Scripts have been huge for me as well. I also fight the habit of having "imaginary" conversations as if running a bunch of simulations and then make a bunch of assumptions. Have you ever done this?

@Teri Connolly I have started the practice of content dumping. Periodically just emptying all ideas thoughts and what not. Then when I review later I can decide whats worth the time and whats not.

@Shawn Bailey oh it irritates my wife to no end. She hates having to "babysit me" as she says. "I have to be my brain and yours, why cant you......"

@Shawn Bailey yup. Fully agree.my oldest at 13 is displaying some of the same signs I do. So I'm hoping to a beacon of solutions. My wife thinks im using it as an excuse. I M struggling to get her to see it really.

@Deb Brouwer our house growing up i would say didnt have visible tension...rather we were a family that built around passive aggressive gaslighting. Us kids at the time were never truly allowed to have thoughts and opinions. My brother and I discussed how our parents were masters at turning our complaints or struggles or thoughts into their victimization. How they were wronged by what we did. Over just about everything. So sharing our thoughts passions desires or goals were never heard....so tension that lived below the surface. Our cope was to just "dont open up" or "dont rock the boat". Whenever my wife asks my opinion, even on the simplest of dumb things....my answer is typically always something agreeable...."i dont have a preference", "anything for dinner is fine"...."sure we can do whatever you want". Until it boils over and I kinda snap then go victim..."i never get what I want" or "I never get to pick" type attitudes. It's exhausting, and at the same time.....as much as I hate to admit....repeats these behavior my parents displayed for us.