Dissosciative Voices

[Rawrster]

Having a hard time with dissosciative voices at the moment. I have them all the time but never negative until two days ago when one started suggesting negative things. I’ve called the crisis team like six times but they say they don’t need to see me as the negative voice has subsided now.

I was having a bad day on Wednesday and then I had to deal with a traumatic experience and it’s just tipped my voices into overdrive:

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to cope? My case manager is back from holiday on Monday so I just need to manage until then (not sure she’s going to like coming back from her holiday to me falling apart on her). Therapist is also on holiday for the next three and a half weeks.

I did a course on coping with unusual experiences including voices.
I think the advice was to distract yourself & keep yourself busy. I suppose for one example you could do housework with loud music on?

I have schizoaffective disorder & get paranoia, delusions, intrusive thoughts & occasionally hallucinations but not voices.

The positive thing is that you have the insight to know they are voices but not real & not to listen to them.

Do you take meds? I find my anti psychotics help with symptoms.
If you feel really bad do phone the crisis team if possible or even the Samaritans for a chat.

Sorry for the late reply. Yes I take antipsychotics but I don’t want the dose increased because I don’t want to “kill” my voices as many of them are children.

I’ve found your advice on distraction really helpful! I’ve been working on it the last couple of days! Thank you so much for suggesting it.

Do you find some of them are comforting then?
Are the childrens voices also suggesting negative things?
Do you feel aware of the difference between these and normal voices?

I dont know if all antipsychotics are the same, but I sometimes have fluanxol, which is an antipsychotic, and I can take that as and when I need. Might be worth having something that you can take if it gets distressing, without it killing off things that you feel positive about if you took it all the time x

I find it interesting that you mention not wanting to 'kill' your voices. Have you discussed that in therapy? Do you recognise them as anyone in particular? What do you feel that the voices need? I appreciate that they are probably terrifying to listen to, but you seem to have some insight into why they are here. Of course you know that medication is always an option if it becomes overwhelming.

I don’t want to “kill” them because they are part of me. It feels like self harm?!

Just one of my voices is negative. It’s scares the others though. It was negative again last night but has quieted down a lot today.

I know they are our voices and the other people have different voices but it can sometimes be confusing when there’s lots of people talking.

I’m taking a small dose of risperidone at the moment (well for the last year).

As they are part of me I don’t mind having them although I really have struggled with the recent negativity.

Basically feels like there’s 12 people in me (or 13).

Yes, killing them as feeling like self harm does make sense. However, why is their harm against you ok either? I get a sense from what you write that they don't dominate you entirely, but that you have learnt to tolerate them. This might feel like a strange question but do they ever accept a two way conversation or are you always just listening?