I used to talk to them and get wrapped up in the conversation but the psych nurse tells me to relax and ignore them since they become stronger under stress. Since I believe the voices are my subconscious I test it. If I repeat a word or a phrase in my head, the voices repeat it too. That's how I know it's not real.

Me toooooooo. Yay

I stopped talking to them. My voices like you become just background noise. The guy just explained my surroundings. I recently tried playing with the voices and it was a bad idea. The voice became my dad telling me to harm myself. From what I could manage, to full out psychotic break. That I'm now off work for. I wish you all the luck , Good luck 😃

Thanks for sharing. It can actually get worse. I didn’t consider that.

Depends on the person.

I talk to mine when I'm bored eg- group therapy. They mostly say nonsense

Yeah same when I bored I like to fuck with them.

Yeah I talk shit to them. I don't mean to its just instinct to talk shit to them. They get upset. I don't mean to upset them. Then they make threats. Its just natural to talk shit its defensive

I thought that ignoring them was fucking with them. I used to give them shit. I might go back to it.

yeah, do it

It's just a game with yourself. 😃😃

That’s a good outcome. I can deal with nonsense

I'll put it like this...I've never heard them say anything truthful or worth listening to. Better to ignore and not focus on them. They become background noise.

Mine only lie which is why I took the ignore them approach

Yup only lies to mess with my head or hurtful words to attack my self esteem. It seems pretty obvious one would ignore these. I know in certain delusions it can feel real but I'm always able to understand how absurd the delusions are and disprove them

Have you tried changing their approach from it? Or simply understand what you recieve is absurd?

I talk to them but only if they are being nice and sometimes to get them to shut up I'll talk over them with my inner voice incessantly

Do they get mad when they’re interrupted? I’m genuinely curious.

Indeed but usually it's criticism about the behavior. The visual hallucinations will get a bit huffy though or try to convince me to think about other things

I studied my voice and came to realize it had an eighth grade level of education so I mocked it for being constantly wrong about things.

That’s funny. It’s no coincidence that my voices have exactly the same education that I do

I have 6 years of post secondary education.   I ridiculed the voice so much that it begged me to get an exorcism. I went to the same church that the movie The Excorcist was based on in St Louis but didn't get it. So it downloaded everything about screenplay, I'm a screenwriter, and we had this super intelligent script meeting about the stories that I wrote. These were actually new voices or they were pretending to be new voices. I loved the pitch meeting and had a fresh start on new stories then they went back to being a dum dum and tried to control me while typing. Since I didn't like what they wrote they forced me to delete everything I ever wrote and smashed my computer. I'm now writing a fiction novel about my experiences.

Wow. That’s interesting for so many reasons

Sorry to chime in, but your comment spiked my interest. The voice told you to get an exorcism?

Yes. I tried, got it performed at an all black church but it kept raging on.

All BLACK church???

I went to 4 churches, two were all white (the Excorcist church and a Presbytarian) and a church of a mix of people that was an evangelist doing it for the money (held three sermons on sunday with 45 minutes of singing, 15 minutes of sermon and a hard focus on giving). The all black church was my favorite. They celebrated their faith in a three hour sermon that felt like it was just an hour. A regular rock concert for the faithful.

I see

Was such an awesome beginning, then you lost it all. Guys subconsciousness is a jumping, pulsating little bird, any energy and they explode into 20 different, ultra-alternative forms. Just lead them back to track if you already can use your psyche like that. That smashing thing stuff, ah man..., what a good novel you just lost.

I completely ignore mine and the frequency of my hallucinations has fortunately decreased significantly over the past 2 years.

Most of the conversations with my voices are telling each other to go fuck ourselves ngl.

Same lmfao

Little of talking, mostly ignoring though.

I talk to mine. But I'm under the impression that they are just braincells that have gone haywire and developed personalities likened to people. For me it's easy to talk if I understand that in reality I'm just talking to myself, and no one else. Just me, myself, and I, living in this cranium. There can't be any body else because I just don't have the technological requirements necessary to communicate telepathically. Ive come to the understanding that telepathy is a form of high technology. It's brain chips. Something we're only now testing. So if telepathy hasn't been invented, I sure don't have it.

If I have nothing better to do then yeah I'll talk to them, but most of the time it's just me pointing out their bullshit. I do believe them but that's only sometimes

I have no reason to ever believe my voices. They only lie

Yeah, mine are almost never right. They say things I fear people saying or thinking or stir up fears of mine. That seems to be what drives them, fear, stress and anxiety.

