Last night was the first time, since I started hearing voices, that I settled quietly and intimately in a public place. I was outside of starbucks sneaking cigarettes with my best friend (I haven't been a smoker in years but she chain smokes). There were LOTS of noises besides her speaking. There were folks leaving the coffee shop, folks waiting at the bus stop, noisy cars, random people talking; there was plenty of background noise. Several times I had to reality check because I didn't know if what I was hearing was real or imagined. Since I was there with my best friend, I just asked her. Only once was reality questioned; only once could we not decide if I heard real or imagined voices. Anyway, for those of you who have auditory (or visual) hallucinations in your day to day lives, how do you differenciate reality from what's in your head? Does the anxiety with the hallucinations subside? Sometimes I have trouble accepting them as hallucinations and I start to believe they are demons or ghosts, or where ever my unsettled mind leads me? Do or did you do the same thing? Do you get over that too? Do the hallucinations typically come and go? Or, once you start hearing voices do they typically stay with you? Thanks!