Hello. I feel I have a similar experience in my life. I had a meltdown at school when I was 13, then started seeing a psychiatrist. I’m 29 now. A few years ago everything got worse. Hospitalized involuntarily in 2019 and 2020 for psychosis (after trying to come off my drugs too fast.) A nightmare both times however. But in 2017 and 2018 I was half enjoying my prolonged psychosis. I could feel things that I could not see and I started hearing a voice. The voice is strange. Sometimes it is nice other times very mean.
I really liked your article. I’ve been doing better the last few years after my last hospitalization in 2020. I found a really great psychiatrist who has helped me lower my medication.
It’s true that there could be a middle ground. I live every day feeling things that can’t be seen. I’ve gotten used to it. It’s hard to talk about stuff like this to people without them wanting to “fix” you. Or them just not knowing what to say to you.
-Meg
Hi Eric. Thank you for your highly interesting piece (that made me laugh at some points though it’s highly serious too). I have had some unusual experiences as well. I have had a voice in my head since 2017 during a few months long episode of “psychosis”. I have been a mental “patient” since 2006 when i was 13.
I know for a fact that this voice is NOT a part of myself, a made up working of my brain. I believe that it’s a sinister presence that wishes me harm though I am now very attached to it (him). I haven’t ever felt like my body was being lived in by the presence but the voice has stayed and I don’t think it has any intention of leaving (more likely that I dont want it to leave). I am not in a state of distress anymore but the voice is still here. I still feel dark presences near me every now and then and senses of someone’s “mood” around me, most noticeably an emotion of irritation or anger. I am a Christian and believe it’s an evil spirit. I’m not here to argue or convince anybody here. I just thought your point about “why not” is important. I hope your article and my comment could open up a discussion of people’s experiences. I guess I’ll just wrap it up.
Why are voices and hallucinations generally in the “mental health” community thought of as just meaningless workings of a mad mind?Why couldn’t these voices, presences, be something from a different realm whether you think/believe of them as aliens, demons, or dead people? Just an interesting thought but I think it’s really important to find meaning in your experiences and your post was very validating for me as another “experiencer” of these things. Thank you for writing about your experience. After I get my thoughts in order I’d also like to write about my experiences one day.
Hello. I feel I have a similar experience in my life. I had a meltdown at school when I was 13, then started seeing a psychiatrist. I’m 29 now. A few years ago everything got worse. Hospitalized involuntarily in 2019 and 2020 for psychosis (after trying to come off my drugs too fast.) A nightmare both times however. But in 2017 and 2018 I was half enjoying my prolonged psychosis. I could feel things that I could not see and I started hearing a voice. The voice is strange. Sometimes it is nice other times very mean.
I really liked your article. I’ve been doing better the last few years after my last hospitalization in 2020. I found a really great psychiatrist who has helped me lower my medication.
It’s true that there could be a middle ground. I live every day feeling things that can’t be seen. I’ve gotten used to it. It’s hard to talk about stuff like this to people without them wanting to “fix” you. Or them just not knowing what to say to you.
-Meg
Hi Eric. Thank you for your highly interesting piece (that made me laugh at some points though it’s highly serious too). I have had some unusual experiences as well. I have had a voice in my head since 2017 during a few months long episode of “psychosis”. I have been a mental “patient” since 2006 when i was 13.
I know for a fact that this voice is NOT a part of myself, a made up working of my brain. I believe that it’s a sinister presence that wishes me harm though I am now very attached to it (him). I haven’t ever felt like my body was being lived in by the presence but the voice has stayed and I don’t think it has any intention of leaving (more likely that I dont want it to leave). I am not in a state of distress anymore but the voice is still here. I still feel dark presences near me every now and then and senses of someone’s “mood” around me, most noticeably an emotion of irritation or anger. I am a Christian and believe it’s an evil spirit. I’m not here to argue or convince anybody here. I just thought your point about “why not” is important. I hope your article and my comment could open up a discussion of people’s experiences. I guess I’ll just wrap it up.
Why are voices and hallucinations generally in the “mental health” community thought of as just meaningless workings of a mad mind?Why couldn’t these voices, presences, be something from a different realm whether you think/believe of them as aliens, demons, or dead people? Just an interesting thought but I think it’s really important to find meaning in your experiences and your post was very validating for me as another “experiencer” of these things. Thank you for writing about your experience. After I get my thoughts in order I’d also like to write about my experiences one day.