What's the difference between voices and voices?

Sorry to hear that. Awful message - direct or implied. Children are very sensitive.

Hmm, I think I got the double whammy.

My father had the excessive expectations of his "bright" only child - who had a working adult vocab before age 3 (he kept a book listing all of the words I could use in correct context).

My mother was neglectful and emotionally abusive which, after they split up, left me as a sitting duck for the sexual abuse which began shortly thereafter.

All in the past now, though the skeletons weep at times. No surprises why I don't hanker for my younger years. I love being over 50

K

Hi Ivana,

Yes, aware of the inner voice it's just the where that ends and the other that starts that is the issue. I think this is all something I will discuss with my therapist to be honest. None of my voices claim to be satan or anything of the like in fact they make no claims at all but they certainly do make suggestions that aren't always in keeping with my regular thoughts or morals.

I don't speak other languages no and I come from an english speaking home. There are three distinct accents one of which is very posh and english, another can only be described as medieval. The last is a bit cockney and very rough. And no, I have no family members or friends with these accents.

Hi JT

I discovered this thread this morning and was captivated by it.

Of course there are clinical defintions of voices. This doe'nt include the compltely clinically normal experience of ego, super ego and id discussion that everyone has rolling around in their noodles.

The ones you hear in your head - Dissociative

The ones you hear in your ears - psychotic.

Seems to me me that it is not nearly so cut and dried. From responses to this post it seems that some folk appear to deal with a combination of both.

I think that some of the voices that I experince are the normal everyday experiences that everybody has.

But I also have a voice which comes through my ears when I'm experiencing suicidal psychotic depression. It's a harsh voice and very insistent and appears to be unengageable.

Then there are the voices in my head. These happen most often when I get upset. I get upset when I'm dissociative. Immersive memories/ flashbacks appear to be the trigger.

Sometimes it's like the transcription of the words from my mother when she was torturing me. Non interactive but very clear and very disturbing.

Like so many who have expeienced extended trauma I also have hypervigilance.

This stuff is different again. It's confusing, a little baffled sound wise, often negative and self destructive.

The first type falls into - psychosis.

The following three are dissociative.

They have different effects but impact equally.

The reason clinicians ask about the voices is because the psychotic ones can often be treated with medication or ECT.

The dissociative ones on the other hand are for the most part a bit of a mystery to modern neuro psychiatry.

They can be classified but treatment is often hit and miss. And of course treatments because of this are wide and varied. So not every clinician with be aware of alternative approaches.

My two cents

Having said all that, I still believe regardless of what voices may say

Hope endures

Rick

This is a fascinating topic everyone and very interested to hear what everyone else experiences.

I have two types of voices - I hear in my ear - just my name called, and usually as I am going down to sleep - this jerks me awake.

The other voices I am now very clear are just aspects of my ownself - (my critical voice is particularly harsh and unforgiving sounding). The obsessive voice I am clear now is just repetetive 'thought'.

I have had sevral psychotic episodes, always with a catalyst though like post aenesthesia or on new medication that is not suitable when actual 'other voices' have been present (dissasociative?).

The other thing that happens is hypnogogy where I am kind of awake but my limbic system is shut down - so what I dream I experience as actually happeneing to me, but I can't move and it is always malevolent. That is terrifying. I have this about 4 times or so a year.

@AlienBP2 - Re Hypnogogy - yes that is one form that I have experienced of hypnogogy - another has been waking up totally disoriented (room upside down, doorway in wrong place, light coming from wrong direction and not being able to move at all )- then realising my eyes are shut and I am "dreaming" the room all wrong, with that 'pressing down' thing happening or feeling that my legs are tied up, and panicking - screaming inside but not being able to make a noise. It is a really frighteneing experience. Before I knew what it was (and way before becoming atheist) I thought it was 'demonic' I can understand why before science explained it that people would call it the 'old hag'. Although these days the only old hag I assoicate with is in the mirror! <laughing at myself>. Now I KNOW what it is - even when I experience it I still panic somehow the knowing of it is not accessible to me while I am "in it".