Lived Experience Forum

[Queenie]

I told my psychiatrist on Monday that I have been using sleep as a way to shut out my symptoms. This means I am sleeping..... a lot. I suppose it is good that my increase in antipsychotics is making me tired I guess. I am sleeping up to 16hrs per day.

When I am awake, I hear voices. When I am asleep I'm not. I know this can't continue but I am trying my best folks, I really am trying (but failing). My stress levels are astronomical and for the time being, I don't know how to reduce that stress. I am moving, planning a commitment ceremony, trying to quit studying, finding new supports.... I don't know what to do. I did a depression, anxiety and stress test with my GP (as part of the assessment for the mental health care plan) and it was classified as extreme. 

I know I'm not the only one who sleeps a lot to shut down symptoms. How do we all cope?

[Kurra]

Hi @Queenie
As you said we all do it from time to time but.....16 hours per day?
Yes I've gone to those extremes too.

I do however try my hardest to resist shutting down like that. Have you looked for other ways to escape the voices and no! I am not suggesting that. When I feel like this, I do everything I can possibly think of to stop myself from indulging in sleep as a method of escape.
Try to work out some strategies that you haven't already tried. I try to think laterally. I've come up with some really weird strategies in the past. Some work, some don't.

If you want to, sound them out here. Has your gf calmed down a bit? 💕🎶💕

[Queenie]

Yes, my gf has calmed down a bit (although I just made her uncomfortable again). I asked her if after I move, I can access mental health respite for a few days. She is uncomfortable with that because it means she won't see me at all for a few days. I feel I need it however, before things implode and I end up back in hospital for another month (or months). 

I am meant to be attending weekly voice hearer's group meetings but for one reason or another, I haven't been able to attend them for a while. When I am awake I blast loud music in my ears in a bid to drown out the voices (and for the most part I'm successful but I can't keep doing that because I'm reminded how rude it is by everyone around me). 

I know 16hrs per day is a lot and it is extreme. I wish I could come up with some practical ways to combat this. I've tried mindfulness and meditation with only limited success. Anyone got any ideas?

[Kurra]

Have you tried soft music @Queenie?
With really soft music you have to concentrate really hard to hear it properly to hear it over the othe racket. Maybe give that a go. As I've said before, I also find talk back radio better than music if the voices are really bad.

Thinking of you 💕 🎶 💕

[Queenie]

I might have to give that talk back radio another go. I also might go exploring on Pandora and see if they have some sort of soft accoustic stations and give that a go when I am on my laptop. 

Thanks for the suggestions @Kurra 🙂

[utopia]

@Queenie. Just wondering what your psychiatrist said when you told him you were sleeping so much - as it's your only time without the voices.
Did he/she offer any suggestions?

[Queenie]

@utopia He basically increased the dosage of one of my antipsychotics and presumed I wasn't being 'compliant' with medication which isn't true. He also said it is probably stress which is causing the flare up. He doesn't want me to move and wants me to enter the public mental health system again. I'm not doing either of those things! I pay good money to have private health care and see him privately, so I am going to continue with my move and continue private health care. Wild horses will not be able to make me go public again!

[utopia]

@Queenie. I don't understand why he would want you to go public. Surely if you need a hospital stay for medication monitoring - a private clinic would be preferable.
Maybe an increase in your meds - temporarily - to help settle things down - with the added stress of moving.
What do you think?

[pip]

Hi @Queenie. Can I ask if the voices are destructive, by that I mean are they 'telling' you to harm you or your gf? Your psych is possibly right about your stress levels causing this agro. When we are stressed our anxiety levels do cause problems. Have you tried deep breathing therapy. You would need to concentrate fully on your breathing, which means basically telling your voices to 'shut up'. To tell voices to 'hush' means concentrating on them first. Then listen to your breathing. I'm not saying it would work, but what have you got to lose. You have been a great comfort to me, just trying to help and support your needs now. Best of luck with everything you're trying to accomplish.

[Queenie]

@pip the voices are very destructive with their commands, homicidal and suicidal, but I'm holding on and not giving into them at all and never would. I've been listening a lot to new age accoustic stations on Pandora and practicing mindfulness again which involves a lot of breath control. My voices are still there and they still bother me a whole lot, but I am trying.

I've asked my gf if when everything settles a bit, if I can go away into respite for a week, but so far she is against this. I'm not sure why, but she doesn't like to be apart from me. She says she has some abandonment issues and gets emotional when she has to say goodbye to me. 

Sorry it took a couple of days to reply, I've been reading posts but not really up to posting very much. I feel mentally exhausted even though I am sleeping more than enough.