would this worry you?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

This morning I was blow drying my hair and DD1 (4.8) was beside me. She jumped and put her hands upto her mouth, as if in shock or scared. I stopped the hair dryer and asked her what was wrong.

She said that a voice shouted "Right!" In her ear. I asked what kind of voice, and she said it was a womans voice. Then she asked me if I heard voices in my ears too.

This isn't the first time she has said similar, but the last time I didn't witness iyswim. When I asked her dad about it (we aren't together) he said that she has told him about these voices too, but that he's not concerned. My mum says not to worry either.

I am worried though, because when I was around 10 I heard voices every night. And again at 14. They went away but it was scary at the time.

I did think at the start it may just be her thinking, but this morning she was sure that it was said in her ear. What do you think?

How is she otherwise? At school, with friends and so on? I'm no expert, but I would have thought that if it was anything sinister, you would be seeing consistently disturbed or troubled behaviour from her, rather than the odd episode of what you have described. Maybe she has a vivid imagination, or perhaps it is her thinking. Children of your DD1s age wouldn't necessarily have the vocabulary to describe their inner dialogue!

When you experienced the same thing, was it at times when you were particularly anxious or worried about anything? Stress can affect us mentally and physically in lots of ways.

Maybe you could try and find out if your DD has any anxieties about school, or have there been any problems with relating to younger siblings?

If the 'voices' are distressing her, then it wouldn't hurt to have a word with your GP. I'm sure it would put your mind at rest.

Well she has only started school and she has been really tired, especially this week as they began to stay until two. Her behaviour has been quite difficult but we have just put that down to the upheaval of school.

When I experienced it there were some things going on in my family, and have since put it down to that, but when I had it I know for certain it wasn't my inner dialogue.

Its funny you mention younger siblings, we hadn't had any problems at all since DD2 came along, she's 10months, but today DD1 blew a recorder in DD2s ear but she apologised by herself and went to her room of her own accord so she knew she had done wrong.

A few months ago she explained to me about her "minds eye" pretty well, and she is generally quite good with articulating herself, which I suppose I am reading more into this when perhaps I shouldn't.

*is why

I just asked her about it again. I told her to say Humpty Dumpty in her head. And she did, and said she could hear it, but that the person that said "right" earlier is different.

She then said, "maybe there are rude people talking in my head because I eat too many sweets."

And then, "the woman earlier must be in America."

I said why, and she said, "Because if there are no people in my ears maybe they are talking in America and I can hear them."

All of this was said in a very serious way. She looks sad.

:(

I would see a GP, but it is probably just an auditory hallucination. If you want to know more about them this book will tell you more.

Posting again, late in the day, as just came across this in an online article:

"Although hallucinations frequently are considered synonymous with psychotic disorders, in children this rare. Neurobiologic studies (fMRI) of adults show activation of Broca’s area (left inferior frontal gyrus) seconds before patients perceive auditory verbal hallucinations, which suggests that auditory hallucinations may be misidentified self-talk. According to Piaget, children age