Tips to help manage voices

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

I was given some advice while in hospital on how to manage the voices in my head & I've found them really helpful, so I'd thought I'd share

• Headphones & music might help to block out the voices (the louder the music is, the more effective is for me, also if its a song I really like, one I can sing along to & 'sink myself into' helps.
• Talking into a phone as a way to respond to the voices to tell them to go away etc
• Pick ONE voice to deal with at a time, don't overload yourself & try to deal with all of them at once, it only makes you more stressed & vulnerable
• Send the voices away on a mission (I use this one a lot, I love it)
• Sometimes you will be able to ignore the voices
• Try to take things easy & relax before you make any major decisions (like listening to what the voices are telling you to do)
• Sleeping might help
• Keep your mind occupied on something that takes time & concentration
• Write out the dialogue between you & the voice
• Talk to someone with a similar experience
• Give some time to think about where you live, the quality of your surroundings, both buildings & people can affect how your feeling. If your somewhere you feel unsafe/uncomfortable the voices might be harder to deal with - try to move somewhere you feel at ease (I find when I'm out in the town centre they get worse & I get really paranoid, however I feel really safe in Starbucks, so I go sit in there for as long as it takes for me to calm down & take control)

Hope this helps

[one_step_closer]

Thanks for sharing.

[tamobhuuta]

thank you for this :)

[crazykat]

Thank-you for sharing this with us

[shadowedseraph]

Thanks for sharing :)

[alienshe_cheesycake]

thanks, that was really helpful,
especially this tip;

Quote:

Give some time to think about where you live, the quality of your surroundings, both buildings & people can affect how your feeling. If your somewhere you feel unsafe/uncomfortable the voices might be harder to deal with - try to move somewhere you feel at ease (I find when I'm out in the town centre they get worse & I get really paranoid, however I feel really safe in Starbucks, so I go sit in there for as long as it takes for me to calm down & take control)

I often get very scared when I'm out in public and the voices start, so thats a very good tip for me, I'll try something like that, thanks again!

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

no problem =)
x x x

[Starz*]

Thanks, my gp told me to try recognise the negative/bad thoughts/voices and conciously tell it to go away but its hard to make that happen.

[Born to be broken]

thanks hun for sharing :) my gp didnt help ,so im gonna try those to dont see why they cant work for me too :)

[Ami]

THANKS :~) X

[cakeybites]

thankyou for this thread, it will help muchly

[foxfly]

Thank you for this (:

[kona]

thanks for this, i think i might try and get it sticky-ed.

[KrissyInterupted]

amazing x thanks 4 postingg

[*Fading_existence*]

Thanks hun, your a star xx

[zowie]

Thanks for this. I think it should be stickyed x

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

your welcome everyone :)
I'm so glad it helped <3