Not sure what this is.

[Debbs]

I've been passed around for doctors for about a year now as I am trying to get help for my problems.

I don't fit easily into one category, really, which seems to be making it almost impossible to get a proper formal diagnosis.

I certainly suffer from depression and anxiety. I also have several other symptoms that suggest something along the lines of Borderline Personality Disorder.

The thing that no doctor has ever really had a clue about is the things that I hear. For the most part, it's not like I actually hear voices like I hear someone speak to me, it's more like when I think in my head, but only it's someone else doing the thinking and so it's in their voice. It's quite difficult to explain, so I'm not sure how much sense this makes...

I have only actually heard something that clearly wasn't there a couple of times.

I also sometimes see things that aren't there, but never obvious things that I think are right in front of me, more like something that I can see for a while out of the corner of my eye, as though it's just walking along the street next to me.

Does this make sense? Does anyone have any insight into any of this?

[Fry]

Intrusive thoughts maybe?
Although I've had what you describe as other people thinking and in their voice before, and it was a symptom of psychosis. The peripheral hallucinations too.

I'm surprised the doctors you've seen haven't understood it to be under the general umbrella of psychosis. Having a formal diagnosis isn't particularly important, in my opinion. How is the rest of your situation in life in general? Any possible stressors causing the mental health symptoms?

[finding_reason]

I am wondering if intrusive thinking could be what is happening - thoughts and perceptions and the "voice in our head" can become animated and take on a life of its own and can be experienced as a another voice or entity. Intrusive thinking does occur for both depression and anxiety disorders and I am thinking that perhaps your medical professionals attributed this symptom to that. In terms of seeing things - I am wondering if your experience of anxiety has an aspect of paranoia that cause you to question what you are seeing in your perphial (sp?) view.