I’m worried about the voices I am hearing
Hearing voices or ‘auditory hallucinations’ occur when you hear a voice but no one is present with you or you are hearing voices that others cannot hear.
Hearing voices is actually a fairly common and around 1 in 10 of us will experience it at some point in our lives.
Everyone interprets voice hearing differently – for some it might be comforting or positive, for others it might be upsetting and scary. This can depend on the voices that you are hearing. Voices can vary per person on how loud or quiet they are, what they are saying and how often you hear them.
People can have voice hearing experiences for a number of different reasons. These include: lack of sleep, following a bereavement, a stressful life event, when using illicit substances, following other adverse life events such as abuse or bullying.
Hearing voices can also be a symptom of a range of mental health difficulties such as psychosis, bipolar, trauma and a range of neurological difficulties.
If you hear voices or have other sensory experiences – you are not alone.
If you are hearing voices, please get in touch with Mindline Somerset for advice and support. Please get in touch with our team locally on 01823 276892 or freephone 0800 138 1692
If you are in crisis and need immediate support please contact 999.
How to recognise if you are experiencing hearing voices
If you think you are hearing a voice that is not your own, don’t be alarmed. Try to notice when this happens – is it all the time or at times when you are feeling stressed and worried. It might be helpful to talk to a close family member or friend about your experiences.
Different types of voices you might hear include:
- your name called when there is no one around
- experiencing voices as being in your head
- people talking about you
- people talking to you
- a kind supportive voice/s or a voice/s that may help you, including spiritual guidance
- a voice/s telling you to do things that may harm or put others in harm
- a voice that sounds like a friend
- a voice/s saying unkind things to you or criticising you
- your thoughts being spoken aloud, or you might hear other people’s thoughts in your head
- someone commenting on your activities like a running dialog
It can be difficult to talk about it, but it is important to be as honest as you can be. If you can recognise that doing something makes it worse then it can be helpful to avoid doing those things, keeping a diary can be helpful to keep track and help you to learn to recognise your triggers. Managing your stress and using relaxation / grounding techniques can also be a way to help you cope with your experiences
How to get help
If you think you are hearing voices, please get in touch with Mindline Somerset locally on 01823 276892 or freephone 0800 138 1692 or email support@openmentalhealth.org.uk. We can offer you support and put you in touch with specific services that can help.
There are also a number of accessible resources online that can help:
STEP (Somerset Team for Early Psychosis) is a specialist service for individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis.
- The Hearing Voices Network is a small national charity that aim to raise awareness of the diversity of voices, visions and similar experiences. They have groups around the county that can offer you support and advice on voice hearing.
- The Voice Collective has a lot of information online for young people who are experiencing voices and visual hallucinations.