Schizophrenia - hearing voices

[Tranquillity]

Not great, this afternoon. Voices are persisting quite badly and I'm feeling horrible nausea. I'm attending a work meeting online where I don't have to interact too much, just listen. I'm hoping I'll feel better later on.

My experience with antipsychotics is that they can take a week or more to actually work. So, I don't expect the voices to vanish immediately. However, sometimes if I have something significant to attend to that consumes all my attention, the voices can go away for long periods.

[lavenderhaze]

Oh gosh, that seems like a lot to handle @Tranquillity I am so sorry 😞

Yeah, I imagine it will take a few days to work.

I am curious - do you mean if you are really focused on something, the voices aren't as loud? 

[Cp63]

Thank you for sharing ways you cope with the voices. At present my son is in hospital for assessment and treatment.He has special needs and has explained the good voices as reassuring but the tricky voices are annoying and controlling. Is resistant to taking medication for fear he will lose his super powers. 
Cp 🙂

[lavenderhaze]

Hi @Cp63,

As a parent, I imagine that must be scary for you. How're you coping with everything?

We're here for you ❤️

[Tranquillity]

I'm sorry to hear that, Cp. That is really difficult. 

I understand everyone's situation is different even though the diagnosis might be the same. 

I hope he gets the best possible treatment. 

It's helpful to try to not focus on the voices as far as possible. I find that music can help in this respect. However, it can be also helpful to work through the messages with a clinical psychologist. I have also found the Voices Clinic in Melbourne to be helpful. 

I wish you the best of luck.

[Tranquillity]

Just to give you an example of the sort of religious messaging I get, this afternoon while focusing on a work meeting, my voices are shouting at me, "Jesus is going to smash you to pieces because you are not repentant". Some background information, I have attended church for years as well as studying the Bible extensively, long before I started hearing voices. So, to me, having a religious mindset and being open to the supernatural, starting to hear voices and with this kind of messaging has been totally frightening and horrifying. When I first started hearing them about five years ago, I was scared out of my wits. I thought it was all real. Now, it's still a horror but I don't get scared. Rather, I do get a bit triggered even though I do my best to ignore and think they are not real, and in this respect I tend to just get angry rather than scared. It's a challenge not to get triggered at all. 

[Tranquillity]

In terms of getting out of psychosis, I have managed to do it without antipsychotics, but it's not easy especially if the voices are intense.

What I have found takes me out of psychosis:

1) Listening to good uplifting music almost continually for several days coupled with keeping actively focussed on mentally occupying or stimulating activities and keeping socially active. This has got me out of psychosis for a number of weeks. 

2) Some kind of emergency. Unfortunately a close family member had to go into hospital and this emergency situation totally took over all my mental processes such that my voices stopped for some weeks. 

[Cp63]

Thank you, I guess we are still in the ‘twilight zone’ . Visiting our 21yr old son twice a day for the last 6 weeks in hospital, to be told that due to challenging ASD behaviours and continued paranoia, he will now be moved to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. It’s another change to his routine and a longer drive for us but we will go with the flow and make the necessary adjustments.

Advocating for your special needs child is quite challenging as understanding of ASD behaviours greatly varies between health care staff due to lack of training or experience. I think this type of forum will greatly help me, as I like to reflect at night. Also I am very interested in working with a psychologist, participate in group sessions and further my knowledge by reading support texts provided by Sane.

[Tranquillity]

Sorry, I haven't replied until now. I really feel you. That is a really tough situation. I truly hope he gets the best available care and treatment.