I Think I May Be Mentally Ill...please Help

I'm 16 and I do that too...I really didn't think anyone else my age or older did, and it comes in phases like what the guy who commented before me said. It's kinda interesting.

Oh thank god! Thank god im not the only one. I am almost 15, and, well, I don't pretend to be a celebrity, but instead, ever since I was a young boy, my wild imagination went off, and I pretended to be all sorts of these movie characters. For instance, just two years ago, I pretended I was Rinzler from Tron Legacy. He just looked awesome. I had to. The thing is, these character pretending things come on in phases. By that, I mean it is like an obsession, and I change from character to character once I get bored of one or the other. I usually change over a period of months to years. It is strange really. Also, after I watch an action movie, I develop a feeling for just the remainder of the day I watched it on about it. I feel like I am that main character. I can all of a sudden jump to the floor and roll, James Bond style. This, though, only lasts for the remainder of the day I have watched that movie on. Then, I go back to being that long term character I was. But, there's more. Ever since I was a child, I imagined some cyborg like robot, like a test project tested by this robotic race, called XYZ4. Sounds like something straight out of a movie, doesn't it? Well, surprisingly enough, this one wasn't. I imagined it myself, and now, basically, I am "it". I kind of use it as a platform to be everything else I have dreamed of being. It is a super intelligent artificial intelligence if you like, hard wired into me. I know it is all fake, but, I just don't see why I can't stop thinking about it. I thought to myself, "Ok, what is wrong. Stop. You can do it. Just stop". This way of thought has not really changed much in my life, but O have started noticing that I am the silent one. The lonely one. Well, not exactly lonely, but, I have trouble talking to people, a small conversation is hard to have. I just wish I was normal. I don't know whever it is those stupid imaginations, or something else, but I can never do it. Not even one simple conversation. That is, when I'm alone with somebody. When I'm with a group of people, it is fine, because one of the others always find something to talk about. But, when it is just me, usually, it is a silent talk. I don't know what to do anymore. Though I am usually the funny one in class, because I tell good jokes, and when the teacher speaks, or shows something on the board, I tend to yawn at it, just a basic conversation is, well, difficult. Anyways, though it is pretty stupid sounding, these things help me chilled, and escape from my everyday troubles. I am a calm, relaxed person. I can keep my cool under the greatest of situations. One problem I've been having though, is weight loss. Sure, I am 6 foot 1 at the age of 14 and a half, but 90 kg is a bit big don't you think? That has been bugging me. Anyways, I am glad I found someone else with the same thing. It just makes it feel more normal. Thank you for sharing your experience, and here is mine.

Oh my god! Thank god I am not alone!!!! I love to masquerade myself as a celeb when I am alone and I'm 18 years old! I have never felt more normal. I always thought that I was a freak. That if I ever told anybody, they'd judge me, but... You guys have shown me that it's not wrong, it's just different, so thank you so much. ❤ I love all of you. 😊

I've done this since I was little to. Dont be so worried! I openly admit it to my friends they say they've done it to. Its just a stress relief for me, and its kinda fun sometimes! You shouldn't be ashamed and its completely fine. Unless you feel like your personality is changing and it is effecting you life and an absolutely negative way (which I hope not) than you prob have multi personality disorder or another disorder that should not be anything big. All you need is a therapist or someone to talk to.

you all need to research into 'maladaptive daydreaming'.....

Wow! Im 15, I am finally relieved that Im not the only one, and that Many of you go through the same thing. I know that Im not crazy because I can differentiate between reality and my dream world whatever you may call it.
My story is a little bit different, I dont pretend to be someone else, from a TV Show or a Movie or a Book or something, I am me, I imagine myself in the same school with same friends etc, but I think of me a better version, a popular and a perfect version of me or the person I actually want to be. I create scenarios about stuff going in my school, life or at my home.
I think that Im talking to my friends in school, and Im great in studies and sports and Im really social, and that everyone likes me etc. I am very bold and witty ;) And Its not like I dont have friends, I have a bunch of friends.
I know this may sound weird. But thats what I feel. I do admit, when I was younger I used to pretend to be someone else, mostly a boy, because I thought boys get more freedom and all, so I wanted to be a boy, who can do whatever he wants etc. I still sometimes imagine myself as the boy, but now, most of the time, actually like all the time, I imagine myself, but more popular, intelligent and whatnot! And I even created this, dream guy, the prefect guy I want, I dont date him, I just ignore him throughout the High school time, but after we Graduate and get jobs etc, I marry him and we live happily, he loves me alot, and we have babies etc, you know how a married life goes :P

