Is it possible to hear voices in your head

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Auditory hallucinations, or hearing voices, is a common symptom in people living with schizophrenia. People living with other mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder , borderline personality disorder , major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizoaffective disorder , also experience hearing voices.

Auditory perceptual illusions are not as uncommon as we once thought. For some, auditory hallucinations appear suddenly. Luhrman, a professor of anthropology at Stanford and author of Living With Voices , described the experience of a young man who started hearing the sound of rats scratching behind his ears. Another young man started to suddenly hear a voice coming from outside his apartment that sounded like a woman screaming she was raped and begging for help. Many times the voices can start gradually and are often described as a vague or fleeting impression of hearing your name called or people talking about you.

People with schizophrenia can hear a variety of noises and voices, which often get louder, meaner, and more persuasive over time. A few examples of the type sounds that might be heard:. As Eleanor Longden, a research psychologist with a diagnosis of schizophrenia explains, the voices can order you to do completely nonsensical things, such as taking a glass of water and pouring it over your head. Due to their repetitive, incessant, annoying quality, the voices can make people profoundly distracted and overwhelmed to the point of choosing to follow their orders.

Voices giving orders to harm oneself or others need to be approached with great caution. This type of auditory hallucination can be extremely frightening as the orders tend to be screamed non-stop.

Some people hear persuasive, repetitive voices by a secret organization, for example, that threaten death or harm. Again, these voices are frightening and increase a person's risk of self-harm or violence. Treatment for schizophrenic voices typically requires a combination of medications, therapy , and other procedures for those who are treatment-resisted. Coping with a loved one who is struggling with schizophrenic voices can take a toll—but try not to lose hope.

The levels of dopamine in the brain can contribute to the development of schizophrenia symptoms. Learn more here. New research finds a link between dysfunction in the brain's synapses and symptoms of schizophrenia. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, and changes in thoughts or behaviors. Study investigates.

Written by Catharine Paddock, Ph. Share on Pinterest Our brains make a copy of each instruction they send out. Schizophrenia and hallucinations. Does inner speech make efference copies? Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Medical Myths: All about lung cancer. Cancer research: Are we over-relying on genetic links? Related Coverage. Distract yourself Listening to music, the radio or an audiobook may help you focus on something else.

Concentrating on a task such as a household chore or hobby can help to distract you from your voices. Keep a diary You could keep a diary of your voices. You may want to keep a record of the following.

Keeping a diary may help you to notice patterns and if anything you are doing is making them worse. This may help you to find new ways to cope with them.

Your doctor may offer you peer support. Peer support is when you work with someone who has lived experience of hearing voices. And who are now in recovery. They should be able to offer advice and support with:. Managing your condition on your own is called self-help. Health professionals may offer you help to manage your condition on your own. They may call this a self-management programme.

NICE guidelines state that you should be given your own assessment through the community mental health team CMHT to work out what effect your caring role is having on your health. And what support you need. Such as practical support and emergency support. The CMHT should tell you about your right to have a carers assessment through your local authority. How do I get support from my peers? You can get peer support through carer support services or carers groups. You can search for local groups in your area by using a search engine such as Google.

Remember that not everyone who hears voices will have a mental illness. They may also not feel the need to get treatment for their voices. The care plan is a written document that says what care your relative or friend will get and who is responsible for it. A care plan should always include a crisis plan. A crisis plan will have information about who to contact if they become unwell. You should be given information about what to do in a crisis.

You can use this information to support and encourage them to stay well and get help if needed. Can I be involved in care planning? As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. The healthcare team should encourage the person that you care for to allow information to be shared with you. She talks about her journey back to better mental health.

And she makes the case that by learning to listen to her voices she was able to survive. Website : www. This BBC radio programme looks at what causes people to hear voices. You can listen to it online or download it. A website produced by Durham University together with mental health professionals, voice-hearers and their families.

