I was just laying in bed trying to fall asleep in the dark and quiet in that free-associative state, when I heard clear as a bell someone say "hello". (Hard to put the inflection in a post.) I thought it was my mom at my door as it was kind of quiet so I got up and looked into the hallway because I was sure someone had said something. But nope- everybody's asleep! Is this an audio hallucination? It did not sound like what I hear in my head as my own internal voice. This is similar to what happened to me as a young teen, but not since. Just now, it really sounded like someone was here with me talking to me. It was a female voice but not my own (again my internal voice).

I used to get this as a child and as an adult.
The benzos knocked it out.
Also, I tried talking to the voices -- told them to clear out and leave me a lone -- that I was not interested in what they said.

My old cognitive beh therapist told me to engage them --- to ask them what they want. That was freaky. I tried it one time and it seemed to work.

I am sorry that you go through this.
Mari

Oh yeah? My 7-year-old gets this! Used to quite frequenly last year. She would say they were throwing things around her room and talking to her and it scared her. I didn't try to ask "them" anything, because I thought it was a real voice and I didn't want anything to do with a voice that had no body.

It's not a real voice. It's in your head. But sometimes it helps to deal with it in a way that we understand. That is what my old tdoc said.

My new therapist reminds me that I am in control. I can tell them to leave.

You can try talking to them for your daughter. Send them away. Let her know that you handled the situationed.
Mari

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