Stories

Hi,

I found the Hearing Voices Group changed my life.

The staff were very patient and understanding. Everybody within the group were very supportive. During the 8 week course I learnt new ways to Challenge the voices and ignore the voices. I have found they now leave me alone. Or when they do return I challenge the voices until they leave.
I would like to thank Paula Edwards for being such a great support.

Rockingham Voices Group Member
After 8 weeks.

Dear Hearing Voices Network,

 I would like to say that I'm a 35 year old man who's a hearing voices group volunteer and a keen resident of a Richmond Fellowship Service.  My name is Paul F and I am an adopted Australian citizen and have a west Indian origin and background. I have been going to the Richmond Fellowships meeting of Hearing Voices for about 6 months now and have learnt quite a lot of good and bad information from each and every resident and each and every staff member included because of the important get togethers we've been having. 

My opinion about these talking sessions are very highly classified in standard and progression. I think we should continue these events of a positive stature for a continuous regime of about another 12 months successfully.  People have learnt so much about hearing voices at these groups as I've recognized on a regular weekly basis.  They have expressed their inner strengths, personal problems and highs and lows and this has given everybody a different philosophy to valid and memorable discussions concerning mental conditions or illnesses.

I simply praise this form of verbal invention organisation as well as association and without a doubt encourage many more talking occurrences to happen and hopefully extremely successful in all aspects possible. 

Paul F
HV Group Member WA

Hi,

I have got a lot out of the Hearing Voices Group. How to use the strategies and which ones I found the most useful and were to use them for my personal c comfort.
Some times in some groups I find it hard to express my self or tell the other members at that time what I am experiencing.

I have found friendship in the group and trust among them. I feel confident with the group members, and I hope they feel the same about me.

I would like the Hearing Voices Group to continue on in 2007.

Rockingham, Voices Group Member

Hi there,

I have been hearing voices for the last 6 years - there were 4 lots of them: tinny computer voices, a dominant male voice, a nice female voice, and a bunch of monks chanting in the background.  I have been attending hearing voices groups now for about a year now, and have learnt a lot from them. 

Coping skills I use include distraction to take my mind off the voices, aromatherapy to relax me, and lately I have taken to write down what the voices say to me.  It has been interesting to note that since I started writing down what the voices say, they have not bothered me that much.  My voices have also changed.  I don't hear the male voice, and the female voice anymore, and the tinny voices have changed to normal people's voices, but who they are I don't know.  I still hear the monks chanting in the background from time to time.  I think hearing voices groups are a valuable thing, assisting in coping with voices, and being able to talk about them without being looked at as if you have some strange disease.  I now facilitate 2 groups, and really enjoy doing so. I'd like to encourage all voice hearers to attend the groups as they are extremely beneficial.

Marlene
Co-Facilitator Freo Voices Group, & Armadale Group,
Project Officer Hearing Voices Network Australia

Hi,

I have found the Hearing Voices Group a good support socially and through weekly life with comforts such as sharing voices stories and ways of dealing with voices. This made me feel that I wasn't  the only one.

Thanks also to Ron Coleman who came over and shared his story.

Rockingham, Voices Group Member

Dear Hearing Voices Network,

Looking back, the Fremantle Hearing Voices Group has come a long way from when it was a mere idea, borne at the Bassendean Hearing Voices Group.  A new group was seeded at the Fremantle site, open and welcome to all, serving as a 'holding' group until we could relocate to a more appropriate setting in the New Year. With the arrival of 2007, the Hearing Voices Group relocated to the June O'Connor Centre Fremantle.  It was here, that Marlene and Natalia (group co-facilitators) were joined by Jay (June O'Connor Centre) to support the new Hearing Voices Group.  Not only are we happy to say that a few 'original' members have followed us to our new location, but we also warmly welcome a few new faces to the group!  Positive feedback following the first group was embraced by the facilitators, reinforcing the knowledge that the Hearing Voices Groups are an important and valuable forum for voice hearers to feel supported and heard.

Cheers for now.        
Nat (2007)

Dear Hearing Voices Network,

In August 2006, I attended a 2 day "Working with Voices" Workshop. Ron Coleman was the facilitator at the workshop, and was brought to Perth by Richmond Fellowship of WA Inc.
I got a book which I filled out. I had Jackie, a staff member from Bassendean Richmond Fellowship to work with.  I put down what was my dreams which was to write for a newspaper and doing a creative writing course.

Also, I put down that I hear 13 voices, people I knew, saying both negative and positive things to me. I also, put in my book that I can hear 2 voices who say negative things to me to go away.

I got a lot out of the 2 day workshop, I put in a lot of work and got a lot out of it. We had food provided, lunch etc. Ron Coleman is a well known speaker from Scotland, that has traveled through all the world. I happen to like Ron as he has recovered and is moving on even if he still hears voices.

Phil, (Perth WA),  17 January 2006

Dear Hearing Voices Network,

I have been attending the Hearing Voices Group since the 26 July 2006 to the present and I have am well on the way in developing a good relationship with the two "Thought Based People in My Mind". DB1 and DB2 ... All three of us get along quite nicely most of the time except we have our disagreements, like any relationships that have been through a lot.

The groups allow me to listen to other 'thought' hearers and 'voice' hearers experiences, and allow me to express myself as well (DB1 and DB2 have to express through me DB3). I really like the fact the Mental Health Consumer as well as a worker are able to give advice as this is a very important part of the group interaction, and the building of new relationships with like minded people.  I enjoy being able to talk about imagery and the spiritual world especially.  The group is held in a safe environment and there is a good sense of humor element as well. The workers and Mental Health consumers are very supportive and friendly and the structure of the group is simple and effective.

I always go away from the group knowing I have solved an issue or expressed a beautiful spiritual experience or learnt a strategy to tackle an evil spiritual experience.  I plan to be a part of this amazing group for a long time to come.

Deano (Perth WA)
20 September 2006

Hi All

I am looking for a place [   ] where someone can stay and be monitored with kindness without the current psychiatric treatment as such (drugging and ECT etc). A place that looks at a person undergoing an 'episode' without fearing them but understanding them. Where nutrition is looked at as well as their life (when they are ready).

A place to recoup from an emotional episode, shout and scream if necessary without being drugged down to zombie state and to be able to get over an immediate trauma in pleasant aesthetic surroundings.

Is there such a place? If not shouldn't there be?

All the best   
Ms Inquisitive

My Hearing Voices Group has helped me get my life back, it has been simply amazing to connect with others, who, like me, hear voices. I did not realize how many people feel like me. I now feel less alone and have hope in my future.

Anonymous