Lived Experience Forum

[NikNik]

This month, to mark Schizophrenia Awareness Week, tonight will revolve around hearing voices.

Hearing voices can be scary and isolating, and many people experience manage this on a daily basis. Be part of the discussion this Thursday to gain tips, insights and contribute your own experiences.

Our special guest will be forum partner Mental Illness Fellowship Queensland.

[Suzanne1]

As a telephone crisis supporter I talk with people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Can you share tips on how best to support them please? Many thanks.

[Tyler77]

There's only been a few times when I've heard voices and often it is right when I am going to bed or taking a nap and im inbetween sleep and awake.  Thanksfully, I have not yet and hopefully never will hear them when fully awake and going about my day.

[Former-Member]

I have two brothers diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia (psychosis). One reads into things, thinks gov behind neighbours laser beaming him (killing him) & has lined the house with foil & thinks we don't care cause we don't believe - doesn't seem to be 'voices' here. Can't talk without him getting all worked up & argumentative - how do i talk with him?
The other brother, same diagnosis has strange memories (like being murdered & resurrected) that keep changing & intensifying. He too gets upset when i don't agree with him. He gets visited by a spirit family who do talk to him & reveal things.
Many people at church say god talks to them.
My departed daughter talks to me, in my heart.
As a teen my son was give an entire alphabet (symbols) from what he believed was an alian race.
His dad (the-x) needs to live out of pho e range & believes the gov has technology to put thoughts in his head.
My mother use to tell me childhood stories of an alien that visited her & told her things & claims the dead talk to her.
Are we all psychotic?

[NikNik]

Hello everyone!

@LMB @leitor @titainx @Kurra @Flame7au @MLG @Shazza @Grace1 & @Former-Member

Thank you for joining Topic Thursday this week (which is Schizophrenia Awareness Week, by the way!).

Tonight we are joined by @Outlanderali from Mental Illness Fellowship QLD, who is here to talk about hearing voices. 

She will answer your questions, impart knowledge and also will be asking YOU questions about your experiences and strategies.

We've had some interesting questions from @Former-Member , @Tyler77 and @Suzanne1 so far, which we will get to, but I'll start by handing over to @Outlanderali

[Outlanderali]

Hi Everyone!

Outlanderali here!

Please feel free to ask any questions, and hopefully I can help!

Just wanted to start with a quick questions to everyone - 

Many people, not just those with a diagnosis of a mental illness hear voices, do you feel like to you talk to family and friends if you do? or are you worried about stigma, and how people will treat you?

[leitor]

My wife started "hearing voices" around 1 1/2 years ago, as far as she is concerned it is me, whispering to her. Usually at night, it started off with "I love you", but soon turned to "I will poison you", "I will murder you". And of course she becomes terrified.

[Former-Member]

I can't share my conversations with my daughter, or God freely with anyone. Frightened of being stigmatized / treated less than human.

[akewoooo]

I read about hearing voices in a book by Oliver Sacks, and how it was quite normal.

I'm currently studying medicine and am joining this conversation just to see how I can be helpful in the future 🙂

[Outlanderali]

Hi there @Suzanne1

Great question! and a really common question as well. There are many tips and tools that you can use that will best support someone who is hearing voices. First of all, ask them what they have done in the past as a coping strategies that works of doesn't work. Sometimes when people are in crisis, they forget they have control of things, and it may see, just too much for them.

Some suggestions that you can use to support a person to manage their voices in a time of crisis is - 

• Don't believe what the voice is telling them
• Do something that is going to distract them from the voice - keep busy
• Listen to music, write in a journal
• Meditation - relaxation techniques
• Talk to someone

The best thing a person can do it prepare! Educate themselves and ecome aware of their warning signs, and have some steps and tools in place ready to go.

Hopefully these few tips have helped.

A great resource you can look for is the "Hearing Voices Network" they have some great tools you could check out.

Thanks!