Aa
Please someone tell me this is normal
Hello, name is Alex and I've read a lot of helpful stories on this site so I have come to share mine, and hopefully get some advice. For the past six months I've been dealing with headaches and a type funny visual perception where's I feel as though I am a bit drowsy or intoxicated. This all started with a stressful end to a school program and tough exams along dreaded presentations. To a point where I freaked out during one presentation though I was having a heart attack, left the school, went to the hospital, got checked out told I was fine, and then I came down. Now after the last day my classmates and I went out for drink n got pretty drunk. Next day when I went to a store and was standing In line I got this random out of nowhere feeling as though the room is starting to spin and I again thought it was my heart I freaked out left the store and after a while it subsided. Now these types of attacks lasted for a bout a month or so but then subsided. I thought it was something wrong with my brain so I started freaking out and got checked out n everything was fine. I've seen several psychologists and family doctors that all tell me it's anxiety. I don't get the panic attacks anymore but I do have the headaches...that go away if I'm really distracted but come back and get worse when I'm thinking about them or I'm irritated. Now I'm worried about having a severe mental illness such as skitzo...I've been obsessing over it and researching it and paying attention to my body and my thoughts and ideas for a large portion of my time. One thing that I wanted to ask you guys if this what I'm about to explain is hallucinations. At my job there's a medical record room and inside is a small chair where often times you find a person sitting picking out charts now you don't always see someone sitting there but most of the time there is someone. Today I walked by the door which was slightly open and I noticed the chair right away and in my mind I automatically pictured someone sitting there. I did not see the image in 3D in front of me just a sharp mental image. I also immediately in a split second realized nobody is there and it was just in my mind. This happens every now and then when I'm anticipating something. I'm also very aware of my surroundings as I'm worried at some point I will start to hallucinate smh. No family history of skitzo no drug use. Have always been a nervous person and have had bouts of worrying about health issues in the past that were all cleared up with tests and forgotten about. But now it's like, ahhh there's no test for skitzo....the psychologist said ... Talking to him is the test...and ten minutes into talking to be he can tell I'm not skitzo (21 years of experience). Help, please some advice.
Well I had a very nerve wrecking presentation to do that day which I got through and then I celebrated with some drinking later that night and I had the panic attack the next day. I researched and found a lot of people that have had a similar experience after drinking .
Are you saying you think the heavy drinking caused the attack? That sounds like a good thing to stop doing.
Through this anxiety/panic/OCD period I have learned a lot and gained a different perspective on life and people. I value everything with greater appriciation for the little things. I hope that one day this will fully pass so that I can enjoy living with that perspective. When this started I was really not living healthy, I was dealing with a lot of stress from finishing school and passing my clinical affiliation, as well as a very rocky period with my girlfriend. I was eating horrible and not exercising on top of everything. Then after a night of heavy drinking I got my first panic attack, and from trying to figure out what caused it-thinking it was my heart, followed common panic attacks/anxiety/ OCD. So I'm looking to change back my lifestyle to eating better, exercising, maybe some basketball and the pool.
Thank you for helping me think clearer as well as reassuring me, everytime my anxiety comes up it's hard to do that on my own so help is welcome.
Thank you and you also feel free to message me if you would like 2.
Thank you for helping me think clearer as well as reassuring me, everytime my anxiety comes up it's hard to do that on my own so help is welcome.
Thank you and you also feel free to message me if you would like 2.
yea I found this forum beyond d helpful when my anxiety was super bad. the zoloft you have is a very low dose and may work for you. I take zoloft but 50mg and its like my new bff. I wanna eventually try CBT so that I can get off the zoloft but I just havent had the time or money. so zoloft it is for now. have you tried making any other life changes? I know for me, as hard as it seemed, I had to make what seemed like a huge life change and it really did help with my panic attacks and over all anxiety. my diet and excersice aren't very good though lol I really hope everything gets better for you soon. just know there's always help and always hope. you are most def not alone. and youre NOT crazy either. hang in there. things WILL get BETTER but it does take time. best wishes. feel free to message me anytime you have questions or just wanna talk. c:
Thank you sweetheart...reading positive stuff and talking to people on here has been my therapy...one of the docs from a while back gave me klonapin and Xanax which I took on several occasions when I started my new job. I never got into it with the pills because it makes me feel like I'm not handling it and I'm weak in addition to possibly making it worse in the long run. I also have Zoloft ten mg that my family doctor prescribed but I have not tried those yet. I have em for the change that I do feel helpless. I also have not giving exercise and proper dieting a chance yet. I've been eating really unhealthy...who knows maybe it's playing into my OCD. I did stop exercising abruptly and eating horribly a couple months in a row prior to this starting.