The website aims to make it easier for people to find information about different approaches to voicehearing. And ways of supporting those who are struggling with the voices they hear. This NHS trust has a lot of self-help materials on different areas. They have a leaflet called, Hearing voices and disturbing beliefs. The service is for young people in the SLaM area. But there is lots of useful information on the website and resources you can download.

Researchers have been looking into how computer-based treatment may help with hearing voices. This treatment is known as avatar therapy. Avatar therapy is not available at the moment. In this therapy you create a computer-generated face with a voice which is like a voice you hear.

You work with a therapist to talk to the avatar and gain more control over the voice you hear. Results show that this therapy is helpful for some people. But there is more research taking place. You can read about the study by following the link below. Avatar Therapy UCL webpage : www. They also support people who have visual hallucinations and people who have tactile sensations. It gives information and support through its website and self-help groups across the country.

Intervoice Intervoice are a charity. They encourage people all over the world to share ideas through their online community. You can also find information about hearing voices through their articles and resources. Voices network This is a UK wide, London based project supporting children and young people who experience voices. They also offer advice and support for carers, family members and professionals. Telephone: Email: info voicecollective. Action on Postpartum Psychosis A national charity for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis.

They run a peer support service, provide information, training to health professionals, do research and promote awareness. Donate Search Menu. About us About us. See our contacts page Looking to contact us? Covid support. Supporting yourself Read more Supporting yourself. Covid information hub See all pages Covid information hub. Help in your area.

Find peer support online Visit the Clic website Find peer support online. Advice and information. Contact our advice service today Need more information?

Get involved. Become a campaigner Sign up today Become a campaigner. Get help now. Advice and information About mental illness Learn more about symptoms Hearing Voices. Hearing Voices Hearing voices is a common symptom of a mental illness. If you would like more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service by clicking here.

Download Hearing Voices factsheet. Share: Contact us:. Hearing voices is not always a sign of mental illness. Treatments for hearing voices can include medication, talking therapies and peer support. Need more advice? If you need more advice or information you can contact our Advice and Information Service. Contact us Contact us. There are different types of auditory hallucinations.

You may experience the following things. People talking to you People talking about you Hearing music Hearing animal noises Hearing background noises, like people chatting What is it like to hear voices? Hearing voices can be different for everyone. Or only say occasional words or phrases, and talk at the same time as other voices. They may talk between themselves, or comment on what you are doing.

Is hearing voices the same as intrusive thoughts? But both can be upsetting and difficult to ignore. Stevie's story. Up to 1 in 10 people hear voices. Hearing voices is not as rare as we used to think. You can find more information about: Spirituality, religion and mental illness by clicking here. Psychosis by clicking here. Schizophrenia by clicking here. Schizoaffective disorder by clicking here. Bipolar disorder by clicking here.

Personality disorder by clicking here. Dissociation and dissociative disorders by clicking here. Depression by clicking here. How do I get help if I am hearing voices?

You should be assessed quickly. A secondary mental health team will usually be called the: early intervention team EIT community mental health team CMHT , or crisis team. You can ask your GP for their details. You can call NHS Use an internet search engine. How can social services help me?

For example, you may need support so that you can: get out of the house, keep in touch with friends and family, get a job or take part in education, clean your house, prepare meals or go shopping, keep safe, manage your money, take part in leisure activities, or contribute to society e. What other help is available? Charities In some areas, charities will support people who hear voices. Self-help There are things that you can do to help manage your mental health.

What causes someone to hear voices? Life experiences You may hear voices as a way to cope with difficult experiences. These include: stress, anger or anxiety, drugs and alcohol, homelessness, delirium. This is a state of mental confusion which may follow a serious physical illness or an operation, grief, divorce or separation, tiredness.

Genetics Research does suggest that mental illness can run in families. Research suggests that changes to your brain chemistry can cause you to hear voices.

What treatment should the NHS offer me? Medication Antipsychotic medication can help with hearing voices. Talking therapies There are different types of talking therapies recommended for people who hear voices. What is CBT?