Practicing conversations

Yes I go over and over what I need to say when I'm there to know it makes sense and I don't feel overwhelmed when I have to speak to them.

I often run through things in my head that I want to/ could say to people... only most of the time I never end up saying the things I planned... 

I do practice talking a lot, usually in front of my bedroom mirror. I practice but I never seem to get any better. But if I don't do any practicing then it makes me extremely anxious. 

I practice talking for conversations with people and also for phone calls. I struggle with both. I've also watched videos online, but that hasn't helped much either.

I can entirely relate to the use of pacing for stimming. I do this all the time. Also the realisation that others don’t go through the build up to conversations in the same way I do was a bit of an eye opener too.

This is something I entirely get. I do it too. Particularly if I have to make a phone call (something I absolutely dread). In these situations I even write a script with multiple options for questions I might be asked and responses I can offer. It’s very stressful to do this, but even more stressful if I don’t.

I listrn / watch chat programmes on the radio & Tv to try and work out, how they can just start a conversation.

definitely practice conversations. I also go over different scenarios that could happen so I'm prepared. also, plan out topics of conversation if i know that i'm going to have to talk to someone for 10 minutes. i will make a list of things that i can talk about.

pacing. I have always paced when I get nervous, and I never realised that was a form of stimming until I joined this forum. spending about 20 minutes deciding whether to get up and get a tissue or to let my nose run, because getting up in front of a whole class was an awful idea for me, i just thought everyone went through that process in their head. also, i thought everybody hated conversations and it was hard for everyone, apparently it's not.

Yes a lot of the time. It's hard if I go to an appointment and they are running late as I keep going over it. I even do it in group conversations. 

Things I did not realize before include repeating phrases in my mind, having to do things evenly including having equal spacing where things are on left or right of something. Not sure if this is, but I don't like things unfinished, so if I turn off music it has to be at the end of a tune. Also walking into a room and feeling hot and awkward trying to decide where to sit or in an informal situation struggling to join in and wishing I wasn't there.