pretty sire you've gotten plenty of advice already but yea youre so not skizto at all. if you had any form of psychosis you wouldn't even know it. you'd feel like you were normal and clearly you know something is wrong. as for those "hallucinations" you think youve been having of seeing people at a quick glance, its very common with anxiety. I used to think I saw people all the time and id freak out. buy I never actually saw someone in front of me. it was more like at the corner of my eye or a quick glance like you. have you tried any form of therapy or even any medications? hope you feel better soon.
Thank you so much...my mother and girlfriend told me the same thing that he is just trying a different approach because the others have not worked. I thank you for giving me your personal input from your experience. Also thank you for telling me they don't sound like hallucinations in the first place, I'm starting to think that also. If these things happened before I learned of skitzo I would have brushed them off easily. Thank you once again.
Sounds like last time he told you not schizophrenia. This time you went to him explaining how you are obsessing over many little things because you are worried they are signs of schizophrenia. he tells you this is all explained by anxiety.
Then you ask him if it could be schizo. At this point, he is firmly of the view it's anxiety, but you are so obsessing over schizo he is convinced you won't believe him if he says no it's not schizo. So, in an effort to get you off your obsessive track, he says he won't engage and wants you to focus on addressing the schizo.
I am not a mental health professional, but I think that would be within the norm of dealing with people's obsessions. Personally, i probably would have reaffirmed my no answer, but i could see where some psychs think non-engagement is better.
I definitely would not compare his answer from last time to the one this time. At this new meeting you brought to the table a lot more information on numerous tiny incidents where you thought you might have had a hallucination, plus lots of information on how much you've been obsessing over this. Last time he thought you needed a simple reassurance that you didn't have schizo, and this time he sees that just assuring you that you don't have it isn't going to do the trick, so he is trying something else.
Just so you know, I have a child who has had hallucinations for years (WAY more elaborate then what you've described). I didn't know about it for a very long time--she was perfectly normal in every way in her presentation to friends and family, but secretly she believed she had schizophrenia. Once she told me, it took a very long time for me to convince her she did not have schizophrenia. She has been to several psychiatrists and they all agree she absolutely does not have it and she is not psychotic in any way. The hallucinations seem to be anxiety related. The difference between you and her her is that at 14 she googled hallucinations, came up with schizophrenia, and decided that's what she had and tried to come to terms with it by herself--quite unnecessarily as she definitely does not have it.
It is a myth that hallucinations mean you have schizophrenia; there are many other causes. At any rate, in your case, you don't really seem to be having hallucinations in the first place....so stay off the internet and stop watching programs that get you thinking along these lines. It is so important not to wallow!
Then you ask him if it could be schizo. At this point, he is firmly of the view it's anxiety, but you are so obsessing over schizo he is convinced you won't believe him if he says no it's not schizo. So, in an effort to get you off your obsessive track, he says he won't engage and wants you to focus on addressing the schizo.
I am not a mental health professional, but I think that would be within the norm of dealing with people's obsessions. Personally, i probably would have reaffirmed my no answer, but i could see where some psychs think non-engagement is better.
I definitely would not compare his answer from last time to the one this time. At this new meeting you brought to the table a lot more information on numerous tiny incidents where you thought you might have had a hallucination, plus lots of information on how much you've been obsessing over this. Last time he thought you needed a simple reassurance that you didn't have schizo, and this time he sees that just assuring you that you don't have it isn't going to do the trick, so he is trying something else.
