Hearing voices is the first sign I'm going manic. They come out of nowhere and are swift. Usually they begin by telling me they're my friend. Then they start to control my body. They make me circle my ring finger with my thumb as a sign of trust.

They can be very convincing. Usually they play on my logic. For example, how could my brain fabricate such lies to myself. How can my mind divide itself so that it can talk to itself. But I always counter if this isn't my mind, who are the voices and how are they talking to me. They never give a logical answer. Technology, the government, possession, time travel through minds: these are all excuses they come up with.

I always refer to them as "they."

How do I cope with these auditory hallucinations. This is what I'm still learning. The voices can be very powerful. They can be insightful, helpful, charming, even convince me that I'm in love with a female. But I never can reconcile the fact that they're not real.

The last time they came I wound up driving to Chicago from Ohio and and swallowing a bottle of Serroquel. This wasn't my best night. It left a wild hangover and the shadows of the suicide attempt still haunt me. I wound up being admitted to the emergency room where the voices faded away. But who are they? And if my mind is capable of creating such a far-fetched hoax, why does it go to great lengths to convince myself its real? This is something I must learn to cope with.

Any advice?