I started hearing voices and originally did not realise that they weren't real until I got COVID-19. Then I started hearing a lot more voices. This is when I realised that what I had been hearing for several months prior to getting COVID-19 may not have been real.
But who could I tell? I was too scared of going to see the doctor for help as I had seen what happens to people when they get sectioned, and I did not want this to happen to me. So a lot of time had passed, I was still hearing voices and had started to have some very unusual beliefs.
A family member realised that I was not myself and got me to go to counselling. I wasn't sure how counselling would cure me from hearing voices, but I knew that talking to someone about what I was experiencing might help me get a better understanding of what was going on with me. I was also very lucky in that my counsellor was an ex-employee of Rethink Mental Illness and had a very good understanding of what mental health support was out there, which put me at ease.
Finding Support Through Counselling
I found the group to be very welcoming and supportive. The counselling service which I attended got in touch with my GP and assured me that I would not be sectioned. It was after my original appointment with a mental health professional that I received a text message notifying me about a hearing voices group. From then on everything started to change for the better.
Originally I thought, "What would they think of me?" But here was a group of people whose stories were not too dissimilar to mine. It was a safe space where I could go, and the first time I spoke about what I had been experiencing to the group felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I certainly felt freer from the voices. I found the group to be very welcoming and supportive; there was no one there judging me, and people would share helpful advice, tips, and coping strategies on managing their mental health.
Experiences with the Hearing Voices Group
I found Gavin, the group lead, very informative and easy to talk to, as well as two of the volunteers. Each time I attended the group, I felt better about myself and less anxious about my voices. I was also learning not to give power to the voices, which was really helping me.
Each time I attended the group, I felt better about myself and less anxious about my voices. The group kindly gave attendees a copy of the book "Living with Voices: 50 Stories of Recovery." Having read it, I felt like there was a lot of hope, something which I had not felt for quite some time. Despite not being given the opportunity to work with the voices to see if this would help me, I slowly started to feel them have less power through things I had learned from the group.
Progress and Personal Growth
I have now reached the point where I have made peace with them. Although I still hear them, I am no longer anxious or interested in what they are saying. I know that I may hear them for the rest of my life, but they no longer worry or have any power over me.
My only disappointment about the hearing voices group was that I did not find them sooner when I was at my worst, but I am so glad that I did, as who knows where my life might have gone. I still go to the group, and I find everyone who attends very inspiring, particularly being able to talk about their mental health so openly.
Living with Hope
Looking back, the journey from fear and uncertainty to hope and acceptance has been transformative. The hearing voices group gave me a safe space, understanding peers, and strategies that helped me reclaim control over my mental health. I no longer feel powerless against the voices. Instead, I have found peace, resilience, and community through shared experiences.