This website is aimed at helping voice hearers come to terms with their voice-hearing.
They may have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and now hear voices or see things.
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A potential root cause of mental health has been found
Mental illness has been an enigma and point of confusion for many researchers and scientists. Despite medical advances, the root cause of mental illness has remained unknown.
Dr. Christopher Palmer, a Harvard professor of psychiatry, has been connecting the dots of thousands of research articles regarding the relationship between mental illness and mitochondrial dysfunction.
A pivotal moment in 2016 started the psychiatrist on a new path when he helped a patient with schizoaffective disorder lose weight. The patient not only suffered from severe mental illness but also low self-esteem due to the weight gain he experienced while on psychotropic medication.
Palmer relayed that he initially couldn’t believe switching to a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet could stop chronic auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions. He quickly started using this intervention in other patients and saw similar—sometimes even more dramatic—results.
This experience encouraged him to begin a scientific journey to understand how a change in diet could help severe mental illness.
Possible origins of the voices heard by voice hearers
Here are some possible origins of the voices heard by voice-hearers or people who have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
1. Subconscious mind
This is the cause most believed by psychiatry departments. Is Schizophrenia a Disorder of Consciousness?
2. External radio signals
This is a cause often believed by the experiencers of voice-hearing. The question is: why do only some people hear voices and not others if they are caused by radio signals?
3. Spiritual sources
A common experience of voice-hearers is to attribute the voices to angels, demons, or spiritual sources. This can be debilitating or inspiring, depending on if you believe the source if good or evil. Psychosis or Spiritual Emergence?
4. Future technology
The voices I hear sometimes imply they have been sent from the future back into the present. It would be virtually impossible to prove this, I believe.
5. Alien technology
Some voice-hearers believe in the possibility of alien civilisations being involved in the voices we hear.
Delusions of Technical Alien Control.
What do you think?
Leave a comment on what you think causes the voices we hear.
The best jobs for someone with schizophrenia
Are you wondering what kind of jobs a schizophrenic can do?
Here are 50 jobs you can do from home. Working from home can be a great comfort for those with schizophrenia.
1. Affiliate Marketer
Have you ever heard of affiliate marketing? It refers to market someone else products to earn a commission.
Let’s understand it with a simple example. Just imagine you have a website. You can refer a book or any other product listed on Amazon to the visitors of your website. If the visitor buys that product by clicking on your affiliate link, you will get a commission.
Affiliate is popular among people because it helps them earning with minimum start-up cost.
2. Baker/Chef/Caterer
Is cooking or baking your passion. If yes, what’s bad in earning by making it your side business? For instance, you can be a personal chef while fulfilling your catering needs from your kitchen.
Moreover, selling your cakes and other bakery stuff to neighbours, friends, online or local marketplaces is also a good idea.
3. Animator
Do you love art and the know-how to be creative to create visual effects and animation? If yes, working as a freelance animator is the best option for you. You can create visual effects and animation for video games, movies, television, and other media types.
You can earn from $25 to $106 per hour as an animator on freelance marketplaces such as Upwork.
4. Blogger
Another super idea to earn from home is blogging. It’s easy to start as well as inexpensive. You can write anything in blogging. It can be about your favourite food, music, or holiday site.
You can write all this stuff on your website to earn money. However, it may take time. So, you should be patient and consistent if you want to earn from blogging.
5. Bookkeeper
Some people believe that a CPA is a must to stat bookkeeping. But it’s not the fact. So you might be wondering how it is possible. Well, sign up on any online course or at community college to become an expert in bookkeeping.
You can start earning on the course completion. And surprisingly, your salary may reach up to $34,000.
6. Clinical Research Coordinator
As a clinical research coordinator, your duty would be to manage the clinical trial operations. Amazingly, you don’t need a Bachelor’s degree to do this job. Moreover, you can earn up to $48,000 as a clinical research coordinator.
7. Child Caregiver
Chile caregiver is a lucrative business idea that demands you to work from home. You can run this business for a few hours to the entire day at your convenience. However, you need permits and licenses to run this business without any issue.
