[Talanic]

Hey everyone,

So I have a few reasons for posting this. One is I was wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me. A little over 3 years I was diagnosed as bipolar with psychosis. I hear voices, and can get really strong intrusive thoughts that are very dark, violent, negative, strange and filled with paranoia that make it almost impossible to be around people. I hate to admit it, but I almost stabbed a friend when my mind set was in one of those patterns... It's not something I'm proud of. It's like I become a completely different person, think completely differently and do things I normally wouldn't do. Luckily Saphris seems to do a good job at stopping the voices and for the most part stops the intrusive thoughts but even now and then it leaks out a bit. But I know it would be MUCH worse without my meds (I'm on 6 at the moment). So I'm just wondering if there's anyone out there that understands (Even if it's just a little). I've talked to other people who are bipolar, no not other people who experience
psychosis along with bipolar.

My second reason is to ask what exactly do you do whenever you get in those mind sets or hear voices? I could use some new ideas honestly.

Anyway, thanks

[TheatreKid]

Hi Talanic,

There are a couple of conditions that include both bipolar and psychosis. There's bipolar with psychotic features, where psychosis occurs during bipolar episodes, and there's schizoaffective bipolar type, which is where symptoms of bipolar occur with psychosis outside of bipolar episodes.

I have been diagnosed with both (not at the same time) but I think my current diagnosis is bipolar with psychotic features. My first big psychotic break was when I was 23. I was manic and it switched into a mixed episode and while I was on the subway I could hear everyone's thoughs, and every time I met someone's eyes, they were telepathically telling me to die. I very nearly killed myself, but my therapist knew this kind of thing might happen, and made me promise to go to the psych ER if it did. So that's where I went.

The only other coping mechanisms I have are just practice. Practice recognizing them before they get too strong a hold on you, talk to someone about it, keep in touch with your psychiatrist. That's what has worked for me.

[moremi]

I believe my doctor called my symptoms psychosis while I dont hear voices I get strong beliefs when I am manic. Feeling closer to God or thinking he has given me a gift like being an empath and he wants me to feel what others feel and help them. I fully beieve in it while its happening.

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[Victoria'smom]

I get very homicidal thoughts when I'm manic but I don't realise they'll injure anyone. So I will completely freely talk about them. When I do realize it will hurt someone is when I'm fantasising what the scene will look like. I write it down because I can vividly see it I can describe it in great detail. So I write it to T. Usually it switches saniros from moment to moment me always the perpetrator. If I start not realizing that its just thoughts. I take my PRN .

When depressed they turn into vivid self harm/suicidal thoughts that I will write in detail to my therapist. Where each thought I hand over each items that I want to use to my husband. If I do not do that, am not willing to write it for therapist or impulsive I take my PRN.

If I get too parinod and trust no one I end up self harming. Usually I can write all my parinod thoughts to my therapist. My older sisters parinoia makes her family live in an open floor plan where the bathroom is the only one with a real door. My younger sister carries at least 3 weapons on her at all times, all the windows and doors have at least 2 heavy duty locks and she has many alarms on each doorway.

If I'm not understanding English I take one of James old posts with pics in it and read over and over until I understand or I'll tap my husband on the shoulder.

My dog tells me when there are real things I need to worry about everything else i see or hear I ignore because these its not real or a threat. With the animals noises if it really bothers me I'll ask if anyone heard that, set up a few small animal traps and leave it at that. With the the electric sound if I can't stand it I'll have everyone unplug everything one by one until I find it and that just doesn't get plugged back in that night. With "fighting sounds" and "break in sounds" I ignore best I can.

I have the word " Breathe" tattooed to my wrist so when I'm scared I can ground myself and make sure I get through it. The tattoo and my dog are my "reality checks".

[grandmaof3]

I have bipolar with psychosis. I hear voices and recently have started to see shadow people as well. This happens mainly when I'm manic. When I hear the voices and Im not sure if there is someone there speaking I look around the room and if I don't see anyone I know the voices are not real. I try to ignore them bur I do tend towards paranoia and ignoring them is hard. I usually end up taking some Haldol and that seems to get rid of the voices. Since I've been on Zyprexa I don't hear the voices often.

[LoneLabRat]

Originally Posted by grandmaof3

I have bipolar with psychosis. I hear voices and recently have started to see shadow people as well. This happens mainly when I'm manic. When I hear the voices and Im not sure if there is someone there speaking I look around the room and if I don't see anyone I know the voices are not real. I try to ignore them bur I do tend towards paranoia and ignoring them is hard. I usually end up taking some Haldol and that seems to get rid of the voices. Since I've been on Zyprexa I don't hear the voices often.

I've seen shadow people too!!! I didn't know it was a symptom of bipolar so I believed it was real even when I was in a normal state. I believed that I was being followed by spiritual beings and that satan wanted to steal my soul. I've felt hands touch me that were not there. I've heard voices inside my head and outside my head. The ones in my head sound like a bunch of demons whispering frantically and I can never understand what they are saying. The ones outside of my head just call me by name. I believed I was being spiritually attacked until a few weeks ago when I decided to investigate bipolar disorder a bit further from sufferers points of views and their experiences with it. I was shocked to have so much in common with them because I never believed my diagnosis was correct.

[Hedwig3.0]

I have found my symptoms to be a cluster of a number of things. But I am bipolar and have been psychotic.

I was also treated for schizophrenia for 7 years with Haldol injections but I am not schizophrenic or schizo-affective.

When I am sick I have trouble with neo-logism and turning ordinary language into quadruple+ entendres.

