Hearing voices affects up to one in ten people, experts say

Between five and 10 percent of people hear voices that others cannot hear at some point in their lives, experts said at a conference in Linz on Friday. ORF reported that the event, organised by the Exit Sozial association for World Hearing Voices Day, aimed to challenge stigma and make the experience more widely understood.

Oana-Mihaela Iusco, who has heard voices for more than 30 years, described the toll it took on her, particularly when she was mocked at school. Today, she considers the voices a source of enrichment and has supported others with similar experiences for 10 years. She is a peer counsellor and a board member of Achterbahn Steiermark, and is part of the international hearing voices and recovery movement.

Many people do not speak about hearing voices because they fear being labelled “crazy” or excluded, Iusco said. Psychologist and psychotherapist Raphaela Irene Ulrich said possible triggers include stress, lack of sleep, traumatic experiences and substance use. Nearly half of all people believe they have heard the voice of a loved one again after that person’s death.

Hearing voices is not always a sign of psychosis. Studies indicate that more than half of people who hear voices are mentally healthy, while for others the experience can occur as part of psychosis, which involves a loss of contact with reality, said Christian Lang, a psychologist at Exit Sozial.

Voices can comment, hold conversations or be insulting and demeaning; some can also be positive and encouraging. Researchers have found that people who hear voices are not imagining the experience, the report said. Medication, psychotherapy and consciously engaging with the voices can help. The voices may not disappear, but talking about them and receiving support can make them easier to manage. Exit Sozial’s hearing voices self-help group in Linz offers a confidential space to share experiences and develop coping strategies.