This blog contains information on behalf of Welsh and other individuals who have the experience of Hearing Voices, and which must be a bewildering and frightening incursion for those thus effected. My own interest comes from knowing a wonderful friend, David, who experienced 'positive voices' but whom we lost in late October 2007.
The blog currently contains Coping Strategies, Contact Details and the Phases People Develop Through as voice hearers.
IT IS HOPED THAT A NEW WELSH HEARING VOICES WEB SITE WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.
A NEW BOOK 'LIVING WITH VOICES' IS DETAILED BELOW. BE SURE TO NOTE IT.
David
STRATEGIES for COPING
with DISTRESSING VOICES
(Hearing Voices Network Australia)
FOCUSING TECHNIQUES
Accepting that voices are not ‘the’ problem, they are a consequence of a problem.
Your job is to find out more.
Identify your voices – number, gender, age and so on.
Learn about boundaries to apply to people and your voices (i.e. make a deal with your voices, “be quiet now and I’ll listen later”)
Listen out for positive voices too – they can be allies.
Schedule a time to listen to the voices and ask them to leave you alone until that time.
Tell negative voices that you will only talk with them if they are respectful towards you.
Voice dialogue – let a trusted family member, friend or mental health worker talk directly to your voices.
Work through Ron Colman and Mike Smith’s ‘Working With Voices II’ work book, with a trusted family member, friend or mental health worker.
Write down what the voices are saying to you.
- Auspiced by The Richmond Fellowship Western Australia.
UK Hearing Voices Networks
Manchester Hearing Voices
79 Lever Street
Manchester. M1 1FL.
0161 923 6023
0845 1228641
0845 1228642
Peter Bullimore: 0114 2718210 or 07714930740
Hearing Voices Network Dundee
The Haven
216 - 220 Hilltown
Dundee. Scotland.
DD3 7AG
01382 223023
07736790464
HEARING VOICES
ACROSS CYMRU - WALES
Hearing Voices Cymru
Hywel Davies.
Upper Robeston.
Robeston West.
Milford Haven.
SA73 3TL
01646 692535
Pembrokshire HV Group
Tracy Prile 01437 769982
Wrexham HV Group
Reg Griffiths
01978 356789
Mold HV Group
John Carden (PSI Nurse Specialist)
01352 731293
North Wales Hearing Voices Group
Heather Russell-Hughes
01492 860926 - 07812108128
Bangor HV Group
Dr Mike Jackson
Advent Psychology Services
Bodfan. Graig y Don Road. Bangor.
LL57 2BG
01248 360490
Llandudno HV Group
Abber-Conwy MIND
3 Trinity Square.
Llandudno.
LL30 2PY
01492 879907
Rhyl HV Group
Angela MacDonald (Center Manager)
23 Westbourne Avenue.
Rhyl. LL18 1EG
01745 336363
Swansea HV Group
Terry Davies
01796 321011
Carmarthenshire Hearing Voices
Eifion-Nyfed Griffiths.
01239 831823
01267 223365
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NEW HEARING VOICES BOOK:
'LIVING WITH VOICES: 50 Stories of Recovery'
by
Prof Marius Romme
Dr Sandra Escher
Jacqui Dillon
Dr Dirk Corstens
Prof Mervyn Morris
'Marius Romme and Sandra Escher's new analysis of the hearing voices experience outside of the illness model, has resulted in accepting and making sence of voices. This study of 50 stories forms the evidence for this successful new approach to working with voice hearers.'
(They have) 'revolutionised our understanding of voice hearing, and their work has led to a radical new way of helping people who have had this type of experience. In this timely, accessible and important book, they bring together the lessions they have learned over more than two decades, and provide an oppotunity for 50 voice hearers from across the world to tell us their stories.'
'This is essential reading for mental health workers of all professions, which challenges conventional thinking, empowers mental health service users, and looks forward to a more humane approach to psychiatric care.'
- Richard Bentall, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Bangor University, Wales.
PCCS BOOKS Ltd publishers. 2009. ISBN 978 1-906254-22-3
http://www.pccs-books.co.uk/
(January 2010)
_________________________________________
THE THREE PHASES
OF VOICE HEARING
1) The STARTING Phase
Voices often start after a traumatic experience or at a time of great suffering. Most voice hearers describe the onset of voices as a startling and anxiety provoking experience; although the level of intensity does vary for different people.
During the starting phase the voices may be hostile and demand a lot of attention, interfering with a person’s life and making it hard for them to carry on with their everyday activities and relationships.
Alternatively, the voices may be helpful and a person may feel a sense of recognition and identify the voices as an understandable aspect of their internal self that is strengthening them.
Still, this phase can be confusing and very frightening and people need reassurance and possibly some strategies or assistance to cope with their anxiety.
2) The phase of ORGANISATION and COPING
Once a person’s initial anxiety and confusion has been reduced it is possible for them to organize the voices and their relationship to them.
In this phase people seek to find meaning and to arrive at some understanding of their experience and learn to accommodate and cope with the voices in their everyday life.
In order for this to occur, there needs to be some form of acceptance. The process may take months or even years (should the voice hearing experience continue that long) and is often marked by an attempt to actively negotiate with the voices.
Voice hearers often seek ways of controlling or coping with voices by:
Ignoring them (through self distraction)
Listening to them but selectively entering into willing conversation with them
Making specific appointments with them for dialogue
Trying to ignore the voices by distraction rarely works, as the effort involved often leads to a severely restricted lifestyle. People may understandably go from an initial feeling of powerlessness to feeling angry toward the voices. All such feelings must be supported, so that a person might find their own coping strategies.
Voice hearers report that the most helpful strategy is to select the positive voices and try to understand them by listening and talking to only them. Another useful strategy is to set limits on and structure the contact with the voices. However, in order to learn to cope effectively with hearing voices it is important to accept them. Denying them is not helpful. People also need to learn to think positively about themselves, their voices and their own problems (especially if voices are denigrating).
During this Organization Phase it may be useful to attend to these following issues:
What is the possible significance of the voices in terms of the person’s current and past experiences?
What is the role or meaning of the voice hearing experience in the person’s everyday life?
What is the attitude of family or friends toward the voices and the experience of hearing them?
What are the particular circumstances under which the voices are heard?
3) The STABILISATION Phase:
In this phase the person has learned to cope with their voices and has begun to live in balance with them:
The person thinks of the voices as being part of themselves
The relationship with the voices is more amicable and reasonable
The voices become less controlling and the person more empowered
The person is able to choose between following the advice of the voices or following their own ideas
The voices engage as a more positive influence
The person is less anxious about their voices
Voices vary from being very problematic and undesirable to being thought of as a special ability or gift. Either way many people would not want to stop hearing voices, as they may fulfill a useful psychological function. Hearing voices can be non-pathological and adaptive in terms of managing the above phases.
(This information is very widely used across the world in Hearing Voices Support Groups and by individuals)
(on behalf of David McMahon)
9nov05
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