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“I HAVE CO-EXISTED with my voices for as many years as my memory can recall,” says Eoin, a 19-year-old teenager who hears voices and has learned to live with the trait.
He is not on his own.
Research has shown that hearing voices is a relatively common experience among children and young people. Although it is often perceived to be a sign of severe mental illness, this is not always the case.
It affects about 20 per cent of 11 to 13 year olds. That percentage is reduced to 7 per cent in older teens.
Eoin explains that in his situation it started off mainly as a mixture of “positive, but occasionally bothersome, experiences”.
“I was comfortable with our coexistence for many years, until when I was 14, when the voices really turned up the heat and the volume. I gradually descended into a set of beliefs surrounding myself, as my voices became increasingly angry and violent. One of them vanished, and in the vacuum the other began speaking twice as much.”
The experience will be discussed tonight at a public lecture in UCC with Rachel Waddingham, a voice hearer and an expert on the issue.
She will share her own experience and look at the ways she works with younger people at her project, Voice Collective.
The London-based initiative is a peer-support group for children and young people who hear voices.
Eoin says being able to get in touch with the group helped him.
“I hopped in and out of hospital like it was going out of fashion, and received a diagnosis which I didn’t really agree with,” he explains. “I’ve began to develop a working relationship with my voice, and tried to understand her and what drives her.
I don’t think ‘recovery’ and ‘not hearing voices’ are the same thing- if anything, I get more upset when I have a period of ‘silence’.
“My voices have been a very formative experience in my life, and with Voice Collective’s help, I’m discovering more about my self and my experiences than being labelled or medicated ever could.”
Waddingham says the experiences of hearing voices can be transient and pleasant. They can sometimes give support or encouragement during times of stress.
For others, though, the voices can be overwhelming, frightening and leave children feeling isolated.
“It can be such a stigmatising experience that many hide it. Voice-hearing in childhood is still a taboo in our society. If we, as adults, are unable to talk about it, how can we expect young people to open up when they need help?’
The Voice Collective offers non-medical support to those struggling to cop with the voices they hear and it is hoped that a similar service can be established in Ireland.
Waddington set it up in response to her own experiences as a young person.
“I started to see visions when I was at primary school, and still hear voices to this day,” she says.
I am successful, I work full time and live a life that I love – but it wasn’t always this way.
“In my early 20s I spent a lot of time in hospital, really struggling to cope. Rather than talk about my issues, I kept them secret for far too long. I am constantly amazed at how courageous and open the young people we meet at Voice Collective are – but I know there are many more young people who are still struggling to find a way of opening up.
“I hope this event is the start of an initiative that makes a real difference to the young people of Cork.”
Ashley, a 13 year old who hears voices, says the project has been “amazing”.
“They really understand me and how I feel, because they have heard voices too. I know they believe me too, which is important. They help me to challenge the voices and feel safer by giving me coping strategies. I go to a weekly group where I have met other young people who are experiencing similar, which has helped me to realise I am not alone.”
The lecture will be held in Bool 4 Lecture Theatre in UCC from 6.30pm to 8pm.
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Of course it was an Irish budget; it took much from those that need most, and took nothing from those that have most.
Just one example…three rows of social houses across the street from me…car or two in front of each of them…trips to the post office every week…work?…what for?…we have everything for free…i hope i will see them soon leaving home in the morning to go and work hard, just like me!
Good man. There are jobs out there.temporary maybe. Interns maybe. Free college or fas courses maybe. But defo no excuse to be at home all day
Agree wholeheartedly with the Senator – the budget reflects profound ideological choices about the kind of Ireland we want.
Neither party has outlined any kind of vision beyond balancing the books – this is a massive failing.
I think it was a very good budget.. Its not going to impact much on those who are working. There are currently 10,000 jobs advertised in ireland… So jobs there are, i think the budget was a push to get people back to work.
Alex. When I see the “back to work” slogan used regarding this budget it makes me laugh. Very few employers in their right mind will employ anyone unless absolutely necessary with this proposal for them to pay first 4 weeks of sick pay.
