>>7169>>7172>>7189You're welcome. Glad I could help, in some way.
I wasn't entirely sure how anons here would react to this kind of advice, so I was hesitant to label it as "you absolutely must try this". irl, people who don't suffer from anxiety tend to offer unhelpful advice, saying that you just need to be more social, interact with others more, etc. It gets pretty grating at times. This was one of the few things that helped at a time I wasn't getting therapy.
>>7175>>7174For me, I always enjoyed writing stories and creating characters. That's how I was able to personify the voices in my head- but it does take effort and time. If you don't have a lot of practice maintaining that inner world, it can be pretty daunting. But it's rewarding at the same time- like lucid dreaming while you're awake.
One thing that's important is to not go too far with it. If that imaginary friend starts berating you, or you're completely relying on them then it'll become a nightmare to deal with. You've got to integrate it with the real world, and pretend it doesn't exist when you're in public, being observed with others.
>>7183Headmates aren't really tulpas, though they're similar. I'm not sure what else to call mine- people with DiD create systems they're a part of to deal with trauma, and that's where I got the term from.
They're more or less just a group of characters living in this fun world that exists in my head. If I talk to them, they respond. Each has a different personality and acts different.