Voices and mental illnessVoices and mental illness
All In The Mind
The latest research shows that hearing voices is not just experienced by people with schizophrenia and psychosis. We follow up on last week’s ‘inner voices’ programme by exploring what hallucinations can tell us about mental illness.
28:49•26 Jun 2016
Hearing Voices: What Hallucinations Reveal About Mental Illness
Episode Overview
- Hearing voices is common and can occur in many conditions, not just schizophrenia or psychosis.
- Childhood and adult trauma, including abuse, are strongly linked to later hallucinations.
- Anxiety and other common mental health issues can slightly increase the likelihood of hallucinations.
- Many people benefit from combining medication, psychological therapies, social support and peer groups.
- Hearing voices or having a diagnosis does not have to define a person’s capacity to live a meaningful, contributing life.
“I say good morning to my voices. And I embrace them now in a relationship with kindness and the dignity and respect that they deserve.”
What can we learn from those who have battled unusual experiences like hearing voices? This episode of All In The Mind takes you into the lived reality of hallucinations and how they connect to mental illness, without drama or scare tactics. You’ll hear from Kiko Ranawaki, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 21 and now lives with three main voices she’s named Damien, Dominic and Michael.
She describes the fear and confusion of her early psychosis, the way voices can feel like constant interruptions, and how past trauma, including sexual abuse, seems to echo through what those voices say. Her story shifts from terror to something more balanced, as she explains how she now greets her voices in the morning and tries to treat them "with kindness and the dignity and respect that they deserve".
Psychiatrist and epidemiologist Professor John McGrath brings large-scale research to the table, explaining that hallucinations are far more common than once assumed, and can show up with conditions like anxiety, depression, substance use, dementia and Parkinson’s disease, as well as in bereavement and even in people who are otherwise functioning well.
He breaks down how hearing voices isn’t automatically a sign of schizophrenia, and why questions like "have you ever heard a voice that no one else could hear?" can flag distress and risk of self-harm. Cognitive neuroscientist Professor Flavie Waters explains what might be happening in the brain, from spontaneous sensory signals to a frontal lobe that starts paying too much attention to "noise".
She also touches on the international hearing voices movement and how many people benefit from combining medication, psychological therapies and peer support. If you’ve ever wondered whether hearing voices means you’re losing your mind, or you’re supporting someone who’s struggling with frightening experiences, this episode offers grounded research and real-life strategies to think about. Could a different relationship with symptoms be part of a more hopeful path forward?
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