【XIV】 RECALLING EVENTS

a guide to hearing voices

(Note: this information was given to me by my therapist and is not my original writing. The information provided in this post comes from the UK based mental health charity known as Mind, and is paraphrased by me.)

What are voices?

A hallucination is a perception you may have that is not shared by those around you. Hearing voices is a type of auditory hallucination where you hear voices when no one is present, or that other people cannot hear. Some examples of voices you may hear include:

Hearing your name called when no one is around.

Hearing things as you fall asleep.

Feel as though you can hear other people’s thoughts.

Threatening voices that tell you to do dangerous things.

Friendly voices that encourage or support you.

Multiple voices arguing or talking with one another.

There are many reasons why you might hear voices. Some reasons include lack of sleep, hunger, physical illness, being under the influence of drugs, grief, abuse/bullying, physical illness, trauma, spiritual experiences, or mental health problems such as psychosis.

How can I help myself cope?

Understanding your voices and how they relate to your past may help you feel more in control, recognize when voices cause problems, stand up to your voice, or develop a better relationship with your voices so they don’t interfere with your life.

Some questions to help you think about how your voices relate to you are:

What was happening when I first heard voices?

Where was I and how was I feeling?

What did the voice say?

What did they sound like?

Do they represent a person or a problem?

Are there any patterns to the voices?

What do the voices want me to do?

What do I want to do?

It may be helpful to keep a diary and record when you hear voices or what they say. This can help you identify patterns and understand how they affect you over a period of time.

Here are some suggestions to help you feel more in control of your voices:

Ignore them, block them out, or distract yourself.

Give them times when you agree to talk to them and times when you won’t.

Tell them to wait.

Stand up to them, ignore their commands and threats. They have no power over you.

Try to ignore the voices you don’t like, and focus on the ones you find easier to listen to.

Use grounding techniques, like taking note of the things you see, hear, smell, etc.

The recovery approach

This helps reframe the way we see recovery. The main principles of the recovery approach are:

Live the best life you can have the you can with your experiences and the consequences they’ve had.

Focusing on what you can do, not what you can’t.

Making your own choices and being your own person.

Seeing recovery as a journey, not a destination.

Seeing setbacks as ways of learning more about yourself.

Maintaining hope.

How other people can help

If someone you care about hears voices, you might find it hard to understand what they are experiencing. But there are many things you can do to help support them.

Accept that their experiences of voices are real, even if you don’t understand it.

Try not to make judgements about what hearing voices means for them.

Learn their triggers.

Remember that they are still the same person you’ve always known. Hearing voices doesn’t change who they are.

Ask them what would help, and avoid making assumptions.

Reassure them that they are not alone. There are lots of reasons why people hear voices.

Encourage them to talk about their experience. To you, to a doctor, or to a support group.

Learn more about the experience of hearing voices and fight the stigma.

Help them seek treatment and support, if they want it.

just one psychotic episode will change your life, forever. it'll alter your self perception beyond recognition. you'll remember who you were before, back when you were (relatively) sane, always been sane, and you won't recognize her anymore. she'll feel more like a sister. you're still the same, you are--but you aren't. you're different, you know you are. You're different in ways you cannot articulate, in ways your loved ones cannot truly grasp. you've experienced something most people believe is impossible to experience. likely because it is. it was something impossible, grand, and terrifying. the most scared you've ever felt in your life. God looked down on you and laughed, and finally, finally you know what it feels like to be that small and vulnerable. you can't go back to before, when you were naive, ignorant to your size. but it's okay. you're okay, now. it's over and you're safe. and you've always been safe, really, it wasn't real, but the trauma is. the trauma is real and it's lasting.

