4yo "hearing voices"

[Blubell78]

I have 4 year old ds who has said a few times lately that his brain is telling him things or that there's a person in his head. He can't tell me what he says. I'm a bit concerned. Any one experienced something similar?

Could it not just be him, thinking? I think in words.

I've worked in mental health for years, and alarm bells ring at this sort of comment. It might be nothing, but you need to take this sort of thing seriously. Your son is remarkably young to express such concerns, and it shows intelligence and bravery on his part to do so. See a GP you know will take this seriously, and get a referral to a child psychiatrist. Don't take no for an answer. If there is something wrong the earlier you know about it the more control and understanding you will have, and the less negative impact it will have on his life. Growing up is hard, much more so with an diagnosed mental health problem. Good luck, and I hope it turns out to be something benign and innocent.

Oh and regarding mrsbaffled's comment, adults think in words, children of the OP's age think in images.

Oh shit. :( my uncle has schiczophrenia. It's my worst nightmare

Um.

I've always thought in words. Never done pictures. Ever.

I also have an internal monologue going most of the time.

Me too Carpe. He quite often whispers to himself. Not in a weird way just while he's playing so i know he thinks in words iyswim.

It's like his mind is whirring all the time. I can't decide if he's very bright or if there's something wrong. He doesn't have any behavioural problems and he's really good at making friends.

Yup.

I did that too. I was an only child so talking out loud was occasionally a hazard when playing

Oh, and I meant to say that I'm reasonably normal.

I know they say that kids think in pictures, and I think this is correct when there are no language skills, but I suspect that some kids maybe develop faster in these areas. Disclaimer: I have no qualifications in this field!

Blubell- try not to panic. My dd1 has always been like this, she is very bright and really thinks into things. She does have a dx of Aspergers syndrome but that may not be linked to the fact she has whirrling in her head or if its just because she's very bright. I would just keep a close eye on him, if its upsettinghim then maybe get it checked out.

Both my DSs talk all the time to themselves when playing, particularly when aged about 4. That's not at all unusual. They never shut up LOL!

I heard a voice in my head when I was 8, on three occasions. Scared the bejesus out of me. I never told anyone and it never came back, thankfully. I have no mental health issues now.

I was in the middle of a tense family dynamic and my best guess is that it was as the result of the stress from that.

I'm not saying you shouldn't take it seriously, but just not to worry or think the worst. Children have powerful imaginations, and the person in his head could be a description of many things other than serious or long-lasting mental illness.

FWIW DS (3.5) talks to himself while playing sometimes also.

He's not bothered. It's usually when he's said the wrong word. He's says " oh no! My brain told me that!" i wasn't worried about this but now he's started saying the person in his head has started telling him things. I asked him what he said and he said something about his friends names. I can't remember whether he said it had called him by his friend's name or if the voice was talking about his friend...

My oldest says things like that "Oh my brain told me to say that". He doesn't mean anything by it - just covering up a mistake.

My ds does this all the time. It's an internal monologue. There's nothing to worry about.

I have a 4 year old, and the totally non-professional conclusion I have come to from watching him and his friends is that they are all totally bananas and do the oddest, funniest things all the time. I think if he's happy, making friends, getting on fine at school then don't worry and enjoy his quirks. Saying 'my brain told me to say that' to me just sounds like a childs way of saying that he forgot the word.

I have to differ with the poster who says children of 4 don't think in words. At this age they are using the discourse they learn from those around them to structure their thinking so he may well be hearing his inner voice which is developing from the real voices he hears around him.

My DD1 hears voices which are a feature of her imagination. She, like Marnes DD, has AS and CAMHS have looked into it with her and concluded that it is just a peculiarity of her processing.

Both of my girls also hear voices repeated later in the day which they have heard when stressed. This is often people shouting or children screaming in the playground.

So you have three possible reasonable explanations which shouldn't concern you.

Having said that the same poster makes a good point about early intervention. If there is a more concerning explanation, the earlier he is assessed the better his outcome could be. Be warned, though, that parents seeking this sort of help are often asked to wait for months or even years to see how the child develops before they are properly assessed. This can be really frustrating if you feel your child has a serious problem.

My advice would be to see your GP without your DS and ask for a referral to CAMHS. This will probably take several months. In the meantime make notes of the occasions he mentions so you have some evidence to share with them at the first appointment.

Try not to raise the subject with him and be very nonchalant if he does share anything with you. The last things you need is for him to be frightened of the voices.

