Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

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@BillyGoat wrote:

Gday HC, how's it going?

To answer the question in your post's heading, yes, the voices are you. If all that is happening is that you are telling yourself to drink more water, then have a think about things, and if you're thirsty, have a drink. If not, then don't.

In this particular case, I was hearing my own inner voice, obsessive thoughts, but I interpreted it as "the others". My case manager at the hospital said I shouldn't try to psychoanalyse myself, and to go home, create a safe space and take care of myself. We created a safety plan for what to do over the weekend until I see her next week with my doctor. 

[Former-Member]

 Hi @PAX1741  feel for you with this affliction and glad you receive  support here and  at A&E with a plan forward. 

Iuse to think the thoughts were me. It's like a battlefiel in the mind sometimes, hard to know which side to take, what to act on at times (if any), more difficult when thoughts play with something essential like water or food.

I'm wondering if you were actually thirsty? Excess drinking is a sign of diabetes. If I were in your position I'd have a 2L bottle of water on the bench that I'd measure  out to last the day & no more, cause 2L is all we really need when inactive.  But, thing is, I find once I beat one thought a different one pops up. 

 A few years back my GP lent me a little book called TamingTheBlackdog...

It helped me see that I am not my thoughts and feelings. For years I'd pleed with people "but this is who I am..." I couldn't separate it for so long. 

Another author - Equhart Tolle (?spelling) he helped me see it even clearer. It changed my life when I realised:

"I AM NOT MY THOUGHTS, I AM THAT PART OF ME THAT NOTICES THEM" 

"I AM THE OBSERVER OF MY THOUGHTS"

Think it must have been the way it was said or something, but I finally 'got it'  (the penny dropped). 

As hard as it is, we have to practice saying "that's interesting" and not hook in or onto the thoughts. 

I'm not sure why we sometimes get on the ride with some thoughts and not others (obcess and even act them out). It's exhausting at times keeping it in check, evaluating what serves and supports us and our values. 

After a major loss, that person would talk with me a lot, but when the conversation got dark and torturous, I decided the process must be getting hijacked as this was not the beautiful soul I remember and thankfully,  with practice, I could tell the difference and flipped off what wasn't compatible with how God saw me (with love, warts and all). 

Anyway, sorry this is so long. Please be gentle on yourself, do the best you can, that's all we can do 💙

[BillyGoat]

Gday Pax, how's it all going?

Still hearing s**t you don't want to?

Voices getting into your head out of nowhere are a right-royal pain in the ass. Or, well, head, actually.

Hope that yours have been leaving you alone, at least for a bit.

If not, maybe it's time for the serious self-arguing to start. All you have to do is identify and target your deepest personal weaknesses, and attack the bejesus out of them in your own mind. Show yourself who's boss.

Make yourself scared to keep talking to you like that.

Works for me.... well, sometimes....

Well.... hmmmm.... sorry, I got nothing else.