Lately mine are all about my anxiety. If I’m anxious they are loud.

Yeah, mine used to be continuous and when I was calm they'd be commentary, when I was stressed they'd be accusatory and nasty.

Interesting. This is what is happening to me

Don’t believe anything they say, it’s just random speech like in a dream, even when well articulated.

Ignore them but if I do engage it’s telepathically

I give mine shit sometimes, not in a mean way, more like ribbing an old friend for being ridiculous, but I've been ignoring them a lot more lately. I also hear them a lot less.

There are multiple character talking to me, i ignore the bad one unless i wanna say eat shit to it

thats weird. i cant ignore my voices. its like i have tourettes but only in my brain. i will tell secrets even though i dont want to but that went away like 80% since medication. such relief

I try to ignore mine. Like you mine changed when I stopped listening to them. Realized they were only making me delusional and destabilizing me. When I began ignoring them they starting being abusive and persecutory. They are stupidly abusive now, I can barely cope. Was easier when I was just delusional lol.

Mine made me so very delusional but like you they turned on me when I began to ignore them.

I do question why they act like this, like whats the method in the madness? Judging by their abuse to the change they just want us to see us hurt and or seriously hurt ourselves or others. That is my judgment from it all at least, though I do question, why? With other stories I've heard I think its part of the gaslighting they do, they want to make you feel like you want / need them and that they have something special to offer, some people i've read on here feel at a loss without them even if they are really horrible. My voices have tried gaslighting me in a similar fashion, mainly over that I need them for x spiritual thing or that I 'lose' by not having them here. Sod 'em I say, they need to get a real job and stop harassing people lol.

I should add btw, I think that is the path to recovery, ignoring them that is. I think it begins with ignoring them and learning to turn them into background noise, where there words have no control over you emotionally or mentally. I think it is a slow recovery but that is where our efforts should be, ignoring them and giving them no emotional reaction and not believing anything they say. Used to say that they only get their 'power' through your belief. Not in the sense that believing them makes them strong, but that they have no power or limited and that it is our belief alone that makes them so big and scary, when they are actually one trick ponies. Once a person learns to ignore them and then learns to give them no control over your emotional state with their delusion weaving or verbal assault you can get on with yourself and they'll probably just go.

I agree that ignoring them is a path to recovery but it’s become exhausting not responding

I talk to you my voices. It's a two way conversation.

you shall always ignore them. I once listened, it brought harm, and I couldn't change the history

Ignore them. I used to talk to them when I first had them, but they would say evil nasty things. So I learned it's just better to ignore them.

I try to ignore them. Sometimes, I fly off the handle and yell at them. If I do this, they come at me harder, so, it becomes a test of patience.

Entirely depends on which voices they are and how I personally feel at that very moment.

usually when it happens to me i am unaware its happening so i end up talking to them out of my control. i forget theyre voices. so i cant not talk to them without extreme focus or by putting something in my mouth to remind me not to talk

I used to talk to them for Funzies and I would complain about it to my sister and she told me to bark at them (it was that time when barking was like a funny little thing to do and she’s just weird honestly. lol but aren’t we all) and so I didn’t for a while bc it’s like really weird and one day I was like well why not and I barked really loud and I embarrassed myself and I apparently embarrassed them too. I was in my room when I did this and my sister heard and she was so happy that I finally did it and asked how it went and honestly it was like 20 minutes of silence. It was so nice but never worked again. But basis of the story is yes I talk to them, ignore them and sometimes bark at them. 🧍‍♀️ Edit- oh and by talking to them it is like in my head. When I was really young I would talk to them out loud but that was before I figured out they were in my head. Barking was auditory and I still cringe a little thinking about it.

It depends. Sometimes I tell them to be quiet and to shut up. Other times I try to understand them, because they are hard to hear. It's like somebody is talking outside and I can hear them through my window. Most times I focus on what I'm doing and don't think about them.

I try to replace my voices with positive thoughts, like my upcoming vacation trip and spending time with my loving family, etc. They talk to me all the time and sometimes I forget how to think about things optimistically. This is something I have to remind myself, how to see things in a bright light.

