Dear Eye View
My boyfriend and I moved in together a few weeks ago and it’s been a somewhat tricky adjustment. One problem in particular has been that he’s very bothered by my habit of talking to myself. I’ve lived alone for many years and talking to myself is something I’ve just always done. I kind of see it as a way of thinking out loud. I’ll sort of ask myself questions and answer them, for example, or say something like, “Guh, I don’t know what I feel like having for dinner,” and then say, “Maybe pasta? No …” I absolutely see how this would be annoying, and out of courtesy, I am trying my hardest to limit how much I talk to myself now that I’m not living alone, but he’s taken it to a new level. He seems to think I need to talk to a psychiatrist if I’m “having conversations with myself” and he’s been asking if I “hear voices.” I’ve tried to explain that this is just a habit of thinking out loud and that it’s relatively normal but he won’t let it go. I think this is a fairly innocuous, but irritating habit, that he needs to accept in me as long as I work on it, just like I accept certain harmless flaws in him. I certainly don’t think I should be talking to a shrink about a bad habit. What do you think? Self Talker
Deare ST
I understand your concern. If you walk down the street these days, it looks like everyone is “hearing voices.” OK, they are, but there is still something disconcerting about people having very animated conversations as they march along the street by themselves. So there’s a technological fix for your situation: use blue tooth as if you are on a phone call. That will trick your boyfriend and be less annoying to others. Hope this helps.
EV
Moody Eye View 
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