Psychosis happens amongst people with the mental illnesses schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, post partum psychosis, and sometimes those with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and severe depression. Psychosis is experienced in two different ways; hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are when a person hears, sees, smells, tastes or feels something that isn’t really there. It’s a sensory […]
Is It Real? Doubt And Hearing Voices
On the bus earlier, there was a couple whispering a few rows behind me. It freaked me the fuck out. Why? It reminded me of the voices I hear. The cruel, whispering words that shake me to my core. I often hear whispering when I’m depressed, they’re malicious and make me feel extremely vulnerable. I […]
A Life Lived Vividly Series: ‘I Thought The Voices Were Normal’ Realising I Had Psychosis
I suffer from bipolar disorder, well known for it’s symptoms of mania and depression. What many people don’t realise is that some sufferers also experience psychosis. These could include delusions, auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations. For me, I hear voices. This happens during periods of extreme moods, so when I’m manic or severely depressed. I […]
What Does ‘Recovery’ Mean?
The word recovery means very different things to different people. The word is problematic and can ultimately be damaging. When people talk about recovery it marginalises those that can’t. Some people use the word to describe the process and not an actual milestone. Some see it as having a positive outlook, that they see as […]
A Life Lived Vividly Series – Psychotic Doesn’t Equal Dangerous
Evil Nasty Freak Bitch Jealous Dangerous These are all words that people relate to psychosis. We all need to stop using it as a derogatory term. So often I hear people described as psychotic when they’re being cruel, or acting unpredictably. Recently I saw someone on twitter describing an ex as a ‘psychotic nazi.’ Politicians, especially […]
A Life Lived Vividly Series – The Voices Are My Friends; Mania And Psychosis
Not everyone realizes that some sufferers of Bipolar Disorder also have psychotic symptoms. These could include delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations. For me, I hear voices. This happens during periods of extreme moods, so when I’m manic or severely depressed. During mania, the voices can be comforting. I have many ideas racing through my […]
A Life Lived Vividly Series – I Can Do Anything! Delusional Thinking And Me
I live with bipolar disorder, but also have symptoms of psychosis, which includes delusional thinking. I describe what delusions are in the post A Life Lived Vividly Series – What Is Psychosis? When I’m manic I experience delusions. I think I can do anything. I have what’s called delusions of grandeur, where I believe I’m better […]
A Life Lived Vividly Series; What Is Psychosis?
Welcome to the start of a new series of posts on Stumbling Mind, dedicated to psychosis. I’ll be sharing the lived experiences of others, discussing delusions and what they mean and describing some of the more surreal occurrences I’ve had when hearing voices. In this post, I’ll start at the beginning; what is psychosis? Psychosis […]
My Hearing Voices Journal Entry 2
Yesterday I had a an episode of psychosis. It came in the form of auditory hallucinations, as it does with me. I’ve journaled my experiences before in the post My Hearing Voices Journal and felt as I sat in bed last night trying to sleep, but too anxious to do so, it was time to journal my […]
I Gave Up Alcohol For My Mental Health
My last psychiatry appointment was a tough one – I was told with certainty that I should, no, needed to give up alcohol. My response was a hopeful one, surely half a bottle of wine on a Saturday night was alright? The answer was a definitive no, even that amount of alcohol was far too much. We […]