Your post was interesting anandalouise.Thanks for sharing all that.

I kept journals throughout my entire years of therapy.I think it's really interesting and fun sometimes to go through them and read them.I did get rid of all my paper journals though but kept my online journal.That's something I would reccomend ,to journal the therapy process.Many times people may think they're not making progress but can see it unfolding in journals.

My therapist had asked me if I heard voices and I always said no.I thought they were just my own thoughts until he had me keep track of what I was hearing.It took a long time(I think about a year maybe?)to realize my "thoughts" sounded like different ages and genders.I was so used to hearing them,I never knew any different so it was hard for me to gain the awareness of what I was really hearing.

I think that awareness is probably different for everyone.Some might be able to differentiate pretty quickly and for others,like me,it may take awhile.

Of course all the voices stopped after integration and now it really is just my own thoughts going on.