Ask the Therapist
Bipolar, Hallucinogenics and Hearing Voices
I am a twenty-five year old male. I was diagnosed as bipolar. Several years ago I used mushrooms twice. After this experience I have had problems with hearing distressing voices. The voices only continually insult me and scream at me negative things. In order to control them, the only way to get rid of them, is to lay down on my back in a quiet place. I'm a student trying to get a teaching degree. the medications I'm taking are Risperdal, Zyprexa and Lorazepam. I continue to struggle daily with voices at least once a day. Please help, it
disrupts my life and I need a lifeline. Has anybody you know had luck with biofeedback or any other type of treatment.
Hallucinogenics as a rule break down the barrier between the conscious mind and the subconscious, the unconscious and the collective unconscious -- all different levels of our interior lives. Sometimes when we open the veil it doesn't close again all the way. It is very unlikely that two experiences with mushrooms would cause you to experience an enduring psychotic break that would include aural hallucinations (hearing voices). What is much more likely,
and, coincidentally the identical experience of one of my private patients, is that the mechanism that keeps the different aspects of the overall conscious structure (ego, super-ego, id, sub-conscious, unconscious, collective unconscious, etc.) in check has somehow been thrown out of whack. What you're experiencing is a "bleed" from your subtle mind-state into your conscious mind-state. From what you describe, most likely the Inner Critic or the Shadow...the mechanism that keeps those parts of ourselves that we don't like from surfacing.
Here's the condition with this explanation, and you're not going to like it. You are chronologically at the age for the onset of certain mental disturbances of which hearing voices are a symptom. As you are on meds, I expect you are in some type of treatment. You should discuss the voices that you are hearing with your behavioral health professional, just to be safe. Something else to be aware of is the time line of the voices appearing and the meds your are taking...some meds cause you to hear voices! Believe that?
One of the most effective methods for addressing the symptoms you are describing is meditation. I would also suggest that, along with formal meditation training (if you tell me where you are located, I may be able to suggest a teacher) you look into Yoga. A solid Yoga practice along with meditation is a wonderful support for issues of internal balance (no pun intended).