8. Customer Service Representative
You can work as a customer service representative and earn up to $8-$15. It’s only possible if you have a reliable internet connection, landline, and most importantly, excellent communication skills.
9. Consulting
What could be easier to earn from your experiences? Yes, you’re reading right. Just share your knowledge in a specific area with others. For instance, you can help small businesses to earn more money as an accountant or lawyer.
Moreover, you can also help businesses in using specific software.
10. Copy Writing
Every business needs copy to boost its sales. But every business doesn’t know how to write a copy. So, if you know how to write a copy, the ball in is your court.
You can earn up to six figures by writing these sales copies while sitting home. In addition, you can take help from Upwork or Fiverr to find potential clients.
11. Data Entry
The data entry task may not be an interesting task for you. However, it doesn’t need any experience and helps you earn at a rate of $10 per hour.
12. Editing and Proofreading
If you have a firm grip on English, the proofreading and editing tasks are a piece of cake for you. You can work for companies like Book in a Box pay. These companies offer up to $20/h to proofreaders, book jacket designers, and editors.
13. E-commerce Store Owner
E-Commerce businesses rely on five different types of models. These models include subscriptions, white-labelling, manufacturing, wholesaling, and dropshipping.
You can launch your e-Commerce store quickly by taking help from various sites, such as WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify.
14. Film and Post Instructional Videos
Creating a YouTube channel and share something you’re an expert in is a good idea to earn. However, to earn money from YouTube, you need to enrol in the partner program of YouTube. It will help you earn $1-$2/1,000 views.
15. Event Planner
An organized and professional is always the choice of people to arrange a corporate event, birthday party, or wedding. However, if you are creative and love event planning, don’t think more and just start following your passion.
16. Graphic Designer
Most business keeps looking for designers to design the visual ads, websites, and logos. So, proper skills in this area can help you make a handsome monthly income. Moreover, with a higher skill level, you will get clients who are willing to pay higher.
17. Grant Writer
Nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and universities often apply for grants. The difficulty level of these writings demands talented writers. If you can write these grants well, you can earn $40,300-$67,000 in a year.
18. Instructor
Do you know how to maintain health with yoga? Or do you know musical instruments? If you have any skills, you can benefit people with your skill. And people will pay you to get benefits from you. You can arrange both online and in-person training. Isn’t it a superb idea?
19. Handmade Crafter
Do you have the skills to craft furniture and jewellery? If yes, Etsy Shop, where you can sell your crafts, can bring a lot of profit to you.
20. Online Juror
Attorneys often need feedback on their cases while preparing for trial. You can share your opinion with the attorneys to earn from $5 to $150.
21. Internet Security Specialist
An internet security specialist helps businesses to identify the security threats on networks. Besides, you will also be responsible install a data protection system and implement security standards.
A surge in this type of job is expected in the coming years due to rising concerns about online security.
22. Patent or Intellectual Property Lawyer
Many individuals need expert advice to protect their intellectual property and apply for a patent. If you’re a lawyer, it’s a golden opportunity for you to earn extra. This skill can help you make $112-$121 in an hour.
23. Online Tutor
Online teaching is the need of the hour in this critical time of pandemics. If you also have a passion for teaching and want to teach in flexible hours, consider online teaching.
You can use Skype or Zoom to teach. Moreover, pre-recorded sessions by Connections Academy and K12 can also help you in this regard.
24. Pet Groomer
Not everyone has a passion for styling and clean pets. But if you got this passion, Pet Groomer is the best business that you can run from your home.
25. Peer-to-Peer Lender
You can invest your money to get some interest. And the websites such as prosper and Lending Club could help you in this. These websites allow individuals and businesses to lend money.
26. Product Reviewer
Reviewing a product is also a good source of income. You can tell the pros and cons of a product that you’re using to your audience.
These reviews help people to make better buying decisions while making money for you. You can earn from $20,000-$95,000 with this home-based task.
