Is the lack of an internal monologue symptomatic of ADHD? I was reading about psychosis the other day (in a number of contexts) and I realised that the concept of multiple voices was foreign to me.... because I have none.

For the sake of clarity... are you asking this? "Since psychosis is associated with excessive dopamine signalling and it can involve hearing multiple voices, would a lack of internal monologue be associated with the lack of dopamine associated with ADHD?

Anyway, descriptions of internal monologue are completely subjective. People will have very different ways to describe it, ways that make sense to them, but not necessarily other people. Comparing "internal monologue" between people can't really be done reliably for this reason. So there's no reason to concerned.

I seriously don't get what you're saying though.

but I just type without thinking, speak without needed to consider what I have to say....

Brain scans have shown that when someone says something, and then "thinks" the same thing without saying it out loud, the same parts of the brain light up. Internal monologue is basically you saying stuff without physically "speaking" it.

Now now, monologue and hearing voices are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Hearing voices can relate to excessive dopamine signaling when it relates to schizophrenia, however psychosis is not that simple. For example sleep deprivation can cause psychosis symptoms.

Hearing voices seems to be... Basically, think of someone else's voice. A friend or family member, or Morgan Freeman. Just, imagine what that voice sounds like in your head.

Now, what do you think is the difference in your brain when you imagine hearing that voice, and when you actually hear it? Well there isn't much, just like with thinking of speech and actually saying something. The same parts of your brain light up.

However when you imagine a voice, you are consciously aware of the fact that you are producing that voice in your head. Usually when people talk about hearing voices in regards to psychosis, it's when your brain, for whatever reason, is producing these voices, but not at your conscious will. So when you hear them, you are not aware of the fact that they are in your head.

How frequently someone willingly imagines voices in their head would likely be related in a way to creativity, not ADHD.

So basically this hardly has anything inherently to do with ADHD.

ANY QUESTIONS???

/r/ADHD Thread