I think something is still wrong with my mental health.

I find it extremely hard to leave the house, and I constantly look out the curtains to see if people are there.  I am scared of my elderly neighbors, yet they don't hurt me.  Though I feel better when I can leave the house, and I go to the Library to take Masters studies.  I'm not income working, but I am studying working, yet I feel overwhelmed, when I shouldn't.  

I, for some reason, imagined one day that an ex-girlfriend became my cat Shmi, due to similar personality traits, and that last night, when attempting to sleep, I had bacteria in my mouth that was decaying and eating into my brain.  

My thoughts race too much prior to trying to sleep.  When I do sleep, it's extremely light and sometimes it's between 3-5 hours, but then I feel like I might have rested, when I might have, but I don't feel rested later on.  Then, I crash.

I don't always have this sort of cycle.  Only after significant crises.  But, for some reason, I have extreme sensitivity to sress or when others are stressed around me.  The stress then seems to transfer to me and I can't react well.  so then sometimes I require that only happy people are around me.

I'm not suicidal, which is good, though sometimes I still get very dark thoughts, which resemble death a lot.  So that's kind of concerning me.  But, I haven't had a death thoughts in a while, which is good too.  I don't think I'm going down that path again, since I had past experience with that and I enjoy many new things right now, but if it happened prior to require an overnight hospital stay, I might be a bit concerned that a pattern could arise again.

Is this my internal repair kit speaking to me?  Sort of like a computer bios repair telling me that I am having trouble with my defragment system?

It's like I have long periods of high productivity, and where my sensations of interest and perception are enhanced, and then severe periods of inability to work.

I don't think I've been having visual or audio hallucinations, though, I find myself questionning more and more perceptions and whether they are reality or not, rather than actually doing things.  Like if someone is real, then I have to confirm it since they shook my hand or gave me a business card.

I am on Paxil right now, but I don't really comfortable with my general doctor anymore.  He had previously misdiagnosed me with an ulcer, when in fact, I had ulcerative colitis.  I've taken Asacol as an anti-inflammatory.  I am talking Nystatin now for, what might be, a yeast overgrowth, given that it helped my dad's intestinal ailments, which mine are very similar.  I don't crave sugar as much which is good.  But yet, I still have poor excrement, as it is not solid.

My dad had severe stress when young, since my grandmother was diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and his dad had died when he was 18.  My mom may have depression, along with my brother, and possibly one of my sisters.

I'm very confused, since I can't seem to help myself.  I'm not really sad and I don't care about money or girls anymore, as I just want to read books.  

[1/2p]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I have the same problem. Not just arguments though, but just talking, it goes now where. It's all me talking to someone kinda. I feel so detached from life. I find it hard to connect with real people. Maybe beause it's so scary on some levels. I find it very hard to express myself and it's like i'm always being cautious with social situations mostly. Some of the people I really want to talk to or make a connection with I just blank, although they're on my mind most of the time outside of such ocassions. Anyhow. it's hard. I know. ( for those out there who do the same. )

[kurdt]

It sure is nice to be able to find a forum like this.  My problem is not only conversations, which have been going on for several years, but songs playing over and over in my head.  I don

[allydally]

I wanted to write after I read about the guy who talked about his girlfriend/cat and odd perseptions.  I had dialogs in head and then weird perseptions then I wouldn't come out of my room and things got more and more strange.  Now I am on Geodon which is helping but I am trying other stuff with it and now I'm in the land of side effects.  For me it loos like a mild form of schizophrenia (not really actual schizophrenia because I'm aware of it, to an extent) and/or (if possible) a rapid cycling mood disorder.  It is still confusing and I hope that you figure it out....try reading about schizophrenia while you're at it.

[KittyMeghanLeah2]

Regarding the guy and his cat.  I agree that stress is probably increasing specific levels of chemicals in your brain and that it may be putting you on a fine line of psychosis and knowing you are going through things that are not normal.  It's explained more in the book "broken brain."  But, I believe if you reduce stress or talk w/ a psychologist you might get an upperhand on what you're experiencing.

What I say is only my personal perspective, I'm not a doctor.

[paxilgrrr]

HI,

Sounds like obsessive thoughts to me and i have the best website for you all! It's Lucinda Bassetts website. She is extra fantastic because she has been through all of this herself. The website is:

www.stresscenter.com

Very Very helpful!

P.S: If your a bit low on money i highly recommend file sharing programs! ;)

[dr.help]

i am a mental health proffesional and have been for many years,i mi self have conversations in mi head at times when things are not well or i am under stress.i have worked w/many people which include d- schizophrenics,bipolars,sphycotics, suicidls,bolimics and the list goes on. most of the people that i have interviewed sometimes confuse their inner consious with hearing voices,or people who keep their problems inside find themselves arguing in their mind of what you should have done,when the the problem has not been adrressed, the best thing to do, that i find that helps me is when a problem arises confront the problem and resolve it as quickly as possible.,talk about what you are feeling at that present moment because what happens we go into our fantasy world and we fantasise on what we should have done, then later it can turn into anxiety and depression.also what helps is take 30 minutes of your time to worry about what is bothering you and what is causing you what you are feeling which usually is anxiety, this seems to put your fight or flight into action which creates adrenalin when this happens it  somehow ,i find for miself not worrying or having this conversation in the mind then i can focus on helping others, even us proffesionals have problems and we trie to find answeres for ourselves.  and ofcourse always get treatment like me i suffer from anxiety and deprression did not believe i did not need anything like medications but i started having neck tension headaches ,i was on antianxiety anti depression meds for 1 1/2 yr got off it , due to mi stressfull job. mi neck tension headaches turned out to be once again caused from anxiety and deprression. so i am on medication again till i feel better again,you are not alone we all have problems even us proffessionals.  any comments mi e mail is ***@****