Auditory Hallucinations: What do they mean?

Many of us remain concerned with increasing sound pollution and complain about so many audio stimuli in the environment. Imagine the condition of the people who have to face the situation of hearing voices in their head in addition to all the sounds coming from their surroundings. Yes, this is what happens in the case of unfortunate people who are victims of auditory hallucinations. These people perceive voices that are not there for real but coming from their own head. 

Voices that are coming from one’s own head

Among hallucinations of all kinds, it is the auditory hallucinations that are most common. People suffering from mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are the ones who hear voices inside their head. Sometimes there is a single voice talking to these people but in other cases there are multiple voices talking and even giving commands. All this begins in the form of whisperings and mumbling but as mental disorder takes root, these voices become audible and very clear. The patient becomes confused at first as he believes these are voices coming from outside but when he sees no one around; he accepts the reality and finds himself in a very unpleasant condition. He has nowhere to go but to keep listening to these voices that are often accusatory and abusive. 

No way of escaping from these voices

In most cases of auditory hallucinations, victim says, ‘I am constantly hearing voices in my head’. This is a clear indication that he is suffering from a mental disorder. If you are a normal individual, you cannot imagine what it is like to be listening to voices coming from your own head. It is a virtual nightmare and the lives of these people become a living hell. Soon, people suffering from these hallucinations find themselves interacting with the voices coming from their head.  To all the people who are normal, an individual taking to himself appears to be abnormal. But to the victim, the voices are real and talking to him or about him and he has no way of escaping these voices. 

Auditory hallucinations force victims to do things as told by these voices. These people often do things they would never even imagine doing in their lives because they are often threatened by the voices that they would kill him if he does not oblige. The method of treatment of such individuals is to give them tranquilizers but this approach does not seem to work. Patients are now being taught to give space to these voices and listen to them but learn not to obey them.

Understanding Psychosis Symptoms

Psychosis is a word that conjures up images of insane people, talking to themselves and not responding to people in their surroundings. Psychosis is not a specific disease but an umbrella term that is used to refer a wide range of conditions that can affect an individual. However, in general, it is a condition where there is some loss of contact with the reality as the individual remains preoccupied with himself, unaware of his surroundings. The behaviour, perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of individuals suffering from psychosis get changed significantly and they can be easily identified among normal people. 

Wide ranging symptoms 

People suffering from psychosis exhibit a wide variety of symptoms depending upon their severity of illness and circumstances in their lives. However, all these psychosis symptoms can be broadly classified under four categories.

• Hallucinations involving 5 senses
• Delusions involving beliefs that are untrue and bizarre
• Disturbed though process
• Strange behaviour lacking insight

Psychosis patients withdraw into a world of their own

People who experience psychotic disorders develop symptoms that belong to three phases that begin with social withdrawal and loss of energy. However, not all victims of psychosis show symptoms of three phases. Patients complain of a weak memory and lack of concentration. They experience emotional changes and show anger and irritability without any reason. They suffer from anxiety and sleep disturbances. They become suspicious of other people and things and have a feeling that something is not right and others are hatching conspiracies against them. 

Lack of emotions and insight

Psychosis patients become apathetic and do not show their true emotions to others. They start to speak less and less and withdraw to an imaginary world of their own. They become devoid of ideas and lack insight of a normal individual. They do not feel enjoyment in anything in the real world and lack motivation and drive. Many psychosis patients develop suicidal tendencies and some of them start substance abuse. Many of them experience sleep disturbances and find difficulty in functioning normally. 

Broadly speaking, psychosis is a mental disorder that results from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It has been found that brains of people suffering from psychosis undergo chemical and structural changes and there is a general reduction in the amount of gray matter inside the brain. New scientific studies have revealed that the symptoms of psychosis are triggered by antibodies that are produced in the brain in response to some of the proteins.