What sets you off?

I find that certain sounds (ticking of a clock, water going down a drain) set me off to hallucinate. Its crazy. (No pun intended.) ^_^

I'm on meds and everything and have been diagnosed (with schizophrenia) and I was letting the bathtub drain out when I started to hallucinate. My body was moving superfast, then slow motion and I was hearing voices.

I think it might also be because I haven't had much sleep lately...Does anyone relate?

I´ve met a guy who only heard voices when he listened to music, so I guess it´s possible.

Yes, music sometimes triggers me too...Its so weird.

Horror movies, or bloody movies in general seem to give me problems. I'll watch a movie, then have nightmares, and for the next week I'll hallucinate off and on. It's pretty predictable, so I just don't watch them anymore.

Yep. I'm the same...I watched the Japanese version of the Grudge and was freaking out for weeks. I try not to watch horror movies now.

When stressful situations arise there seems
to be two or three voices which go off, sometimes they can
assist in the problem. It goes real whacky when I'm scared
of a possible confrontation or when I experience feelings of
doubt or emotional pain. Sometimes I can be quiet and not
listen to the voices. Other times they will want me to talk
or point out something I should be aware of, really.


DB

Hey all, Once my brother told me to " come out of my
little world". He seemed to think I was being obsessive
concerning my thoughts, but he didn't elaborate any further.
I still wonder to this day had he'd been more forceful or
insisting what might have become of him and I during my
illness. Anywho, I thought I might post this so possibly
others won't shy away from open and honest dialogue.

DB

Horror movies do it for me. It's a shame really, I used to really enjoy them and now I cannot. I become abnormally frightened and wonder who may be lurking in the house. I hear things, see things. I have to just stear clear of them now.

You know what? I'm almost relieved to hear other people have problem with horror films too. I always thought I was either way weird, or just overreacting (like maybe my brain was simply playing tricks on me - not the psychotic kind). I doubted whether I was psychotic or just over thinking it. I know now that it was psychosis, but I always had a doubt. I didn't know if it happened to other people or not.

As much as I'm relieved, I can relate, and I'm sorry so many other people are having the same problem.

Thinking too much and too much stress seems to make me go into a psychotic state.

Edit: When I was 15 and went into a psychiatric unit for the first time, my psychiatrist told me not to watch gory movies and to stay away from things with violence. It really doesn't seem to bother me though.

My psychosis is related to PTSD so lots of things can set it off like repetitive noises, certain people, smells, pictures, articles in magazines, flashing lights, images, movies... I actually got diagnosed with agoraphobia kind of as a secondary thing just because I avoid so many things that trigger the PTSD, then trigger hallucinations. I'm on meds now that help a little, but not much.

I haven't noticed what my triggers are yet... but I do know that if I am alone completely the hallucinations are worse than when I am with others... I can't stand being alone... nor can I handle being in large crowds... small family gatherings and just hanging out with my sister and our friends is nice but there are times that no matter what i do I seem to be really bad with them

as some others said here....stress, being alone(biggy for me) ,over analyzing...

hypocritical christians(another biggy) for me...strange I know

Hey, I feel alot of what sets me off has to do in
understanding the threat within the act of perceiving by
which intuitively my mind conveys to me something is not getting through properly or correctly as it should. I'm
not to thrilled about it, because it sends my whole
pattern of how I think and feel for a loop and it usually
takes me weeks to start to feel better. Nothing happening
here, move along.

DB

What sets me off is realizing (I think) how much ignorance there is about the true nature of "mental illness". It is hard for me not to panic.

I think this is somewhat along the lines of what findebsoon said. Am I right?

Hey Pachyderm, I'm a little late in responding to your
question, I apologize to you buddy. Most of what we know
usually comes by experience or secondhand info or a site
such as this peticular one. Being frightened about a condition such as, Panic attacks and anxiousness are very
real conditions that may come by way of internalizing some event that you really need to deal with. Sometimes just
being quiet and still (meditative) can serve to open you
to what you are truly feeling in a given moment. These
are revelations that help define our lives and give us the
hope and insight to work every day to reach our collective
mental health. Take care

DB