Distraction techniques, such as listening to music on headphones, exercising, cooking or doing a hobby may help quiet the voices. Joining a support group with other people who experience auditory verbal hallucinations. Taking control, such as ignoring the voices or standing up to them.
A diagnosis of schizophrenia does not mean that you will experience all types of symptoms. The way that your illness affects you will depend on the type of schizophrenia that you have. For example, not everyone with schizophrenia will experience hallucinations or delusions.
Unfortunately, most people with schizophrenia are unaware that their symptoms are warning signs of a mental disorder. Their lives may be unraveling, yet they may believe that their experiences are normal. Or they may feel that they're blessed or cursed with special insights that others can't see.
While the voices go away for some, for many, they never completely fade. But it's possible to learn to manage them and take back some control in your day-to-day life.
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
People with schizophrenia experience difficulties in remembering their past and envisioning their future. However, while alterations of event representation are well documented, little is known about how personal events are located and ordered in time.
The main type of talking therapy recommended for the treatment of schizophrenia is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps you identify and change any negative thoughts or behaviour that is making your life hard. CBT aims to help you: cope with symptoms of psychosis such as delusions or hearing voices.
At night time Nadia tends to experience stronger psychosis symptoms related to her Schizophrenia diagnosis, which makes it harder for others in her home. Nadia's hallucinations are often disruptive, wake the rest of her family, and tend to keep the others in her home from having restful sleep.
Surveys also show that many persons with schizophrenia spontaneously use their own methods to gain some control over their symptoms.
People with schizophrenia experience psychosis, which means they can have serious problems with thinking clearly, emotions, and knowing what is real and what is not. This can include hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations), and having very strange beliefs that are abnormal or not true (delusions).
If your voices are very troubling and you have been referred to a psychiatrist, they may prescribe an antipsychotic drug. These drugs may: Stop the voices or reduce how often you hear them. Make the voices less frightening and more manageable.
Scientists believe that patients with schizophrenia have a defect in this circuit, so their brain incorrectly identifies a mismatch between their own voice and the voice they hear, making them think the voice belongs to someone else.
Patients who suffer from schizophrenia often have auditory hallucinations. They hear voices that are not there. Many times these hallucinations say things like “You are a terrible person, you are lazy, you are a waste of time” and other derogatory or critical remarks.
Antipsychotics reduce auditory hallucinations primarily by blocking the brain chemical dopamine from working in specific parts of your brain. After one to two weeks with the correct medication, voices begin to decrease and may continue to improve throughout the length of treatment.
Personality disorders such as antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive types have been detected in one third to one half of schizophrenia patients (Nielsen, Hewitt & Habke, 1997; Solano & Chavez, 2000).
Symptoms may include: Delusions. These are false beliefs that are not based in reality. For example, you think that you're being harmed or harassed; certain gestures or comments are directed at you; you have exceptional ability or fame; another person is in love with you; or a major catastrophe is about to occur.
This symptom, which afflicts more than 80% of patients, is among the most prevalent and distressing symptoms of schizophrenia. Patients “hear voices” speaking to them or about them without anyone actually being there.
Drug and alcohol use
If you already have schizophrenia, research shows that using recreational drugs may worsen your symptoms. Some studies suggest that people who use high-potency cannabis ('skunk') when in recovery are more likely to have a relapse too.