Why Do I Have Imaginary Friends as an Adult?
Question by jill: Why do i have imaginary friends as an adult?
I am an 18 year old female. I have always had made up friends for as long as i can remember. They have always been males, and Im not sure why. I have tried to research different conditions on the internet of what a term for this may be but cant seem to find any. i frequently find myself lost in my own mind thinking about who i am in my head and thinking of random scenarios of me hanging out with these people in my mind. they are better friends than my real friends, often i find myself spending time alone so i can focus better on my friends in my head. I know they are not real when i really think about it but most of the times i forget that they are not real people. I think they influence me more than anybody else in who i am today.I dont know if this has anything to do with it but when i was younger i was neglected and abused by my parents. but the physical and sexual abuse didnt occur until i was 14 years old, so iwasnt a child. i dont know if that matters. I have frequent problems with depression and suicidal tendencies since i was 12. often the people in my head offer solace to the pain or reflect in and make me hurt even more. frequently i have fantasies of my friends getting murdered or my family getting murdered or seriously injured and when that happens i usually try to be the hero or try to get revenge for them. what does this all mean? does anybody know of any terms that i can research in what this may be called?
Best answer:
Answer by Sarah
I wouldn’t worry too much, as long as you understand that they are not actually real… that is a more serious issue.
I am in my mid twenties and have a constant conversations with “people” in my head. In my case, mostly older female characters. Seriously, every time I am alone I sort of act out these conversations and encounters in my mind. I also sometimes imagine scenarios and act them out in my mind. I know 100% that they aren’t real, but it really helps me. So firstly, you are not alone in doing this.
My own personal feeling on why _I_ do this is that it is simply the easiest way to compartmentalize and analyse my own experiences and feelings. I can say things to these “people” that I can’t even admit to myself out loud, play with different types of emotions etc. It’s simply a sign of a good imagination combined with a difficulty processing my feelings. I wish I could give you an “official” name for it, but I’m pretty certain it’s relatively common. Many people make up fantasies… I guess we just do it a little more than both. And many people use drugs or alcohol or other methods to help cope… similar type of thing, I guess.
I wouldn’t worry unless a) you start to think they are real and independent or b) it starts to drastically interfere with your personal relationships outside your head. Other than that, accept it as a quirk and embrace it :-)
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