The problem is not about daydreaming, I like it, Its my escape from the world. The Problem is, I can't control it. It interferes in my daily work, I can't do my homework, I can't study for my exams and It is really affecting my grades.
I really want to have a control on this. After reading this blog, some people suggested to write down your thoughts, but I cant write it down in a diary, as, if someone finds it and reads it, I might me screwed. So i decided to write in my laptop, in MS Word. I know this is extremely weird and stupid, but no one can find out about my diary unless they know the password. Anyways, I try my best to write down my thoughts but as I am doing it, I start to daydream during writing too. See, How intense this daydreaming is?
If you could suggest a better way of controlling it, please tell me :)
And I can say I started this when I was 6-8 years old, but the main reason this happened was because I felt alone when I was a child, not because I was anti-social that time or anything, but because when I was 4/5 years old, my best-friend's father got a transfer and she moved to another country, and after that, I struggled to make new friends, I do have alot of friends now, but it was hard for me to make friends Until I was in grade 6. Before that I was a loner.

wow...been doing this since i was a kid ..im this girl named holly (not my real name) whos from L A and has had a rough life but has moved up and now who gets to interacts with celebrities and sometimes i pretend im in a relationship with one of them ...holly has such differnet personality than i do shes outgoing, flirtatious, and has attitude ,and is muti talented..things i wish i were and also shes beautful which i think i am not...i mean i could go on and on like i made up when her birthday, her family members names and everything and could sit here and recite her entire biography ..ive never changed anything about her ever since i was a kid and now im in my late 20s and still do this and can remember everything..glad to know im not the only one out there now i dont feel so weird

Oh my god, I actually found someone else who does this, i do the exact same things, the acting out tv shows and films, pretending im this person when im doing everything, everyday. and the accents! i do it too, it scared me for so long but now i feel relieved that im not alone

Me too I do this when I'm alone I act out as an entire different cast of people I will do this when im alone i made this world of mine when I was little to cope with the loneliness of my life so i started to slowly develop it and I eventually created a world in my home and I write it all down as I go along to make it into a book it helped slot to know I'm not the only one

Woah... this nearly has me in tears from relief. I know it's irrational but I've always thought that I was literally the only one who did this kind of thing. I just couldn't imagine anyone else not thinking it was totally and utterly insane :')

Mine is slightly different-my "characters" are usually made up from scratch, often based upon some sort of stereotype, like when I was about thirteen and into gothic/emo stuff, there were two guys, one after the other, both very similar, both with dreads/long hair/eyeliner, etc. I'd done the imagining before then, but at primary school, y'know it just didn't feel strange. I was probably too young to think of it in that way anyway. Also, I was picked on in those years of my school life, I don't know whether that had anything to do with it, but it was wonderful to feel I had a secret ally that I could almost believe in. I knew neither of them were actually real, but I'd set that aside and they were a brilliant comfort. I never kind of got to "relationship status" with any of my characters, but they always have some sort of admiration for me. I hate thinking about why that might be, it makes me feel like I might have some sort of ego issue.

Lately, though, it's changed again-I tend to have characters for VERY long periods of time, my current one for over a year now. He came into being because I had a dream in which he comforted me by giving me a hug that made me feel so massively safe that when I woke up, I just began to imagine him being there with me, and he has stayed ever since. He has a first, middle and surname, an entire backstory and history, it's all pretty detailed really. I could go out shopping and point out the kind of clothes he'd wear, and things like that. I have GAD and OCD, and so whenever I'm feeling anxious (pretty much all the time, tbh), I imagine him walking through the door and normality is restored-or, at least, my imaginary reality. My imaginary reality is exceptionally close and similar to actual reality, except obviously this guy isn't real.

Anyway, I totally agree with what loads of you are saying-I wonder whether anyone has done any research on this? Clearly we all know that our "Characters" are not really real, so how do they consume us so utterly? Is it, like one person has said, that we all just have "genius" creativity levels? I'd be madly interested if anyone did studies on this. I'd love to know more about it.

I have the same problem! I always pretend I'm somebody else, (look at my username if you're curious who) and I feel as if I'm actually him and it's driving me insane, because when I look in the mirror, I don't look like him, because of my hair and I HATE it. When I was a kid, I was told I had to change myself because i was never good enough. (Courtesy of my older siblings) and I think it started there. I'm not good with people, and I tend to keep to myself, because of it. The only person who ever loved me for myself passed away, and it just got worse from there. I never want to break my character and people around me tell me to just be myself, but it's hard when you were raised to be a different person!

