How I Navigate Intrusive Voices
Some days I can manage voices in my head perfectly fine. Other days are incredibly loud and can feel impossible to avoid. Come along as we walk along the complex path of voices in my head.
Relying On Staying Mindful:
During the hardest times, voices can intercept your way of thinking and distort reality. For myself to return to a state of control, I need to be mindful of my emotions. To do this I need to observe the thoughts that accompany my voices without judgment. If I judge the voices I may find that I insult them and cause myself more distress. By proceeding non-judgmentally I can put a name on my emotion and describe how I feel. Using this knowledge, I can revert my thoughts to the present. This is always a solid starting point as it helps regulate my emotions and reduce stress levels.
Incorporating Distress Tolerance:
Once I have identified my emotions, I can start to reduce the threat level in my mind. To do this I use the TIP skill…
- Temperature: Use ice or a bag of peas on your forehead, neck and wrists to help regulate your temperature levels. Once you feel yourself cooling down, proceed to the next step.
- Intense Exercise: I choose to ride a scooter or take a walk around my local wood but this step can be as simple as walking up and down your stairs or doing starjumps.
- Paced Breathing: When you have finished exercising, focus on your breathing. In through your nose… 1… 2… 3… 4… and out through your mouth… 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… this helps to active your central nervous system through the use of your diaphragm.
Say PLEASE:
Once I have reached a state of calm, I like to reflect on my voice using the PLEASE skill. PLEASE helps me to analyse my day and plan.
- PhysicaL wEllbeing (PLE): If you participated in intense exercise when we used the TIP skill. Reflect on how the exercise made you feel. I usually reflect on my scooter ride and what the weather was like.
- Avoid mood-altering substances (A): If you are a regular alcohol/drug user, take note of how much you have been taking in the past 24 hours. I have been prescribed medicinal marijuana but I will take a day break if I am struggling with intrusive voices. For myself, I have prescribed a specific flower that helps with my voice and other CPTSD-related symptoms. However, this is medicinal grade and I would not suggest buying recreational drugs. If you are in the UK and you have a chronic or debilitating illness and you have tried previous medications and therapy you may be eligible for a medicinal cannabis prescription. Details of my clinic (Sapphire Medical Clinic) are below.
- Sleep (S): Next, readjust your focus to the night before. Did you get enough sleep last night? For myself, if I have a night that has been interrupted by nightmares, I tend to give myself a 20-minute “power nap” to help re-energise me during the day.
- Exercise (E): Finally, plan for tomorrow. Arrange another exercise session as repetition helps the brain block out distractions and focus on the task at hand.
Sometimes, the journey can be pretty messed up inside of our heads. However, by remaining mindful of the reasons behind the voices we can help to reduce the likelihood of being in distress in the future. Most of the time, we cannot get rid of the voices until they disappear naturally, but by planning and learning coping skills it is possible to reduce the likelihood of a crisis. The TIP and PLEASE skills are crucial tools in aiding people who struggle with their voices. It allows us not just to reflect on our past but also our present and future. Thank you for taking the time to read my article and I hope you have taken a valuable lesson from it. Goodbye for now.