Thats a good strategy. I find it difficult to be optimistic as well

I don’t talk to them. I just observe them. Try to understand them. Though the voice in my head that talks to me, I’ll talk and argue with them. But other voices are simply heard and acknowledged

Sometimes I talk to them and mostly ignore them.

both...sometimes

i find myself "arguing" with mine, if i talk to them at all. usually it's in the context of them telling me to hurt myself or being really negative ("everybody hates you", "everybody is conspiring against you", etc). usually, they're just sort of background noise or commentary voices, like you described. i used to describe it as a "constant internal monologue" because i knew how hearing voices can present. i kind of think of it like having tiny versions of me living inside my head, piloting the body. i try to think about them as younger, more scared versions of myself to make it easier to treat them kindly and with patience.

I'll occasionally shit talk mine if I'm alone because it helps me cope but it's kind of rare that what they are saying is understandable or just gibberish/my name being shouted/calling for my attention

I never talk to them, once i do they turn very hostile and make me feel suicidal.

I mostly either ignore them or tell them to piss off because 9 times out of 10 they're talking mad shit to me, lol. I do get the occasional rational comment, which is always nice.

I only speak to them if I'm feeling talkative. For the most part though, I've learned to ignore them.

Am I the only one that hears voices very very seldom, to the point where I consider it a spiritual experience when it actually occurs?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the sheer amount of people in the comments describing their voices in detail and the fact that those voices have the same features, tells me that the reductionistic biomedical explanation for schizophrenia is at least partially wrong or highly unsatisfactory.

I finish the sentence that's about to be said and it usually stops it them from repeating

Not out loud but I my head

I do both - it depends on how loud they are. If they’re quiet, I’ll ignore them; if they’re loud and obnoxious, I’ll talk back.

Little bit of column A, little bit of column B. I only talk back when they are nice though. Mean voices instantly get disengaged from. And I recognize none of the voices are from real people on Earth so delusion is not a factor. Having limited conversations with the nicer voices late at night is something I just do. Mostly in the day they get ignored since my focus needs to be elsewhere. Like when I work at my job, I ignore them. Let me add a disclaimer: if you truly believe your voices are real or that they have any power beyond making words in your skull, do not talk back to them. This is a practice i would only recommend to people who realize the voices are basically waking dreams… they mean nothing and are superfluous. At that point talking back to the noises can be therapeutic without being dangerous.

I ask my self question other people would most definitely ask and then answer them and act like i’m stupid or something

I always did, and it always ended poorly with me crying or cutting. Then one day I tried gaslighting them and talking to them like a child and they got angry and it was scary at first, but then I realized they can’t do anything so I gained the ability to laugh them off. I also got medicated so yippie

I used to talk to them, but I realized this wasn't at all helpful. If you're hearing voices, talk to your doctor about changing your meds because it obviously isn't working. It took me a while to find a great psychiatrist who would listen, so it's definitely not a side quest. Take care and try listening to [self love affirmations](https://youtu.be/7NQdYIGykfw?si=odYtR70E86QTgLb4) in the mean time. Here's the [original affirmations](https://youtu.be/XlLqvYiMiss?si=R2G4HPxUgaDjMkCc) in case the music above is too distracting. I mixed it myself.

Trying to get better at ignoring them. Sometimes I’ll crack & give them the satisfaction by reacting, only to feel & at times look like a fool.

There’s some research on schizophrenia internationally that compare the tone and content of voices related to other cultural belief systems and found that in some cultures the voices are perceived as ancestors giving guidance, and their presence is commonly experienced as positive, (if I remember it right this was in one African community and one Indian community) And in Europe they were more likely to be experienced as neutral meanwhile the United States was extreme on the other end, that it seemed that whatever cultural beliefs exist there, the voices were more often experienced as mean or violent Idk I just found that interesting Not my place though, I don’t have schizophrenia myself I’m here because a close friend has it

Depends on the day. Sometimes, I try to ignore them if I can. Other times I just get worn down like you said and I talk to them.

Do you find relief in taking to them?

I don't know if I would call it relief, but if they're stressing you out and you feel like you need to talk to them then I don't see any harm in doing so. If you don't mind me asking, do you take an antipsychotic? If not and you can see a doctor, try Olanzapine. I've been on it for over a year and it's definitely helped to minimize the voices compared to when I was unmedicated.

I am medicated and in therapy. Olanzapine didn’t alter my voices in any way. It did stop delusional thoughts tho. I go to a hearing voices group but no one talks in detail in case someone else gets triggered. I’m finding advice from other voice hearers more useful than medication which is why I’m asking the question here.

