Hearing Voices Network: A New Approach
Hearing voices has been regarded by psychiatry as ‘auditory hallucinations’ and in many cases a symptom of schizophrenia. However, not everyone who hears voices has a diagnosis of schizophrenia. There are conflicting theories from psychiatrists, psychologists and voice hearers about why people do hear voices. Although the Hearing Voices Network is open to many diverse opinions we accept the explanation of each individual voice hearer.
Traditionally, the usual treatment for voice hearing has been major tranquillisers, administered to reduce the experience. However, not everyone responds to this treatment. There are some mental health workers who now work with people who hear voices using talking therapies and exploring the meaning of the voices. Although this is not yet ‘the norm’, this practice is increasing. As the improvement in individuals who are encouraged to talk about their voices becomes more apparent, an increasing number of health professionals are beginning to understand that the key to understanding voices lies in the ‘content’ of the voices.
The aim of meeting as a group is to support one another by talking freely together about our voice hearing experiences, and support anyone seeking to understand, learn, cope and grow from them in their own way. We recognise that confidentiality is a very important issue in order to create a safe atmosphere for people to be able to talk freely in the group. We all understand that what is said in the group stays there and will not be discussed elsewhere. We hope that all members of the group feel comfortable enough to talk about their experiences, but we believe that everyone has the right to be silent and should not feel under any pressure to speak if they do not want to.
Structure of BHVN meetings
The current structure of the BHVN group meeting is that the first fifteen minutes are spent gathering in a social atmosphere tea and coffee is provided. We then have a focussed discussion on the issues around hearing voices, and / or intrusive thoughts for about an hour and then have a final fifteen minutes winding down, clearing up and possibly planning for further social gatherings. The facilitator for the weekly group is Don Swift. We have agreed that the facilitator is not there to lead the discussion, but rather to enable the group members to have the opportunity to use the group for support around the issues involved. They might act as timekeepers, reminding members of the general ground rules and trying to keep the discussion focussed on the issues involved.
No referral necessary: just turn up!
Download our latest leaflet (MS Word doc):
Part one and Part two