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Psychosis and Hearing Voices
Because I work as a Psychiatrist, some people think that a trip to see me is not complete without the archetypal question, “Do you hear voices”. However, though I do usually cover this are at some point, that question itself is next to useless.
Some people will run a mile – especially if they actually suffer from something like OCD [page 24] and just FEAR they are going mad. Others will have voices which for them are quite normal – about 1% of the UK population chronically hear voices and are not ill at all. And the group who you might think I am interested in (those with Schizophrenia) do not all hear voices and (as a diagnostician) I am interested in far more than just hearing a voice.
Causes for Voice Hearing
Normality: Hearing voices or complex noises can be a normal experience and people live otherwise healthy lives. If it gets bad, the Hearing Voices Network (www.hearing-voices.org) have a helpful website with links to books and self-help groups all around the country. This resource can also be useful for some of the people who hear voices for the reasons listed below.
Split-Mind: The literal meaning of the word schizophrenia is ‘split brain’ but this is a misnomer – this is not what is happening in schizophrenia. But there are people whose mind is ‘split’ who hear voices. This may have occurred as a result of awful trauma when young such as sexual abuse – and our natural defence mechanism is to split off that awful memory into a hidden part of the brain. But humans don’t do well with hidden bits, and it tries to get out – some times as flashbacks, but sometimes as the voice of the abuser saying nasty things like “You are dirty/horrible/useless.”
Low self-esteem: When our mood is chronically lowered, not typically due to depression which is episodic, but due to low self-worth; we can begin to hear a voice that resonates with our mood. It is more like an audible conscious stream of negative and critical comments: “You are useless. You are fat. I can see why no-one wants to be your friend…”
Substance Misuse: If you use alcohol heavily, or other street drugs like amphetamines that stimulate dopamine [see below] you will be likely to hear voices. In chronic alcohol use, the voice is similar to in low self-esteem above. In amphetamine intoxication it can be anything from hearing police sirens to thinking you are in space and ‘Ground Control’ is trying to reach you…
Severe mental illness: People with schizophrenia will experience all kinds of voices. General paranoia is common, but psychiatrists are particularly interested in three types of voice: Two or more people talking about you, a voice commentating on your actions, hearing your own thoughts read out aloud. These voices are strongly suggesting of schizophrenia rather than other causes. Voices are also sometimes heard in other severe mental illnesses such as bipolar affective disorder, advanced dementia or very severe depression.
Schizophrenia
Though a fairly uncommon cause of hearing voices, this is worth an extra mention due to the fact that people know almost nothing about it – yet think they know enough to pass judgement. It is a very severe mental illness and needs urgent management by a psychiatrist supported by a well-equipped team. You will probably be offered anti-psychotic medication (see page 32), as an abnormality of brain chemistry [specifically dopamine transmission] in the frontal and temporal lobes is thought to be a key feature. However, it is never just about medication and should ALWAYS be accompanied by some kind of support (according to how much you need), some kind of talking therapy (to reduce the anxiety associated with the symptoms) and a crisis plan (of things to do if symptoms worsen). Some people may need to come into hospital for a while.
However, it is not something to be afraid of. Sadly, people have a negative image of schizophrenia – largely thanks to films like ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’ and ‘Me, myself and Irene’. The first is woefully out of date and even then inaccurate, the second is about multiple personality disorder and psychopathy – things completely unrelated to schizophrenia even if Jim Carey doesn’t know this. Also, Christians can need reminding that Schizophrenia is NOT demon possession – most of the cases of demon possession in the Bible are completely unlike Schizophrenia and even the ‘Gerasene Demoniac’ in Mark 5 is pretty far off the mark. For a more complete discussion on this topic, look at the Mind and Soul website (www.mindandsoul.info) and search for ‘demon’.
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the population at some point in their lives and treatment can last for several years. This means that there are lots of people on treatment and you would never know – anymore that you could tell a person with diabetes was on insulin. People with Schizophrenia (and please lets call them this, not ‘schizophrenics’ or ‘nutters’) are more likely to get hit that hit you – they are not typically violent, especially when well. In fact, in my experience, I have typically found them to be amazing and resourceful people who have to live with a severe illness that affects something very close to their core. Perhaps you or I would do well to meditate on this before we jump to any conclusions.
