Wanna know what it's like to hear voices?

Some weeks ago in my Department of Mental Health seminar, I had the most profound opportunity to see what it is like for people who hear voices. Now, you may be wondering how this is possible. So, a middle aged woman who has schizophrenia and suffers auditory hallucinations developed a program in an effort to better serve people who hear voices. The program is designed for therapist to experience what it is like for their clients to hear voices with the hope of clinicians enhancing their ability to be competent, empathetic, and ultimately respect their client's right to self-determination.

Each participant was given a portable CD player, headphones, a compact disc with recorded voices (similar to the actual voices people hear), and a task. My task was to walk to the university post-office and purchase a stamp while hearing the voices. To say the least, it was DISTURBING, MIND-BLOWING, and DEPRESSING. The voices would say things like, "their out to get you", "eat feces, eat feces", "you are ugly, stupid", and at times I could not make out what the voices were say. At one point, I was determined to remove the headphones because I started to feel nauseated and had disapproving images come to mind.

Overall, I gained much from the activity so far as learning to process with clients what it is like for them to hear voices and respect their Reponses rather than disregard them. I also gained insight to how important it is for people who hear voices to interact with others since this tends to lesson the distress they feel. Moreover, I am further motivated to work in the field of social work so that I not only share the knowledge I've acquired with other professions, but to encourage people to change! As a change agent, I am thrilled to be apart of the field of social work so that I can assist in moving mountains so that we (all people) can live up to their greatest potential.

Go SOCIAL WORKERS...DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, and WHATEVER IT IS YOU OUGHT TO DO.