My mom has a friend who has talked with Nataleigh on the phone and told her to tell them to go away if she doesn't like them.

These voices are not my internal voice or a "recording" playing back of voices I may have heard (i.e. "soundbytes")- they sound real. As if someone is in the room.

My mom used to have this, and she found it very disturbing as well. Sometimes she would hear noises, like the fan of the furnace or banging of a hammer, and think it was words being said repeatedly.

I am probably out of my league here Nathan (others please speak up!), but I normally found that my mom was generally very stressed out when this happened to her. Often this resulted in an increase in meds for a while.

Cherie

Would this also include smell hallucinations- like smelling paint where there was only food (ask others "do you smell paint?" they say no) and NOT smelling the food that is obviously all around?

I made a call to my primary dr. Waiting for them to call back. I found a webpage that says that lactaction can be a side effect of these meds and I found a few other things on audio and visual hallucinations, but they don't say if they're related to bipolar. (I got some colostrum out last night after feeling likeI needed to nurse, even though I stopped that over 2 years ago AND had a breast reduction.)

Hi Nathan.

Well my mom was actually dx with Schizophrenia, so I'm sure there differences to consider with that.

Yes, she smelled things that weren't there either, like gas coming from the furnace. I remember her opening all the windows and doors in the house as she was sure there was gas leaking. None of us smelled anything.

I am dx with Multiple Sclerosis, which does effect our brain processing too. I smell weird things all the time; dirty diapers, smoke, sewage, chemicals. My kids don't smell it, so I know it isn't real. Many people with MS have this occurence.

I don't like to give advice on something that I don't know enough about, but I might suggest that you do not let this worry you too much. I know that is easier said then done, but for me personally, I try to just laugh it off when it occurs. As long as you know it's NOT real . . .

Cherie

So I am seeing my primary doc. tomorrow both about the wanting to fly off the balcony thing and the appointment yesterday at the psych. office. I'm so exhausted right now. This thing with the psych. office, feeling like the world is not in my control (visual, audio, and smell hallucinations), wandering around town for six hours aimlessly, and this thing with Christopher since last night- where he said he is still hoping to get his ex. back - right after I told him I'm not comfortable with his calling me his "friend" when we are so much more to everybody in the world EXCEPT him- telling me he loves me and yet I cannot wait around for years while he waits to see if his ex actually moves to Texas.... I'm literally exhausted like its 12 a.m. and I'm ready for bed. But its not. And I should go to church choir tonight to emote and to get a tux for my ex- a favor he asked of me.

Hi,
I believe you.
But it is still a bipolar thing.
Your brain is sending you messages that something is "there" when it is really in your head.
Lots of meds help with this.
And yes, anxiety can make this worse.
Mari

I'm seeing my primary dr. today at 1:15 about the horrible psych. apt. and the balcony thing. I'll keep you updated.

(I posted about my appointment in the thread about my 2-hour initial appointment.)

I'm posting here again because I had another auditory weirdness this morning. There was a movie playing in the next room but the door was closed. I thought I heard a voice whisper "Jennifer..." I told Christopher about it and he said that sometimes we hear sounds we aren't quite sure what they are so we make them out to be what we can make sense of. That made sense. i don't know if I should count this or not but we'll see if it happens again.

Dear Nathan,
Make sure that your mental health that you put together takes this seriously.
It should not be happening.
Mari

I'm not quite sure what you mean?