I'm worried about hallucinations and the voices I am hearing
Hearing voices is a form of hallucination that can be traumatic, frightening and stressful. It's essential you get help as soon as possible.
You may have hallucinations if you:
- hear sounds or voices that nobody else hears
- see things that are not there like objects, shapes, people or lights
- feel touch or movement in your body that is not real like bugs are crawling on your skin or your internal organs are moving around.
- smell things that do not exist
- taste things that only you feel are not pleasant or is strange
- think that your body is moving like flying or floating when it is not.
Hallucinations can be caused by many different health conditions that affect the senses.
What to do
It's essential that you find out what's causing you to hear voices so it's important you get medical help as soon as possible. Speak to your GP as soon as possible. While the hallucinations may not be unpleasant or currently cause you any problems, they could be the symptoms of serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia.
Your GP will work with you to attempt to identify the cause of your hallucinations. As part of the process you may need to speak to a psychiatrist. While it can be difficult to discuss things like hearing voices, you need to be as honest an open as you can.
There are many reasons you may experience hallucinations, but the sooner you understand why, the sooner you can receive treatment.
If you are in crisis call 111 and select the mental health option or visit urgent help for more information.