Help - inner voice

[lauraeve]

Hi all

I had a fall off my horse 3 weeks ago and although I have fallen off many times before over the years without any problems I hit the back of my head. I had concussion which I am recovering from now the thing which has worried me most is the loss of my inner voice.

I am used to my head always thinking and having conversations with myself on how to deal with situations and now my head is just quiet. I struggle to think about what I want to say before i speak and just wondered if this is normal and if anyone else had this problem.

Thank you

[Pat-rick1]

Hi Laura eve, I had my head injury from a horse anyway,what is normal!! Personally if your not having conversations with your head that's good 😊 I think !!!!!!

[bexx87]

Ive had "inner conversations" since my head injury and at times I need to listen to music to "quiet them" but I don't know to advise you how to re-start them ...

[NightBird]

I've lost my inner voice too. I know exactly what you mean. From the anecdotes I've read, it seems to happen to a lot of us, but it's hard to find anyone in the medical profession who gets it and doesn't start talking about schizophrenia and other irrelevant things.

There doesn't actually seem to be a medical term for this. I've seen a lot of information on how to calm or quiet a chattering inner voice, but nothing on bringing back a silent one . All I can suggest is that you read books and deliberately practice language at the most sophisticated level you can handle. That may kickstart your brain into thinking in words again.

Lia

[steve55]

lauraeve well your audible voice should be telling you to get it checked out, to ensure you havent got a brain injury...............

[lauraeve in reply to steve55]

Hi Steve,

I got it checked out a few days after the accident. They said i just need to rest and as I wasn't being sick I was told I didn't need a scan 😳

[steve55 in reply to lauraeve]

lauraeve thought they were taking concussion seriously

[bexx87]

Have you tried talking to yourself to encourage it? or imagining the response it would give you to try and prompt it back?

[Jacqui57]

I have always had an inner voice and that has not changed, I have had 9 tumours remove since 2010 and a course of radiotherapy but still have that voice. I always thought everyone had that. I sympathise with you but I doubt a GP would be able to help you.

[GrandmaM]

Visualizing yourself talking to another person, rather than conversing with yourself might help. After I became a "born again" Christian I started a kind of an open-ended prayer with God which sounds similar to the inner voice you describe. I shoot little "arrow" prayers to Him like thanks for avoiding a car accident or asking that He will help me say the right thing in a difficult situation. I notice as an added benefit that I seldom feel lonely because it's sort of like knowing He's always on the other end of the phone. Not for everyone, I know, but it works for me.

[sca2013]

Pretend your inner voice is working again and what that would be like. Have imaginary conversations. Imagine what it would be like if it was working again. What kind of impressions, feelings, conversations would you be having. Sometimes pretending helps that function to start working again. Let yourself imagine if your inner voice was working what kind of things would you be experiencing. I know I'm kind of repeating myself, but maybe one way of wording it will strike something for you. Daily do things that spark your imagination - see shapes and things in clouds, in the water, make up songs, do art, go into nature, listen to soothing music or play music. Hopefully something here can be of value for you. Best wishes going forward.

[Hidden]

Sadly, for all their technology, neurologists can only 'see' inside the skull to note any major changes or bleeds. The complex 'electrical' workings are still occult! Neuropsychologists are the specialism interested in this field but the waiting list for them on the NHS is very long - it took two years for me. Do get a referral though. I was wondering what happens when you read a sentence - or type one - do you 'say' it in your head? If not how do you 'receive' its meaning?

[swedishblue11]

Alas it's the same for me. I used to have a "chatterbox" brain (inner voice) I just couldn't stop until my brain haemorrhage. I miss it, but I'm able to carry on without it with a silent brain. I note some interesting advice in the comments which i will try myself, especially from sca2013. Maybe it is a circuitry issue or damage to a particular area. I had my bleed at the back of my brain (lt parietal occipital). On another issue, how is your dreaming Laura? Mine has recently returned by paying attention to them, the more attention given, the more I dream and am able to recall. None of them make much sense, just a bit like being at the funfair or a carnival, and all scrambled. Perhaps if you get a small spark of thought and chatter, actually talk to it, and wait for an answer. This seems an interesting link to read on the subject;

thebrainbank.scienceblog.co...