looking for some novice friendly tips for delusions and hallucinations

Hey there @bugnerd

Thank you so much for sharing what you're experiencing.

How long have you been experiencing these delusions and hallucinations?

Sitting with you,

amber22

i have had them for as long as i can remember. i dont know an exact age but they started before i was four years of age.

Ah I see @bugnerd

When you have these hallucinations, is there anything that helps distract you or take your mind off of it? Something that can pull you out of these thoughts for a little bit?

i usually play some music and sing along or read something. it was tricky though because a couple of days ago, songs felt like a conversation and that was scary/confusing.

Those sound like some great things to distract yourself with @bugnerd

Do you sometimes go for walks or do other activities that might help too?

What do you read or listen to?

Hi there and welcome to the forums @bugnerd,

Good on you for reaching out. It sounds like you have tried a few different things to help with the hallucinations.

Do you feel your condition really affects your life in a negative way so that perhaps medical intervention is worth considering?

I’m glad you were able to speak to your partner. It must have been so liberating for you!

Looking forward to seeing you around on the forums!

@bugnerd , I've also heard that music is helpful, and making music is more effective than listening. If words are too much, maybe you could try playing or humming a tune without lyrics?

As others have covered distraction from voices, I'll leave that alone. Do the voices let you sleep if you negotiate with them?

If you've had voices for most of your life, you are probably coping better than you think you are. I wish I'd not the medical model foist on me as it is easier with physical health intact and being able to tell the voices apart by hearing the pitches. That doesn't mean the voices can't lie and impost

How do your voices treat you? Do they back down if you stand up to them? Best wishes 🌷

With regards to delusions I heard that 'paranoids are usually right'. You can challenge delusions by reality checking. For example, once, during an anxiety attack, I was paranoid there was a time bomb. I searched for the source of the ticking and it was an old clock. Battery taken out of clock, delusion squashed.