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Hearing voices is common, with four per cent of the general population experiencing it at any given time. People usually take medication in order to reduce or stop the voices but that does not mean that you cannot help yourself too. As well as medical treatment, earning to control the voices or using ’distraction’ techniques can help you to focus on other things and to get on with your life.
Things that could help you be more in control of the voices include:
1. Setting aside a certain time in the day to listen to the voices and trying not to listen to them at other times
2. Talking back to the voices
3. Talking to someone else about the experience
4. Listening to music. This can be particularly helpful if the music is played on a personal stereo and you can concentrate on the music instead of the voices
5. Playing an instrument
6. Playing a game, anything from chess to snooker
7. Singing
8. Using earplugs. Strange but true, this can really work sometimes
9. Watching television or listening to the radio
10. Reading, particularly reading aloud
11. Humming
12. Chewing gum has also recently been reported to be helpful
You may find your experience of hearing voices pleasurable and therefore you may not want to be distracted or to block them out. Some people feel that hearing voices is a valuable experience. It can be very spiritual and can help people to develop and recognise problems in their past which they may have denied or tried to ignore. If you do wish to explore your voices further it may help to talk about your experiences with other sympathetic people. This can help you feel less isolated.
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