I have multiple personalities :(

wealthyman

For the last five years I haven't done much with my life. I am a 22 year old male. I am living with a chronic illness but it is managable. I have enrolled in courses only to leave again etc. My life is dull, I don't go out much and I have no friends, but I am not too concerned about that. I don't have a problem getting on with people infact I can connect very well and alot of people would open up and tell me their problems, I am friendly and I have great confidence and some days feel I can take on the world. However I seem to be taking on the persona's of celebrities and in particular politicians in order to do this.

Sounds complicated I know. An example of this would be that one morning I wake up and I imagine I am the taoiseach of Ireland or Prime Minister of Britain. I do my grocerery shopping in a suit sometimes just to make people think that I must be important or have a really good job. I am a good looking lad, tall with a good figure so it helps to look good in these places, I am compensating by dressing up by doing the shopping or going to the gym beacuae I dont go to pubs or clubs much. I also go to a hotel all dressed very smartly and bring my laptop and I acctually think the workers respect me more because of this, because the days i go there with a tractsuit and runners on the older lady staff in their 60's seem distant yet can't do enough for me when I am all dressed up etc. Anyway I get it into my head that I am the prime minister. I imagine everyone is aware of my presence and imagine that my car is waiting outside and I have alot of security. Other days I imagine I am a famous singer and I have lots of money, flash cars and a huge house. I try act like them and adapt their personas. For the last few weeks I have being acting like I am the minister for health. HELP

dublin daz

It sounds more like a self confidence issue and not really multiple personalities.

Have you tried different courses to build up your confidence, you said you're confident, but from what you describe you seem to think by being someone other than you, you're getting more respect. Also, you are worrying too much about how people perceive you. Dressing up to get respect is all well and good, but honestly its just going to stress you out, having to be a different person.

Try self confidence courses and see if that improves things, in relation to thinking you're someone else, the taoiseach or PM - that's probably just you trying to block out who you really are.

Again, seems to be self confidence, when you accept your self, you'll see people actually don't mind how you dress or what you work at. If anyone judges you based on dress then that's their issue and not yours.

I am not saying people who go shopping in PJ's don't get funny looks, but from what you describe you're doing normal things and dressing normal and the attention you think your getting is just a small insecurity.

Best of luck.

Overheal

For my part it sounds like you're just projecting on whatever dreams and ambitions you have. You're shooting awfully high though, at things that are really unrealistic goals. I can see why in comparison this would defeat you at anything else you do.

You can turn that around though. You could become an actor or something. Go pick up a drama class, you sound like you'd be a natural at it. Or, if what you think you really want is a 'normal' middle class living, it seems like you may be roleplaying just to find something that you hope might make you happy before you have to commit to it. I guess you'd be ripe for a Suit and Tie positon, eh?

I would start with the drama class, personally. Just a club or society thing. Perhaps by focusing all of that mentality or energy into a class or a club it will take some of the pressure off you to perform when you're just out on the street and maybe you won't find yourself daydreaming so often that you're a politician or a korean pop star.