Page 72 - Vision Manual

Hallucinations
Psychotic Symptoms
Sometimes people hear voices or see things when nothing is there. They might even feel, taste or smell something when nothing is there. These experiences are called “false perceptions” or “hallucinations.” For some people, when this happens it is a sign that they are starting to experience a relapse of their mental illness and should contact their practitioner to discuss an evaluation.
For some people, though, these hallucinations do not go away between episodes, and unless they get worse than usual they may not need further evaluation. If this is the case in your situation, you may find these hallucinations as distressing and distracting, and you might want to try some of the following strategies:
 Distract yourself by doing something that takes your attention, such as having a conversation, listening to music, taking a walk, or reading. Some people who hear voices hum to themselves or use music as a way to drown them out.
 Check out your experiences with someone you trust. For example, one person who thought he heard voices outside his window asked his brother to listen and give an opinion.
 Use positive self-talk. Some people say things like “I’m not going to listen to these voices,” or “I’m not going to let these voices get to me,” or “I’m just going to stay cool and the situation will pass.”
 Ignore the hallucinations as much as possible. Some people say that it helps to focus on the other things instead.
 Put hallucinations “in the background”. Some people say they acknowledge what they are hearing or seeing, but if you don’t pay any further attention to it. For example, they might tell themselves “There’s that critical voice again. I’m just going to let it happen and go about my daily business”.
 Use relaxation techniques when hallucinations are present.
If the voices start to tell you to do something to hurt yourself or someone else, and you think you might act on this, you need to contact your provider or emergency services.
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