Just so you know, I have a child who has had hallucinations for years (WAY more elaborate then what you've described). I didn't know about it for a very long time--she was perfectly normal in every way in her presentation to friends and family, but secretly she believed she had schizophrenia. Once she told me, it took a very long time for me to convince her she did not have schizophrenia. She has been to several psychiatrists and they all agree she absolutely does not have it and she is not psychotic in any way. The hallucinations seem to be anxiety related. The difference between you and her her is that at 14 she googled hallucinations, came up with schizophrenia, and decided that's what she had and tried to come to terms with it by herself--quite unnecessarily as she definitely does not have it.
It is a myth that hallucinations mean you have schizophrenia; there are many other causes. At any rate, in your case, you don't really seem to be having hallucinations in the first place....so stay off the internet and stop watching programs that get you thinking along these lines. It is so important not to wallow!
So I spoke to the doctor (psychologist/anxiety specialist) according to him everything is explained by anxiety and being overly sensative to everything around myself. He did say one thing that upset me n seemed kind of off, I asked him so based on everything I've told you past two visits do u think it's possible that this could be skitzo or early signs of ot. He said I'm not gonna engage in that because that's not you asking that question that's anxiety and nothing I say is gonna satisfy you so I'm gonna just tell you when u get that urge to wanna know then u have to fight It and brush it off. Now I'm thinking I asked u a similar question after last visit and u were able to tell me then no it's not skitzo...y now that I added this stuff you don't wanna tell me the same thing. Also like wouldn't it be better to just say no it's not skitzo signs if u really believe that it's not what harm could be in it to say no it's not that. Sigh.
Thanks berdie...the therapist I spoke to put it this way...that over these months of worry I developed a negative filter that I see everything through and that I need some CBT to change the way I view things. Imma go back to him soon and talk with him...tell him about the voice concern if I can even call it that and hopefully he sticks with his initial diagnoses of anxiety with panic attacks.
I think it is a good idea to stop watching any shows that give you this fright, at least until you find some way to resolve all this self obsession with doom. There are other entertainment options to explore.
I think you should see a therapist. You just seem to go out of one dreary thing and straight into another and the only solution I know of is attitude changing therapy advice, so I won't be able to respond to any more of your posts.
I can't diagnose you but a solution could be as simple as someone giving you a few tips on how to think about things that are fun instead of searching for something that will ruin your life. Don't take that or anything I said personally - it is just my summary of your posts expressing how your mind works and I leave it to anyone else to respond differently. All this negative self obsessing can't make room for much enjoyment.
I think you should see a therapist. You just seem to go out of one dreary thing and straight into another and the only solution I know of is attitude changing therapy advice, so I won't be able to respond to any more of your posts.
I can't diagnose you but a solution could be as simple as someone giving you a few tips on how to think about things that are fun instead of searching for something that will ruin your life. Don't take that or anything I said personally - it is just my summary of your posts expressing how your mind works and I leave it to anyone else to respond differently. All this negative self obsessing can't make room for much enjoyment.
Smh got fairly calm about the worry yesterday and today it's a new thing.
This is three days in a row where my mind jumps from something that's in the back of my head and obsesses about it front and center smh.
Today it's.
Ever since I developed a fear of skitz...I stopped watching shows that I used to love like law and order and true crime shows. Those shows often feature people that have a mental illness such as skitz. A lot of them also look a certain way, so now when I see people that resemble that overall look I kind of get like uneasy. I do not get scared or anything or think anyone is gonna harm me. I just get this creeped out feeling. Now I'm wondering oh ***** what if this develops into an actual fear of people or something.
This is three days in a row where my mind jumps from something that's in the back of my head and obsesses about it front and center smh.
Today it's.
Ever since I developed a fear of skitz...I stopped watching shows that I used to love like law and order and true crime shows. Those shows often feature people that have a mental illness such as skitz. A lot of them also look a certain way, so now when I see people that resemble that overall look I kind of get like uneasy. I do not get scared or anything or think anyone is gonna harm me. I just get this creeped out feeling. Now I'm wondering oh ***** what if this develops into an actual fear of people or something.
