Voices in your head, and insanity (do they go together?)

[Michaelangelica]

That's not fair!!!!

 

I hear and talk to voices all the time.....helpful lil buggers I wouldn't be able to remember a thing without 'em.

 

Of course I'm a bit wierd anyway I think in imagery to use numbers I must actually say them and then associate them with an immage (an exploding mix of fuel and air for instance) which I must assign a functional value or they are just funny looking meaningless symbols.

 

To hear voices is nothing to worry about unless you never heard em before...Personaly I'd be worried if I stopped hearing them.

A s long as they are not telling you to take an axe to your neighbour or promoting paranoia you should be safe

 

With visual thinking you may find learning Japanese or even Chinese easier than most. Have you tried? I am convinced many Japanese think in pictures

 

I used to think in pictures but ran into big trouble when writing essays at Uni and reports at work. I didn't verbally "join the dots" for people. I 'saw' my conclusions "obvious" and blamed others for being unessesarily obtuse. It took being married to a very literal, talented English Teacher to break me of the habit.(After countless arguments!)

I still often find myself a little 'ahead of the pack' with new ideas or notions (eg Terra preta) as I can see- literally- the implications of an idea immediately.

I find chemistry, maths and physics hard as I can't "see" them

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

A s long as they are not telling you to take an axe to your neighbour or promoting paranoia you should be safe

With visual thinking you may find learning Japanese or even Chinese easier than most. Have you tried? I am convinced many Japanese think in pictures

Funny I've really been considering trying both!!!

I used to think in pictures but ran into big trouble when writing essays at Uni and reports at work. I didn't verbally "join the dots" for people. I 'saw' my conclusions "obvious" and blamed others for being unessesarily obtuse.

Boy have I been there.(Very frequently here.)

I still often find myself a little 'ahead of the pack' with new ideas or notions (eg Terra preta) as I can see- literally- the implications of an idea immediately.

I as well.

I find chemistry, maths and physics hard as I can't "see" them

Chem is beyond me, Maths require tweaking into understandable concepts (if I can visualise it as familiar concepts and events I've experienced or understand) are easy but without an understandable translation of what the symbols represent impossible. As far as physics are concerned real world physics super easy (as I can easily visualise the mechanics involved using life experiences as a foundation), but that quantum and theoretical stuff I'll probably NEVER get.

[Michaelangelica]

No I equate quantum with magic.

 

I had constantly lousy maths teachers.

I'm OK with statistics. I had passable teachers and probably being Australian I can see people throwing pennies in the air ("Two Up" :cup:)

But still have some difficulty working out which statistical significance test to apply in what/which-ever situation

I figure now with the marvellous new statistical computer programmes,, and Geeks to ask it should never be a problem-especially given that I am unlikely to do any original research. Although it is handy to critique some of the masses of doggy research about.

[Michaelangelica]

I just posted this in the music psycology thread but (although illegal) I thought it important to post it here too

Neurobiologists Discover Individuals Who 'Hear' Movement

Neurobiologists Discover Individuals Who 'Hear' Movement

[Moontanman]

"Yes" " No" "Maybe" "I don't know! " "Shut up!" "Leave me alone" "I don't care what either of you say! I'm not going to tell them about you! " "No please don't make me do that" " I won't, I won't , please no"They won't believe, I know they won't" "aaahhhggg, why won't you leave me alone? "

 

I actually have heard my name called a few times in my life, usually when I was under extreme stress, I have no idea why.

[Jet2]

They say I have too many voices in my mouth and that's why they think I am insane...

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

"Yes" " No" "Maybe" "I don't know! " "Shut up!" "Leave me alone" "I don't care what either of you say! I'm not going to tell them about you! " "No please don't make me do that" " I won't, I won't , please no"They won't believe, I know they won't" "aaahhhggg, why won't you leave me alone? "

 

I actually have heard my name called a few times in my life, usually when I was under extreme stress, I have no idea why.

