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Practical Strategies For Managing Voices

The document outlines practical strategies for managing auditory hallucinations, including distraction techniques, auditory stimulation, vocal activity, physical stimulation, and cognitive exercises. Techniques such as naming objects, engaging in enjoyable activities, listening to music, and practicing reasoning can help reduce the distress caused by voices. For more strategies, the WA Hearing Voices Network website is recommended for further resources.

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beth hamill
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43 views2 pages

Practical Strategies For Managing Voices

The document outlines practical strategies for managing auditory hallucinations, including distraction techniques, auditory stimulation, vocal activity, physical stimulation, and cognitive exercises. Techniques such as naming objects, engaging in enjoyable activities, listening to music, and practicing reasoning can help reduce the distress caused by voices. For more strategies, the WA Hearing Voices Network website is recommended for further resources.

Uploaded by

beth hamill
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING VOICES

Following are some practical strategies that can be used to help you control voices
or at least reduce the interference and distress they may cause. The advantage of
gaining control over voices is that it can help to reduce any associated fear. For
more strategies please visit the WA Hearing Voices Network website:
https://www.rw.org.au/community-services/hearing-voices-network-of-wa/

Technique Helpf Comments (ie


ul? when
helpful/unhelpful
)
Distraction
 Naming objects – One useful method of distracting Y□
your attention is to spend one minute looking around N□
the room and naming and describing all the objects
that you see.
 Being with others - Being around other people, Y□
playing games or just talking can distract your N□
attention from the voices.
 Engage in enjoyable activities – choose activities Y□
that absorb all of your attention. N□
 Using aversive distracters – Using aversive
distracters (e.g. cold water face plunge, holding ice, Y□
taking a hot / ice cold shower, eating a sour lemon) N□
can be useful to move your attention away from the
voice and onto something else.

Auditory Stimulation
 MP3 player - Listening to music through Y□
headphones has been found to be very effective for N□
lots of people. It is thought to work two ways,
1. Music that is relaxing can decrease stress
levels,
2. The music can be distracting and ‘drown out”
the voices. Y□
 Earplugs – Earplugs can be used to distort the N□
sound coming into your ears from external sources
e.g.; people talking to you. To overcome this, your
brain works harder to focus on the external noise
and so, less attention is paid to any internal thoughts
or voices. Y□
Vocal Activity N□
 Speak to someone Y□
 Singing, hum, or talking under your breath – N□
Singing or talking to yourself can help by
interrupting auditory hallucinations and will draw Y□
less attention if done quietly rather than out aloud. N□
 Read out loud
Physical stimulation or reduction
 Relaxation – Reducing your stress levels will also Y□
help to reduce any hallucinations. Try slow breathing N□
(4 seconds in, 4 seconds out)
 Exercise – Exercise or physical activity has many Y□
positive benefits, including; positive effects on your N□
mood and reduced tension.
Cognitive exercises
Y□
 Reasoning – Reasoning can be done to set limits on
N□
voices. Try for instance limit listening to the voice to
a specific time “voices, you can only talk to me after
dinner”. You will need to keep repeating this.
Y□
 Selective listening – practice ignoring or
N□
dismissing the voice when they say something
negative (ie “I am not going to listen to you when you
say those things”) and talking to them – even
thanking them – when they say something kind.
Other strategies
Y□
 _____________________________________________________
N□
 _____________________________________________________
Y□
 _____________________________________________________
N□
Y□
N□

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