Voices?

I don't hear voices audibly, but I do hear them in my head - I can ask myself a question and get a response from someone/something out of nowhere. Its not me though, its someone else. They say they're all there.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

That happens to me a little bit but i dont get more than one at time and i dont have to ask a question first. I dont know what it is. My
old T said it was part of dissociation. I dont want to talk about it with new T. If i had to guess, i'd say sounds like you have DID.

I think the same- maybe DID. My voices sound like someone is next to me- but they aren't.

I have voices in my head fairly frequently. Most of the time I can't understand what they are saying. They just sound mean and angry. I recently had an incident were they were telling me to kill a cat of mine. I have six, but the voices specified one particular cat. It was not pleasant. But 1 or 2 Haldols does the trick for get rid of them. My pdoc said it's part of having shitzoaffective disorder.

I have this kind of thing too quite often. If I forget to take my seroquel at the right time of day then I get them most often at night, which makes it hard to get to sleep. However, I'm learning a foriegn language at the moment, so often I'll put on head phones and talk along with the recording. This both drowns out other voices, and gives me valuable practise. Also, I find active listening like this tires me out more than, say, listening to music.

You could try a book on tape or something like that?

I have schizoaffective disorder, and don't know much about DID.

I don't know if its one voice that keeps shifting forms or several voices that take turns talking. In my mind they take on the appearance of people I've seen in most cases (although there is one that has no form and has a very distinct voice/demeanor). I've found that if I write down a question, they will answer it, usually with very brief answers, but they usually address me by name.

Tried having a "Q&A Session" with the voice by writing stuff down in a journal. Voice actually named its self and described everything that it wanted to do in my life - went on a bit of a rant about everyone/thing. Anti-psychotics cause depersonalization in me and I can't function at my job (or in life in general) with that.

I'm so tired of this. If its not the mood swings, its the halucinations or the constant tiredness or the voices. God knows whats next on the list

I've had a pdoc explain that if you consider the voice to be something different than yourself, then it is worth bringing up. I have actual "external" auditory hallucinations, not of voices, but of ringing phones and footsteps (someone walking up behind me.) I can't tell the difference between real and not real when they happen.

I also talk to myself and there is a "voice" that talks back, but it isn't a person or thing, it's like another bit of me and I have long discussions with it and running dialog.

I have only had the "external" auditory hallucinations of voices. It seems very, very real, but no one is there. One of the scarier things I've ever experienced.

Agreed. External auditory halucinations are 100% terrifying.

I used to have external visual/auditory pseudo hallucinations. My doc said if I know they aren't real then its ok.

But I have lots of voices in my head, some are friends and some are enemies but over time I've learned who they are. Each voice seems to be a different part of my personality which seem to constantly be at war. For example, I'm an alcoholic, but sober, and so that alcoholic part of me talks in a low male voice from over my right shoulder (but still in my head) There's a part of me that acts up when i get "crazy" highly emotional and she usually is telling me to self destruct. She speaks from right above my left forehead (still in my head though)
I've just identified who they are and learn to live with them. When the negative voices surface they are hard to tune out but I can try to call on the voices in there which I know will help me. The positive ones seem really hard to access though, sometimes all they can say is get to the hospital you need help.

I'm just plain bipolar with tendencies to dissociate. Thanks likewater! This totally explains why different parts of me have their own voices!

That's interesting TP... I have some voices localised at different angles of entry, as it were, so "thought insertion" seems to go in behind my right ear, some nutty woman going on about religion goes in at a spot to the slight left of the crown of my head, other voices are mainly at the front, while one male voice comes through the back.

I haven't had them much lately though, which is a huge relief.

Cool mgran! I've never met anyone with voices like mine! Not that I talk about them much. That's what so great about PC, I learn I'm not alone and that my brain is OK.

It is actually empowering in a way to realise we're not alone. Not that I wish this condition on anyone else, but to know that we're not "freaks", others experience life in similar ways to us... that somehow makes it easier to live with.

