[Trippin2.0]

Hey guys I'm not in distress or anything, but felt compelled to share. Idk, maybe hoping one of you can relate...
My eyes and ears are doing weird things... Yesterday, the digits I had just written down lifted from the paper and shifted around, the computer screen looked like it was covered in fog and the info was jumping out at me! Today, nearly everytime i wrote ( at work i have to use a pc and bank statements to gather client info and write it down) i would write letters or dates that are not even infront of me! And then to add to insult, my usually brilliant concentration was waning, but really? Asking myself whats todays date 358 times? (yes folks 358, I checked) WTF, that's a bit excessive dontcha think?? And... there was a millisecond when I thought there was a roach on my top (nearly screamed) but then i saw it was just the bead on the draw-string. Lastnight i heard OLD grammophone music, like in the movies, but only in my left ear. And at work I keep hearing incorrectly, lucky i'm listening to convo's between colleagues and customers,so nobody's noticed yet. Also. If more than 2 ladies are on a call,or multiple phones ring simultaneously, I WANT TO SCREAM! It's like fricken auditory overload, so i sit there pressing on my ears. My family says i'm aggro and irritable, but i d0n't really see it (except if I must admit, my daughter's been getting on my nerves, just her presence irritates me sometimes) I've been sleeping solid hours, I'm not energetic, and my thoughts don't appear to be racing, so i've ruled out hypomania, and i guess that's exactly what lead me to share... Whatever this is, it's irritating, and causing me to put MUCH more effort into an otherwise mindless job i could ordinarily do in my sleep, as I make stupid mistakes! Argh end rant. Thanks for reading this jumble of nonsense! XOXO

[AniManiac]

Well, this sounds mostly like hallucinations to me. But you might look up Auditory Processing Disorder as well...

[Trippin2.0]

Thanks for the link, it's not APD tho... Hallucinations? Do they come in 'mild' forms? I've only ever had 2 kinds of obvious hallucinations (I think) I guess I always thought hallucinating included not realizing it's unreal until it's pointed out, or it's something OBVIOUSLY unreal, maybe like tactile hallucinations, or seeing bugs crawl up your body? (Idk, i have VERY little experience and knowledge in this area) I definitly KNOW my brain is processing utter BS, even if it takes a moment or 2 to figure out. But yeah, it's a bunch of tiny things happening through out the day, and has been going on for about 4 days now...

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

Thanks for the link, it's not APD tho... Hallucinations? Do they come in 'mild' forms? I've only ever had 2 kinds of obvious hallucinations (I think) I guess I always thought hallucinating included not realizing it's unreal until it's pointed out, or it's something OBVIOUSLY unreal, maybe like tactile hallucinations, or seeing bugs crawl up your body? (Idk, i have VERY little experience and knowledge in this area) I definitly KNOW my brain is processing utter BS, even if it takes a moment or 2 to figure out. But yeah, it's a bunch of tiny things happening through out the day, and has been going on for about 4 days now...

You can definitely have hallucinations that you know are not real! It's the only kind I've had.

I think it's probably safe to say that there's a pretty wide range of severity for hallucination. I've heard a disembodied voice calling my name, but that's it - pretty mild, though still very scary. I definitely heard it, and it definitely wasn't real. Some people's visual hallucinations seem pretty extreme to me, or the extent to which it continues and disrupts things seems much more severe. But I don't really know because I've only had very mild hallucinations, even when I tried hallucinogens years ago.

I was actually wondering about this the other day. I just saw the movie Black Swan (amazing, but whoa, triggering!) and her hallucinations were incredibly complex, seemed to be visual, auditory and tactile. It made me wonder if that's just Hollywood or if people actually experience it that way.

[Trippin2.0]

I asked the same questions after watching that movie. And like, I don't even know if mine are worth pointing out b/c they're not universe altering...

[faerie_moon_x]

Hi Trippin,

Actually a lot of what you said I can relate to.

Sensory overload: usually auditory for me but also visual if there are too many blinking lights. Auditory stimulation overload sends my irritation and aggrivated states rolling.

Mishearing: This happens to me all the time. Words just become mush as people speak them. It drives my husband crazy because I know I just stare at him blankly and go "what?"

Forgetting date/time of day: I'm always answering the work phone wrong. "Good morning" or "Good afternoon" are my biggest issues. People make fun of me for it.

