I'm convinced my voices are real, and I don't know how to change that.

[sashasonya]

Hi, everyone. I'm convinced my voices are real, and I don't know how to change that. They might be. I used to live in an apartment with thin walls, and I heard my neighbors talking about me. They were discussing my mental health and what they might do about it. I started going to stay with my mom in her house, and then I heard her neighbors. I've been in the hospital several times in a short period of time, and each time I come out, the neighbors continue to talk/speculate. At this point, I've contacted folks in disability rights to find out what I can do if I get involuntarily committed. I am frightened because I live in Georgia, and it is easy to detain someone. What would you do? When a whole community or communities have opinions about you, it's hard to shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

 

[NWiddi]

This is very common among voice hearers, your inner voice can take what people are saying around you and change it so you hear whatever your voice wants you to hear.

Nobody around you is actually talking about you it's an illusion, medication will stop this completely in my opinion. The voice I hear could do the same and when I was in hospital it sounded like people around me were talking gibberish and once the TV spoke to me directly.

 

[ernesto3]

It was the exact same way for me until I finally stopped believing it. They lose a lot of power when that comes. Mine pretended to be around my dorm for months, as if people were eavesdropping on me or conducting some corrupt evil investigation. They pretended to be people in my surroundings & get worse when I’ve smoked weed.

Don’t let them fool you. They are manipulative and pretend to be doing it for a purpose. They can see what you think so they can use anything against you. Just do your best to ignore them and try to stay on your meds. My meds have worked wonders. Finally gave me peace of mind after various months. They’re still there but they go away for a couple hours from time to time.

They’re not real people. Just keep that out of mind. It’s gonna be hard but it gets better. Best of luck.

 

[sashasonya]

Thank you! It seems like they can see everything I do and are commenting on my mental health. I play music or the radio to get rid of them. But it has revived my fear that terrible things are going to happen soon. Which anti-psychotic works for you? I've been on many that haven't helped. I'm starting to think they make me worse. Lithium has really helped me a lot, but even on Clozapine I struggled.

 

[ernesto3]

That’s a common symptom, either thoughts of an inevitable doom or of grandeur. I guess we both have eminent doom but just do your best to push them away. I just take 1mg risperdal but I’m upping it to 2mg. I hope this amount gets rid of them completely.

Mine used to be 24/7 but 1mg gave me a moment of silence for the first time after 2 weeks on it. I hear most people take a lot more so it makes me feel good that such a low amount helped already. Self care is also key.

 

[mischief]

Hi you might find this website useful: Hearing Voices Network USA

 

[sashasonya]

Thank you guys. I started Vraylar yesterday, and it hasn't started helping much yet. I'm really afraid of going anywhere, but I hear the neighbors at home! Ugh. There's a Hearing Voices group in Atlanta; I'm planning to go tomorrow.

 

[Feathers1984]

I take 10mg of Alpriprozale. I did so well that my doctor suggested going down to 5mg. Well that was the worst decision ever. They are back and even louder than ever. Telling me I’m sick and there’s no cure among many other moronic evil things. Needless to say, I returned to my 10mg dose and they are much quieter except they know I can’t hear them as well so have decided to yell things at me in an effort to get me to hear them. It’s been a month since I went back to 10mg. If it doesn’t get better soon I’m asking for an even higher dose. I’ve had it with their nonsense

 

[sashasonya]

Thank you.

 

[NWiddi]

I take 10mg Aripiprazole and 4mg Risperidone and between them they lower the volume of my voice by around 95%, I can handle the remaining 5% even though he's pretty much constant all day long.

As strange as it may sound my voice can also do physical things to me which is why I take two medications.

 

[OCDguy]

Hi, everyone. I'm convinced my voices are real, and I don't know how to change that. They might be. I used to live in an apartment with thin walls, and I heard my neighbors talking about me. They were discussing my mental health and what they might do about it. I started going to stay with my mom in her house, and then I heard her neighbors. I've been in the hospital several times in a short period of time, and each time I come out, the neighbors continue to talk/speculate. At this point, I've contacted folks in disability rights to find out what I can do if I get involuntarily committed. I am frightened because I live in Georgia, and it is easy to detain someone. What would you do? When a whole community or communities have opinions about you, it's hard to shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

I ask with the greatest of respect, has your mental health been a troubling affair? The reality is, it's highly unlikely that your neighbours will be that focussed on you (people's lives make them move from one thing to another throughout the day, they are generally that much time restricted, they don't focus on one thing unless it's a film etc. for any length of time). More than likely they probably don't even know you suffer with mental health issues, have you said anything to them? I can't see a Professional contacting and discussing anything confidential with them either... Could it be, that it is in fact yourself that is constantly focussed on your mental health, and as such you are concerned what others might be thinking or saying? Do any of your neighbours say anything to you when you are out, or go to lengths to avoid you? It can be difficult coming to terms with whatever is troubling you, but I bet when you are comfortable with yourself, these insecurities will diminish a lot

 

[sashasonya]

Hmmm... This has been going on with different neighbors! It seems that they know more about me than I realize. They are saying I’m a psychopath! What should I do?

 

[OCDguy]

I'm not disputing what you are saying, but can you think of any reason why they might be saying that? If your neighbours are anything like mine, there is a clique and they aid and abet each other. Mine are also quite elderly and in my opinion have nothing better to do with their time than gang up on people they don't like, and involve as many authorative figures they can think of, while comparing and sharing notes with each other...

 

[sashasonya]

That sounds like what I think is going on. I am in an upstairs bedroom. They are next door. How would I physically be able to hear them? I know I could hear my neighbors when I lived in an apartment.

 

[sashasonya]

And it’s like they can see me.