Hearing Voices or Hallucinations

Do you hear or see things that are not there?

Sometimes people can hear or see things that are not real during childhood or if they are really stressed about something such as a bereavement or family separation. Your thoughts can even feel and sound like a voice in your head. However, if your thoughts are scary, intimidating or start to have a negative impact on your life, it is important to seek help. The ‘Hearing voices’ booklet is a helpful guide for parents and young people.

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. This usually involves:

1. Hallucinations – seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear
2. Delusions – believing things that are not actually true.

The combination of hallucinations and delusions can cause people distress and lead to unusual behaviour. You might experience psychosis if you have a serious mental health condition such as schizophrenia. Psychosis can also be triggered by:

• a traumatic experience
• stress
• drug or alcohol misuse
• side effects of prescribed medicine
• a physical condition, such as a brain tumour

If you are experiencing hallucinations and delusions, it is important to get help as soon as you can.