Hearing Voices in Schizophrenia

Hearing Voices in Schizophrenia Schizophrenia Print Hearing Voices, or Auditory Hallucinations, in Schizophrenia By Adrian Preda, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on June 28, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 31, 2020 Schizophrenia Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children Westend61 / Getty Images Auditory hallucinations, or hearing voices, is a common symptom in people living with schizophrenia. In fact, an estimated 70 to 80% of people with schizophrenia hear voices.?? These voices can call your name, argue with you, threaten you, come from inside your head or via outside sources, and can begin suddenly and grow stronger over time. 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. In fact, up to 10% of the general population have had the experience of hearing one’s name called,?? especially during the twilight times of falling asleep (hypnopompic) or waking up (hypnagogic). Types of Auditory Hallucinations For some, auditory hallucinations appear suddenly. T. M. 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.?? His auditory hallucinations began rapidly and soon after he destroyed a number of rats nests. 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. For example, Someone just called my name” or “people were talking in the hallway,” or “I thought I heard something but then I am not sure.” 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: Repetitive, screeching sounds suggestive of ratsPainfully loud, thumping music themesVoices of people blasting mean orders or commentsPeople talking about you as if you were not even present How Do You Know If Youre Having Hallucinations? Nonsensical Voices 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. Self-harm Voices 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. Threatening Voices 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 persons risk of self-harm or violence. Treatment Treatment for schizophrenic voices typically requires a combination of medications, therapy, and other procedures for those who are treatment-resisted. Antipsychotics: These medications are often the first line of treatment and have been study-proven to rapidly decrease the severity of auditory hallucinations.Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): When used in combination with medication, CBT can help reduce the emotional distress of schizophrenic voices and help people develop skills to cope with and quiet the voices. For example, humming the Happy Birthday song or reading a paragraph backward when the voices begin.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS): Also known as Repetitive TMS, this relatively non-invasive procedure involves placing a small magnetic device directly on the skull. It has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of auditory hallucinations in people with schizophrenia.Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Considered a last-resort treatment for reducing the severity of auditory hallucinations, ECT involves the application of a brief electrical pulse to the scalp in order to produce a seizure.?? Find Help With the 9 Best Online Therapy Programs For Caregivers and Loved Ones Coping with a loved one who is struggling with schizophrenic voices can take a tollâ€"but try not to lose hope. With the right treatment, your loved one may be able to control the frequency and severity of these voices. You also may consider family therapy, which can help you and your loved one recognize these auditory hallucinations and develop strategies to better cope.