I've been very lucky with my anti psychotic... I dread to think what I'll do if it stops working... but the voices have really muted down a lot. I got the bizarre woman shouting about Jesus on Wednesday night I think, but because of the angle of entry I knew it was a hallucination and ignored it. I couldn't have ignored it if it had carried on for long, but I was lucky and she shut up pretty quickly.

Regarding disociation... it's something I've wondered about with myself to be honest. I haven't had much in the way of talk therapy, but I have wandered off in the past a few times and found myself somewhere, not knowing quite how I got there. One time I found myself walking down a dual carriage way... I'd come out of a counselling session and intended to walk home, next thing I know I'm facing traffic and completely lost. Is this the kind of thing that's meant by disociating? (Sorry for spelling.)

WARNING MAY CONTAIN SA TRIGGER

That can be part of it. I have had experiences like that. My pdoc wanted to rule out temporal lobe epilepsy first.

Normally when I dissociate I seal myself off from the present. Usually involving sex (i was molested as a child and raped as a teenager) It took 19 years before my brain allowed me to remember the molestation. But a lot of my dissociating results in out of body experiences, where I am hovering and watching myself. Some call it "going to your happy place" where I can basically shut my brain off to prevent myself from experiencing things.

I dissociate when I feel threatened (someone yelling at me, or my therapist trying to dig too deep)

You might want to look into depersonalization/derealization. My pdoc at the hospital told me that being unable to recognize familiar places is part of that experience.

it's good to know there are others out there with this same problem. Makes me feel better, but worse because I think it's damn hard to deal with.

for me:

started eight years ago and became quite a problem, interferred with my life, because I spent more time in my head talking to the voices than in this reality. I would sit in class and multi-task taking notes and talking my head. It became a fantastical world while I was manic and a dreaded one when I was bed-ridden. I used these voices in my head as an escape at times, but at others grew tired and wary as it became a full time thing. Scientifically there wasn't much to be done, anti-psychotics didn't effect them or their presence. It was my mood or situation changing that would make it better or worse. I even now have "friends" in me head that will defend me against other voices in me head, keep me mindful of my actions and words, even make sure I've taken me medication. But I've come to the conclusion it's not a life to lead to be constantly on the other side. Behaviorally, the more time you spend talking in your head the worse it could get i.e. I use to forget to wash my hair in the shower I was having such a good (or bad) conversation with the voices in my head. They have brought me comfort and I have had voices that were bothersome. Never had one tell me what to do something I would consider wrong or felt threatened, but when bipolar has you at your wits end the voice situation gets worse, it's just another thing you have to deal with. I have had external audio, visual, tactile and even odor hallucinations, usually when hypermanic and they are scary and usually more alarming. Some people try to self medicate with a drug of choice, some take on heavy prescription meds, some get lead down the rabbit hole--keep yourself distracted and keep your support network informed. I went through years of not being able to watch movies, listen to music, go to sleep, cook, read, or really focus without playing these side head games. Be careful. I consider it a gift and a tool to think at a higher level, but it's dangerous and can lead to decompensation/worse symptoms. In closing, the more you do it the more active they become, and you can find that in research with most auditory hallucinations. Good luck and if they're there they're there, don't really need a real or unreal label because you can hear them and talk to them and they talk back. If it gets bad seek help. I was driven back to the psych hospital by a voice that bothered everytime I tried to relax for over a year. At times it was like leading a double-life. But it got better as I did. I hope this goes well for you, some people respond to meds, others don't. Try and stay in control and keep doing what makes you happy.

I've never been afraid of mine- though they have said some strange things.

