It happens to all of us and we can feel a bit stupid.
Only at home, at the turn of a complex task or after a striking event, it sometimes happens to formulate our thoughts out loud. Weird ? “”Not at all: speaking alone is something that is rather normal and beneficial, far from the stereotypes of madness often associated with this act“, immediately reassures Aline Nativel Id Hammou, clinical psychologist. This verbalization is like an extension of our internal dialogue, an act that we do not always aware, but which is an integral part of our functioning, regardless of age.
Speaking out loud has many advantages. This can be used as a powerful motivation and self -confidence lever before an important event (an oral exam, a presentation of a project …). Speaking also makes it possible to intensify your thoughts, facilitating anchoring and memorization. “”In addition, it is an excellent tool for clarifying and organizing your ideas, a bit like a mental “to-do list” that we materialize orally. This makes it possible to structure thought and give yourself secure benchmarks. Dialogue aloud also serves as an emotional valve“.
After a marking conflict or event, talking to yourself allows you to step back on the situation and hear your emotions in a more audible and precise way. It is a way to evacuate the feelings that cross us, thus offering a clearer perspective. By leaving things from oneself through orality, we prevent them from parasitizing us while remaining internalized. This process is often helping and supporting for the management of emotions on a daily basis.
If speaking alone is therefore mainly healthy, there are situations where prudence is essential. For example, if the practice becomes recurrent, not adapted to the context, and especially if it is focused on a negative or aggressive discourse to oneself or the others. The psychologist insists on the importance of the content of the words. An obsessive discourse, very anxious or devaluing can be an alarm signal. Likewise, if the person seems to dialogue with an imaginary entity (and that he is no longer a child with an “invisible friend”), this can raise the question of hallucinations or a mental disorder. In these cases, consulting a professional (doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist) is advised, often with the benevolent support of the entourage.
