My mom always talk to herself when she is alone. Is that normal?

I'm just worried if that's a symptom of something (like alzheimer, dymentia, stress.. etc). Anyway, she is 66 and very healthy and very active. But I just don't understand why she always mumbles and talks to herself whenever no one around. My daughter also noticed this and she was also kinda scared. One time, I surprised her and interrupted her.. then she pretended she was just singing. She's been stressed emotionally , am not sure that's one of the reasons too.

no i think it is normal my dad does that to

It is very normal. Sometimes older people tend to talk to themselves or aloud. There is nothing to be worried about. God Bless!

I do that myself... asking myself questions and then answering them

It's normal. People I work with do that. Sometimes it helps when you're trying to remember something or add up something

Yes i have seen many older people talking like that, even my grandmom. I think it has something to do with age, old people usually do that. But still ask her if she is tensed about something or if she needs to share something.

It is completely normal. Oprah did a special on what we do at home when no one is watching, and some very embarassed housewives sat off stage and laughed along as they watched footage of themselves talking to themselves (I know that sounds funny), roll playing, and singing and dancing while they thought they were alone.

I do it too and it is extremely embarassing when I get caught in the act- even though I know that others, including relatives ad friends do it too. "Singing" is considered more "acceptable" so it is a common excuse to use.

The best I can explain is that its like you have an active imagination. No one thinks about the child that is "playing pretend" in their bedroom. When you are grown up, the imagination is still there, but the "playing pretend" is not acceptable in today's society, so you adapt into doing it in private. Sometimes you are acting out something comepletely imaginative, and sometimes if something that troubles you is on your mind and you are re-hashing it or trying to prepare for it, you run yourself through different "scenarios". By the time you are an adult, it comes second nature, and many times you are saying things out loud without realizing it.

Don't be upset with mom, and if you catch her, (PLEASE) act like you didn't see anything. Like I said, it is extremely embarassing when you get caught.

If she weren't doing it when no one is around or didn't "switch" to pretending she was singing, you might have reason to worry about a psychological problem- but this is classic "pretending". She is probably just not as good at hiding it now that she is used to you being gone from the house.

Don't worry hun. It is a habit that some people get into to relieve stress or to minimalize the feelings that they have about being alone. I am guilty of doing this too. Sometimes it helps me to remember things or put things that bother me into perspective. I am sure that she told you that she was singing to cover for talking to herself, as many people seem to feel that if you talk to yourself, there is something wrong with you. You are correct in saying that this can be a symptom of Alzheimers, etc, however, there are other signs to watch for (ie- being unaware where she is, not knowing who you are, mood swings, alienating themselves from family, extreme forgetfulness.). If you notice any of these symptoms, talk with your mom and tell her that you are worried. Alzheimers and the other dementias do not occur suddenly, they come on slowly. Chances are that your mom will have noticed some of the signs and will be scared to admit it. There are options medically that seem to help slow the effects of this progressive disease. Being diagnosed early and treated early is the first step. In any case, for now I would just monitor your mom for any of the other symptoms of the disease. Some people say that they talk to themselves because they are guaranteed an intelligent conversation. Below is a link from the National Institute on Aging's internet site, listing the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Hope this helps.