Thank
You so much everybody...and nurse girl thank you for introducing that phenom. I thought that it could be just that myself and so many people explained it as that also but I never thought that it is an actual thing. I still will look to talk to a therapist and def seek some CBT but these responses are reassuring and I feel calm finally. I also read in various places that sleep deprivation, stress, and fatigue actually cause ur brain to misfire. In these moments exactly perfectly healthy people can experience hallucinations. Thanks a bunch. Any further input is always welcome.
You so much everybody...and nurse girl thank you for introducing that phenom. I thought that it could be just that myself and so many people explained it as that also but I never thought that it is an actual thing. I still will look to talk to a therapist and def seek some CBT but these responses are reassuring and I feel calm finally. I also read in various places that sleep deprivation, stress, and fatigue actually cause ur brain to misfire. In these moments exactly perfectly healthy people can experience hallucinations. Thanks a bunch. Any further input is always welcome.
I forgot to include a link to a site that gives some great info and examples of pareidolia:
(btw, as you can see there are a few different ways to spell Pareidolia)
http://www.pareidolias.net/Pareidolia-pictures.html
(btw, as you can see there are a few different ways to spell Pareidolia)
http://www.pareidolias.net/Pareidolia-pictures.html
It seems that you're VERY much overly focused on this, to the point of being obsessive. I agree that searching the internet is the LAST thing you want to do. That's only fueling your anxiety.
It doesn't sound like you're having hallucinations at all, IMO. It sounds more like you're hyper-aware of everything around you, and also you "heard" things you were expecting to hear (just like the person in the chair).
There is another phenomenon that could explain away the experiences you had hearing and seeing things. Pareidolia is a phenomenon where the human brain takes a random stimulus (can be visual, auditory) and makes it into something purposeful/significant.
Pareidolia explains away, for example a LOT of the pictures that we've all seen that claim to show a ghost. The human eye will always try to make something familiar out of visual stimuli. This is also why if you look at a fire or flames (or clouds, trees), you'll see faces, animals, etc.
That could also very well explain what happened to you...for ONE, you had certain past experiences and expectations in BOTH of the examples you gave. First, you had the expectation of seeing a person in the chair because you've seen it so much, and secondly, hearing your GF, you were expecting her to be returning any minute, and your brain likely turned a random, totally unrelated auditory stimuli into what you heard and thought was your GF.
Hallucinations occur very differently, they are typically repetitive (including the content), and often occur frequently. You're describing a few random, isolated, unrelated incidents. I have no doubt that your heightened state of anxiety would have fed into those experiences also. When you're suffering with a lot of chronic and severe anxiety, your senses become very sensitive.
I REALLY would encourage you to seek out some therapy. A therapist will be able to help you learn how to dismiss those intrusive "what if" thoughts that keep the anxious cycle of thinking going. I really think you would greatly benefit from therapy.
Please let us know how you're doing, good luck!
It doesn't sound like you're having hallucinations at all, IMO. It sounds more like you're hyper-aware of everything around you, and also you "heard" things you were expecting to hear (just like the person in the chair).
There is another phenomenon that could explain away the experiences you had hearing and seeing things. Pareidolia is a phenomenon where the human brain takes a random stimulus (can be visual, auditory) and makes it into something purposeful/significant.
Pareidolia explains away, for example a LOT of the pictures that we've all seen that claim to show a ghost. The human eye will always try to make something familiar out of visual stimuli. This is also why if you look at a fire or flames (or clouds, trees), you'll see faces, animals, etc.
That could also very well explain what happened to you...for ONE, you had certain past experiences and expectations in BOTH of the examples you gave. First, you had the expectation of seeing a person in the chair because you've seen it so much, and secondly, hearing your GF, you were expecting her to be returning any minute, and your brain likely turned a random, totally unrelated auditory stimuli into what you heard and thought was your GF.
