[MusicLover82]

Okay, guys. I've been terrified to share this with you because I don't want anyone to tell me I'm experiencing psychosis (terrified of that).

I will first say I have told both my pdoc and my T about these audible thoughts and neither of them are concerned. My pdoc shrugged it off, saying I was "hearing thoughts" and my T said it would only be a concern if it happened at times when things weren't quiet and it interrupted my interactions with others.

When I'm hypomanic, especially while trying to fall asleep, I sometimes hear noises in my thoughts (as if there was a song running through my head, or someone flipping stations on a radio). Sometimes it's certain words (random, usually) and other times it's just noises. Last night it happened again and one of the words was really loud, like someone shouting at me. That scared me, so I got up and took some extra Risperdal and Xanax with a glass of milk. My mind calmed down after that.

I am not "hearing things" because I am not hallucinating that they are in the same room as me. It's just thoughts. Some people have told me this is normal. I think it's a hypomanic thing that I am just going to have to get used to (this is a relatively new symptom for me). It helps if I listen to some relaxing music, then they go away.

Whatever they are, they sometimes concern me and I often worry about it the day after it happens, that I'm going to go psychotic. The only time I have been almost psychotic was when I was on a high dose of steroids and I was not being treated properly for bipolar by my GP. I was hospitalized then.

Now, I'm very stable and handle work and regular life normally. These "audible thoughts" along with my anxiety and obsessive thoughts are the only really problematic symptoms I get. Like I said, my doctors are not concerned, so I suppose I shouldn't be, either. Just curious if any of you experience this symptom as well or know exactly what it is.

Diagnoses: Bipolar 2, OCD, and GAD
Rx: Lithium, Trileptal, Latuda, Risperdal, Xanax XR and PRN

[gina_re]

I'm curious, these are different than your regular thought processes? Personally, my brain does not shut up and there is constant chatter and music playing. And I sometimes hear things happening, i.e. a door close, something fell on the floor, in another room when I'm at home.

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by gina_re

I'm curious, these are different than your regular thought processes? Personally, my brain does not shut up and there is constant chatter and music playing. And I sometimes hear things happening, i.e. a door close, something fell on the floor, in another room when I'm at home.

I'm so relieved someone else can relate! There are times when I am stable or mildly depressed that my brain does shut up (except for thinking "normal" thoughts), so the hypomanic mind babble has begun to concern me and I'm so relieved that you don't think it is of concern. Thank you for sharing!!

Well, I think you mentioned once that you believe you have ADHD? I have ADHD and I believe it is the cause of my brain not shutting up. (Technically ADHD can cause racing thoughts from time to time.)

When I was a kid, I used to hear things. For example, I would hear my dad call my name and tell me something... But he either wouldn't be home or he would tell me "I didn't say anything." Same thing with my mom.

I also tend to hear things when I'm extremely anxious. For example, I might hear someone "breaking in" through my front door, but it turns out that maybe the A/C kicked on... and sometimes the sound is totally made up in my head

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I call this stuff "brain noise" and the people treating me seem to know what I'm talking about which makes me assume it is fairly common. I have hyperacuity anyway so I jump and respond to all sorts of sounds (today my therapist's water bottle made a crinkle noise and I jumped and he said I was also responding to traffic; he monitors this because if I start doing it a lot I'm getting manic). But brain noise is different than that and it's different than any time I've heard voices or been paranoid. I think it's just the brain trying to keep up with itself or something like that, sort of like a record skipping while the brain (the record) is trying to get a coherent thought out.

[pirilin]

I think is the music still ringing in your ears after the classes.

[zepchic]

I feel like I read somewhere about this being normal.It was happening to me, so I googled it and then dropped, didn't seem like a big deal since it doesn't happen often or bother me

[Heroic1235]

Good luck weather it's serious or not

Last time I was hospitalized, I heard my brother and his wife's voice coming through the receiver of the phone next to me. I thought they were responsible for putting me in the hospital as I still believe I was locked up and detained illegally. I felt if I told anyone what I was hearing, they wouldn't let me out. I don't know if this is normal manic stuff or if something else is going on for me. Maybe some PTSD or SZA. I hope you get the answers you seek.

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

Last time I was hospitalized, I heard my brother and his wife's voice coming through the receiver of the phone next to me. I thought they were responsible for putting me in the hospital as I still believe I was locked up and detained illegally. I felt if I told anyone what I was hearing, they wouldn't let me out. I don't know if this is normal manic stuff or if something else is going on for me. Maybe some PTSD or SZA. I hope you get the answers you seek.

Elsa, it sounds like you were having auditory hallucinations (which can be a part of mania for some people I think) because you heard it coming from a source outside of your mind. Mine are different because they are noisy thoughts. My doctors don't think it is anything to worry about, so I suspect it is a benign hypomanic symptom I have. If you experience those kind of hallucinations again, I would recommend you tell your doctor so they can better treat you. That sounds scary and it sounds like you with through a traumatic experience. ((HUGS))

My head is full of chatter. Thoughts, words, music. It's all going on all at once and jumbled up. BeyondtheRainbow's name of "brain noise" is a good description. As is your own description of it being like " flipping stations on a radio". Yes, like that. It is multiples of that, but I couldn't tell you how many, because it's all disjointed. It never stops. I can wake up in the middle of the night, and it's going.

This is regardless of mood state for me. It gets a bit different when I am "up". There are racing thoughts going on. I'm more aware of the presence of thoughts Can't catch them though. There is a sense of actual motion somehow. If that makes sense. And it might not because it's hard to describe.

I do hear things outside my head too, but that is periodic, and different to what you describe. Even this does not worry my providers (it is innocuous and not commands). I hope that provides an extra measure of reassurance to you.

You say it shuts off. My first thought was wow, lucky you! Lol. But also, it makes perfect sense for why this concerns you so. It's ok though.

[Standup2me]

I hear music in my head all of the time. It is almost like a radio just slightly off channel.
Lots of 70s and 80s stuff. Sometimes I can't out the song, the reception is not strong enough
I like it though, it's comforting, like an old friend who is always there
Safe