However, the Dutch study says children in the second year of the research were more likely to have fewer symptoms and to need less psychiatric treatment. The children are aged eight to 18. The researchers said many of the voice-hearing experiences were triggered by stressful circumstances, such as sexual abuse, moving home or bereavement. They believe that understanding the cause of the condition and dealing with it sensitively can reduce the symptoms dramatically. It has traditionally been thought that hearing voices was a symptom of schizophrenia.
Patients are usually prescribed tranquillisers.
We must also accept that we cannot change the voices. Therefore to assist people to cope we should not give them therapy that does not work. We should let people decide for themselves what helps or not. It takes time for people to accept that hearing voices is something that belongs to them. He believes people who hear voices need to understand their condition and see it in a positive way.