I do think it's best to let the poster know the worst so that she doesn't spend too much time looking for something physical when the best thing in my opinion is to go straight to a good psychiatrist.
MWM--
I do not question that you have everyone's best interests at heart...
I offered an alternative explanation because sometimes, if there are diagnosis in your medical file that indicate mental issues...the doctors dismiss any new symptoms as "in your head" and are ready and willing to up your medications at a moments notice.
In this case, I agree with you that the paranoia sounds like a psychiatric issue....what caught my attention were the descriptions of the sounds:
jangling, thumping, beating, whispers.
If a person without any history of mental illness walked into their GP's office with that complaint--the first thing the doctor would look for is inner ear trouble. In fact, I have experienced it myself...I had no ear or head pain whatsoever--but there were these
noises....it sounded like keys jangling, or windchimes--sometimes it was very rhythmic like footsteps or drumbeats....sometimes it sounded like whispering voices. It was making me crazy!!
My doctor, who did NOT suspect hallucinations, found tiny, minute amounts of debris in my inner ear. She put me on sudafed-like medications and anti-biotics to try and clear it. And after a while, the noises vanished and I have not heard them since.
Had I gone immediately to a psychiatrist--I am sure that I would still be on anti-psychotic medications today.
So I always feel like I want to "rule out" more benign causes first.
And when those benign causes have been explored and ruled out--then let the psychiatrists try to find alternate medicates that help.
And in this case--we want the docs to take a look at all the possibilities ASAP so this child does not suffer with this any more....whatever the cause.
Best wishes to everyone!!
--DaisyF
