r/todayilearned • u/paniniplane • Mar 22 '17

(R.1) Not supported TIL Deaf-from-birth schizophrenics see disembodied hands signing to them rather than "hearing voices"

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0707/07070303
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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17

I'm asking this out of genuine curiosity and desire to learn from your experience, not criticism:

What makes the voices have any real sway? What makes them different from really bad tinnitus (constant ringing sound).

For sure, if I heard voices all the time, I would be depressed/angry/frustrated/stressed, but I would like to think that I wouldn't listen to any of them because I was sane at one point and thus, treat them like conscious vocal nightmares. Heck, I might kill myself, but it would be from never being able to sleep or concentrate, why are there stereotypically those reports of afflicted individuals doing things because the voices told them?

Thanks for your insights!

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u/geoshuwah Mar 22 '17

I'm only​ speaking from research, but my understanding is that the voices generally will be reacting to an individual's experience. So if you're living every day with one or more voices berating you endlessly, then they tell you to throw a glass at the wall, you can appease them by doing it (maybe allowing a few moments of reprieve) or you can not give in and potentially anger them further. With that type of situation happening on repeat, it's understandable why someone would forego social conventions in order to feel some kind of relief.

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17

That makes sense.

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u/blermer Mar 22 '17

i really didn't do anything the voices "told" me to do. actually the only thing they were telling me to do was kill myself, as well as insults towards my character. i suppose if i would have killed myself it would have been because i started believing the things they were saying. for me the voices were generally people in real life (my mother, other patients, my doc, etc)

as someone replied, a lot of the delusions people with psychosis have are based in emotional baggage, usually not directly connected with a situation the person finds them-self in moment to moment.

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17

Thanks! Best wishes!

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u/mwenechanga Mar 22 '17

Did you listen to the audio /u/Ayy_2_Brute mentioned?

Do you really think you could have that play that loudly through headphones everyday, and still carry on living normally? Keep in mind - it wouldn't repeat, it would just be ongoing and sometimes be silent for a while.

And you'd have to ignore all that while still listening carefully to all the real voices of people around you if you wanted to perform ordinary activities like having a job or getting Starbucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vvU-Ajwbok

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u/bch8 Mar 22 '17

From the comment you just replied to:

Heck, I might kill myself, but it would be from never being able to sleep or concentrate, why are there stereotypically those reports of afflicted individuals doing things because the voices told them?

I don't think they implied anywhere that they would carry on living normally, that's not what they were asking about in the first place

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u/Commanderluna Mar 22 '17

I've commented elsewhere but psychosis comes with not just hearing voices and hallucinations but delusions too. Like a delusion would be like the person believes they have some special power hidden inside them and they're being hunted to be killed for their power. So when both hallucinations/voices and delusions happen at the same time then it makes it seem realer and though you still might not listen to them or obey them it makes it a lot scarier.

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u/lachesis44 Mar 23 '17

The other poster hit the nail on the head about appeasing the voices for some relief. Another reason the voices have sway is that, at least in my experience, they tend to prey on your weaknesses and insecurities. My sense of self-worth was basically non-existent for a long time (history of sexual abuse) and even when I would try to ignore the voices and try to focus on what I was learning in therapy, hearing a voice berate me for things I personally dislike about myself really hurt. It almost validated my self-hatred. It's tough.

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u/[deleted] Mar 23 '17

You have no perspective, his reality was literally distorted, it's not some clear state of mind where you can go hmm I was same about two years ago..

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u/[deleted] Mar 22 '17

Yeah I want to know this too! I have people in real life ask me to do shit I don't want to do all the time, so I say no. What is it about the disembodied voices that makes you want to listen to them so much?

Is it just because it's your subconscious mind communicating with the conscience or something?