Acting as / impersonating someone else?

[Skizo]

As a result of my social anxiety and complications which I had when communicating with people, I started to imitate people who were socially skilled and likable , and I practiced it to the extent of which it didn't even require effort for me to act as the person that I started to imitate in the first place, I did it for years and I almost as if came that personality which I had been impersonating.... And yes, it has helped me a lot in social situations. It has made me a lot more confident and almost feel like I have no responsibility over myself anymore since I am not my true self anymore in social situations.

So is this normal or how can it actually affect my mental health? I practice this very strictly and 100% of the time when I am in social situations, I am not my true self anymore.

I think I've been trying to imitate the "cool kids" since I became a teen, but then I really couldn't "pull it off" as I didn't really understand what I was doing... but for the last year or so, I have been impersonating that character so much and to such a large extent that it has completely changed myself, I am now almost like the character that I was impersonating really is.

It actually is a little bit demanding to the brain when in every single social situation you think like "what would (insert person here) do". I guess it is common to act that way since many kids try to be like their idols or so... but I have taken this to a really great extent.

And just for the record - the character that I am impersonating truly is an awesome personality and therefor worth impersonating.

[Robbed]

I think that what you are doing is probably no different from what so many other people are doing. Including those people you are trying to impress. I mean, have you ever noticed how SO many people act more like the person you 'used' to be once you get to know them better? I'm guessing you probably do, too. Something to think about.

[Rhetoric]

I do the same thing, too. Sometimes on purpose.. sometimes it'll be a movie / show I just watched. I'll start to take on the same verbal sounds as said character, etc. Sometimes it'll work.. sometimes it won't. There are times that I'll almost "forget" what my own true persona is like.. and here I thought I was the only one.

[Anxiety beater]

Hi Skizo - I recall a buddhist saying that starts "we are what we think, with our thoughts we create the world" -trouble is we're often programmed to view ourselves negatively (I speak as someone who had social anxiety from childhood for over 30 years) - I think you're just kind of re-creating yourself, re-programming yourself if you like, to be more like the person you admire - no reason why it can't be a therapeutic way to overcome your anxiety and develop a more positive self-image. You're still YOU!

[donnie]

hi

in school i used to do the same things too, in school people would think i was always happy and funny but it was a different story when i went home i was depressed and had self esteem issues, this continued until i left school when i had a breakdown after my life altering experience. after a while you start to forget who you are and you don't have your own personality, you are mimicking someone else, someone you're not you're basically living a lie and i think the truth will come out in the end, yes it's a good coping mechanism but all your friends know are under false pretenses and the sooner you realize this the happier you will be just being yourself you will make new friends you who are truly happy with

[Lunabell]

I would be concerned that you will forget who you really are and lose yourself.