I stop throughout my day sometimes and just daydream. Daydream that i am my own celebrity working on my favorute show taking interviews and dating watever celebrity i think is cute. I sometimes find myself saying stuff out loud or throwing on a pair of heels sitting down crossing my legs pretending to be in an interview. I have a social life but i cnt find my way into a relatiinship. Sometimes i even kiss thingz and preted to kiss watever boyfriend i wuz dating at the time in my head. I am 100% aware while i am doing it. It is my escape sinc i was younger i am going on 15 now..but i am not crazy

well if I was you I would get checked that out,I talk to myself a lot but I am aware of it very much so good luck.

I am 24 now and I been talking to myself (imaginary friends) and lived in my world that I created ever since childhood because I didn't have any real life friends or a life. I even pretend to be someone else whenever I am alone. I suffer from depression and loneliness for years. Tapping into my inner child keeps me from going crazy in this world of sadness, depression and negativity. There is nothing wrong with any of you. You guys are just coping with the way of the world and thats a good thing.

I pretend every so often but I don't on a regular bases. What you should do is maybe talk to someone close and tell them. Maybe you want to be an actress. Take classes. You will probably be pick for something because of the imagination you have. Hope that helps. GOD BLESS!! :)

I have been doing this ever since I was young. I am 25yrs old now and for some reason I never looked this up before. Maybe I was afraid of what I would find. "Pretending" had escalated for me when the movie Titanic came out. I know it's corney but something about that movie brought something out in me. I was in 5th grade at the time. Ever since then, "Jack" has been by my side through everthing. There is not a day that goes by that I dont talk to him or seek advice from him. Not only do I talk to him but he talks back, telling me about his own problems he is facing. I know it is creepy but I can honestly say that I love him. Through the years and many movies and shows later my character has changed. I have been Max from the tv show Dark Angel, Anjolina Jolie on many occassions, Kierra Knightly, and so many more. Whatever I watch leaves a lasting impression and the more I watch it the longer I stay that particular character. Right now I am watching re-runs of dark angel and I cant stop. Once I feel like I cant act out Max anymore I just pop in another disc from the show and fill up on characterization. Its like I have to re-fuel. It is too much fun to be her. I feel stronger and different. I speak differently and I am always up for any challenge. I even shop for clothes and ask myself, what would Max wear? Some people have skelotons in their closet, I have costumes in mine.

I understand that this is not real like most of you but I sometimes wish it was. I sometimes wish I could just jump in completely and stay here in this world I have created. It is the ultimate escape.

I swear I am on a quest to find my real life Jack. I guess when I think about it what I am referring to as "Jack" is what you would call a soul mate.

I fight with Jack and tell him to let me go so I can live a normal life...but it is me who has to let go. I'm just not ready yet and I'm afraid I never will be.

I was sexualy abused when I was a kid by my own father. I have had trust issues ever since. When my Pop-pop died (he was a real father to me) it sent me into a deep depression. I have attempted suicide and have cut myself numerous times. I have been in a loving relationship before but lately I am finding it hard to keep someone. I compair everything in my real life to my fake one and its frusterating. I know that all this has stemed from my past and it just kept snow-balling into something huge. I am afraid I will never truly be happy...never live up to my fake potencial...how am I supposed to know what my real one is anyway?

Thanks for being a real person and listening :-)

You are not alone. I am a writer and this is actually one of the ways I get through writers' block. Plus, it not only makes my dialogue seem more natural since I can hear the words out loud in a natural setting, but it's fun! I am 30 years old and still pretend to be my own characters, both alone and in public. My girlfriend and I like to pretend to be characters together, as well. It's healthy to have an imagination and PLEASE do not feel ashamed of this. I talked to my psychologist about this years ago and I was told my creative intelligence was very high (genius), so be proud of who you are!

I do the same thing..

I feel relieved that I'm not the only one with this problem! I've lived with this for years and it's made me feel like a total freak and that maybe I am crazy!

It starts with me watching/reading something from a fantasy series or a supernatural series, or actually it could be anything! I don't like to pretend I'm a character, I make up my own character and fit that person in with the story line! But everytime I do this the girl that I play has the same name throughout; Dahlia.

More recently I have started to pretend that I am apart of The walking dead series (The t.v show, not the comics) it may sound silly because obviously, there are no zombies and I know that no ones going to bite me and turn me into the undead, but I pretend that I see them and in my head I kill them when I'm in public. When I'm on my own, I actually act it out.

