[Nessa213]

And they yell all at the same time. I can't tell what they're saying, but the voices start like whispers, and the longer I listen the louder they get. Until I just can't take it anymore... it's so loud.

I can't do any kind of meditation thing which people say is a good thing to try to do, but that's when it's the absolute worst! I have an app on my phone that plays white noise kinds of sounds: rain, thunder, river, birds, things like that. I play it at night to help me fall asleep, and I listen to it with headphones in so that my husband can't hear it. Last night they were yelling so loudly that I couldn't even hear the app.

What to do?? The last time this happened was several months ago and it got so very bad that I couldn't sleep right for weeks.

I'm sorry that they're so loud Nessa Could you try asking them what they want and give them a fixed time to talk and then tell them they have to be quiet until the next scheduled chat? Works for some people I find that very loud music drowns mine out, especially if I concentrate on the music and try to sing along. It sounds like yours are worse when you listen to them, so try anything you usually enjoy to try and distract yourself from them.

I hope something helps. It's exhausting when they're very loud

*Willow*

[faerie_moon_x]

Do you have a doctor? If so, maybe it's time to call them if the yelling doesn't stop.

That's the only thing I can think of. If it doesn't stop and there's nothing you can do, time to ask for help.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by Nessa213

And they yell all at the same time. I can't tell what they're saying, but the voices start like whispers, and the longer I listen the louder they get. Until I just can't take it anymore... it's so loud.

I can't do any kind of meditation thing which people say is a good thing to try to do, but that's when it's the absolute worst! I have an app on my phone that plays white noise kinds of sounds: rain, thunder, river, birds, things like that. I play it at night to help me fall asleep, and I listen to it with headphones in so that my husband can't hear it. Last night they were yelling so loudly that I couldn't even hear the app.

What to do?? The last time this happened was several months ago and it got so very bad that I couldn't sleep right for weeks.

The only thing that helped me was an antipsychotic and I still couldn't sleep without the lights on for at least a month...somehow the darkness made them worse. The problem is a lot of the focus strategies don't work when you're trying to sleep because right when you trying to fall asleep you lose focus. Mine were trying to interpret my sleep waves so right when I was falling asleep they would shout alpha wave or beta wave or theta wave. Kinda sucked.

Have you tried progressive muscle relaxation? That's what my shrink recommends. Just look it up in iTunes.

[Gr3tta]

I agree with willow about trying to communicate rather than just getting yelled at. And setting appointments really has worked for me sometimes.
Also, I sometimes find wrapping my head in ice packs helps sometimes.
Is it getting quieter yet? I hope so.

[Nessa213]

Yesterday was much quieter. It just scared me so much a few days ago, but it's just almost always worse right before bed. Or if I wake up in the middle of the night... I can't even describe how loud it is. Like endless racing chatter that can last for hours. Silence... like external silence... kills me. Always has for as long as I can remember.

I go back to see the pdoc next week but the thought of going on anti psychotics is kind of terrifying. Does anyone else have any experience with these?

[serloco]

Originally Posted by Nessa213

I go back to see the pdoc next week but the thought of going on anti psychotics is kind of terrifying. Does anyone else have any experience with these?

I have. I take olanzapine. All it does is quiet the voices and make me sleepy. I take it at night. The sleepiness wears off after you've been on it for a while.

Another thing I do is a visualisation(imagination) meditation. I try to realise that my mind and the voices are one, or connected and I can move them by thinking about them. First I state my intent "the voices will get quieter", then I imagine that as they talk they get quieter. I say things like they are fading away, and when I don't pay attention to them they get quieter or are not even there. Every positive thought you have helps. Remember it is your mind and so your mind can help.