Topic Tuesday // Hearing Voices // Tues 15 May, 7pm AEST

[Tasharose]

I hear voices all the time. I have DID plus complex PTSD, atypical anorexia and bipolar. Most of voices I hear are mean, bararating and very dominating. I have no idea how to make them more agreeable and more positive. I can imagine my life would be a lot easier with my voices being easier to communicate with.

[Georgie_Paulik]

@Smashpea, how they manifest differs so much from one person to another. I don't know why. Some times people i have worked with can see a link between past events and their current experience, but often not. Can you do things to reduce the chance of a "merge"?

[Georgie_Paulik]

I'm glad to hear you are learning to live with it @Leapy. That takes courage (and skills!)

[greenpea]

Ugh! Medication, medication ... only sometimes do I get breakthroughs now and I hate taking it but I must for my and my kids sakes but I miss one of my voices and want him back 😞

[Queenie]

I've found major triggers for me is stress. If I'm under a lot of stress, then I am likely to have negative voices following me around, which in turn feeds my paranoia, which then in turn makes my voices all the more vocal. I'm a placid person, pretty passive really, so why would occasionally hear voices commanding me to harm other people? It's really weird, I'd never do it, but here's these voices telling me to do it. It kind of makes me think that underneath my passive exterior, lies a terrible person. Those particular voices (Asher and the Red Man especially) come from me after all.

[Georgie_Paulik]

@greenpea, very good question! Luckily what I have found is that so long as they are still serving their function (ie to support or protect you) they will stick around

[Tasharose]

My triggers are stress, eating too much (I have a eating disorder voice) loud sudden noises, too many people, not sleeping enough...

[greenpea]

@Georgie_Paulik 🙂

[Smashpea]

The headphones usually help but only if I catch them in time. I try to remember to count objects to ground myself but they make it really hard to concentrate and focus.

[Georgie_Paulik]

@Tasharose, developing a more equal handed relationship (even a compassionate relationship) is the ideal. Not easy to get there though. Check out the relationship with voices section of "Managing Distressing Voices" self help book by Mark Hayward et al.