My nephew has been hearing voices since he was five years old. He is on medication but still continues to hear voices, and says sometimes the voices are so powerful he becomes frustrated. We also have a family history of mental illness. I am asking for some advice because I am very concerned for my nephew.
Hearing voices in his head must be disturbing for your nephew, and it's good to know he has seen a doctor and been prescribed some medication which helps. When people experience what are called 'auditory hallucinations' such as this, the voices they hear seem as real to them as yours or mine would, so it's no surprise that they are distracting and sometimes upsetting.
Hallucinations can be a symptom of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, which generally develop in the late teens and early twenties. But there are other people who only experience them as an annoyance, and do not go on to develop a mental illness.
The most important thing is to ensure your nephew continues to get the best medical attention and the most effective medication or other treatment to reduce or eliminate the voices. Equally important is talking to a psychologist or other expert in the area, who can help him to develop ways of coping with the voices, so that he can learn to ignore them as much as possible and get on with his everyday life of being a child.
If you would like more information or want to discuss this further, call the free and confidential SANE helpline on 1800 18 SANE or send an e-mail via www.sane.org.
Answer published 22/07/08.