I'm sure that was fun to post here but it's a LOT more fun in a crowded elevator:hihi:

[nichaleh]

im a little confused here. Are you sure you are not just talking about 'self talk' thats your own voice inside your head. ie thinking verbally.

sorry i dont think im making sense here.

What I mean is everyone has a voice inside thier head in a way. when i think about things it is usualy in words and i may question myself and try to answer my questions. I guess what im wondering is wether you see this voice as a seperate entity?

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

im a little confused here. Are you sure you are not just talking about 'self talk' thats your own voice inside your head. ie thinking verbally.

sorry i dont think im making sense here.

What I mean is everyone has a voice inside thier head in a way. when i think about things it is usualy in words and i may question myself and try to answer my questions. I guess what im wondering is wether you see this voice as a seperate entity?

It's not the voice that you use (for lack of better wording) to sort things out and have control over it's the extra one('s) that you have no control over, that act as separate entities within Ie. "the voices made me do it" or "you're just jealous that the voices talk to ME":hihi:

[William Honey]

Hello Lord Hakk, I dated a woman several years ago and she told me that she heard

a voice in her head. The voice said "KILL YOURSELF QUICK, DO IT NOW" The voice

continued until she attempted suicide. She took an overdose of sleeping pills. She

came out of the bedroom where she had taken the pills and told her room mate what

she had done. He rushed her to the emergency room at the hospital and her stomach

was pumped and her life was saved.

 

She was put on medication (Happy pills) for three years. The happy pills caused her

morals to drop and she could be talked into anything. Her son admitted her to a

mental home where she was diagonosed as a skitzo

[wtf]

my username basically sums up my reply to the last post... That is quite possibly one of the more depressing things I've read on here.

 

Might have something to do with the fact that it was just totally a buzzkill from rolling though

 

o.o

[ntuc]

When you have mentioned voices (which is imaginary and not real) in your head, well, that's actually one of the symptoms of being delusional / hallucinational.

 

 

 

Whilst in terms of insanity, that would involve far more than such a symptom of imaginary voices. As such, in the case of insanity, that would involve major and substantial negative and unpredictable changes in the behaviour and personality of the people troubled by such a problem, towards such totally dissociative mental states of complete paranoia, erraticism, irrationality, loss of memory and cognitive abilities.

 

 

 

In such connection, hallucinations / delusions and imaginary voices, well, they are all actually result from the 'distorted sensory proprioceptions' generated by the brain through false signals / interpretations, or in the medical context, 'distorted nerve impulses' which arise from the 'distorted ways' that the persons having such problems perceiving their surroundings / environments.

 

 

 

As such, the principle involved in this scenario is that, the mind chooses what it wants to see, how it wants to feel and what it wants to think. And in the case of hallucinations / delusions and imaginary voices, the mind actually chooses to form delusional / hallucinational and imaginary thoughts which are not real and do not exist at all, and that can either be voluntary or involuntary / uncontrollable depending on the mental conditions of different individuals.

 

 

 

Hence, voices in the head, though they are to a certain extent inter-related to insanity, they may not necessary be one of the symptoms of insanity. And most importantly, it is definitely not a decisive factor of insanity itself.

 

 

 

Besides, in terms of the principle ' the mind chooses what it wants to see, how it wants to feel and what it wants to think' as mentioned above, it actually mean that human beings, to the varying extents, are actually able to exercise self-controls through their self-wills, to determine the thoughts they wish to form in their minds. This is to say, for the ones troubled with mental illnesses, they, to the varying extents, can actually control their own thoughts if they so wish to, especially to think positively, rationally, optimistically, pracitcally and sensibly, to gradually improve their mental conditions for the better and better.

[Michaelangelica]

"Insanity" is a hard word to nail down as it is so culture specific. One definition is loss of touch with reality; but then you have to define "reality"

 

I would see problems with voices when they could not be distinguished form your normal thought 'voices' and such voices encouraged self harm,violence to others, paranoi, or loss of touch/communication with friends, workmates and loved ones. Then a referral to a metal health specialist is warranted. Even if the symptoms distress you in any way it needs to be discussed with a health professional.