Hallucinations occur very differently, they are typically repetitive (including the content), and often occur frequently. You're describing a few random, isolated, unrelated incidents. I have no doubt that your heightened state of anxiety would have fed into those experiences also. When you're suffering with a lot of chronic and severe anxiety, your senses become very sensitive.
I REALLY would encourage you to seek out some therapy. A therapist will be able to help you learn how to dismiss those intrusive "what if" thoughts that keep the anxious cycle of thinking going. I really think you would greatly benefit from therapy.
Please let us know how you're doing, good luck!
"unknown is bothering me."
You have 3 options:
1.Self cure - not easy for some people but many have done it, including myself.
2.See docs again - No one from here can advise you if your fear of voices is really a problem. Since it isn't happening now it is an obsessive non-event to be seeing doc now to find out if something months ago has meaning today, (imo.)
It is your decision to make whether to see doc again so no purpose in you bringing it up here again as far as I can see, although I don't run this board so you are welcome to post whatever you want.
3.See therapist.to help you look for solutions to prevent you from obsessing.
There is nothing else we can say. Good luck and write back in a week or so after you do either 1 or 3.
You have 3 options:
1.Self cure - not easy for some people but many have done it, including myself.
2.See docs again - No one from here can advise you if your fear of voices is really a problem. Since it isn't happening now it is an obsessive non-event to be seeing doc now to find out if something months ago has meaning today, (imo.)
It is your decision to make whether to see doc again so no purpose in you bringing it up here again as far as I can see, although I don't run this board so you are welcome to post whatever you want.
3.See therapist.to help you look for solutions to prevent you from obsessing.
There is nothing else we can say. Good luck and write back in a week or so after you do either 1 or 3.
Oh by hearing occasion I just mean when I though I heard my gf called me to open the door for her from the other room.
This was after I might where I got barely any sleep and recently started paying attention to everything I hear and see because I read about hallucinations.
What happened was I came home and as I was sitting at the computer watching something I realized the time was around when my dad was supposed to come home so I was expecting him. Them out of nowhere I heard someone open the door, I gave it a couple seconds to see if someone walked in but nobody did. I was really tuned into the comp and in the back of my head expecting my dad when I heard it. I was expecting thinking a lot about him coming in because I wanted to get out of there before he got in the house. I can't discredit the fact that I may have heard the neighbors door or that I may have misinterpreted a sound. And the unknown is really bugging me.
The other instance was later that night at my gf house. My gf came back inside the house from walking the dog as I layed in her room...she then went to bathroom and while in there was watching videos on her iPod haha fairly loud...her dad was in the next room watching something on the tv or phone that was also kind of loud. Her aunt was in the other room and getting ready to leave as she was walking out in a haste she let everyone know where she was going...I was still in the room really tuned in to ready stuff on my phone (symptoms n stuff) then In my mind I hear someone say Alex open the door.
I thought it was my gf cuz she did go
Outside but then I immidiately remembered that oh she had come back inside so it can't be here...I'm thinking this as I was walking to the bathroom to ask her. She ofcourse denied saying anything. Then I heard the same sounding voice that said open the door coming from the tv. So now I'm wondering did I catch some background noise and my brain registered to something May have wanted to hear (because my gf recently was outside). Then again maybe her aunt yelled back something about door as she walked out. I'm not adopting any belief so I'm not delusional about anything. Could have heard something, misheard, hallucinated iono. But the unknown killing me.
It has also happened where I similarly am zoned out and someone is calling my name and it feels like it's in my head because my mind is somewhere else. But then when I look around and divert my attention to the source I clearly hear it as outside my head. Majority of the time I find the source.
So this is what's been bothering me, this is the info I missed to tell the docs. And now I'm worried what if this changes their diagnoses. These things if occurred at any other time in my life before I read up on all this stuff would just be brushed off.
I have never heard a voice in isolated quiet place, I don't have any false beliefs or delusions, never seen anything that was not there ( aside from illusions where I mistook things)
There's no mental illness in my family.
This onsession and worry had happened several times in my life but it's always been about things you can get tested for like HIV or a tumor. Once I got tested I forgot about it and all symptoms went alway. But there's no test for skitzo. Therefore the possibility and unknown is bothering me.
