[JonB]

OK. I've just had a truly frightening experience. I've been fighting my pdoc on his bipolar diagnosis for months telling him I'm not manic, I'm just a person who doesn't sleep much who also happened to have a major depressive episode with hospitalization once a long time ago. But.... I was trying to sleep a little while ago when I started hearing voices. Actually really hearing voices talking to me in a creepy, threatening way. I've had non-frightening visual hallucinations before from recreational drugs, but this was awful. I thought it was a nightmare at first because I was pretty drowsy, but I was awake for sure. I wonder if it could be a side effect of the mood stabilizer I've been taking?

Anyway, I'm wide awake now and the voices are gone. I got so freaked out I even took two of the antipsychotics Pdoc gave me weeks ago to try and help me sleep but I refused to take then because I kept telling him "I'm not psychotic." Guess I was wrong.

Holy Crap. What is this? Anybody out there get auditory hallucinations when they are manic? And are they scary? It felt like a bad horror movie. I haven't slept more than 2 hours a night in the last two weeks and just when I was drifting off for the night (trying to be good and go to be early) I get these voices telling me horrible things.

I feel like a real scaredy cat and totally stupid for posting this, but this is a first for me. I think I'm awake for the rest of the night now. I sense a big fat "I told you so" coming from Pdoc next week, if I tell him. In my experience they tend to overreact to reports like this with words like "inpatient" and "just a few days"...but then, maybe I'M overreacting right now? Please someone tell me I am not crazy or at least that I am crazy in just the right way...because I just swore in answer to someone else's post that I was never doing the inpatient thing again, ever.

Just get me back to the brilliant ideas and super clean organized house of hypomania, please. Someone tell me this is ok!

[BlueFaith]

I know how frightening hallucinations are. I think it's a very good idea to keep your pdoc informed about this. Your pdoc has you on those medicines for a reason. If you'd take them I'm almost positive that they'd help with the hallucinating. Does your pdoc have a number you can call after hours? It wouldn't hurt to give him a call if things are happening that scare you that bad.

I hope you do feel better. Please keep your pdoc informed.

Jenn

[prodigiousgamer]

yes i have had an experience like that before too. that is when my psychiatrist prescribed me a wonderful medication known as Abilify and they all went away. I think that you should inquire about Abilify too. it worked great for me and it seems to work great for a lot of other people i have met as well.

[LoveDepp]

<font color="purple"> </font> I know they can be scary especially when you are not used to them but believe it or not you can get used to them. I also take an anti-psychotic (Risperdal) daily and it has drasticaly cut down on the number of auditory and visual hallucinations that I have. I used to have so many auditory hallucinations that I constantly felt like I could hear the thoughts of people around me because it was all muffled and jumbled. But now on the med. I still get a hallucination now and then usually when I'm very tired or stressed but it's clear, I understand it and am able to more easily ignore it. I recomend the medication you just have to get over the term ANTI-PSYCHOTIC it's a big scary word with negative connotation but little actual meaning to your treatment. I hope you feel better.

[Eleora]

A lot of people experience hallucinations right before sleep, or right afterward - has something to do with the state your brain is in, or something. Talk to your doctor about it, but don't panic.

What medications are you on (if any)? Some of them can have this type of effect.

Just don't freak out too much... it's not that uncommon. If you find they are persistent, effecting parts of your life seriously, or causing you to do things you don't want to do, go to the hospital.

[Outtolunch]

Hi,
I am so very glad you made this post about the voices. I have been battling Mania and my "voices" for some time now. It is unfortunate that they are, for the most part, negative. I have been through the mill when it comes to the voices. They almost talked me into a suicide attempt, but I rose above it and discussed it with my PDoc. It is very important your doc knows to what extent you are having these auditory hallucinations so he can fairly judge what type of med is right for you. My voices are cruel and abusive and they literally bully me into into a zombie-like state. I slip down into their little pit sometimes, but now that I am more stable on my meds and I know what to expect from these voices, I am able to shut them down, sometimes before they even start. The nighttime is the worst time for me, so I keep headstrong during those hours and promise to myself that It is only the sickness that brings them on. Coupled with stress, lack of sleep, and the occaisional manic episode, they can really bring you down and keep you down. Which in turn, produces more stress, lack of sleep and manic episodes. It can become a domino effect if you dont take hold of it. Getting on the right medication is crucial for taking hold of things like this. I hope they get better for you and that you get on top of it. Have courage. They will get better if you take care of yourself.
<font color="purple"> </font>
Best,
OUT TO LUNCH