Terrible fear of hearing voices etc

[Paulac]

Hi, haven't posted anything before, scared of hearing the answers but panicking really bad right now!! My anxiety has been fine for a couple of years,but last few weeks Iv been having panic attacks so regularly. The unwanted horrible thoughts have been causing most of the panic attacks, now Iv got this terrible fear that I'm going to start hearing voices, I'm absolutey petrified of these thoughts n I just have a picture in my mind of me hearing voices n screaming n covering my ears to make them stop I cannot get this picture out if my head. Don't even wana post this cus I'm so scared of the replies maybe saying its possible. Sorry if this post sounds strange or doesn't make too much sense, in just calming down from a panic attack and still feel abit wierd n shaky. Thanks alot.
Paulac

[Mark13]

Firstly Paulac, welcome to the forum, although I'm sorry you're feeling so bad you had to seek us out.

I understand your fear, but it sounds like panic disorder and the only voices in your head are your own internal monolgue just like everyone else. Hearing voices is rare and only occurs with psychotic illnesses.

I don't know your history, obviously, but from what you've said here you've nothing to worry about, apart from dealing with your anxiety / panic attacks.

You may want to see your Doc, to enquire about medication or counselling (CBT).

Thing is, don't worry, you are very unlikely to start hearing voices, and even less so if you get your anxiety treated. Basically you don't hear voices with anxiety disorder, and that appears to be what you have.

[Pinktel]

Whatever our anxieties I am sure all of us on this forum can relate to what you say. It doesn't matter what you are scared of, hearing voices, feeling trapped in a supermarket, driving, sitting in a dentists chair, feeling you are going to go mad and lose your mind.... The list of what can scare us witless is probably as long as your arm, some people have REALLY imaginative fears, like not being able to turn right ever, talking to people with facial hair. The human mind is incredible and will do a fabulous job of coming up with something of concern once we put the wheels in motion.
You can't change reality. You can't make yourself hear voices and suffer psychosis. You have a neurosis. Totally different thing. But anxiety is a powerful emotion, it can make you feel as if you are losing your mind. You have a fear of hearing voices, you become anxious, you feel strange because of the anxiety, that makes think "oh no, I feel a bit weird as well now, perhaps that is another sign I may begin to hear voices??" and so the cycle is complete....
However hard you panic, obsess and worry you will not be able to make yourself hear things because you have nothing wrong with you, that us the reality. You can't change reality through anxiety. You may imagine yourself hearing voices but that is NOT the same thing.
Also, beware the powerful imagery you are playing nicely in your mind's eye. Recognise it as something that is only serving to reinforce your fear. Imagining yourself holding your ears nd screaming is a very powerful picture, we all have our own versions I am sure, but remember it is just your imagination being totally unhelpful.
Hope this has helped you a bit. Fear of psychosis is a horrid one to have but very common.

[Paulac]

Thanks very much for your reply, Iv had anxiety and panic attacks for about 8 years on and off was on citalopram for ages but stopped when I fell pregnant with my last baby, she's now 3 months n I havnt been back in them because u honestly have been doing fine, prob could have been a few things that have caused it to start again but my over active mind is telling me that's it's not my anxiety back and I'm on a slow road to a serious mental illness, it's a horrible thing to live with, also is the constant butterflies in your stomach part of this??

---------- Post added at 22:37 ---------- Previous post was at 22:34 ----------

Pinktel thank u so much for ur reply, it's amazing how relieved u can feel hearing all that.

[Mark13]

but my over active mind is telling me that's it's not my anxiety back and I'm on a slow road to a serious mental illness, it's a horrible thing to live with, also is the constant butterflies in your stomach part of this??

Obviously I'm no Doctor, but from what you say, it's anxiety as you've had it before, and it can be quite disabling, it ranges from a minor annoyance to very serious, most of the folk here have it impacting on their lives quite considerably.

Yes, the butterflies in the stomach feeling is almost constant for me too.

[Laurenita]

Me too, like it's unbearable to the extent of a night I scare myself SO MUCH. My citalopram has causes tinitus and I echo certain noises in my head, which is terrifying. I have to check with people that they've heard the same as me, a lot of the time. Do you get scared of a night? All my other anxieties seemed to have disappeared, but this one remains and it's HORRIBLE :(

[Pinktel]

Constant butterflies is TOTALLY part of it!!! That's the main reason you know it is anxiety, people can have it endlessly for days, weeks even longer...
You are not on a slow road to madness. People having psychosis don't worry about hearing voices, they think that is entirely reasonable. The fact that you are worried about it is how you can tell you have a neurosis instead. It is no different than being petrified of any of the other things people on these forums suffer from, it's just hard because you have no respite from your own mind, unlike somebody for example that was scared of driving can avoid cars. Clearly you can't avoid your own thoughts and mind!!!
But therapy and treatment should take the same form.
Seeing a doctor and also a psychotherapist would settle your fears a little and teach you the tools to begin to analyse you anxieties and disprove them one by one. It is hard but very empowering.

[Paulac]

Laurenita night is when my anxiety is at it's worst, Iv actually developed a dread of night time because during the day I'm distracted a lot if the time but night it's quiet n Iv time to over think, I seem sumone write before about putting headphones on n listening to music till u drift off.

---------- Post added at 23:01 ---------- Previous post was at 22:58 ----------

Thanks again pinktel, no doubt I shall be reading ur replies over and over again when I'm in a state of panic, helped alot

[Laurenita]

I think as well, because we're so worried and we're constantly looking out for something to hear, we either echo things in our head, or we hear certain sounds and think they're something else. Are you on any medication? It's lovely to know I'm not alone about this worry

[Mark13]

I just listen to my tinnitus