I hope this turns out to be something and nothing and you can put it all behind you very soon.

DS1 is 4 and has just discovered 'my brain told me that' he also says he feels happy/sad, etc but his tummy doesn't - I take it this is him describing anxiety or butterflies. I find their little brains amazing and think its just how they work through the discoveries they are making about their mental and physical health.

He also has an imaginary friend, I wouldn't worry at this age

DylsDad that is your responce as a mental health proffessional, are you seriouse. i think your responce is a leeetle OTT.

dont panic OP, at four this kind of questioning and expressing of inner thoughts and dialogue is very very normal and shows a very astute and alert child.

My dd often expressed that my mum who is no longer alive and my dd never ment often told her things in her head. she would often come out with granny x told me that in my head and when granny x was talking in my head blah blah. Although she was more around 2 or 3 at the time.

It is often a reasoning for impulsive behaviour in children of this age when they know they have done wrong but have not managed to regulate them selfs or acted despite knowing something was naughty, again pretty normal.

TheEnthusiasticTroll I was simply trying to ensure that the OP understands that it is important to have these things checked out, and not just get brushed off as a paranoid parent. I've seen it happen.

My reasons for this are both personal and professional. I have seen far too many individuals mishandled by the services who slip through the net only to be picked up when things get out of control.

When I was very young I began to have auditory and visual hallucinations. I had no idea there was anything unusual about it, having the frame of reference of a five year old. By the time my parents became aware of it I was nine, they were brushed off by our GP who said that children often make things up or just have an overactive imagination. I became more withdrawn as the years went by and my behaviour became more volatile. Other children picked up on my behaviour and I was bullied relentlessly. At fifteen I had a breakdown and was admitted to hospital for three months. At first I was suspected of schitzophrenia, but was also investigated for diabetes, mania, brain tumor/injury, epilepsy and more. I was eventually diagnosed with a complex form of epilepsy and stress related anxiety disorder with a suicide attempt on record. It took a number of years to control my condition. Needless to say none of this was a pleasant experience, and it has marked me for life. I went on to study psychology for five years and went on to work in the field so I could help other people who have had similar experiences. So please don't question my judgement or intentions in responding to the OP.

But as I said in my original response, to the OP, it could be nothing to worry about and I do hope it is nothing. It could be simple misinterpretation of thought processes. Stress responses to a change in his environment. A viral response. Any number of benign factors could be the cause of this child's symptoms. But it is better to be safe than sorry. The OP needs to speak to a professional. It's that simple.

I think it sensible to speak to a professional about this; you're the parent, and only you can be there for your child when warning bells ring. But even if your ds is hearing voices, it may not be a progressive state of affairs. A friend of mine used to hear unpleasant menacing voices in his head when he was about four. They stopped when he was a little older and he never heard them again. He doesn't have mental health problems as an adult. (He was an unusually bright boy, and I've wondered whether this gave him perspective which helped him a little in overcoming the stresses he was going through when he was small).

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm going to see if he mentions them again or behaves oddly and then speak to a doctor if need be.

My boy is 3.10 and has started to say my head told me to do it. Ie he says Daddy is my favourite, I say that's not nice and he says 'but my head told me he is my favourite.' I wouldn't worry. I think mine is trying to say 'it's a thought I had.'
Besides how can anyone think purely in pictures particularly when they can speak!! The person who responded first might work in mental health but think other responses show this isnt so abnormal. Think the first response u got was alarmist

I don't think DylsDad was alarmist at all, his posts are informative and insightful.

He's not saying that Blubell should think there is definitely something wrong, but she shouldn't think she's being paranoid if she is concerned, and getting it checked out would be prudent, just in case. I don't think that's alarmist, is it?

Personally I think Bluebell is taking the right approach, to monitor and wait and see. But IMO it's useful to hear the opinion of a medical professional who would take it seriously. It's easy to say "it's nothing, it's just the child's imagination" as I imagine that's true for the vast majority of DCs who use this kind of language to describe their thoughts, and IMO it's almost definitely nothing to worry about for bluebell's DC either. But that doesn't mean it definitely isn't, and she shouldn't totally dismiss it just because it's unlikely.

You're concerned, he is concerned. Why not just get it checked out now rather than just waiting. He has told you a few times. If there is nothing to it you won't have lost anything.

Yes, speak to your gp or (if applicable) at you nursery if they have health visitor services 'in house'. If your son does attend a nursery, they can organise professionals to observe him in his 'normal' environment and discuss any finding with a team who see him daily.