Hearing voices.

Historically, hearing voices was seen as something positive in that it was often seen as a sign that one was closer to God. However, over time in the western world, that has changed and hearing voices is no longer seen in the same light. Today hearing voices is generally associated with mental illness, usually schizophrenia.

About 4% of the general population hears voices, out of that percentage only about one third come in contact with the mental health system. The difference between these two groups is the latter has a prevalence of negative dominating voices. The stigmatization involving hearing voices tends to make this group the only visible one.

One of the major discussions about mental illnesses is whether they are genetic or brought on by life events and/or trauma. In the case of voice hearing about 70% of voice hearers who come in contact with the mental health system can directly relate their voices to traumatic events and/or people in their lives.

If a voice hearer is met with the genetic explanation it can be difficult to have a belief in recovery. The genetic explanation means medication will nearly always being involved though often not with the desired effect from the voice hearer’s point of view. (8% do not respond at all to typical antipsychotic drugs according to the Danish health organization, and some research has shown that those figures are as high as 40% (Fowler et al. 1995). About 32% experience only a “slight improvement” according to the Danish health organization). Treatment is being based on the assumption that for example schizophrenia, a common diagnosis for many voice hearers, is a chemical imbalance in the brain due to genetics and needs to be corrected by chemical means.

On the other hand if voice hearing is seen as a result of trauma then it opens up for a range of possibilities. Working recovery orientated this alternative approach gives the voice hearer ownership of his/her experience, tools to develop coping strategies, an opportunity to make sense of his/her voices, basically take back control with the resulting empowerment that that gives and opens the door to his/her recovery.

(Smith & Coleman 2005) Hearing voices is not the problem it is the relationship you have with your voices, their identity, how they fit into your life, the power they may have over you and your ability to defend yourself, your understanding and explanation of them, the context in which they arise and how they disrupt your life or others around you and your way of coping, that can cause problems.

There are many tools available to assist both the voice hearer and those working with the voice hearer in reaching these goals. Please contact me if you would like to learn more on how to work with voices and voice hearing from a recovery perspective.