Get the voices to shut up!

[Namebunny]

Hello! Just realised I have voices in my head all the time telling me how crap I am. They are buried so deeply I didn’t even know they were there. Now writing this I think maybe dragging them into the open so I can hear and challenge them may be a good idea?
Am also incredibly anxious after chemo etc illness. I don’t trust the world any more and can feel myself mentally crawling into a box.
The voices which create a fear and a gloom that’s all pervasive have got worse as I am trying to sell my artwork and of course I’m terrified of failing, which of course means I’m getting too scared to try. And then it all spirals.Has anyone any tips? How can I train myself to be all confident and fearless?
How can I change my baseline feeling from this to something more fun and happy?

Therapy would give you space to expose those voices and pethaps listen to why they are there. Do you know whose voices they are? I hope you're doing ok, it sounds like you have been through a lot.

I have found this book to be amazingly helpful in identifying and combating the critical inner voice.
www.amazon.co.uk/Combating-Destructive-Thought-Processes-Separation/dp/0761905510/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Robert+Firestone+voice+therapy&srpt=ABIS_BOOK&qsid=262-9049446-8616762&sres=B00PKEQYEM%2C1633882519%2CB07KJQR4SW%2C0761905510%2C0415520339%2C1433835819%2C0793566592%2C0193870851%2C1540092437%2C1544805128%2CB000P28N66%2C0739033891%2C1458418936%2C0195326121&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1633349871&sr=8-4
You may be able to get it cheaper elsewhere

Thank you both of you! You are very kind coffeeisthebest and thankyou for the book. It’s £70 on Amazon! I’d better get those negative voices trained so I can afford to buy it!
Today I’m telling myself they are just thoughts. Been listening to headspace!
Thanks!

You need to see your GP and explain what you mean by voices. Are you actually hearing voices talking, as if they come from outside your own head? Or do you mean it more metaphorically (as I think the responses assume), ie are you talking about being self-critical?

Hearing voices is one of the primary symptoms of psychosis, which can happen with major depression, more classically with schizophrenia. Either way, it points to mental illness of a kind that would be hard to manage with only Headspace or books, so will you go and talk to a GP?

Thanks hopsalong, that’s very thoughtful of you. Sorry to scare you, they are only self critical ones in my head. They are at such a low level it’s hard to pick them out but they are there I’ve just realised all the time, continually pulling me down. Today am telling myself how good I am that I made tea, put the wash on etc and encouraging myself.
Am sure everyone has them, it’s just that I’ve just realised they are there all the time. Sigh!

I have them ,and ear worms ,unless I’m listening to music or tv ,there is a running dialogue in my head ,or the same song on repeat..it’s driving me mad .
I’m on the waiting list to be assessed for autism ,so maybe it’s that ,think I have OCD as well .

In fact I very nearly posted this thread myself,as today has been particularly bad for ear worms

Ear worms! That’s great, it makes them feel more controllable. Maybe we can train them to sing.
I hope your diagnosis goes well, and that whatever they say is useful.

I connect more to the non - medical approaches. People like Marius Romme and Sandra Escher (various publications) and Eleanor Longden's TED talk on voices in my head really resonate, and I feel are worth checking out. Also for younger people (14-25 - and older) the Voice Collective website (their info leaflets online share interesting perspectives, and more generally Intervoice and the Hearing Voices Network also provide different perspectives. The spectrum of human experience is so varied...

Thanks a lot for this!
I’ll give them a listen. I like Tara brach as well, if that’s useful.
I’m sure it’s just a mental habit I’ve got into.
On another thread someone was talking about telling temptation to ‘ jog on’ which I thought was brilliant!