27. Photographer/Videographer
Videography and photography can also help you earn. You might be wondering about the scope of photography skills when everyone has a camera on their phone. Well, photography is a skill, and not everyone is good at it.
Moreover, events such as weddings demand professional photographers. Besides, you can photograph nature or anything you want to sell on the sites such as Foap.
28. Realtor
If you have a real estate license in your state, you can go for a realty business. Moreover, you also have to construct a home to win the trust of a potential client. However, you don’t have to go to that home to show it to your client. Technology can help you in this.
29. Programmer
Learn any programming language and become an expert in it. This programming language will help you earn $61/h.
30. Renter
Does the basement of your home empty? Or do you not use your car much? If yes, why are you leaving these things spare? Just rent them and earn some extra cash.
31. Repairer
The talent to repair things such as computers, cars or bicycles could help you earn a good amount of money. But, firstly, you have to launch your service. And then you can do marketing to win some clients. So, if you already have resources and tools, it will not cost you much to start this business.
32. Social Media Manager
Do you spend the most time on Social media? If yes, you can be a social media manager. Many firms require social media managers to handle their social media accounts. On the other hand, some firms also want someone to create a complete social media marketing strategy.
33. Short Tasks
Short task refers to any task that you can complete quickly. For instance, the short task includes watching a video, taking a survey, and reviewing. Although you may not earn much from this, it’s an easy and fast way to make money from home.
34. Survey Taker
Surveys can’t help you make much money. However, you can make from $1 to $50 based on the time you spend reviewing products, answer questions, and taking an opinion poll. PayPal, points, or checks are the most common payment methods.
35. Stylist
A passion for fashion can help you work as an online stylist. Mostly online stylists earn $15/hour on average.
36. Become an Expert
These days, people are looking for online help to solve their problems. Besides, people prefer individuals rather than any large company to solve these issues.
Catalant is such a resource that hires an expert from $15-$280/hour.
37. Tax Preparer
You can be a tax preparer. However, it’s a seasonal job. Nevertheless, it can help you make more than $30,000. If you want to be in this business, make sure you register with IRS.
38. Telephone Nurse
Are you a registered nurse? If yes, you can work with health management companies such as UnitedHealth, Aetna, Humana, and health insurers. These companies may hire you for patient education; handle case management and treatment authorization.
39. Translator
Fluency in any other language can also benefit you a lot. So make this skill your power and start earning by translating the documents. Moreover, you can also become an interpreter.
40. Transcriptionist/Transcriber
As a transcriber, you have to carefully listen to audio such as medical dictations or lectures to type what you hear. You can earn up to $25/ hour for this entry gig.
41. Virtual Assistant
The position of a virtual assistant is ideal for you if you’re organized. You have to handle duties like calendar management, replying to emails, social media assistance, and data entry. You can earn $10-$15/hour as a virtual assistant.
42. Travel Agent
Although various travel sites could take your stress of planning a trip, it can still take time. In addition, lack of awareness about weather conditions takes the tourists to the travel agents to get the best deals and plan itineraries.
43. Virtual Recruiter
This job is similar to an in-house recruiter. The only difference is that you can work from anywhere you want. Another difference is that you may have to explore different websites to find a suitable employee for a particular position. You may also have to screen the applications and interview the right candidate.
44. Virtual Public Relations Representative
Some small and medium-sized firms lack the financial resources to hire a vice president of marketing, a dedicated chief marketing officer, or even hire a public relations company. However, they may be able to afford to hire a virtual public relations representative to handle tasks such as business promotion or crisis management.
45. Voice Acting
You can earn between $56- $72/ hour if you have a lovely voice.
46. Virtual Tutor
If you have substantial knowledge in a specific subject, coaching students over the phone or Skype might pay you $12- $35/hour.
47. Web Search Evaluator
Search engines pay people to examine search results to provide the most relevant services to the clients. You can earn from $12 to $15/ hour with little experience.
48. Web Developer
In this era of e-Commerce, website developers are in demand. If you’re an expert in website development, you can earn from $55,000 to $175,000 for building a website from scratch.
