not sure if this is partly DID?

Are hearing voices that speak to themselves and to you a likely indication of DID? I hear the voice of at least one child, plus several adults and sometimes I can't catch what they are saying, but sometimes I talk with them and the other day I did some painting because one male voice told me that the a child part of me wanted to play. Several of the voices (alters?) have told me their names.

I'm not at all conscious of losing any time - but I do notice that these voices can start when I am thinking about the past (EA, EN) and am stressed.

I realise that noone could properly diagnose me here, but I wondered if anyone could give an indication that this might be what it is or whether its unlikely because I don't experience loss of time.

Previously I was diagnosed as having psychosis because I went through phases of having paranoia, but these are largely controlled through medication. My experience of psychiatrists hasn't been that helpful so far.

I dont know how the UK (where your profile says you are located) categorizes hearing voices. but here in america (USA) hearing voices of any kind is what we call a "shared " symptom meaning this symptom comes with many different mental and physical health issues. so instead of diagnosing solely on the hearing voices treatment providers look at other diagnostic criteria...

for example here in america hearing voices of any kind is part of having schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, lack of sleep, eating disorders or not eating correctly, psychosis, this list goes on and on and ...

a person with DID does not necessarily hear voices. with DID hearing voices depends upon how much co consciousness the person has.

here in America DID is not diagnosed on whether someone hears voices or not. the present diagnostics for having DID is having two or more special types of alters taking control many times. the persons symptoms can not be because of things like drugs, alcohol, or any other mental or physical health problems like seizure disorders. they also can not be part of fantasy play or imaginary friends.

to find out what the UK treatment providers consider to be DID and its diagnostics/symptoms you will need to contact a treatment provider in your location.

also wanted to say one of the things treatment providers here in america call voices when a person is thinking about the past is flashbacks/ a psychotic event or hallucination depending upon the trigger and what is being said.

I see by your profile you have schizoaffective disorder... these type of voices do come with that disorder here in america.

in your past posts http://forums.psychcentral.com/schiz...ml#post3032046 you have stated you have had voices and other psychosis symptoms repeatedly over the years, and you are working on what triggers your psychosis symptoms...and you have found some like religion is a trigger for your hearing voices and other psychosis symptoms.

I also see that things like medication and journaling/art work helps with your symptoms... keep up the fantastic work...

since your treatment providers have diagnosed you with psychosis and the medication helped I suggest continuing following what your treatment providers say it is and continue taking your meds so that you dont have this problem. or talk with your treatment providers they can adjust /change your meds so that its back in control again.

I'd say that it could be something dissociative that you're experiencing. Have you ever switched (another alter fronting, yourself stepping back inside)? It's possible to have DID even though you're not switching (that's what I've been told), only experiencing the alters and dissociative things on the inside (not showing on the outside, for outside people).

You don't have to lose time in order to have DID - you can be co-conscious with your alters, which means that you're "with them" fronting, or experiencing the outside world with them (which I guess is what you're describing about a male voice telling you that a child part wanted to play etc).

I hope you can figure things out. My advice for you would be to start looking further into DID, getting to know your alters and learn from others who are multiple. That's how I learned what I know today about myself and my alters.

Thanks for explaining so much in your post and for your kindness in encouraging me to keep going.

Thanks for your post - I am conscious of feeling very much as a child sometimes, or even speaking like a child might but I'm not sure that would be considered switching - I used not to be so self-aware of it, but I'm much more conscious having been thinking a lot about having had abuse and neglect during childhood. Thanks for your advice.