and it's not real. and you know it's not real. but sometimes you get scared again. so, so, so scared, because it was traumatizing and now you're left with flashbacks to a time when the world didn't make sense, when you weren't yourself, when you were small and confused and lost and could not understand yourself let alone be understood--and it feels real again. but you don't believe it, not really, you know you don't. you know it's not real. it's not psychosis round 2, but you're still so so scared--scared that you're wrong, that it is real, scared that you'll go back there--that you'll lose the sanity you grappled for. fought for. but you don't. not yet, at least. the flashback passes, same as any other flashback. but the fear lingers. you'll fear losing control like that for the rest of your life. years of sanity, remission, and you're still afraid, because you know what that felt like and it was scary. it's weird to believe again, when you don't really believe, it's weird to relive unreality while knowing you're within reality. you can feel your sanity, you know it's there, because it's saying "this isn't real and we know it's not real. we know this. but I am so so so scared anyway. I am so scared of experiencing it again. I am so scared that I was right and now I'm wrong."

psychosis is traumatic and trauma leaves you with flashbacks. and sometimes it feels like you're there again. like you've slipped away again. and it's scary. but you'll be back, I know you will, because I'm back, I'm okay, and you are too. I love you. I love all of you. love yourselves for me.

This is what happens everytime we open the book

Pagans - how do you fight worrying about being “crazy”?

As someone with OCD, I struggle a lot with obsessive thoughts surrounding if I am “crazy” or “delusional” as someone who went through spiritual psychosis ~6 years ago. Does anyone else struggle with this? My deities help so much with reassuring me that I am in a totally different mental state, I’m very stable, I’ve got a good job, and I am generally a pretty grounded person. But that doesn’t relieve the worry about “slipping into the pattern” again.

I wish I saw more speak on here about how dangerous spiritual psychosis is in general and how to recognize the signs! I’ve been thinking of making my own post about it as someone who went through it, and did end up returning to paganism as my path.

HONK

via

first time drawing amanda…. :3

NO BITCHES?

🧍‍♀️ ❌ 🧍‍♀️ ❌ 🧍‍♀️ ❌ 🧍‍♀️ ❌

ten ways I cope with psychosis

Grounding techniques — Make use of the five senses: Listen to your favorite song. Run your hands under cold water. Taste your favorite snack. Smell your favorite candle. Look at beautiful artwork. Be mindful about the sensations you feel while engaging in these activities.

Listening to music — My go-to way to deal with auditory hallucinations. I recommend listening to instrumental music, if you are prone to ideas of reference.

Creating art — A good creative outlet takes the focus away from my psychosis and towards whatever it is I’m creating. Plus I can make something that symbolizes how I feel while psychotic.

Taking a walk — This can be hard to do if I’m psychotic, as the paranoia makes me think people outside are watching or following me. So what I like to do is pace the hallway in my house. It helps me keep my mind off things.

Journaling — Writing out what I’m feeling can be an immense relief, especially when I’m experiencing delusions. Also I can also look back at these thoughts and reflect on them.

Identifying triggers — Discovering what makes you psychotic can help to prevent future episodes. (Be mindful about who you share this info with as others could use it against you.)

Breathing exercises — When I’m psychotic my stress and anxiety levels ramp up. Just one minute of deep, steady breathing helps to keep those levels under control.

Spend time with pets — Pets don’t judge you for being psychotic. They’re perfect for snuggles, and running your hands through their fur reduces stress and anxiety, and makes for a good grounding exercise.

Asking for reality checks — Sometimes I have trouble telling what’s real and what’s not. When in doubt, asking a trusted person for a reality check can be very helpful in dispelling delusions or paranoia. If you’re alone, recording with your phone can help to verify if you’re hallucinating.

Finding a community online — One if the worst parts of psychosis is feeling like you’re completely alone in this. But you’re not. I found communities of psychotic people on Tumblr, Reddit, Youtube, and more. I find that being around people like me helps me feel less alone in my mental health journey.

GOD I love them, they’re so pretty :(

The first time I ever felt romantic attraction towards a vibe, whenever I went to the craft store these were in I would just stand in this section and stare and admire them for the entire time 😭