Transposing numbers comes out of this, too. Stupid mistakes, like you said. I transpose 3 and 9, 2 and 7, and others randomly. Sometimes it takes 3 tries to dial a phone number.

As for the sounds and numbers jumping out at you, etc. I would say that is some type of hallucination or something going on. Even if it isn't seeming like a huge deal, I would say keep an eye on it and if it happens again you should bring it up.

[Trippin2.0]

Thanks DHX, I also get visual overloads, can't STAND watching my brother play guitar hero, it drives me nuts!

[AniManiac]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

I asked the same questions after watching that movie. And like, I don't even know if mine are worth pointing out b/c they're not universe altering...

Yeah, but if they're distressing you and making it hard for you to work, then it's usually considered a problem. Especially if it persists.

I think most people will tell you to get meds for that, but I know you're going med-free for now. I don't know what other options there might be.

[Tosspot]

it sounds like hallucinations, but maybe they're just stress induced? or eye-strain induced at work? Anxiety? Sometimes when I am feeling "jumpy" i start thinking i'm seeing things etc.

I can relate to sensory overload however and unfortunately all i've come up with is learning to tune things out. Sometimes my brain misfires and i don't tune things out and then its total sensory overload. Mishearing? - i learned to read lips. doesn't help on the phone though.

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by Tosspot

it sounds like hallucinations, but maybe they're just stress induced? or eye-strain induced at work? Anxiety? Sometimes when I am feeling "jumpy" i start thinking i'm seeing things etc.

I can relate to sensory overload however and unfortunately all i've come up with is learning to tune things out. Sometimes my brain misfires and i don't tune things out and then its total sensory overload. Mishearing? - i learned to read lips. doesn't help on the phone though.

This is true. I sometimes tune things out and don't realize it. Then I get the accusation of "you're ignoring." I'm not ignoring. I'm sanity saving! But it doesn't always work for me.

[Secretum]

You can definitely have hallucinations that you know are not real! It's the only kind I've had.

Would you really know if you had had any other kind?

[Secretum]

Trippin, even if your hallucinations aren't "severe", they still can be disruptive. It's scary when you can't trust your senses! It sounds like these auditory hallucinations aren't allowing you any peace.

You may still be hypomanic; symptoms can vary from episode to episode. I know that you are trying to live a med-free lifestyle, but if this persists it might be a good idea to go back on them. I'd imagine that constant auditory sensory overload would make it difficult to function at your full capacity. Of course, it is possible that this problem won't stick around; maybe it is just stress-induced.

You might also want to visit your PCP to rule out physical causes. I don't want to scare you, but serious brain tumors can cause hallucinations. You just want to be safe and take care of your body the best that you can.

[Trippin2.0]

Thanks you guys, will give it a few more days. If it doesn't get better(or gets worse) I'll seek medical assistance...

[~Christina]

(((((( Trippin )))))))

I get loads of auditory and visual hallucinations and have been for about 6 months ... Its all kinds of annoying .. I KNOW they arent real right now ,,but I worry about " what if I wake up tomorrow and think they are real "

I know your on a med free life right now but as others have said if it continues or becomes worse please see a doctor .

And of course let us know how your doing

[Tosspot]

"You might also want to visit your PCP to rule out physical causes. I don't want to scare you, but serious brain tumors can cause hallucinations. You just want to be safe and take care of your body the best that you can."

Good point Secretum, definitly should have physical causes ruled out first, i.e. brain tumors, or my pdoc had TLE ruled out.

[Tosspot]

"You might also want to visit your PCP to rule out physical causes. I don't want to scare you, but serious brain tumors can cause hallucinations. You just want to be safe and take care of your body the best that you can."

Good point Secretum, definitly should have physical causes ruled out first, i.e. brain tumors, or my pdoc had TLE ruled out.

[Trippin2.0]

Update: it's 7pm and Today, NO HALLUCINATIONS whatsoever. YAY! So I'm thinking maybe work has something to do with it as I decided to stay home today...

[Tosspot]

YAY!!!!!!!!

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

Update: it's 7pm and Today, NO HALLUCINATIONS whatsoever. YAY! So I'm thinking maybe work has something to do with it as I decided to stay home today...

Stress can really mess with me, especially work stress. So maybe that's all it is.! Glad you're feeling better.

[~Christina]

YAY