while I don’t normally hear voices in a conventional, audible sense, I do receive what seems like thoughts where people or “beings” seem to be thinking in my head. I don’t “hear” them as they don’t really make a sound but I can distinguish the tone and sound of whose voice it is…without actually hearing any real sound if that makes any sense. It’s kind of like when I think to myself in my mind it still “sounds” like me but doesn’t make a sound.
But yes they can be very critical and it gets very frustrating. Responding with a joke seems to work most of the time, or I’ll just say sarcastically to them “yeah that’s me alright”. Sometimes calling the voices out on something makes them go away for a while too. Like I’ll be hearing my mother’s voice in my head and I’ll say to it “you’re not my mother” and sometimes that will work.
But what I’ve noticed is despite the similarities we may share us people with schizophrenia are experiencing our own unique set of symptoms much of the time and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.
Remain neutral, let them have their say without interrupting or arguing with them. Just acknowledge them when they start and occasionally nod, or say ok so they know you haven’t drifted off. After awhile, once the realize they haven’t wound you up and feel they are just wasting their breath, they will fade.
The key to is remain nonchalant, don’t get into it with them, but don’t ignore them. Agree slightly, even if they get ridiculous. Nothing upsets bullies more than someone who doesn’t react the way they need.
Eventually, they find someone else to get a reaction from.
The more I react to the voices the louder and more frequent they become. The more I ignore them, the more they fade. There is no appeasing voices. But ignore, or just drift off and don’t try to fight or argue with them and I hope you find that they get smaller and weaker.
I love waking up to the fact that they just aren’t real. For instance, when I thought they were really punishing me, in a better reality, it was only light hearted ridicule.
I do all I can to just ignore the voices. Other times I find myself just say something like yeah tell me something I don’t know already and more times than not they’ll shut up…for a while any way.