49. Writing Gigs
Businesses need written content, like eBooks, website copy, and blog posts. The demand for these services leads to thousands of writing gigs that can pay anywhere between $10 to $100/hour.
50. Website Tester
Businesses want their websites to be user-friendly and simple to navigate. For this purpose, they’ll give people directions on how to visit their website. Each test takes about 15-20 minutes on average. You’ll usually get paid $10 to $15 per exam in exchange.
This article originally appeared on introverts.org.
Within us are two wolves locked in a constant state of battle
There is an old story that is ascribed to the Cherokee. It captures how to amplify the voices that encourage us to be the best version of ourselves and quiet the voices that spew doubt, fear, and shame.
It goes something like this.
A grandfather was walking with his grandson through the woods, sharing the wisdom he had gleaned throughout his 73 years. Holding the young boy’s hand, the old man began. “Within us,” he said, “are two wolves locked in a constant state of battle – a good wolf and a bad wolf. The good wolf represents all of the good things we seek to be: brave, honest, true, happy, and generous of spirit. The bad wolf represents greed, anger, selfishness, arrogance, hatred, and fear. Throughout our lives,” the man finished, “these two wolves will battle.”
The young boy looked up at his grandfather and asked, “Which one will win?”
The grandfather replied simply, “Whichever one you feed.”
Those wolves represent the voices we all have inside of us. No one is the perfect version of themselves. No one is free from self-doubt or immune to anger or jealousy.
And every one of us is capable of joy and love and acts of generosity.
But here’s what most of us don’t do well. Most of us don’t take a step back to look – and I mean really look – at the things we do that feed our good wolf and our bad wolf and then mindfully and thoughtfully seek out the people and the things that feed the good wolf.
There are people in your life who feed your good wolf. The friends who support you and love you unconditionally. People who make you laugh, encourage you to grow and support you when you need them. And then there are people in your life who feed the bad wolf by spewing negativity and doubt and gossip.
It helps to recognize that those people are spewing that negativity because of them, not you. Perhaps they are jealous as they see you taking steps forward toward your best life. Perhaps they are so lost in their own unhappiness or challenges that they simply don’t have it in them to give.
Perhaps … well, you know what? It doesn’t matter. If there are people in your life who feed your bad wolf, you must consciously remind yourself that their issues are their issues and mindfully limit your connection with them. I’m not suggesting that you cut them out of your life entirely – though sometimes that is the best solution. But sometimes those people are members of your family, or your neighbors, or parents of your child’s best friend, people who you simply can’t cut out entirely. If you can’t remove them from your life, you must consciously refuse the treats that they offer to your bad wolf.
Consider your use of social media: is it feeding your good wolf or your bad wolf? If you are like me, and I suspect most of us, it is feeding both. It is lovely to see my cousin’s children growing up in California, exciting to learn about the movie recently produced by an old high school friend and fun to catch a meme that so perfectly captures my day. Those things feed my good wolf. But my bad wolf is fed by images of perfectly-curated lives that spur jealousy, competitors who seem to be doing “more” and succeeding faster, pounds lost, weights lifted, and money earned by “friends.” For most of us, social media feeds both wolves, and it is on us to consume it carefully and thoughtfully.
Consider how you spend your time and what you prioritize in your day. Here’s a secret: your good wolf loves to be outside – in nature. She loves to move and stretch and grow. She loves to be with people who stroke her fur. She loves to play. She loves hard work. She loves to care for her pups. She loves a den that is cozy, safe, and warm. She loves her pack. She loves fresh food and sunshine.
When People With Schizophrenia Hear Voices, They’re Really Hearing Their Own Subvocal Speech
Subvocal speech is an activation of the vocal muscles even though no voice is heard. But why isn’t it heard? Is no voice produced at all or is the voice just very, very quiet? If no voice at all were produced, then subvocal speech couldn’t be the source of the hallucinated voice. But what if the subvocal speech was just very quiet, and nobody but the patient could hear it? Could it help explain why schizophrenics hear voices?