Talked to the tree outside my apt. today and he is still worried about the squirrel population. Talked to some of the house spirits last night and I agreed to clean up and excersise. Talked to some kind of God figure and she's worried about my Mom. But I was able to cook two nice meals, do my dishes, shower, write some friends, and watch several episodes of family guy with no problem, voice, delusion, or anything. It did take me eight years to balance this system and a lot of hardship. I'm glad meds work for some, none have ever worked for mine, I was on 600mg Seroquel a day when they started. I was able to fade out of the world and be imaginative and hopeful and with the help of friends and family keeping me together, I came through just fine. There's nothing wrong with hearing voices, it's your behavior that counts. Just got a nod from a shadow person I didn't know was in my house, but my cat caught a look at him, she watches empty chairs and follows things with her eyes I can't see now, but have seen before when hypermanic. Sorry if this type of thinking doesn't fit the DSM mold, but if I'm happy with it and able to do the best I can. . .it's like quicksand with these voices. . .the more you struggle the worse it will get, hopefully there is a vine you can pull on whether it be distraction, psychotropic drugs, faith. I chose to embrace it. And now I live with it. So instead of staying up with these very real feelings of people around me and smoking another cigarette, I'll skip the last cigarette of the day and day dream in bed until insomnia breaks. I have a lot to share about my voices, and if this thread continues I hope I can share more since there really is no other outlet. Even my friend who practices a dull brand of witchcraft, drops acid, eats magic mushrooms as a solution, and has open, out-loud relationships with her voices, isn't much of a comfort. When she started hearing voices at age 11 her mother took her into to the pastor where they assaulted her and forced her to throw up to get rid of the demons. And her voices at the time wanted to play games. Take serious action if your voices do. If not, like me (I consider myself lucky) a little music and some deep breathing may do the trick. Thank you and good night. I'll be thinking of you guys.

This thread is really helpful. I don't have voices, but I watched "A Beautiful Mind" movie, which I think has some similar thing. It's beautiful, & at the end of the movie, the way he just ignores them, even though they're everywhere around him while he's getting his Noble Prize in mathematical economics, is just SO inspirational & beautiful

How he managed to "use" & control his brain, to bring out his genius while ignoring his negative side of mentality is just BRILLIANT

Until I started taking Risperdal in July I would hear voices every night when I went to bed. Like people were outside my bedroom window whispering. I couldn't understand them but they sounded just like two people whispering and messing with the window. I would also see figures on the walls and in doorways. I used to get up and walk around the house with a shotgun. Eventually I just told myself they were there they were going to do whatever they were going to do and I would just have to wait and react. Risperdal has taken that away. My wife must be greatful, not seeing me peeking out windows at night

I hear talking dogs, trash cans, marching bands, and football games. I also hear someone calling my name from time to time. I'm pretty used to it.

I am not sure if this is same, but I have internal dialogues...I always assumed the voices in the dialogue were my and really a monologue....I will have to pay closer attention....never thought anything of it, because it's always been there.

It's happens all the time....when I am gaming I will have internal dialogues what about do next in the game....when laying in bed at night, I will tell stories, make up things....discuss things with myself...I guess.

Interesting....sometimes this is a reason I can't sleep--the dialogue won't shut off....it's constantly going on....all the time...and it rather chattery from time to time....but this maybe normal....IDK.

I have both. I get voices in my head that wont shut up saying really bad things. I remember one time when at my girlfriends (Before I was on meds) my mind was going crazy and there where internal voices all over the place that where just driving me insane. I started to freak out and punching myself in the head to try and make them shut up. I was crying, and just plain old freaking out. After I started calming down I could hardly do anything. I even tried reading a childrens book and it was just impossible for me to read. As I said I also get external voices where it sounds like someone is whispering to me or talking to me just in general. I agree with what is said, it's really scary. I try to tell myself that these things are just not real and are because of my "illness" but it doesn't really help much xD

So you're not alone. But meds have helped a lot when it comes to stuff like that. I may hate my APs but I am grateful they stop these sort of things because I have no idea what happens when these sort of event come up.

I get the name thing....I often think I hear my wife say something...and she hasn't...she chalks it up to my bad hearing...

Hmm...