[Aloe]

Just out of curiosity, what is the difference between "hearing voices" In your head and "intrusive thoughts"? I don't really understand how you could hear voices in your head that aren't your own thoughts. Surely if you hear a voice in your head that says you're worthless for example, it's the low self esteem part of you that's given you those thoughts and not a delusion.

I'm not denying it happens, but i'm trying to understand how its different from your own thoughts/talking to yourself (I heard talking to yourself is actually very normal and shows intelligence.)

[childofchaos831]

For me, the psychotic voices (hallucinations) sound like they are coming from outside. Like someone is standing next to me, screaming those things at me.

It gets more complicated with dissociative disorders, and those voices, but I don't think that is what you are asking about.

I have experienced both, the difference is how I hear it.

Hearing legitimate voices sound like they are coming from the outside, while intrusive thoughts have always sounded like thoughts to me on the inside of my head. Regardless of how "loud" my intrusive thoughts got, they never sounded like they were coming from the outside of my head.

My apologies if this is not what you were asking, I had a bit of a hard time understanding your question.

[Happy Camper]

I have gotten 3 different types of voices.

The first I consider intrusive thoughts, which are not hallucinations, and sound like they are coming from inside my head. They are very much like thoughts that just pop up.

The second I believe are hallucinations; they sound like thoughts coming from my head, but they do not feel like thoughts.

The third, and I've only had a few of these, sound external. I consider them hallucinations.

[Aloe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm sorry if this was confusing to anyone. I've been experiencing voices for the first time, although it's not in my head, I can hear them. I can't make out what they're saying because it's all in whispers. It sounds like tiny people are whispering. I get negative thoughts in my head frequently. I argue with the thoughts, I always assumed they were my own thoughts from having low self esteem. When I'm outside I get pretty anxious so do a lot of thinking to distract myself
Sometimes I'll hear (think?) "Shut up!" in which I reply "No you shut up!" I've always thought of it as me just maybe a different part of me. Inot a lot of ways I feel there are two of me in my brain.

[avlady]

My voices are internal and external. It sometimes sounds like a party in my head!!!I only wish I were as happy as some of them are.

[JessicaP82]

the voices are like another person. you have no control over them. what they say or when they say it. With a thought you are usually telling yourself something. When they are voices it's like another person is there. trust me, you would know.

My understanding of this is that when a voice has it's own separate entity that this is when it may be a problem. I deal with my inner voice all the time. It is the voice of conscious. I think this is normal.

[subtle lights]

I mainly have experience with intrusive thoughts and those are your thoughts, coming from your head, only that they seem impossile to control and extremely negative and unpleasant and it's like two parts of you fighting, the one that wants to be happy and the one that wants to torture you and it always pops up with a new torturing thought. It feels like it's a monster that has taken over your thoughts but you know they are your thoughts.
I've also had the experience of hearing thoughts as if someone else was speaking, but it was still inside my head.

[Aloe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Is it possible to hear voices in certain situations /places and not others?

I used to hear whispers and quiet mumbles when i was by my PC, i also experienced them when i was in bed, but less so. Its confusing me as i dont know if i was hearing things, or they were real voices. I kept thinking my PC was picking up radio waves or something, i was trying to figure out where they were coming from.

This all started during a bad episode of MDD, it's the worst ive ever experienced, and i think it's possible that i got some psychosis.