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Original poster

Depression and voices

134 replies

bonjour16 · 30/01/2020 08:24

I've been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety and was wondering if anyone experienced hearing voices (angry ones) with their depression? And if so, did they go away once your depression was lifted. Feeling low and scared and in need of some reassurance. I'm on 20mg citalopram and 5mg olanzipine. Thank you in advance.

OP posts:
Original poster
bonjour16 · 07/02/2020 19:05

@Bluerussian thanks. I will discuss with my psychiatrist again on Tuesday but he's convinced it's not the citalopram as I've been on and off them before since 2006 with no probs. So I'm quite confused.

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 07/02/2020 19:10

I first heard voices when I was very stressed and depressed. Citalopram made me better and the voices went. More recently I've been very unwell (mental breakdown) and the voices were worse. In this instant Quetiapine got rid of them very quickly.

SugarNyx · 07/02/2020 19:28

They had upped the dose when the voices happened. They where telling me to kill myself. Luckily I was able to identify that it wasn’t really me and I got help straight away - even if it did land me in a hospital for a few weeks.

Original poster
bonjour16 · 07/02/2020 19:54

@UndertheCedartree thank you so much for your reply. Hope you are feeling better Flowers. I'm on 5mg Olanzipine but I've read a lot people say that quetiapine helped them and with anxiety. May I ask what dose you are on and what kind of voices you were hearing? I'm hearing angry yelling - can't really make out what they are saying but I'm hearing my name at times which is freaking me out. Thanks again.

OP posts:
Yolande7 · 07/02/2020 19:57

Hearing voices is much more common than you would think. Nobody talks about it though. It can also be caused by anxiety. Hope you get better soon.

Original poster
bonjour16 · 07/02/2020 19:57

@SugarNyx that must have been very scary. Did you stop the citalopram altogether after that? I hope you are feeling better.

OP posts:
Original poster
bonjour16 · 07/02/2020 20:00

@Yolande7 thank you. They do seem worse when I'm extremely anxious and stressed. Do you have personal experience of this?

OP posts:
YourDaughter · 07/02/2020 21:13

I have no personal experience of hearing voices, but I am interested in psychosis, it’s symptoms and their causes, especially hallucinations.
I have been looking into the work of Eleanor Langdon; she believes that hearing voices are a method employed by our brain to help us when we are distressed, anxious etc.
Her TED talk is here: www.ted.com/talks/eleanor_longden_the_voices_in_my_head/up-next?language=en
And this is more general information about her and her work: www.psychosisresearch.com/eleanor-longden/

Not sure if it would interest/help you?

SugarNyx · 07/02/2020 22:27

I stopped all of the meds 7 years ago. I still have bout of anxiety and sadness but I’m in a much better place life wise. There’s a way through the darkness - you just have to hold on to that. I hope you find your way xx

onedayiwilllaugh · 07/02/2020 22:42

My partner had anxiety depression and paranoia, he was hearing people talk about him and noises, but not actual voices in his head like talking to him if you know what I mean,
He is on aripiprizole 20mg and sees a psychiatrist regularly and he is so much better now, before this he was on citalophram x

doublebarrellednurse · 07/02/2020 23:10

People saying go back to the GP - the GP isn't the prescribed and the op clearly states this. She is under psychiatry and they will prescribe. A GP won't prescribe over a CP.

Olanzapine IS an anti psychotic and it's largely effective in psychotic depressions which is likely why it's been prescribed.

OP you may be better posting this in the mental health forum for a more specific group of answers who have experience with MH.

To reassure you though, it's very common but a serious mental illness. I'm glad you're under psychiatry and receiving treatment. It will get better and this won't be forever.

Have a google of hearing voices network they are very good x

UndertheCedartree · 08/02/2020 08:57

@doublebarrellednurse - hearing voices isn't always a sign of SMI. It can just be caused by stress for example.

UndertheCedartree · 08/02/2020 09:08

@boujour16 -Thank you - I'm recovering slowly. I'm on 400mg of quetiapine. The voices were often Social Services saying they were going to take my children away. Sometimes it was friends talking to me (not always bad things). I often heard my name. There was sometimes shouting and telling me not to trust anyone and that I was worthless. It was frightening but recognising they were my own thoughts helped.

You say stress makes them worse so they could well be linked to that. I hope you are feeling better soon.

Original poster
bonjour16 · 08/02/2020 10:39

thank you for your kind replies. I hope it doesn't last forever and the olanzipine works x

OP posts:
doublebarrellednurse · 08/02/2020 14:04

@UndertheCedartree ... well yes ... I'm aware however the OP has made clear she is experiencing severe depression with a psychotic or borderline element so that does fall under SMI. She's under secondary care and has a CPN/Psychiatrist and I know better than most they aren't accessible unless SMI is a factor.

Original poster
bonjour16 · 08/02/2020 17:37

@YourDaughter thank you for the links. Very helpful Flowers

OP posts:
Original poster
bonjour16 · 08/02/2020 17:43

Maybe it is psychotic depression I'm experiencing. My psychiatrist however doesn't think so or only borderline. The whole experience is very scary - never been so scared my whole life. Another thing I'm experiencing is random background noise. Like today when I was out shopping I just felt there was extra noise that shouldn't be there. Anyone else experienced this or psychotic depression?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Original poster
bonjour16 · 08/02/2020 18:34

@SugarNyx thank you so much xx

OP posts:
Woollycardi · 09/02/2020 18:05

What extra noise are you hearing?

Original poster
bonjour16 · 09/02/2020 18:35

@Woollycardi it varies. Just sounds like it shouldn't be there. I can't always make it out. I don't know if it's my anxiety playing up or not. Anyone else experienced this?

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 09/02/2020 19:33

@doublebarrellednurse - yes, I understand that severe depression is serious but I didn't see where she said there was a psychotic/borderline element. And yes, of course she wouldn't have a care co if not serious. I may have read your post wrong but to me it read that hearing voices was common but serious in itself.

UndertheCedartree · 09/02/2020 19:41

@bonjour16 - part of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (Borderline) is transient psychosis - this is where you have episodes of psychosis but they come and go. Are you aware the voices are your own thoughts or do they seem completely seperate? Do you believe they are someone else talking to you somehow?

Original poster
bonjour16 · 09/02/2020 20:23

@UndertheCedartree I think they are separate. I haven't really analysed them too much. I don't believe the voices are talking to me just scared of what I hear or in my head.

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Original poster
bonjour16 · 16/02/2020 16:14

Thank you for all replies. Still struggling. Now hearing what sounds like mumbling voices. Sad Has anyone experienced this? I hope I'm not alone. I see my psychiatrist on Tuesday.

Thank you in advance.

OP posts:
UndertheCedartree · 16/02/2020 16:47

Hope it goes well with the psychiatrist. I wouldn't worry about how exactly the voices are manifesting - I'm sure they will be able to help you.