Is hearing voices always a sign of psychosis/schizophrenia?

Does hearing voices (combined with increased aggression and mood swings) ever just happen without connection to a larger mental disorder? What I mean is, does it just happen to some people?

I would think it is one of the major mental diagnosis, especially if we are talking about more than one or two episodes. You can get hallucinations with depression or Bipolar. You can pretty much have psychotic symptoms with any of the major mental illness. Aggression isn't common with depression but would be with Bipolar or Schizoaffective Disorder (its kind of in between Bipolar and Schiozophrenia). The key is to look at what comes first. In the end you would use the same medication to treat either the Bipolar and Schizophrenia. Many are approved for both.

Yes it does happen, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are mentally disordered. It's just like some people can see things, that others at the same place and same time, might not see.

Some are the results of mental disorders, but not all are.

Research has shown that the majority of people who hear voices are not in need of psychiatric help.

The form and the content of chronic auditory hallucinations were compared in three cohorts, namely patients with schizophrenia, patients with a dissociative disorder, and nonpatient voice-hearers. The form of the hallucinatory experiences was not significantly different between the three groups.

Auditory hallucinations can happen to people without much explaination. Just because it happens a couple of times does not necessarily mean that the person has a serious disorder.

This is something that should be checked-out by a Dr, the specialist to see would be a psychiatrist.

Medications (Abilify being one) out there can quiet the "voices" or other sounds so that the client is less confused between what is real and what is in his head.

hearing voices is Schizophrenia,
increased aggression is borderline personality disorder
mood swings are bipolar

I have believed all my life that these things aren't part of a "larger mental disorder" :)
My psychiatrist doesn't quite agree with that and prescribes Stelazine which works quite well

On the serious side... yes, it is possible to have all these symptoms without a major mental illness, particularly if you've been exposed to a Benzodiazapine or other medication for epilepsy or suffered a recent bout of major depression. Life changing events can also cause what is termed as "Brief Psychotic Episode". Diabetes can cause it as well.

Psychosis is not something to mess around with as it can cause a person to become lost on the streets, commit a heinous crime or exhibit other troublesome behavior when they are not even aware of it. It is a time in a person's life when they should see a psychiatrist as soon as one can fit them into his or her schedule.

Anything is possible. But your asking the question and the increased agression, is what scares me the most. If you feel you are a danger to yourself or anyone around you, please find a way to seek help. Not from anyone other than a psychiatrist.
My brother in law, now 52 was diagnosed as a schizo...weird thing is, it all started after taking acid (real then) in early 70's at a concert(band eludes me..I'm only 29!) The stories husband and inlaws tell are crazy. How he talked to the tv set, and he left and hiked the appalacian trail for about a year, made the paper and everything...lived off the land. he is a strange person, but interesting.
he was locked up in metal institutes and that was horrid, so I'm told...and the meds he was on then will ultimtly kill him cos caused so much damage to his kidneys and other organs, liver, etc.
he is finally 'balanced' and I wish i knew what mix he was on, as I have been fortunate to meet him while on good drugs and he is a very interesting person.

I think we all are just a lil bit crazy in some way...so to speak.

we all talk to ourselves... why is that 'fine' for a toddler but not for an adult? I yell at myself, talk to myself all the time...I don't hold conversations with myself.. now, that is weird.. but I will speak aloud.."crap, I gotta go back in the house to get something." Luckily having toddlers helps so I at least look like I'm telling someone of my mission, lol.

but seriously. we all either talk to ourselves out loud, or in our heads, esp when typing..is that insanity? do you sing in the shower or talk in the shower? that is always a private time to sort thru thoughts, everyone does it..from age 2 to 104..we all talk aloud or in our heads while we sit on the pot or in the tub or in the shower..


if you have aggression..you should seek anger management. I mean, why would you have aggression? You are not anyone I've known, and those I've known, lived with are about the only ones who should have any anger in their lives.

what is so bad in your life that makes you feel aggressive?

have you lost your home to foreclosure?

Have you gone bankrupt?

did u go back to grad school w/toddlers at home?

did you lose your daughter to a pool drowning?

Had your work truck repoed?

Did master masonry work?

Find out brother was schizo, dad had stroke, wifes mom died young, lost child, had first/only son, first daughter dropped out of school, year later caught stealing.again...



Tell me if ONE of those has happened in the last year.

You seem fine.. other wise, get help..quit bitching. life is life..