[TheFallen]

Hi all, I have a question. I have been hearing voices, but I have noticed that a lot of what I hear is things I used to have anxiety about such as being criticized. Like I used to overthink about people keeping tabs on me and trying to analyze all of my doings. I have been having situational anxiety as well as concentration issues and psychotic symptoms (hearing voices, paranoia.) I went through a couple periods in which I used drugs to cope with the symptoms, being mainly concentration issues aND social anxiety at first. I would get the feeling of someone else being in my head & it caused terrible anxiety. I was prescribed an antidepressant which cleared everything up for awhile, then stopped working. I ended up I'm my last drug phase, trying to cover up the symptoms. I did meth and smoked weed a few times in a week and a half period, then went on a Meth binge for 2-3 days resulting in a psychotic episode which landed me I'm the ER. I went home, & went back to spend the night because I was still freaked out. I went home & was somewhat okay for a day or so, then I started hearing voices again. I went to the ER and ended up spending a few days in a mental her place, like a home but nobody lives there. You just stay for a few days & get help. I noticed that I hear voices mainly when I'm alone, aside from the Meth binge. I haven't consumed anything besides my medication in over 2 weeks. Anyway, I have noticed that one voice or 2 in particular that narrates everything I'm doing and is very critical of me. One of them, at least, is a person I used to think was constantly watching me like a hawk. I used to get paranoid that this person had me constantly under surveillance. Now I hear the person at times I know there not there, criticizing everything I'm doing when I'm alone. I hear other voice, other times. Sometimes, wheb I'm waljing, I here people making fun of me. And I know it's not real because there is no one in the immediate area and I'm listening to music with headphones in. So I shouldn't be hearing if it was real. Or I get the sense that I'm being watched. I walked past a car dealership once and felt the cars watching me. This lead to an unrealistic fear that they were transformers stalking me and waiting to attack. This didn't persist very long after I was away from those cars, but I have had a few episodes here and there like that during periods when I was sober. Now, it's mainly I hear voices talking about me all the time and it gives me anxiety. I used to be able to completely tube it out by listening to music and reading, but it has been starting to become noticeable to the point that I still hear it, even while I type this and with music on. I'm fine at work, just a little loopy and I feel awkward talking to people, but that's a norm for me. It's like I can be in a good mood at work all day, come home and I here voices whenever I'm alone. It's not just at home, I heard them in the mental jet place, too. It's that's that it's getting harder to tune the out. I'm just now getting set up with a new dr because my last dr didn't listen to me much and had terrible reviews. He came and saw me the morning of the day I left the hospital. The visit went like this. He ces in and says, "so I hear you've been dealing with some nasty chemicas. Have you used meth before?" I said something like not much but yes or soe thing like that, I don't really remember. I was having a really bad meth crash. He puts the stethoscope on me, feels my neck. Then he says, "media you're okay, probably follow up in a week" and leaves. The whole thing took 2, 3 minutes tops. Anyway, I'm going to ask my new doctor about better meds because the antidepressant doesn't address my psychotic symptoms at all. It mainly just helps with the cognitive stuff like keeping my brain from being fogged up and giving me mental energy to focus on stuff, although I still get distracted easily. By the way, I have a family history of mental illness and psychotic disorders; my dad has schizophrenia and my paternal history is bipolar. What I want to know is do my symptoms sound more like those of an anxiety disorder or a psychotic disorder? Im apprehensive about asking the new doctor about a med vhange, or at least addition. Antipsychotics scare me because of the side effects. So I'm wondering if something for anxiety attacks would calm me down when the voices get really bad. I can tune them at least somewhat when I have less stress/anxiety & stuff like that. Also, i have been told that drug use, (meth/weed can cause or excellerate onset of psychotic disorders in people who inherit the genes for them.) If anyone has symptoms like mine or understands what I'm saying, feel free to drop a line or something. Thanks

[Skeezyks]

Hello TheFallen: I cannot comment with regard to your questions. However, I see this is your first post here on PC. Welcome to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[TheFallen]

Also, I get really bad anxiety when I go to bed at night, which is caused by hearing voices. It has gotten harder to tune them out. Does anyone know of distraction techniques or coping skills that could help? I have readingwith headphones in and mood music, as well as movies/ shows. The voices have gotten harder to ignore. I have tried talking to them & telling them to stop messing with me. They always seem to be angry & don't listen. Thanks for the help

[AubreaM]

I to have problems sleeping at night because of paranoia. My therapist says to try hypnosis