This was after I might where I got barely any sleep and recently started paying attention to everything I hear and see because I read about hallucinations.
What happened was I came home and as I was sitting at the computer watching something I realized the time was around when my dad was supposed to come home so I was expecting him. Them out of nowhere I heard someone open the door, I gave it a couple seconds to see if someone walked in but nobody did. I was really tuned into the comp and in the back of my head expecting my dad when I heard it. I was expecting thinking a lot about him coming in because I wanted to get out of there before he got in the house. I can't discredit the fact that I may have heard the neighbors door or that I may have misinterpreted a sound. And the unknown is really bugging me.
The other instance was later that night at my gf house. My gf came back inside the house from walking the dog as I layed in her room...she then went to bathroom and while in there was watching videos on her iPod haha fairly loud...her dad was in the next room watching something on the tv or phone that was also kind of loud. Her aunt was in the other room and getting ready to leave as she was walking out in a haste she let everyone know where she was going...I was still in the room really tuned in to ready stuff on my phone (symptoms n stuff) then In my mind I hear someone say Alex open the door.
I thought it was my gf cuz she did go
Outside but then I immidiately remembered that oh she had come back inside so it can't be here...I'm thinking this as I was walking to the bathroom to ask her. She ofcourse denied saying anything. Then I heard the same sounding voice that said open the door coming from the tv. So now I'm wondering did I catch some background noise and my brain registered to something May have wanted to hear (because my gf recently was outside). Then again maybe her aunt yelled back something about door as she walked out. I'm not adopting any belief so I'm not delusional about anything. Could have heard something, misheard, hallucinated iono. But the unknown killing me.
It has also happened where I similarly am zoned out and someone is calling my name and it feels like it's in my head because my mind is somewhere else. But then when I look around and divert my attention to the source I clearly hear it as outside my head. Majority of the time I find the source.
So this is what's been bothering me, this is the info I missed to tell the docs. And now I'm worried what if this changes their diagnoses. These things if occurred at any other time in my life before I read up on all this stuff would just be brushed off.
I have never heard a voice in isolated quiet place, I don't have any false beliefs or delusions, never seen anything that was not there ( aside from illusions where I mistook things)
There's no mental illness in my family.
This onsession and worry had happened several times in my life but it's always been about things you can get tested for like HIV or a tumor. Once I got tested I forgot about it and all symptoms went alway. But there's no test for skitzo. Therefore the possibility and unknown is bothering me.
What is smh? Trying hard won't be enough, you have to stop totally so the frights that you get every time you read something upsetting are gone. If you can't quit on your own I recommend therapy, because a controlled peek here and there will eventually end up like a controlled drink here and a drink there does to an alcoholic in a recovery program - The recovery turns into another drinking binge.
What does hearing occasion mean? - imo, if the hearing thing keeps occurring then mention it to doc, but for now I would drop worrying about it too - if you can. Again, if you can't stop worrying on your own try a therapist because that is the shortcut to resolving your issues if you can afford it.
What does hearing occasion mean? - imo, if the hearing thing keeps occurring then mention it to doc, but for now I would drop worrying about it too - if you can. Again, if you can't stop worrying on your own try a therapist because that is the shortcut to resolving your issues if you can afford it.
Trying hard not to read stuff up smh...just trying to get an understanding on my hearing occasion do that I can accept it and move on. The thing that scares me the most is that these predorm symptoms for psychosis are so common and similar to a bunch of other things. It's like if u question ten random people of the street, nine of the could be at risk smh. But then again professionals know exactly what to look for.
Before looking into cbt, Alexk will gain skills in dealing with this problem if she knows what causes it. Since she just found the over-analyzing is part of the problem not the solution then I would start there and stop the Googling. As Kevin O'Leary on Shark Tank says, "Stop the madness now." lol.
Alexk - You said you are done researching this, so let's see if improvements happen in a few days. Write back.
Alexk - You said you are done researching this, so let's see if improvements happen in a few days. Write back.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