[Talanic]

Originally Posted by TheatreKid

Hi Talanic,

There are a couple of conditions that include both bipolar and psychosis. There's bipolar with psychotic features, where psychosis occurs during bipolar episodes, and there's schizoaffective bipolar type, which is where symptoms of bipolar occur with psychosis outside of bipolar episodes.

I find it mainly happens during bipolar moments. Like in deep depression or during mania. There has been times where I hear voices when I'm not really depressed or in mania. But the big things mainly happen when in one of those stages. I feel really bad whenever thoughts of violet acts on people take over my mind. I start to wonder if I'm a good person or not. But I can't help it. Recently I've been a little unstable despite my meds working for the most part for the past few years. The only thing I've found that kind of helps is just watch a bunch of TV to distract myself. But once I stop it all comes rushing back. It makes me scared to go to bed just because I'm laying there with nothing to distract my mind from everything. So I end up staying up tell 5 in the morning tell I'm so tired I can hardly function in the hopes that I will fall asleep faster. It feels good though to know there's people out there with the same diagnosis.

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

I get very homicidal thoughts when I'm manic but I don't realise they'll injure anyone. So I will completely freely talk about them. When I do realize it will hurt someone is when I'm fantasising what the scene will look like. I write it down because I can vividly see it I can describe it in great detail.

Miguel'smom, that's pretty much exactly what I experience. Do you have any advice for when those moments happen? Aside from writing them down?

Originally Posted by grandmaof3

I have bipolar with psychosis. I hear voices and recently have started to see shadow people as well. This happens mainly when I'm manic. When I hear the voices and Im not sure if there is someone there speaking I look around the room and if I don't see anyone I know the voices are not real. I try to ignore them bur I do tend towards paranoia and ignoring them is hard. I usually end up taking some Haldol and that seems to get rid of the voices. Since I've been on Zyprexa I don't hear the voices often.

I'm happy to hear Zyprexa seems to be helping with the voices. Ignoring voices is honestly really hard to do and I totally understand the feeling of looking around quite well.

[lizzielight]

Hi everyone, I just joined. Hope you are well today.I related with your post. I was diagnosed with "Psychosis" in 2009, when I was 29 but it wasn't a lifelong thing. I was a teacher for 7 years before it happened. It was onset by an experience where my tires were slashed. It wasn't gradual. Don't really think I have or had all the symptoms of Psychosis- no voices or anything, back then I just thought I was being stalked after the tire slashing thing. Psychologists say that Psychosis is brought on by drug use, etc but that isn't what happened to me.
I love making art/crafts as well but also have a huge imagination. It got the better of me and I had a life changing experience that I got scared from- the scary event that happened around Halloween 2009 has altered my life since then, that I am getting better from. What are your experiences? I feel like I could write a book or screenplay for a movie with what I experienced and thought. Thank you, so grateful I found psychcentral today.

[Victoria'smom]

Do you have any advice for when those moments happen? Go to the bathroom turn the water on a drip, close your eyes and breathe with the drips and count the drips backwards. It doesn't take them away it makes you less frantic about it which helps reduce them because its stress related.

[Talanic]

Originally Posted by lizzielight

Hi everyone, I just joined. Hope you are well today.I related with your post. I was diagnosed with "Psychosis" in 2009, when I was 29 but it wasn't a lifelong thing. I was a teacher for 7 years before it happened. It was onset by an experience where my tires were slashed. It wasn't gradual. Don't really think I have or had all the symptoms of Psychosis- no voices or anything, back then I just thought I was being stalked after the tire slashing thing. Psychologists say that Psychosis is brought on by drug use, etc but that isn't what happened to me.
I love making art/crafts as well but also have a huge imagination. It got the better of me and I had a life changing experience that I got scared from- the scary event that happened around Halloween 2009 has altered my life since then, that I am getting better from. What are your experiences? I feel like I could write a book or screenplay for a movie with what I experienced and thought. Thank you, so grateful I found psychcentral today.

I'm new to this site as well. Went looking for a site to go to for support and to talk with other people who are bipolar. I kind of live in a small town.

Feel free to share. I'm a good listener haha.

As for my experiences it's a little long. I started showing signs (But didn't know tell later that it was bipolar) in high school. Around 9th grade I started having huge problems with depression and anxiety. Everyone thought I had GAD. Then roughly around 10th grade I started hearing voices but never really did anything about it and never told anyone. As I got older it just kept getting worse and worse. I had moments of strong mania as well. One moment I'd feel very high and full of energy and then the opposite. I remember being with my girlfriend one time when I was 17 and I just had a completely break down. My mind started going crazy, strong intrusive thoughts, voices in my head just wouldn't shut up. I started to cry rivers and curled up in a ball punching myself in the head to make it stop. She got really freaked out, scared and thought I was going to hurt her. Later I started to calm down, but I could hardly do anything. I tried to read but it was as if I couldn't read english. Things just kept getting worse. Then when I was 18 she cheated on me. I was biking back from school feeling very high as if I was on tons of drugs, but as soon as I got home it immediately changed to a 10 on the depression scale and I tried to kill myself. Ended up in the ICU for a day and in a psyward for two. Afterwards I was diagnosed and started on meds. I'm 22 at the moment so I've been dealing with everything for awhile now. I have to work pretty hard so I don't forget my meds because even if I miss a single dose everything is pretty unbearable.

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

Do you have any advice for when those moments happen? Go to the bathroom turn the water on a drip, close your eyes and breathe with the drips and count the drips backwards. It doesn't take them away it makes you less frantic about it which helps reduce them because its stress related.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try it next time something like that happens.

[outlaw sammy]

The correct diagnostic term is manic-psychosis. Often it's accompanied with additional symptoms of paranoia or homicidal "features." Your internet has a variety of credible resources to help you learn more.