DS 11yo (ADHD) - has heard a 'voice'. Feeling desperate.

[chocolaterose20]

Wracked with worry and trying not to dwell on it, working at staying positive but really feeling crushed by isolation of it all and also pressure of trying stay calm/composed on outside. Don't know where else to go with this, but in past have met lovely people on here who have shared similar experiences - have been life savers really. (Thanks again lovely posters - little pressie for you all )

Our lovely DS, such a good-hearted sweetie and with meds for approx. 2 years managing his ADHD really well. Prior to meds nothing was working and both us and school thought he was heading for some sort mental health crisis/breakdown. He still struggles with lots of the everyday life stuff and also has low-level OCD, a Tic Disorder and ODD (also a mini-miracle that the meds help with these too).

To cut a long story short, the other day at breakfast just me and him were in the house (before his meds as I'm aware in rare instances they can affect perceptions etc), and he came into the front room looking terrified, convinced that someone had just whispered his name behind him. Just writing it makes me cry. Of course, I took it lightly, we talked it through, we convinced ourselves that it was probably just the old fridge making the hissing noises that it sometimes does and he'd misheard, we laughed it off and that was that. He wasn't overly tired, ill or stressed, and it doesn't relate to anything else I can think of. Of course I know it's probably a one-off, but it's been such a long, hard time helping him with so many different issues over the years that now I'm thinking, 'oh no, not that too'. (By 'that' I mean some sort of psychosis/mental health issue, I've had a small amount of work related training on it in the past).

Feeling overwhelmed, tired, inadequate, isolated...sad for me in a bit-selfish-but-human-way but also devastated for him that so much is so hard. Feels like at every turn, year after year, there's always something else and it just goes on and on. Thanks for reading if got this far, just needed to vent and share....

Hi chocolate

I am fairly new to mumsnet and haven't posted often, but have been helped by many others' posts, and your post really rang a bell for me so didn't want to read and leave.

Ds (also 11, ADHD, OCD, ASD) has also in the past said he has heard or seen things which don't seem linked to reality (e.g. when a little younger seeing a witch move past the window, or being constantly convinced that we or others are talking about him when it's not the case).

For him it has seemed to indicate that his anxiety levels have really reached a massive peak, and that any usual means he has of coping have been exhausted. Obviously every child is different, but these times have been infrequent isolated instances and have not led to a progression of such symptoms. They have led us at the time to try and seek more help for him or to take things off his plate - anything really to try and alleviate the anxiety.

I do understand the feeling that new or different things seem to come along, and that fear that things will become more difficult. I know from other close family experience that OCD can play many such tricks with the mind, so this could also be another facet of the OCD.

Anyway it was really to try and reassure you that you are not alone and this may well not be a progression to something else but rather part of the same thing if that makes sense.

This has happened to both my children (one possible ASD the other NT) and it really worried me. It lasted a while and seems to have faded. It was a sign of stress (I think). Look up 'yound minds' -- apparently it is quite common. The key thing is to know about it and to assure your DC to say something to you if the voice says something nasty or to do anything bad.

thank u - yuckythings/peapod/chaotica.
It's such a relief to be able to say this to people who understand. SUCH a relief. I'll keep an eye on it but feel I can relax a bit now too and have a better perspective. I'd looked at the YoungMinds website in the past and will go back to it again now - good suggestion.
Please help yourself to on me!

We all have moments of hearing a noise and our mind can be on high alert, it can sound like a voice. Google ear pops.

Those with a more anxious temperament can worry and get obsessive thoughts about this. But it's quite a normal quirk of the mind.

A ds 12 of a very good friend of mine experienced this. DS has PTSD, anxiety and depression. Her ds was told by psychiatrist this was not uncommon and was related to anxiety.
You sound so lovely.
Isn't Mumsnet fab?