What are we paying PRSI for again? Oh yeah, for when we’re all on the dole!
And even if the 10,000 jobs figure is correct (where are you getting that from, btw?), there are well over 300,000 people unemployed in this country at the moment. And what about the 140 companies that went under in the past month?
“Incentivising” people to go take jobs that aren’t there, by placing them
In danger of poverty, pushing them deeper into poverty. Weak justification, given the circumstances.
Well I think was a good budget. There are politics to how the decisions can be made and they did their best. But they should have put a few euro on the fags. That way unemployed people won’t smoke away their social welfare. And don’t tell me unemployed strapped for cash people should have the freedom to smoke blah blah
Have you something against the Unemployed then Aidan ?
That’s all very well and good, but you are actually speaking about an addiction. And forcing them to quit is infringing on their rights, whether it’s a silly decision to smoke or not.
If a person on the dole had a worse addiction like heroin we wouldn want them to spend their dole on it and smoking is no different.. I dont mind paying tax for the needy or for education and healthcare but you can get fucked if you think im paying for someone to smoke 20 a day and live in the local bookies.. Tax the shite out of bad habits I say…
@yosser. I have something against the unemployed smoking my tax money. As stated. Now please stop with your amazingly silly point
Aidan. You’d never look in the mirror for me and tell the cranky man to stop making his amazingly silly points.
Can they smoke their own tax money? I’m pretty sure the 14% out of work haven’t always been on the dole.
Yeah lads great being on the dole money for nothing ….Working 5 days a week on the black market couldn’t beat it !! You just keep on paying your taxes good lads ….
Unemployed because they chose it as their lifestyle?…YES…because they are too lazy?…f..k YES! They feel far too comfortable with the dole coming to their pockets every week and don’t even think about doing anything towards finding a job. Not all of them of course, but surely a lot of them.
Es war sicherlich ein irischer budget!!
enjoy! :)
Bitterly disappointed to hear Dr Zappone on with Ivan Yates during the week. Dr Zappone talked about how great the Seanad was but guys like me (taxpayers) have no say because I went to the “wrong” university. Another taxpayer (a friend who happens to own and run a shop, and is doing so very successfully during a recession) who pays a lot more tax than I do gets zero say because he didn’t go to college. Another friend, a supremely intelligent guy doesn’t get a vote because he got his degree (a First Class Honours) at Baliol, Oxfod. It is a bit rich cribbing and moaning about inclusiveness when you are happy to partake in the most obscenely undemocratic instituion imaginable.
Huge respect for gay rights work, but the fact that Dr Zappone went out of her way to say how great the Seanad was makes my blood boil.
Dump the euro
Balance the books
Problem sorted
Ooops! One small problem. The public sector might have to take a pay cut. I guess we will just have to make our children pay instead. Simples.
@Rommel the country is in debt. If you can find their own tax money you are some man. Otherwise cop on
@Aidan
Can civil and public servants smoke? After all you’re paying their wages too. Or are they exempt because they contribute tax? The majority of the unemployed have contributed plenty over the years too you know. Why not hammer drink in the budget too?
@Rommel public and civil service can do what they want with their disposable income. Don’t be so silly. Look, ill spell it out for you like a kids story it might help you: So if you were unemployed, you’re sitting with your partner scratching your head over how you are going to financially cope, and her and your feet are sore from walking through Dublin at the anti budget protest and she turns to you and says ‘Rommel, please give up the fags for a start, that will help, there is too much money being smoked. You smoke twenty a day. That’d sixty a week, a third of your job seekers allowance ‘ ‘why no honey, it’s my right to smoke, I’ll smoke if I want, I’ve worked long enough over the years so I’ll do what I want, so goodnight’
End of
“public and civil service can do what they want with their disposable income”, but not the unemployed? Why not? I got news for you, it’s none of your business.
End of.
@Rommel buddy surely you know that disposable income is that of money left after tax. Unemployed receive allowance, support. Incomparable in my opinion. Anyway have a good Friday night. I’m headin out for a fag
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