Cannabis and Schizophrenia
It is well known that smoking too much grass can make you a bit edgy – even paranoid. But this typically settles. Opinion is divided as to whether heavy use will actually CAUSE schizophrenia. Statistically, there is a dose-related correlation between use and later Schizophrenia. However, it could be that it just brought to the fore something that was going to develop anyway. Cannabis is also used by some people to take the edge of voices in the short-term. However, unfortunately it tends to make voices worse in the long term. It can also be a ‘gateway’ to other more serious drugs like amphetamines and heroin.
Students and first episodes of psychosis
The peak age of onset for Schizophrenia is in the early twenties so it may well develop at University. It is triggered (though not caused) by stress, so can particularly emerge in Freshers’ Week – most Universities will see several new cases each September. It may also emerge more slowly as a person struggles to adapt to the new environment.
A ‘typical’ person developing Schizophrenia (and this is only typical) may have given some warning signs early on such as being uncharacteristically rigid in their thinking or having a few ‘BLIPS’ (brief limited intermittent psychotic symptoms) of voices or paranoia that last for a few days then back to normal. There may well be a close family member with the illness. They may be using drugs, not as a cause for the problem, but to help them cope with symptoms. They will most likely be self-isolating and you will see their life begin to deteriorate on a number of levels (appearance, work, hygiene) not just in what they say and think.
This is one of the situations where you should encourage the person to seek help themselves but, if they will not, you may want to go over their head as early treatment is more effective and can help prevent a severe breakdown later.
More information
Hearing Voices Network – www.hearing-voices.org, 0845 122 8641
NHS info and video - www.nhs.uk/conditions/psychosis |
Rob Waller, 07/05/2010 |
15 Comments
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| | | suzie w. (Guest) | 02/06/2011 13:53 | I havent been properly diagnosed either, and have just started on meds to help with symptoms, i have been scared out of my mind for years thinking that symptoms have been reality, i guess i just need reassurance that im not alone, and that im not beyond healing, or being loved and accepted...
| | | | Ann | 02/06/2011 21:33 | I suffer from chronic dysthymia/depression and also chronic pain. There have only been two experiences of what I would call real 'voice hearing', in that the voices seemed to come from outside my mind. The first, over 30 years ago, was while my medication was being changed, and I had a weird hypomanic-type reaction for three days. The second was a couple of weeks ago, for a day, when I had a cacophany of voices in my head. I realised that this was an interaction between two different types of pain medication, and on investigating on a pharmacology site, I discovered that one type of medication raised the blood levels of the other (which can cause 'thinking disorders') by almost 50%. At least from my nursing experience I suspected the cause and knew where to look, but I wonder how many other people are 'freaked out' because the interaction is not on the enclosed Patient Information Leaflet, but only on the SPC on pharmacology websites. It's hard enough putting up with the 'visual disturbances' - a great understatement - if I only use it sporadically, without the voices as well!
| | | | janine (Guest) | 09/08/2011 11:48 | I was in an accident on mothersday of 2008 where a little girl was killed. I have epilepsy and had a siezure behind the wheel. I went to jail for this for 8 months.I started hearing"hings" in jail.I got very bad and was left untreated while I was there.It is basically untreated now, but I am working on it now. I thought I was possesed,haunted,schiphrenic,the whols nine yards.i am now of the mind set of a phsycisis diagnisis. I had spoken to a docotr and am on zyprexa.They have started to fade, but are still there every second.They put me down, they regurgitate my every thought in a diferent voice, a {monster} voice -I call it.I would never have thought this would happen to me.
| | | | WhateverTheySay | 14/08/2011 21:03 | @Margaret - I know it is a long time since your comment, but you inspired me to reply. As a teenager I would regularly call 'religious experiences', much of which involved God either talking to me or altering my thoughts.
