Working with voices in mental illness
In dissociative disorders these ‘alters’ can be friend or foe and its important to work with the foes to befriend them and help them be at peace
…either way these are usually ‘ego syntonic’… parts of ‘self’ however estranged… but with voices in schizophrenia these are experienced not from within one’s head but from outside of one’s head… more ‘ego dystonic’ (something external and foreign)… so these can be terrifying, dominating, compete with daily life, and though some like the woman below learn to work with their schizophrenia without medication others may still need medication to manage it… and then there will be folks with both dissociative disorders and associated alters inside their head, and schizophrenia with voices coming from outside their heads… this is why its never one size fits all and dangerous to take that path.
Polly Samuel (aka ‘Donna Williams’)
Author, artist, consultant and presenter.
http://www.donnawilliams.net
I acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of this country throughout Australia, and their connection to land and community.
