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Hearing Voices in Schizophrenia

Hearing voices in your head is not that unusual—many people hear voices and think nothing of it. But if the voices inside your head are disturbing, or they are telling you to do things that go against what you believe in, you may be suffering from a form of schizophrenia referred to as paranoid schizophrenia. There are several different types of schizophrenia, but hearing voices in schizophrenia is associated with the main sub-type—paranoid schizophrenia.

How can I tell if the voices in my head are caused by schizophrenia?

Ever had the experience of listening to a catchy song on the radio and then hearing the words resounding inside your head for the next ten hours? This happens to all of us at one time or another, but although it can be annoying it does not necessarily mean we are suffering from schizophrenia.

Hearing voices in schizophrenia is different. The voices associated with schizophrenia may talk to you or order you to do things. The voices may even have a conversation about you or with you. The voices might appear to be inside your head or they might emanate from somewhere nearby, for example the television or some other inanimate object. These voices are more disturbing because they impact on everyday life—the person may feel as if they cannot tell their nearest and dearest about their experiences, particularly if the voices are suggesting those around them are plotting against them in some way.

Why do some people with schizophrenia hear voices?

Hearing voices and experiencing strange sights, sounds, and smells that are not real are considered to be “positive” symptoms of schizophrenia: delusions and hallucinations are the main symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. Hearing voices in schizophrenia is not necessarily a problem for the patient as long as they are able to stay in control, but if the voices become abusive or controlling, the patient will need professional help to bring their symptoms under control.

Although hearing voices can sometimes be viewed as a positive experience, especially if the voices are offering uplifting advice or praising your achievements, it is much more likely that hearing voices in schizophrenia can be traced back to some kind of traumatic experience, for example childhood abuse, or triggered by an abusive relationship as an adult.

The voices may belittle the person and pick away at their self esteem. The person hearing the voices is often frightened and as time passes their delusions and hallucinations get worse, until eventually they and their family are unable to cope with the symptoms of the illness and seek professional help.

Can treatment for schizophrenia help control the voices inside my head?

Paranoid schizophrenia is very treatable illness, and although the person will never be “cured”, with professional help their symptoms can be brought under control and they should be able to live a happy and productive life. Cognitive behavioural therapy is often very helpful in treating paranoid schizophrenia as it can help the patient control anxiety associated with their symptoms. Medication can also be very effective at reducing the symptoms associated with paranoid schizophrenia.

Related Articles:

  1. What is Paranoid Schizophrenia? What is paranoid schizophrenia? Paranoid schizophrenia is a sub-type of schizophrenia, a serious mental health disorder affecting around 0.5% of the global population. The DSM-IV contains five sub-types of schizophrenia and paranoid is one of them. Ask any person on the street: what is paranoid schizophrenia and they will probably...
  2. What are the Early Schizophrenia Symptoms and How to Recognize it? The symptoms of schizophrenia can either come on very slowly (insidious onset), which or more common, or very rapidly whereby patients experience a full-blown acute episode with very few early warning signs. Early schizophrenia symptoms are referred to as “prodomal” and can be present for many years prior to the...
  3. What is the Treatment for Paranoid Schizophrenia? A paranoid schizophrenic suffers from delusions and hallucinations and if he or she is left untreated, the illness can cause significant social problems whereby the patient becomes a risk to themselves and others. The symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia normally begin in early adulthood and are often accompanied by related conditions...
  4. What are the Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Men? What are the symptoms of schizophrenia in men? Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characterized by a number of disturbing symptoms. It affects around 1% of the population and can be caused by several different things such as brain abnormalities, physical and hormonal changes, and a chemical imbalance in the...
  5. What is the Difference Between Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective? What is the difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder? Schizoaffective disorder is closely related to the schizophrenia spectrum of mental health disorders, but it also has a number of similarities with bipolar disorder and therefore falls somewhere in the middle. What is the difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder? In...

Filed Under: Disorders & Syndromes

Comments

  1. Franky Quest says

    December 2, 2020 at 10:57 am

    When its mentioned about hearing ‘voices within’ – are they actual different voices within to the individuals, like a completely different person?

    Or is it that actual ‘conscious’ talking/battling against you. Like putting things/actions into your mind to do things. But then you feel your true self coming in, trying to fight the wrongness in those words.

    Like its a struggle between good and bad.

    Hmmmmm

    Reply
  2. Shuzon Islam says

    November 28, 2020 at 4:11 am

    I am on clozapine medication, they’re not really not working.

    Reply
  3. Shuzon suzon Islam says

    November 28, 2020 at 4:09 am

    I can hear voices, i’ve been hearing voices for many years now and i can’t tell where they’re coming from. i thought it’s friends voices but i get confused and i can’t really tell and they’re always telling me to do things. Sometimes i think it’s just voices but they say it’s not voices it’s your friends.

    Reply
  4. Christopher Baker says

    August 3, 2019 at 11:47 am

    What drugs can help make voices go away?

    Reply

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