Personal Stories From Voice Hearers
- Glenda Piona’s Story
An inspiring story of determination and hope in the face of darkness. Glenda gives a glimpse into her life journey with her voices.
- He/She/They/It
In her insightful blog, Lilith talks about gender identity and hearing voices, and the techniques she uses to manage them. If you enjoy reading Lilith’s blog, you may like to watch this video of Lilith talking about her experiences hearing voices Gender Identity and Hearing Voices, Lilith’s Story.
- Hearing Voices With Bipolar Disorder
Katie describes her experience of hearing voices when she is manic or depressed.
- Laura: My Voices and Me
Laura talks about living with her voices and the journey that lead her to start talking about her experiences
- Schizoaffective Disorder and Me
Charlotte talks about her journey with schizoaffective disorder. Starting from when she first experienced her delusions at age 14-15, to now, as she seeks help from a local mental health team.
- Hearing Voices and Prison, David’s Story
David tells of his experiences hearing voices in prison.
- Hearing Voices and Hallucinations, Juno’s Story
Juno talks about hearing voices while still in school and having to take his GCSE’s while in the hospital. He discusses what it feels like when people are scared of him because of his mental health.
- Brian’s Story: Don’t fight it because you are fighting with yourself
Brian describes his road to recovery. Of hearing negative voices and what he has learnt from the experience.
- Eleanor’s Story: How I tamed the voices in my head
Eleanor tells of her experience of being drugged, sectioned and labelled schizophrenic when she first started hearing voices. See how she fought back. If you enjoyed reading Eleanor’s story, hear her speak here.
- A Tale of Mental Illness – From the Inside
Elyn Saks shares her powerful story of coping with schizophrenia. She implores others to see people with mental illness clearly, honestly and compassionately.
- The Voices in Your Head: Corina’s Story
Corina tells her story about living with a range of character hallucinations, including one man who she calls Drop Dead Fred.
Famous Voice Hearers
Zinedube Zidane (Footballer)
Zidane is a retired French footballer regarded as one of the best of all time. Zinedine talked about a voice that inspired him to come out of retirement
“This is even irrational and that’s why I am the only person to be able to truly feel it. One night, at 3am, I suddenly woke up and I then spoke with someone. But no-one knows it. Neither my wife nor anyone else. Until I die I will never tell (who that person was), this is just too crazy. This is someone that you will probably never meet.”
“During the hours that followed I was on my own with that person, at home, and I took the decision to come back. I had never experienced that before, I felt pushed by this force which dictated my behaviour. It was a revelation for me, I had to obey that voice that was advising me.”
Zinedine later recanted this statement, saying that it had been misinterpreted. Reading some of the football fans reaction to his statement one wonders whether it was a misunderstanding or proof that hearing voices is still a very taboo subject in the sporting world.
John Frusciante (Red Hot Chilli Peppers)
“There was a lot of confusion inside me, this flood of voices, often contradicting each other, often telling me stuff that would happen in the future, and then it would happen, voices insulting me, telling me what to do.”
Anthony Hopkins (Actor)
“I’ve always had a little voice in my head, particularly when I was younger and less assured”, he said. “While onstage, during classical theatre the voice would suddenly say, “Oh, you think you can do Shakespeare, do you?” and he added; “Recently, I was being interviewed on television and the voice inside my head said to me, “Who the hell do you think you are. You’re just an actor, what the hell do you know about anything”.
Sigmund Freud (Father of Psychoanalysis)
“During the days when I was living alone in a foreign city … I quite often heard my name suddenly called by an unmistakable and beloved voice. I then noted down the exact moment of the hallucination and made anxious enquiries of those at home about what had happened at that time. Nothing had happened.”
