From my perspective on hearing voices from a collation of experience and studies both from SAPUK and a studying psychology degree, it is believed voices are the stem from trauma, to be honest this has been proven. Hearing voices is when a person may hear a voice when no one else is around, or that other people can’t hear, they can be of a negative nature or a positive nature.
While hearing voices can be a symptom of some mental health problems, not everyone who hears voices has a mental illness. Hearing voices is actually a more common experience than we know with around one in ten of us experiencing this at some given point in our lives.
‘Auditory hallucination’ is another term when referencing hearing voices. Other means of hallucinations can be in smell, sight, taste – each category of senses we can hallucinate within.
Whatever your experience with hallucinations, please just know that you’re not alone.
People generally hear voices of caregivers who presented abuse to them at some point in their life, but the voices can be any voice, it is your inner self to a degree, it is so crucial that we speak to ourselves with love and nature, ‘I look good’, ‘I feel good’, ‘I am beautiful’, ‘I am enough’ this kind of self-preaching is needed, looking at yourself in the mirror and saying ‘I look like shit’ will eventually make you believe you are of this value, but to be honest I say this to myself at least once a week at the moment… But I am putting no effort in and my skin is awful, I need to self-attend in order to hold my own self value… As do we all.
So voices, they come after a prolonged period of depression, which stems from trauma of some nature. When depression hits from a previous trauma it can seem so confusing, that is normally because of the grounds it has come from, everything was, okay? Then depression came and then eventually then came the voices… (Trauma from nowhere blog coming soon)
Voices can come at any moment, they can tell you that you are unworthy, that nobody cares about you, that you don’t need to be here, that you should die, they can also tell you how to die, they are very scary for the person experiencing them, it has also been linked with psychosis, but please again do not be alarmed as this is a very complex misunderstood subject, you can be of a very well nature and still experience psychosis, understanding it all is key to bettering your mental health and potentially settling the voices.
Voices can be tricky as they are very alarming and they can make us scared and in fear of the other conscious occupying our head, but we need not be afraid, they are figures of our imagination built from trauma, they will not hurt you.
We need to understand them rather than fight them, when we begin fighting against them we can then start a subconscious battle in our head that will then make us further unsettled as neither you or the voices quieten… You need to accept the voices, tell them ‘no its okay’ peacefully, this is so important that you stay at peace with them, if you need help with this please reach out to SAPUK, we have worked with many within this capacity.
Below is referenced from mind.org.uk;
What’s it like to hear voices?
Everyone has a different experience when hearing voices or having a hallucination. The voices can vary, whether they’re familiar or unfamiliar, how often they vary, and what the voice you are hearing sounds like.
Sometimes hearing voices can be very upsetting or distressing. They may say hurtful or frightening things to you, making you feel belittled and/or frightened. However, for some people the voices may be neutral or more positive and may not cause them any cognitive harm. You may feel differently about your voices at different times in your life, it is all person dependant.
Why do people hear voices?
It’s common to think that hearing voices must be the sign of a mental health condition, but in fact many people who are not mentally unwell hear voices. As stated earlier one in ten people have an experience with this…
People may hear voices due to:
Experienced life trauma
PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
Worrying or stressful situations
Sleep deprivation/Extreme hunger
Medical or recreational drug use / misuse
They can also be sign of a more complicated condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression, knowing when to get support is critical if you are experiencing a mental health condition aside from hearing voices.
Getting support
If you’re hearing voices and it is overwhelming, please ensure that you talk to someone, doing such action can help you understand what you are experiencing more and help you engage within support easily. You may just need an adjustment within your environment.
If the voices you are experiencing are the result of a mental health condition, you may be offered:
Talking therapies such as (CBT) cognitive behavioural therapy. CBT can help you understand what triggers your voices and how to manage them so that they don’t interfere with your day-to-day life. It can also help you stand up to them if they’re critical or negative, it will also help you to become more at ease with the extra visitor within your mind
You may be asked if you would like to try a form of medication, most likely an antipsychotic drug. This may subside the voices, and/or make them quieter or make you feel less concerned by them and thus not as stressed within yourself. You may only need medication for a short period of time while you learn other techniques to manage the voices you experience.
Ways you can take care yourself
Sometimes, voices are a problem because of the relationship you create with them. Changing your relationship can make you feel differently about them. You must not be in a battle with your voice, please don’t push them away or take the approach that they shouldn’t be there, this will create a subconscious battle rather than the focus on healing and subsiding the voices.
Understanding and accepting your voices is the most critical part, figuring out how your voices relate to your life may help you to manage their level of appearance.
This could include keeping a diary of your voices, how they appear and in what manner, how they make you feel when they arrive, whatever assists you with understanding them
Gaining control
Some people find that standing up to the voices or telling them no in a peaceful but strong manner, choosing when to pay attention to them and when to ignore them, and focusing on voices that are more positive can help people feel more in control of what they are hearing. Talking therapy can also help you with this, as it can be confusing and difficult on your own.
Keeping yourself busy
Keeping busy can distract you from the voices sitting with nothing occupying your mind can bring the voices forth, it can help you express yourself in other ways and feel more relaxed and allow you to meet new people. You could try listening to music or an audiobook, keeping up with hobbies or doing something creative such as writing, or painting can also assist to keep your mind occupied.
Sharing your experiences with another
There can be a stigma around hearing voices which can make it hard to talk about them, even to friends or family, not many people understand what hearing voices is like or how alienating it can be for the person experiencing them, especially when having your first experience, it can make you feel ‘crazy’ or ‘out of control’. Peer support groups within your local area on this subject can provide a non-judgemental space where you can feel heard, accepted and less alone.
Looking after yourself
Though it can be difficult, it is important to look after and be kind to yourself, ensure you are meeting your basic needs, which is sleep, food, and water. This can include things like eating as healthy as you can, ensuring you are getting the necessary vitamins that you need per day, finding ways to stay physically active, managing stress levels or spending time outdoors. It may help to set goals around these activities and to reward yourself for working towards them.
If you need any help understanding and managing your voices, reach out to SAPUK
All my love Dan x