Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

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[CherryBomb]

Hi @Seuss,

Welcome to the forums. 

Hearing voices can be pretty confusing. I'm glad you've come on here to seek advice. Can I ask if you have consulted with a health professional (i.e., counsellor, psychologist or psychiartist)?

While waiting to hear from our members, I thought you might find this thread interesting. In this thread members, @kristin @kato@Uggbootdiva  discuss some of the differences between hearing their internal voices and other voices. They might be able to offer some suggestions in managing voices. Also @justusmumo I believe that you have some strategies that you've spoken about before. Any advice for Seuss?

Additionally, there's a few resources on the SANE wesbite that might be useful too, such as this factsheet.

Can anyone else offer some suggestions for Seuss?

Again, welcome to the forums.

Hope to see you around,

CB

[kristin]

Dear @Former-Member 

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for your openness and honesty, and for finding the courage to join in the conversation.

I hope the thread that CB posted the link for might help somewhat (I also though of it as soon as I saw your post), as a few of us were talking about "voices in our head" and what that means for each of us. I also have PTSD, as do several others, and there are a few threads about experiences and trying to deal with it - here are a couple of links or you could try using the forum search function.

Your question about whether the voices are related to the hypervigilance is a very good one. I suspect the answer is maybe at least in part. The reason why I say this is because I've recently had a huge shift in my arousal levels - from nearly constant hyperarousal, where I often felt like I was over my head/drowning with it, to a much lower level (down near the floor?). And your question has made me realise that the level and intensity of internal voices has dropped massively (not gone though) with that change.

What has helped? A compassionate and skilled psychiatrist, a course with ECASA that incorporated some ACT theory & skills, practicing mindfulness - which seems to snowball. I am finally discovering that 30 years after being told I was chronically dissociated (not the terminology used - separated from my body and emotions) I seem to have learned to live in my body again. It has been a long time, but I only really learned about mindfulnees last year, so I can certainly recommend it. If anyone had told me when I started trying it that it would lead to such a massive breakthrough I would not have believed it.

It's not that I don't get triggered by things any more, because I do. But I'm more able to work out what exactly has triggered me and more importantly why, to anticipate potential triggers in unusual or difficult circumstances, and to bring my arousal levels down relatively quickly when I am triggered.

I hope some of this might give some useful leads. We are all so different - sometimes we can get ideas from others' journeys but have to find out how that fits with our own path.

Kindest regards,

Kristin

[Former-Member]

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[Former-Member]

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[kenny66]

Hi Seuss

I know abit about the conversations, which has been a constant feature of my shizoaffective disorder forever. My first admission was because of it. I tried a lot of antipsychotics to help with this and finally hit on a combination which helps. Its pretty potent though, so probably is not for everyone.

For me the constant carry on is exausting and varies between supportive and abusive as well. This can also be a feature of DID which I had when a kid.

Unfortunately wellness techniques and peer support were of limited value to me without the mdication. When I get tired now or not so compliant with my pills I sometimes lapse back into that state.

I attend a clinic one day a week with a group of people with DID, PTSD, Bipolar and schizophrenia, some who still have the voices. Most of them seem to manage quite well with a combination of helpful techniques with or without anti psychotics.

I sometimes try not to listen to the constant chatter and/or find some positive aspect to it. I find reasoning and rationalising does not work for me but it does for some people.

I am probably not much help to you because my control is medication based but some people i know manage with self help and peer support quite well. Good luck with it.

[Rick]

Hi Seuss
I am a survivor as well. Complex ptsd
I find the definiton helpful since it being complex there is more than one weird thing going on.
The intrusive stuff is a complete mongrel to deal but if I may quote you

I want to be more than my past, it's my birthright. I am making progress with this, a little at a time.

Yes it is your birthright. Our birthright, all of us who were damaged and broken when we were defenseless.
I aint there yet.
I'm working on it. as you say Learn more and look to further your progress toward a quality of life.

You have strangely enough made me remember something that I thought last week had been destroyed. ( and this is the wonder of our forum)

Hope endures......

Rick

[Rick]

@kenny66
I am constantly amazed at the depth of character and strength and resliance that as simple humans we are forced to plumb
Thank you Kenny for the reminder

Rick

[kristin]

Hi Seuss,

You are so welcome. I have found peer support really helpful too, it is one of the things I love about the forum. I believe we have a great deal to offer each other in sharing the struggles and triumphs of our journeys honestly.

I'm glad the thread was helpful - this is another one which may be also (though not sure whether this is your experience as CA varies a lot) - maybe not so much what's on it, it's quite short, but the links. I'm really sorry to hear that you also suffered childhood abuse (not sure whether I mentioned in the particular posts you've read that I did too), I am glad you've survived and are working on reclaiming your life. It is a long and arduous journey in my experience but very worthwhile, so I encourage you to keep plugging away as you can. And try to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

I've always found the self-loathing was the hardest to deal with. Quite excruciating. Thankfully mine is mostly in abeyance at the moment, for which I'm very grateful. 

I can really relate to having to learn about appropriate boundaries as an adult, because of not learning about/not being allowed to have boundaries as a child.

I read a lot of common ground actually in what you describe. I was lucky enough to do weekly art therapy for about 6 months this year (for free with a final year mature age student). It was wonderful. It has totally shifted my perspective on art. I now tend to approach art as therapy, especially if I'm struggling with something.

Thanks it is wonderful, but I would be lying if I said it was quick or easy. It's been a long but worthwhile road, and I'm still on it. Lovely to meet you too!

Kindest regards,

Kristin

[Former-Member]

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