I strongly recommend last night's Insight episode on SBS, which featured a variety of people who suffered from hearing voices in their head, explaining how it started, how they got help, and whether they are now over the problem. A psychiatrist and psychologist were also there (the latter having made a special study of the field.)
It was terribly interesting, the variety of their experiences. One clear message that came out of it is that they all took quite some time to admit to anyone else what was happening, and the psychologist and psychiatrist both made the point that it is far better to tell someone and get help earlier, as that makes it likelier that treatment will be a success.
Another aspect of interest was the Indian woman who made reference to "cultural practices" in her family's homeland being helpful to deal with the problem. She alluded to the belief in the "spiritual world" but didn't elaborate. Taking an educated guess, I assume that Indians may have less reluctance to seek support from family and friends because they share a belief that the cause probably is an external and "real" spirit attack, not something purely internal which carries a stigma of weakness (and therefore shame) in the West. (I am sure I have read years ago that mental health outcomes are surprisingly good, on average, in India* due I think to cultural factors, and I must look up whether it is for the sort of reason I am speculating about.)
* Yes - here it is - a post from 2007. The link to the journal no longer works, though. I may be able to track it down, and I want to read more on the topic anyway. Will likely update soon...
You can get it from a minor problem that starts in your tummy. Dopamine and Seratonin have to be balanced. If someone who has too much Dopamine suddenly isn't getting the seratonin they need, perhaps due to stress or diet, they will start hearing voices. That is even if there is absolutely nothing wrong with their brain as such.
ReplyDelete