1. Jacqui Dillon Hearing Voices Network National Chair, England www.jacquidillon.org

2. Trilogy Accepting Voices - (1993) Making Sense of Voices – (2000) Living with Voices - (2009)‏ www.jacquidillon.org

3. Living with Voices www.jacquidillon.org

4. Living with Voices Anthology of 50 stories of voice hearers who have learned to live with their voices through accepting them. Contributions from voice hearers from all over the world, including England, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Nigeria, New Zealand, America, Denmark, Norway. Several key themes have emerged that illustrate how it is possible to live a fulfilling life with the experience of hearing voices. www.jacquidillon.org

5. Living with Voices: Key Themes Voices are a survival strategy: Point at real life problems in the past and the present Use metaphorical language that can be translated into real life challenges Are split off feelings - feelings that are unbearable Are awful messages about terrifying past experiences Voices are both an attack on identity and a way to protect or preserve identity www.jacquidillon.org

6. Causes of Hearing Voices: (as reported by voice hearers) Sexual abuse - 18 (3 + physical abuse)‏ Emotional neglect - 11 (3 + sexual abuse)‏ Adolescent problems - 6 High stress - 4 Being Bullied - 2 Physical abuse - 2 Not clear - 7 Total 50 www.jacquidillon.org

7. Recent studies have demonstrated that a wide range of adversities are predictors of many forms of serious mental health issues including psychosis. These adversities have been found to include: Mother’s ill health, poor nutrition and high stress during pregnancy. Being the product of an unwanted pregnancy. Early loss of parents via death or abandonment. Attachment difficulties. Witnessing interparental violence. Intergenerational trauma. Dysfunctional parenting (particularly ‘affectionless over control’). Parental substance misuse, mental health problems and criminal behaviour. Childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Childhood emotional or physical neglect. Bullying. Childhood medical illness. War trauma. Poverty, racism and other forms of social inequality. www.jacquidillon.org

9. Childhood Adversity & Psychosis For example, research indicates that those abused as children are 9.3 times more likely to develop psychosis; for those suffering the severest kinds of abuse, the risk rises to 48 times (Janssen et al., 2004). People who have endured three kinds of abuse (e.g., sexual, physical, bullying) are at 18-fold higher risk of psychosis, whereas those experiencing five types are 193 more likely to become psychotic (Shevlin et al., 2007). Furthermore, individuals with psychosis are three times more likely to have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) than those with other diagnoses, and 15 times more likely to have been abused than non-patients (Bebbington et al., 2004). This link appears to be a causal one, with dose-dependent relationships evident between the severity, frequency and number of types of adverse experience, and the probability of ‘symptoms’. www.jacquidillon.org

10. Living with Voices: Key Themes ‘Recovery’ is not about getting rid of voices but about: The person understanding their voices in relation to their life experiences The person changing their relationship with their voices so that the voices become harmless and/or helpful. www.jacquidillon.org

11. Living with Voices: Key Themes What hinders recovery: Equating hearing voices with the diagnosis of schizophrenia ‘Schizophrenia’ is a lifelong label The ‘no hope’ and ‘lifelong illness’ approach The passive victim of pathology approach – not encouraged to help oneself The dominance of the diagnosis of schizophrenia – disregarding all other problems Difficulties in social acceptance arising from the diagnosis of schizophrenia www.jacquidillon.org

12. Living with Voices: Key Themes What hinders recovery : The negative effects of psychiatric hospital admission When medication doesn’t have the desired effect, no alternatives are suggested Medication leading to social breakdown Inability to accept people’s experiences Neither interest in the voices nor in what underlies the experience The disease concept destroying the relationship and possibility of a therapeutic alliance between the voice hearer and professionals Promoting a belief in society that hearing voices is a sign of madness www.jacquidillon.org

13. Living with Voices: Key Themes Important steps in recovering from the distress associated with hearing voices: Meeting someone who takes an interest in the voice hearer as a person Giving hope by normalising the experience and showing that there is a way out Meeting people who accept the voices as real; being accepted as a voice hearer by others, but also by oneself Becoming actively interested in the hearing voices experience www.jacquidillon.org

14. Living with Voices: Key Themes Important steps in recovering from the distress associated with hearing voices: Recognising the voices as personal and becoming the owner of your voices Changing the power structure between you and your voices Making choices Changing the relationship with your voices Recognising ones own emotions, accepting them and expressing them www.jacquidillon.org

15. Divided World ThemUsAbnormalNormal www.jacquidillon.org

16. United World Moderate Experience - Ordinary Reaction Continuum of Experience Extreme Experience - Extraordinary Reaction www.jacquidillon.org

17. Further Information: www.hearing-voices.org www.jacquidillon.org www.intervoiceonline.org www.jacquidillon.org