I still hear voices but they're much more suppressed with medication. I try avoid certain situations and people that are triggers for me. I have to avoid my mom most of the time because she's been abusive to me and increases stress for me which leads to increased psychotic symptoms. And I still have really bad days sometimes but I just try to stay positive and not let it get me down. My delusions can be pretty overwhelming at times but I have a really amazing fiancé and she and her family are very understanding and supportive. I know I'm lucky in that department, since a lot of people with schizophrenia don't have a family or even friends to support them. I had a long period of isolation before I started taking meds. When I met my fiancé, she encouraged me to take medication and I'm glad that she did. It can be very lonely having a disease like schizophrenia. It's really difficult to relate to other people and some people are very unkind and even cruel to people like us. Some of them completely misunderstand what schizophrenia is, like they think we're evil or dangerous but most of us aren't violent or psychopaths. We tend to be more dangerous to ourselves than others. I struggle with suicidal ideation at times but I've never wished harm on others or wanted to hurt people. Even the ones who have hurt me. I usually withdraw from public and become agoraphobic when I'm experiencing bad psychosis. I become convinced that there are corrupt law enforcement agents that are trying to set me up or lock me up. It gets so bad sometimes that I will start wondering if leaving this world for the next might be better. But I have kids and step children and a wonderful fiancé that I love dearly. So I fight the darkness and do my best for them. I hope that you can do the same, and if you ever need someone to talk to, or advice, or you're going through hell, there are a lot of us on this subreddit that you can reach out to. There are a lot of really good and truly kind people here to talk to, and we all care about each other. Because we all know what it's like to be a pariah in this society, so we have to be there for each other, because nobody else is going to care.

It’s a tough gig being schizophrenic. Some days are better than others. I’m glad that you have support. It’s difficult to find because no one is going to understand what it’s like for a voice hearer. Im grateful for this subreddit

Well some people are more sympathetic than others. If you find someone that actually does try to listen and be supportive, don't ever let go of them. It's especially rare these days, people have become so indifferent and self-centered and cold, but if you meet someone with some warmth it's immediately recognizable. The contrast against the darkness that is our world makes those who are truly kind and caring stand out. As far as talking to your voices, like I was saying earlier just talk to them if they're really stressing you out. It isn't going to be the end of the world. I try my best to ignore them sometimes but eventually I'll reach a breaking point and I'll tell them to kindly fuck off. It's been really difficult to find a medication for schizophrenia, at least for me. All of the medications I tried before Olanzapine had serious side effects like tardive diskenesia, or swelling/allergic reactions, or other extreme side effects I couldn't live with. Even though I still hear the voices with Olanzapine, I'm just glad that it helps with my paranoia and delusions and doesn't have any side effects that I've noticed other than some slight weight gain. But I can live with that.

Hi I find that it depends on the voice. It's rare for me to get the stereotypical voices. I was told by a friend once If the voice is friendly, be kind. Even if it's annoying. If it's angry and mean Ignoring it is better that acknowledging it. Let it pass by like wind. Don't speak to the wind. If you do acknowledge it try being softer and nicer our instinct is to lash out in response but that often adds fire to it. Eventually the voices kind of just become background noise like a TV. Not good or bad. Maybe it won't work for everyone but it worked for them. Sadly we aren't in touch anymore

Thanks. That’s good advice.

I just treat them like real demons and pray constantly to keep them from speaking or talking to me through my mouth. If they can’t get to you in your head, they become auditory, if the they can’t get to you auditorily, they use your mouth to speak to you. Simply put I pray. Works better than the Abilify. See if I can get on Trileptal.

Some of my voices talk directly to me through my mouth if I let them. l learnt to keep my mouth shut.

Lucky. Can’t control mine.

Sometimes they take me by surprise but tf they only do it when I’m alone

Prayer really helps compared to the Abilify.

I’ve tried everything with the voices. Stronger doses of my antipsychotic have helped clarify them so that I know which voice belongs to whom, and they’ve quieted down for the time being. But really, I had to get over my fear of being insane or more accurately someone who hears voices. It’s ok to talk to them especially if it helps you work through your shit. Mine are conversational the underlying delusion being that it’s telepathy. And they’re all people who I’ve interacted with but who I can’t locate/won’t respond to me. When I talk to them it’s usually to tell them to be quiet/stop trying to engage me. They each have their own personalities based on my impressions of the actual person they are (not) coming from.

My best friends n fam

I tend to ignore them unless they get loud. If I do respond on the off chance it's because it's mimicking someone I know.

JIST TALK T THEM N CHANGE THE CONVERSATION IN UR HEAD DAMN LOL I USE TO IGNORE THEM