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Hearing Voices

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What is it like to live with voices? 

Although your experience of living with voices will be unique to you, this section explores some situations, questions and feelings you might recognise. 

Your relationship with your voices

You may have different feelings about your voices at different times in your life – or even at different times of the day or week. You might:

  • find your voices comforting, helpful or even funny 
  • find your voices frightening and want them to stop 
  • find you hear some voices that you like and other voices that cause you problems 
  • worry that you are the only one who hears the sort of voices that you hear 
  • not be sure whether other people have these experiences too. 

Often voices are a problem because of your relationship with them rather than just because you hear them. Thinking about your relationship with your voices can help you work out what (if anything) you want to do about them. 

See our pages on managing your voices and treatment for more information about the support available. 

What if I like my voices?

Some people can find hearing voices a positive experience. Your voices might be friendly and supportive. You may welcome them and miss them if they stopped. They might make you feel better or encourage you during difficult times.

Can my voice be my friend?

It isn’t always easy to work out whether your voices want the best for you or not. They might feel friendly but tell you to do things that make it harder for you to look after yourself or live the life you want. If your voice feels comforting it can be hard to recognise that they might be manipulative or harmful. 

“I first started hearing voices when I was developing my anorexia. My voices were my best friend. I thought she just wanted the best for me… she was extremely manipulative and whatever she said I would do.”

Difficult experiences of voices

You might find your experience of hearing voices quite difficult, for different reasons.

My voices are harder to deal with at specific times

  • You might only hear voices at certain times. This might be every day (for example, at mealtimes) or at certain times of year (for example, at the anniversary of a particular event or experience). 
  • You may only hear voices in certain places. For example, you might hear voices when you leave the house or when you go to a place which you associate with stress or trauma. 
  • You may find your voices are louder and more frequent when you feel stressed.

This may mean you avoid certain places or experiences – or find them very difficult.

I don’t feel able to control my voices

  • You may feel that your voices are controlling you or stopping you from doing things that you would really like to do. 
  • Your voices might interrupt your thoughts and make it very difficult to concentrate or hold a conversation.  

“I had an interview .. I left the house and the whispering started, growing steadily louder until I eventually fled home drenched in sweat and absolutely terrified.”

I feel threatened or upset by my voices

Your voices might: 

  • be unkind to you, and criticise and undermine you 
  • tell you to do things that are wrong 
  • demand that you hurt yourself.

These experiences are likely to make you upset, scared or angry. You might feel you deserve to be shouted at and that it’s difficult to stand up to anyone.

Talking to other people

It can be hard to talk about hearing voices. The way other people react can make a big difference to your experience. 

You may feel about to cope with your voices, but find that other people’s reactions are more of a problem, or you might feel you need to hide what your voices say or how often you hear them altogether.

“I didn’t want to talk about it because that would somehow make it more real.”

You might find that other people: 

  • give your voices meanings or assume that your voices mean you are seriously ill 
  • don’t mind about your voices and accept them as part of who you are 
  • don’t understand what hearing voices is like, which can be frustrating. 

It may be easier to talk about your voices if you choose someone who you trust and feel comfortable with. If you are worried about their reaction you could show them this information. 

Facing stigma

Unfortunately some people have misconceptions about what it means to hear voices. They might think that hearing voices means you are dangerous or very unwell. This can be really upsetting, especially if the people who feel this way are family, friends or colleagues. 

It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone and you don’t have to put up with people treating you badly.

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

What is it like to live with voices?

What is it like to live with voices? 

Although your experience of living with voices will be unique to you, this section explores some situations, questions and feelings you might recognise. 

Your relationship with your voices

You may have different feelings about your voices at different times in your life - or even at different times of the day or week. You might:

  • find your voices comforting, helpful or even funny 
  • find your voices frightening and want them to stop 
  • find you hear some voices that you like and other voices that cause you problems 
  • worry that you are the only one who hears the sort of voices that you hear 
  • not be sure whether other people have these experiences too. 

Often voices are a problem because of your relationship with them rather than just because you hear them. Thinking about your relationship with your voices can help you work out what (if anything) you want to do about them. 

See our pages on managing your voices and treatment for more information about the support available. 

What if I like my voices?

Some people can find hearing voices a positive experience. Your voices might be friendly and supportive. You may welcome them and miss them if they stopped. They might make you feel better or encourage you during difficult times.

Can my voice be my friend?

It isn't always easy to work out whether your voices want the best for you or not. They might feel friendly but tell you to do things that make it harder for you to look after yourself or live the life you want. If your voice feels comforting it can be hard to recognise that they might be manipulative or harmful. 

“I first started hearing voices when I was developing my anorexia. My voices were my best friend. I thought she just wanted the best for me... she was extremely manipulative and whatever she said I would do.”

Difficult experiences of voices

You might find your experience of hearing voices quite difficult, for different reasons.

My voices are harder to deal with at specific times

  • You might only hear voices at certain times. This might be every day (for example, at mealtimes) or at certain times of year (for example, at the anniversary of a particular event or experience). 
  • You may only hear voices in certain places. For example, you might hear voices when you leave the house or when you go to a place which you associate with stress or trauma. 
  • You may find your voices are louder and more frequent when you feel stressed.

This may mean you avoid certain places or experiences - or find them very difficult.

I don’t feel able to control my voices

  • You may feel that your voices are controlling you or stopping you from doing things that you would really like to do. 
  • Your voices might interrupt your thoughts and make it very difficult to concentrate or hold a conversation.  

“I had an interview .. I left the house and the whispering started, growing steadily louder until I eventually fled home drenched in sweat and absolutely terrified.”

I feel threatened or upset by my voices

Your voices might: 

  • be unkind to you, and criticise and undermine you 
  • tell you to do things that are wrong 
  • demand that you hurt yourself.

These experiences are likely to make you upset, scared or angry. You might feel you deserve to be shouted at and that it's difficult to stand up to anyone.

Talking to other people

It can be hard to talk about hearing voices. The way other people react can make a big difference to your experience. 

You may feel about to cope with your voices, but find that other people’s reactions are more of a problem, or you might feel you need to hide what your voices say or how often you hear them altogether.

“I didn't want to talk about it because that would somehow make it more real.”

You might find that other people: 

  • give your voices meanings or assume that your voices mean you are seriously ill 
  • don't mind about your voices and accept them as part of who you are 
  • don’t understand what hearing voices is like, which can be frustrating. 

It may be easier to talk about your voices if you choose someone who you trust and feel comfortable with. If you are worried about their reaction you could show them this information. 

Facing stigma

Unfortunately some people have misconceptions about what it means to hear voices. They might think that hearing voices means you are dangerous or very unwell. This can be really upsetting, especially if the people who feel this way are family, friends or colleagues. 

It's important to remember that you aren't alone and you don't have to put up with people treating you badly.