This next bit is going to sound creepy! I have pretend relationships with some of the characters too! Like Daryl (It's always Daryl from the walking dead, but the person varies from whatever show I'm pretending to be in). I like to pretend that I'm in relationships with them and I fit it into the storyline, but if that character in the real show actually ends up with someone it makes me depressed, so much so that I move on to the next series that I can pretend to be in.

Dahlia is always this tough cookie that usually has some sort of super power, or sometimes she is a really good shot with a gun, stronger, smarter and better than the average female at everything. She also always has a troubled past (I won't go into it, sometimes it can get a little too weird).

There's a lot more to it than I have written, but I can't find the words to describe it! They make me feel better and I actually consider these characters as my friends. It's really affecting my life, to the point where I struggle forming relationships with other people because they're not those people, and that they don't live in the world that I live in, inside my head. I've had several boyfriends before but I've dumped them because I'd rather have this fantastical romance with this person that's not even there and I am struggling with it! I have no social life because I'd rather stay in and pretend that I'm someone I'm not. I've also started speaking to myself in public by accident when I lose focus. Usually when I'm in public I'll talk to my "friends" in my head, I get funny looks and comments off people and it's really getting me down! I know I should want to stop this problem, but the truth is I actually don't! They make me feel better about myself, I feel like I can rely on them and they are always there for me! Even though I feel like a freak and I'm struggling I feel that if they went away I couldn't cope without these invisible people in my life and that I'd be lost and become depressed even more so than when of my storylines in my head completely bombs. I hope this makes sense and I don't know if I should talk to someone about it, is it worth it? Will they think I'm faking it ? Will they tell me I'm crazy? I don't know. I'm confused.

So happy to come across this!
I guess it could stem back to when I was 4 and I used to pretend I was Peter Pan. But during my childhood it died down, right up until I turned 12. I became obsessed with movies, especially A Series of Unfortunate Events and I would pretend I was characters from that movie, but I would pretend I was them, talking to an imaginary person, then replying, but no one said anything. Then when I turned 14 I became overly obsessed with this one TV show (and still am) and I prentend to be the male lead and I'm a girl. When I'm alone in my bedroom, I mainly pretend to be one TV character and I have this whole made up fantasy world and I've merged my experiences in life thus far into my fake world Tv character. It scares me that I'm this obsessesd. I sit in my room and have fake convos with myself as him but I whisper because I don't want my parents to hear me. I even put on his accent (American) and all my friends at school tell me I do a perfect American accent and it's because I sit in my room everyday and pretend I'm him. As soon as I get home, I'm me, but I pretend to be him. I'm scared that it will continue and I really don't want to. Sometimes the fake story line that I've planned in my head about me and my favourite tv character become so real that when I remined myself that it isn't become depressed. I really don't want it to continue, but I can't help it. He is now apart of me, like I've based my personality of this one TV character. I don't know if is because I'm an only child because when I have these fake conversations, I'm not alone. I recently had a massive falling out as well with my best friend and I've kept to myself and I've noticed that it's gotten worse. I don't know if I'm in fantasy love where I know the relationship will never happen so I pretend to be him or if I really am insane. But I'm nearly and adult and this has been going on since I was 12. :(

I am crying right now I'm so relieved I thought I really was the only one. I've been doing it since I was very small, I'm 14 almost 15 an I used to pretend to be boys, I figured out about a year and a half ago I am transgendered and haveing been livings as male since, I thought it would stop and I blamed it on over active imagination when I was little carrying into teenage years and useing to be a boy, that it would stop after I came out but I hasn't. I literally do the EXACT same thing .... Everything u mention. I'm in shock.... I can't believe there is others....

Like most people on this page I am so relieved to find out this happens to someone else. I am 15 years old



Mine is a little different. If I am reading a certain book or watching a tv show things get strange. I pretend I am a character in the movie. When everyone is out of the house I talk to "other characters" and I pretend I have powers. Some people say it might be an overactive imagination? I just dont know what's going on.



It also affects my grades and concentration in school, because I am ALWAYS daydreaming. I really want it to stop or I might not be able to concentrate this year

get paltalk, peace bro

but i do it outside in the backyard but i dont speak just think in my head

and im only 22

me too! o like to pretend i am a lets player on youtube. but im not i dont even post vids.

i think i have it because i spent A LOT of time alone,on my dos as a child.

i also pretend i am a video game character.

Hi. I'm 15 and I feel really crazy. The things I do scare me and sometimes so much that I'm ready to phone a psychiatrist and get me some help.



Its been like this for as far back as I can remember.

But I always remember being bored since I was an only child and never had anyone to play with.

I always used to pretend that I was someone from scooby doo and bounce everywhere pretending that there was a monster following me.