Then later I would have the same experiences (but negatively impacting on my life this time, and not from God) a few years ago until the present day. I was eventually diagnosed with psychosis and I now take medication. For a long time, I thought that what was happening to me was demon possession but I am glad to say that this is no longer the case.
The 2 kinds of experiences, to me, are very different (even if they so happened to involve the same processes).
| | | | Richard (Guest) | 22/10/2011 21:34 | I've also just read this text and it's helpful to hear all your comments. My experiences have been of God talking and evil voices and seeing lots of psychiatrists over 22 years since I was 12. I became a Christian when I was 13 but I'm not from a Christian family and I'm still being supported by my parents. I get disparaging attitudes: from my family and professionals that my faith is part of my illness; from other Christians that my faith is less real than theirs, but others who go the other way and think I'm really lucky to hear the Lord and that it's not an illnes.
For me it's hard to separate the mental health and spiritual voices because they all are part of the same thing somehow. I now have a diagnosis of schizphnrenia. Once in hospital I was begging the docs to give me this diagnosis, but they wouldn't. It's now hard to live with the diagnosis since January 2011 but good that they're not treating me for bipolar I (moodwings side)any more.
I sympathise with Libby and her brother, as it's impossible to accept you are ill when you're ill. My voices and paranaoia are milder now I'm on a a depot injection but I've lost the certainty I used to have in my Christian faith. It's a weird journey.
| | | | Andrea (Guest) | 10/04/2012 23:49 | My husband had what the Drs called a. Psychosis nearly 3years ago and since then syas he hears the voice of God that that its telling him that he has what it takes to run the world he has been on a depot injection and thinks that he has had a 'spiritual awakening' and is not ill. It is destroying my family and I dont know what to do as I cant just agree with him when I dont believe what he is telling me.....please help
| | | | Jemma Brown | 12/04/2012 00:25 | Hi Andrea
I've had a quick google around to see if I can find any specialist organisations that offer support for relatives of people who are experiencing psychosis - There are lots of different websites for different types/diagnoses so you might find something useful, the Mind website is normally pretty informative and there are all kinds of other organisations out there for people who hear voices.
I'm not a trained mental health worker (I'm just a moderator on here with a background of experiencing mental illness) so I can't really advise you on how to respond to your husbands comments.
However I would like to pray for you and your family if that is OK? If so post it in the prayer forum (that way more people will see it!).
Also you can call Premier Lifeline for a listening ear, emotional and spiritual support and confidential prayer: 0845 345 0707 or 020 7316 0808 - 9am till Midnight.
| | | | Andrea (Guest) | 15/04/2012 00:15 | Thank you very much for your reply and please pray for me and my family esspecially my husband. :)
| | | | Old Soul (Guest) | 15/04/2012 04:41 | Internal "voice" is not a disease. If you insist to think of it and look at it as a disease, you'll NEVER learn.
We think, imagine and communicate from inside of our minds. We also LISTEN.
Each one and all of our minds are inter-connected, in One. Our minds can become fused with other minds, causing confusion. When a mind is degraded, it is incapable of elevating - because these realms DO NOT MIX. Elevated minds do NOT join the degradation and degraded minds do NOT join the elevated.
If you want to understand negative, internal "voice" activity - all you have to do is survey the individual's social environment. People very often speak like trash and garbage. Verbal abuse and foul talk is a detriment and degradation. For as bad as it is when spoken, it is severely worse on the inside. People "say" (think) on the inside things they never would on the outside. THIS is one major cause of mental suffering.
The mind can be lawless. People use their imaginations to kill, rape and torture. When a mind does that, it is PREYING and it is a predator. A sensitive, intuitive mind - WILL pick up on those mental energies and vibrations. If not hyper-vigilant to maintain a pure, impeccable mind - the listener WILL be dragged down, fused, entwined and mentally imprisoned.
BETTER LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE MIND, IF YOU TRULY WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE, AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR *HEALTH AND WELL-BEING*
| | | | Jemma Brown | 24/04/2012 22:34 | Hey Old Soul
Thanks for your comment I'm a moderator on here and would like to quickly add that everyone is in titled to have there own opinions as we are all individuals.
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