Coping with Hearing Voices by Rethink

Most people in modern-day western culture think of hearing voices as a clear sign of mental illness but it's as well to remember that not everyone shares this opinion. A report published by the British Psychological Society in (2000) claims that 10-15 % of the population hear voices or experience other hallucinations at some point in their life. However, only about 1 % of the population is given a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a similar number get a diagnosis of manic depression (often called 'bi-polar disorder'). In some other cultures hallucinations are thought of as spiritual gifts. So not everybody who hear voices is thought of as having a mental illness by themselves, their families or even the mental health services.

Hearing voices in itself may not necessarily be distressing. What really matters is the effect that hearing voices has upon the person's life. For some voice hearers the experience is highly distressing and disturbing and it has a negative impact upon their life. Voices can be critical, hostile and even result in suicide. For others the experience is not distressing; it can even be positive, comforting or inspiring. Sometimes, hearing voices becomes distressing in itself because of the way it is viewed by our culture and because of the way the media portray people who hear voices as dangerous to others, which is very rarely the case.

But many people who hear voices find themselves having to deal with a different world, which may at times be overwhelming and may shut out everything else. As a result reasoning may be almost taken away, making it difficult or even impossible to go about life without being affected by such penetrating and confusing experiences.

What are the voices?

Using brain imaging techniques (ie using a brain scanner), researchers can see which parts of the brain are active during different tasks. So, using these brain imaging techniques researchers can see which parts of the brain are active whilst you are experiencing psychotic symptoms, such as hearing voices. This shows that when you are hearing voices part of the brain, called Broca's area, is active. This is the same area that is active when a person without psychosis makes inner speech, such as when reciting a poem to themselves. This shows that the voices originate within the brain, in just the same way inner speech is generated. The difference is that with hallucinations (e.g. voices) the auditory cortex is also activated. The auditory cortex is normally active when we are listening to sounds, such as somebody talking. So, when you have hallucinations of hearing voices, Broca's area and the auditory cortex are both active, making it seem like the voices are coming from outside. Whereas, in inner speech (such as silently reciting a poem to oneself) only the Broca's area is active and we recognize it as our own silent speech.

See the rest of the article, including strategies for coping, here.

Vets and Depression

* An estimated 9.3 percent of veterans aged 21 to 39 (312,000 persons) experienced at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.

* Among veterans aged 21 to 39 with past year MDE, over half (51.7 percent) reported severe impairment in at least one of four role domains (i.e., home management, work, close relationships with others, and social life), and nearly one quarter (23.5 percent) reported very severe impairment in at least one of the domains.

* More than half (59.6 percent) of veterans aged 21 to 39 who experienced past year MDE received treatment for depression in the past year.


Recent research indicates that an estimated 25 to 30 percent of the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive condition. Untreated mental health problems can result in long-term negative consequences for the affected individuals, their families, their communities, and our Nation as a whole.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions about military veteran status, major depressive episode (MDE), and treatment for depression. This issue of The NSDUH Report examines data from veterans aged 21 to 39, an age group that includes veterans with relatively recent service.

Read the rest here.

The wolf you may know

"WHEN YOU SAY THE WORD "sociopath" most people think of serial killers. But although many serial killers are sociopaths, there are far more sociopaths leading ordinary lives. Chances are you know a sociopath. I say "ordinary lives," but what they do is far from ordinary. Sociopaths are people without a conscience. They don't have the normal empathy the rest of us take for granted. They don't feel affection. They don't care about others. But most of them are good observers, and they have learned how to mimic feelings of affection and empathy remarkably well.

Most people with a conscience find it very difficult to even imagine what it would be like to be without one. Combine this with a sociopath's efforts to blend in, and the result is that most sociopaths go undetected.

Because they go undetected, they wreak havoc on their family, on people they work with, and on anyone who tries to be their friend. A sociopath deceives, takes what he (or she) wants, and hurts people without any remorse. Sociopaths don't feel guilty. They don't feel sorry for what they've done. They go through life taking what they want and giving nothing back. They manipulate and deceive and convincingly lie without the slightest second thought. They leave a path of confusion and upset in their wake.

Who are these people? Why are they the way they are? Apparently it has little to do with upbringing. Many studies have been done trying to find out what kind of childhood leads to sociopathy. So far, nothing looks likely. They could be from any kind of family. It is partly genetic, and partly mystery." (read more of this article here.)

So here's a little test... actually a question devised by a psychologist to see who thinks like a sociopath. Read the question carefully and give it some thought.

A woman, while attending her own mother's funeral, meets a man. She has never set eyes on him before and yet she finds him to be delightful. She is sure he is 'the one.' But somehow he leaves the funeral before she can get his number, or even his last name. A few days later, she murders her sister. SOOOO, what was her motive for killing her sister.

You'll have to check the comment thread to get the answer... and if you get it right, please let me know (so I can block your email.....:)

Read The Sociopath Next Door last year.... chilling.....

Help Prevent Overdose Deaths in WA State

The rate of overdose deaths in Washington State has been steadily climbing in recent years. According to the Washington State Department of Health, in 1999 there were 403 unintentional drug poisoning deaths in this state; by 2006, the number had increased to 707. Drug overdose is the second leading cause of injury death in the United States, behind only motor vehicle accidents and ahead of firearms.

Most drug overdose deaths are preventable through timely medical attention. Researchers consistently identify fear of arrest or police involvement as the most significant barrier to people calling 911 when they think a friend may be experiencing an overdose. We should encourage people to get emergency medical help sooner by removing that obstacle.

Washington should take the modest step of providing limited immunity from drug charges to people who seek medical assistance during an overdose situation. A human life is just too great a loss.

Take action on House Bill 1796 and Senate Bill 5516.

Hypothesis Re: the Rise of Recognised Mental Disorders

The New York Times recently published an article on the evolving Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM is the official source for psychologists who are diagnosing patients with mental disorders. The article points out that the number of disorders in the manual has more than doubled since the 1950s:

Hypothesis One: The DSM reflects an increasingly sophisticated and exhaustive compendium of all possible mental disorders.

Hypothesis Two: More psychological disorders = more people diagnosed with mental disorders = more money is siphoned off to hospitals, treatment centers, drug companies, mental health professionals, social workers, school counselors, etc. (Scientists who are currently working on the next version of the DSM have agreed to restrict their income from drug makes to $10,000 a year or less.)

Hypothesis Three: We are an increasingly rationalized society and all things are becoming increasingly listed, compiled, organized, and annotated.

Hypothesis Four: What is considered a “problem” depends on the social context. (”Homosexuality” used to be in the DSM, but it isn’t any longer.) Perhaps a shift in the last 50 years has created a social context that is less tolerant of difference, more insistent upon happiness, or requires a more compliant citizen.

Hypothesis Five: Grassroots activists get together and lobby scientists to include disorders in the DSM so that they can raise awareness and money for research.

What do you think?

Thanks to Sociological Images for this post and check out my comment!