[ntuc]

"voices in your head" is actually a form of false sensory perception projected by one's subconscious mind as a result of abnormal proprioceptive reactions to certain stimuli such as one's surroundings etc.

 

 

 

Whilst as for insanity, it would mean a scenario in which one is substantially or totally unable to differentiate / distinguish realities from hallucinations.

 

 

 

In short, the ones living in insanity would just live in their world of hallucinations and then take them "accordingly" as the world of realities of their own.

 

 

 

And that's simply the reason why the insane people can hardly establish any proper purposeful and meaningful interpersonal communications with the other mentally-sane people.

 

 

 

It is due to the fact that insane people are totally and erratically incoherent and delirious in terms of what they say, their behaviours, personalities, thoughts (or rather purely illusions / hallucintations) and lives.

 

 

 

And hence, they would have much more serious, or rather severe problems of systemic false sensory perceptions other than the "voices in their head" alone. Next, in many cases, they quite often, maybe "seeing imagery things" too, and then just react sponstaneously to them without even any cognitive deterrents / inhibitions / hesitations.

 

 

 

In a nutshell, "voices in your head" in most cases, maybe to a certain remote and rare extent, associated with insanity.

 

 

 

Hence, as a matter of fact, having "voices in ones' head" doesn't necessarily mean that the particular people concerned are insane. As such, there are thus no direct and conclusive associations between these two extreme medical scenarios, in terms of their degrees / levels of severities.

 

 

 

Lastly, as long as one could retain his / her awareness (of the reality scenarios / what really happens in reality) well enough, he / she would be able to let go and then slowly and gradually, expel totally all those false sensory perceptions through medication and non-medicational means of psychotherapies, interpersonal, communications, emotional, moral, interactive supports from their close ones of whom they feel comfortable with as well as self-control / self-determination / self-disclipines exercised on their own to let go and expel all those false sensory perceptions.

 

 

 

'Where there is a will, there is always a way'

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

It is due to the fact that insane people are totally and erratically incoherent and delirious in terms of what they say, their behaviours, personalities, thoughts (or rather purely illusions / hallucintations) and lives.

Bullpoopies! I know of many that are most definitely insane (incl. myself) that are perfectly capable of lucid thought and reasonably rational interaction with others on occasion

[ntuc]

Bullpoopies! I know of many that are most definitely insane (incl. myself) that are perfectly capable of lucid thought and reasonably rational interaction with others on occasion

 

 

Ok, now let us just consider the formal definition of insanity :

 

 

Serious mental illness or disorder impairing a person's capacity to function normally and safely: brainsickness, craziness, dementia, derangement, disturbance, insaneness, lunacy, madness

 

 

and then, the combination / majority of the pathological symptoms stated below which lead to the medical scenario / diagnosis of insanity :

 

 

Previous history of mental illness

Previous history of alcohol or drug abuse

Aggression

Emotional lability

Increased energy

Elevated mood

Suspicious mood

Thoughts of conspiracy

Hallucination

Delusions

 

 

So, just what is "voices in one's head" alone compared to the definition and combination of the list of the symptoms for insanity diagnosis above ?

 

 

Thus, just to what extent that the "voices in one's head" are associated with the extremely severe mental disorder of insanity whose striking and decisive symptoms would definitely and primarily involve serious thought and behavioural as well as personality derangements ?

 

 

Anyway, an unbiased medical diagnosis from the related specialists would be fairly conclusive on this issue.

[lemit]

I think I heard a long time ago that Edison tried to find a way to record thoughts but failed. Maybe it was voices in my head that told me that.

 

But anyway, since we have no way to record those voices, we have no way to measure them or even objectively verify their existence. They are therefore nonrefutable phenomena and can be discounted.

 

That doesn't make any difference. If you hear voices in your head and they cause you pain or cause you to inflict pain on others, get some help. If they don't, don't worry about them.

 

Conversely, if you don't hear voices in your head, but you feel pain or inflict pain on others, get help. If not, don't worry.

 

It isn't the voices that are important. It's your health.

 

--lemit