Gandhi (Father of Indian Independence)
“For me the Voice of God, of Conscience, of Truth, or the Inner Voice or ‘the Still Small Voice’ mean one and the same thing. I saw no form. I have never tried, for I have always believed God to be without form. But what I did hear was like a Voice from afar and yet quite near. It was as unmistakable as some human voice definitely speaking to me, and irresistible. I was not dreaming at the time I heard the Voice. The hearing of the Voice was preceded by a terrific struggle within me. Suddenly the Voice came upon me. I listened, made certain it was the Voice, and the struggle ceased. I was calm. The determination was made accordingly, the date and the hour of the fast were fixed…”
Saint Joan of Arc (Revolutionary Historial Figure)
Joan started to hear voices when she was 13. She believed these voices were angels and saints, messengers from God. Whilst Joan was initially scared of the voices, and felt unable to talk to others about them, she began to build a better relationship with them. Some of these angels appeared in visions, as faces or – sometimes – accompanied by bright light. The voices commanded her to support the French army fight off the English. Aged 16, she presented herself to the leader of the army and was ridiculed. A year later, she returned but the leader took her seriously. Dressed as a boy, she went on to lead 100s of men into battle. Whilst years later she was burned at the stake as a witch/heretic, she was declared a saint in 1920.
William Blake (Poet, Painter & Printmaker)
“I know that our deceased friends are more really with us than when they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years ago I lost a brother, and with his spirit I converse daily and hourly in the spirit, and see him in my remembrance, in the region of my imagination. I hear his advice, and even now write from his dictate”
Philip K Dick (Writer)
Philip, talking about his encounter with ‘a transcendentally rational mind’, said:
“It hasn’t spoken a word to me since I wrote The Divine Invasion. The voice is identified as Ruah, which is the Old Testament word for the Spirit of God. It speaks in a feminine voice and tends to express statements regarding the messianic expectation. It guided me for a while. It has spoken to me sporadically since I was in high school. I expect that if a crisis arises it will say something again. It’s very economical in what it says. It limits itself to a few very terse, succinct sentences. I only hear the voice of the spirit when I’m falling asleep or waking up. I have to be very receptive to hear it. It sounds as though it’s coming from millions of miles away”.
Socrates (Greek Philosopher)
Socrates’ relied on what the Greeks called his “daemonic sign”, an averting (ἀποτρεπτικός) inner voice that Socrates heard only when he was about to make a mistake. It was this sign that prevented Socrates from entering into politics.
Dr John Forbes Nash (Award-Winning Mathematician)
“Initially I did not hear any voices. Some years went by before I heard voices and — I became first disturbed in 1959, and I didn’t hear voices until the summer of 1964 I think, but then after that, I heard voices, and then I began arguing with the concept of the voices. And ultimately I began rejecting them and deciding not to listen, and, of course, my son has been hearing voices, and if he can progress to the state of rejecting them, he can maybe come out of his mental illness.
The consequence of rejecting the voices is ultimately not hearing the voices. You’re really talking to yourself is what the voices are, but it’s also parallel to a dream. In a dream, it’s typical not to be rational.
I had some philosophical ideas that were involved. I found myself thinking in political terms, but then I found myself able to criticize this thinking – – that it wasn’t very valuable to think in political terms. Even now, I sometimes have a new realization that it can be not so good to think in political terms about some of the current issues. One can leave that to others.
So in rejecting some of the political ideas, that had a relation to the voices, so I could think of a voice maybe as presenting what was analogous to a political argument, and then I could say, I don’t want to listen to that”
Shamans are chosen – Britannica
I found this quote profound:
He does not become a shaman simply by willing it, for it is not the shaman who summons up the spirits but they, the supernatural beings, who choose him.
The spirits may cause the chosen one to fall into hysterics, to faint repeatedly, to have visions, or to have similar symptoms, with these events sometimes persisting for weeks.
Eventually, in a vision or a dream, the being or beings who have chosen the shaman appear and announce their intentions. This call is necessary for the shaman to acquire his powers. The spirits first lavish the unwilling shaman-to-be with all sorts of promises and, if they do not win his consent, go on to torment him.
Known as “shaman illness,” these torments will anguish him for months, and in some cases for years—that is, for as long as the human does not accept the profession of shaman.