[catman8989]

I just want some advice on who I should consult about myself. I've never really told anyone about the stuff that goes on in my head and what I see or hear. I've just dealt with it for as long as I can remember. Anyone with experience please ya know. Tell me what to do about it. Lately it's gotten worse voices talk more often and I have trouble focusing on my work and nothing really suppresses it/them I guess. Even music which is what I used a lot just makes it all louder. Nothing is working and sometimes I blank out and don't remember stuff that has happened earlier. I only occasionally see anything though. It's mostly just disembodied voices. I feel on edge and like I'm about to have a mental breakdown. I've lost all emotions since I was in middle school. I think about erratic things each and everyday. I have no guilt or remorse or sadness or happiness or anything of that matter. Anything will help please. Thanks.

[Sometimes psychotic]

I would see a psychiatrist if I were you....

[Skeezyks]

Hello catman8989: I'm sorry you are struggling with these distressing experiences. There are basically 2 ways to go here. You could see a psychiatrist. Or you could first opt to see a psychologist or other type of therapist. I don't know how things work where you live. But since you're in the U.S. I presume they're not significantly different than where I live.

Where I live... psychiatrists basically just prescribe & monitor medications. Mine only typically would see me every three or four months for about 10 to 15 minutes. In order to talk about what's going on, a person has to see a therapist. Sometimes therapists are trained psychologists. But as often as not they're something else. Again where I live, a lot of therapists are actually educated as social workers.

So where you begin really depends on how you want to proceed. If you want to go straight for the psych med's in order to control what may be auditory hallucinations, then seeing a psychiatrist is the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to talk through things at some length with a mental health professional before you start down the psych med's route, then seeing a therapist is probably the way to go. In some mental health clinics both psychiatrists & therapists may be officed under the same roof, so to speak. Whichever way you start out, you may ultimately want to see both.

Of course there is a third possibility here. It could be that what you are experiencing are symptoms of something that is going on with you physically. It never hurts, when first starting out, to get yourself checked out medically. This might first involve seeing your primary care doctor. But it might also involve consulting a neurologist. Good luck... & please keep posting...