coping+strategies

THINGS THAT HELP VOICE HEARERS TO COPE

 * Meditation
 * Listening to music
 * Keeping physically active and healthy
 * Keeping occupied e.g. cooking, house chores
 * Distraction e.g. reading, and computer games
 * Religion/Deliverance and Healing
 * Sex
 * Chanting or singing
 * Holidays
 * Money
 * Massage
 * Acupuncture
 * Taking medication dampens them and can make them go (not if bad side effects)
 * Some medication is better that others.
 * Avoiding street drugs
 * Smoking cigarettes
 * Isolating self
 * Humour
 * Sleeping
 * Shouting at the voices
 * Ignoring voices
 * Having good support around you
 * Good CPN, psychiatrist, psychologist, counsellor
 * Positive attitudes
 * Talking
 * Staff listening to you
 * Praying /speaking to God
 * Keeping a diary about them
 * Identifying when you are most likely to hear the voices
 * Going to voices groups
 * Focusing on the voices

WHAT DOES NOT HELP

 * Being over-medicated
 * Being under- medicated
 * Professionals thinking they know more about your voices than you do
 * Dreams and trying to get to sleep
 * Lack of sleep
 * Side effects of the medication
 * Not having information
 * Other people denying the existence of voices
 * Being told not to talk about voices
 * Other people denying your explanation of your voices
 * Labelling
 * Thinking negatively
 * Professionals asking too many questions