Is It Weird To Have Imaginary Friends?

[DaisyD63976]

Hi
I have imaginary friends but I honestly didn't think it was that weird until my real friend said it was. Is it? Or is he messing with me? I have quite a few but Duncan, Aaron, Makoto and Not are the ones I see the most.
Aaron likes to jump off things, Duncan has green hair, Makoto mutilates himself (sometimes with the help of Not) and sometimes Not masturbates and cries :/
Ok I know Not is a little weird but it's just my imagination right?

[DaisyD63976]

I think my main problem is, I don't know if I like them, or hate them

[Butterbun]

If that's how you feel Daisy then you're growing out of this phase. Ask them to leave. They have entertained you enough.

[DaisyD63976]

It's not that easy talking to them when they're so into what they're doing

[dunnitall]

I would feel at your age this is a mental health issue, perhaps you should seek help in that direction? How can we say it's weird when we don't know the whole story, you've asked opinions and received them if you don't like what's been said that's your choice, I feel you should look for psychiatric help if you need to answer your question with expert opinions.

[DaisyD63976]

I accept that I'm weird, but I don't think I need professional help for it. There are a number of things that have happened to me that could have caused this, but I don't think it's doing me any harm

[dunnitall]

If 'something' has caused it then you do need help IMO.

[Hypognosis]

All that your parents and schoolteachers will know about this is that your grades are, perhaps, a little lower than they expect of you, until you tell them about this. They need to know that you are suffering distractions from inside your head.

However, since I've not been in this situation, myself, I don't know what the therapy experience will be like. The end goal, for most sufferers is - as you feared - to make the visions/voices go away. Hopefully, you can quickly compensate for this loss by making new, genuine, friends at school.

[woofgang]

weird or normal are not relevant. More relevant to your condition is whether your friends are safe and healthy for you to have and if you have trouble controlling them and can't make them go away then as I have said they are not safe and not healthy for you. I think you might suspect this yourself......

[Retrochic]

it seems you are quite normal Daisy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_friend

[Old_Geezer]

It may depend on the culture you live in.

[DaisyD63976]

Well now I'm just confused... Am I normal or not? According to that Wikipedia article I'm normal, but it doesn't say anything about imaginary friends that do what mine do

[Peter Pedant]

What does AskPedia say ? very sensibly, your friends told you to hedge your bets and put it on there as well.

If it is disturbing you, then the first stop is a teacher you can talk to .....
[if you are in school that is ]

[Peter Pedant]

.

Definitely time to ask AskPedia and see what they have said

[DaisyD63976]

I put the question on AskPedia as well to get more opinions, but why are people asking me to get help?

[boxtops]

Daisy, are you in the UK? if you are, go and speak to your pastoral teacher at school - you don't have to say anything, just print out this thread and show them. Nobody will know, nobody will think you are weird. It is unusual still to have "people in your head" by the time you reach your age, and you are obviously concerned about it.

Have you told your mum or dad? Do these friends affect your daily life at home or at school?

[Retrochic]

if you read the article carefully you will see that your imaginary friends reflect your own feelings, fears and doubts, so your imaginary friends are unique to you. Look at what your imaginary friends are doing and see how that reflects what YOU are doing in your daily life.

[boxtops]

^ because we think you need it. Perhaps some counselling, or at least to try to find out why these friends are in your head, and why....

[Peter Pedant]

Yup The wiki article I think is good....

bad news about being normal....I agree that you are.

and yes it is your imagination..... have a good summer holiday

[DaisyD63976]

I really don't want to tell my mum and I don't know where my dad is