I still do it now, just not with scooby doo characters. I think I have gotten worse since then tbh.

Now I pretend that I am a specific celebrity that I have a crush on and start talking to myself - in their role. Then I answer myself, in reply to what I've just said, but in the role of someone else.

For example, I adore the actor Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter. All the time I pretend to either be him, or one of the roles he's played in one of his films. I say something in the role of him and then talk back in the role of someone else, e.g. His girlfriend Jade or another character in whatever film i'm acting out - like Ron or hermione. Sometimes I pretend to be Draco, Ron, Harry etc. And I'm Draco having an argument with myself, pretend to be Harry and Ron.

I feel really crazy.

When my parents leave the house I go all retarded and bounce off walls pretending to be Tom in one of his films and I'm being chased by a villain. I make up dilemmas and situations for the celebrities I act out. I'm scared in case I really do have some sort of disorder. As I said, I'm 15 and it just doesn't seem normal to still be doing this.

I recently had an MRI scan and was informed that I had something called Dysplexia. It means that my brain wasn't fully developed in the womb and that the left side of my brain is slightly smaller than my right side. I have no idea whether or not this could be the explanation for my abnormal behaviour but I'm still debating on whether or not to see a psychiatrist.

Please please can someone reply and tell me that I'm normal?! Ive read all of your comments but I want your opinions on whether the under development of my brain could be the cause of it.

Thankyou.

I'm 15 and I'm really glad to see that there is other people who do this, I have never told anyone about it and this is the closest I will probably ever get. I usually do it when I'm bored, lonely or a tad down. It's hard to explain but i've done this for as long as I can remember. If i've watched a tv series or series of books I have liked I will take the characters out of them and create a story of my own. The conversation will go back and forth between me and the characters and It will go on for a while. I usually do this in my room or the car or any place to be honest. I like to do it with series like without a trace where there is something to be resolved like a murder or missing person. It sounds grim but I like to almost re create the scenes in my mind and act it out almost. I like to pretend almost I am a character. Pretty grim things have happened in my life and its not like I don't have friends but I wouldn't trust any of them with this, it's just something I do when Ive had a bad day and I suppose ots my little way of coping and taking my mind of things and im glad im not the only one that does this because i used to think it was a little odd

Like most of the other responses, I am relieved to find this post! Although what I experience is a LITTLE different, I am glad to see I am not the only one who does this...and that I am not the only one who enjoys doing it..even if I do worry sometimes lol



It started when I was about 10 years old (I will be 20 soon). I was in my friends room and I imagined the boy I had a crush on being with us while we were dancing around and pretending to be pop stars.

After that I kept doing it but with celebrities, boys I had crushes on, tv personas, etc. After I sat down and thought about it years later, I realized I imagine people that I cannot socialize with on a regular basis. The difference between me and most of the others on here is that I don't pretend I am someone else, rather I converse with myself and pretend I am talking to other people. It is quite hard to explain and I did not tell anyone about it until I was 17. Even then, I felt that I couldn't tell them the whole truth because they would think I was crazy.



I go to a psychiatrist because I have ADHD, and I brought it up to her one day. She told me I was not crazy because I knew I was not actually conversing and socializing with these people. Because I know the difference between reality and my imagination, she told me I had nothing to worry about.

But what she didn't understand was that I was not worried about being crazy so much, but more so about wanted to stop doing it. When I first started imagining other people when I was 10, I could imagine them whenever I wanted to. But after a couple years or so, I couldn't control it anymore. It had gotten to the point where I feel as though I am ALWAYS with someone from the time I go to sleep til the time I wake up. It sounds a little bit more unusual in writing than when I explain it..lol but it's hard for me to express it to others. And the worst part is that I enjoy having this conversation--if there is gossip and I don't want to tell my friends, I can just tell my "imaginary friends". If I need to vent about something because I am mad, or if something really funny happened and I don't have anyone to talk to, I talk to whoever I want. And I can change the people I am talking to in mid conversation.



When I am alone, I will converse with them, but when I am around others, I usually just feel the presence of others and can imagine them in my head, but feel no need to talk with them.

Yeah, after typing this out I feel as though I sound crazy, but I really need to get it off my chest with people that understand :)

I'm 16, and I think I have the same problem....for years I've thought it was normal, I've only just realised its strange and not normal! :( I always act out movies out loud, pretend I'm different people, and continue the same stories and situations for weeks even months...just like I have a different life but with imaginary characters, like I said I've only just realised its not normal after googling it and seeing the way other people

Describe it...I don't know what to

Do? My parents probably have heard me talking to myself in my room at some point, they probably think I'm strange...