My son is hearing voices

[OakLuz]

Over the past 2 weeks my 8 year old son has been hearing voices and sounds in his "ears and head" he says the person who is speaking to him is a man and his name is Joseph, he cries none stop and says that he is scared. I have done my research on schizophrenia and it is very unlikely he has that, I have suggested we take a trip to the doctors but he doesn't want to go I just don't know what to do next, his behaviour is deteorating day by day, he no longer wants to eat because he thinks there is poison in the food etc. I will be grateful for any advice

Luz

[Buzzardbird]

This thread is 2 years old!

[user1474345667]

You need to talk to your GP. You would need to discuss with a good audiologist about this. My son had began losing his hearing a little over three years ago. We were just confused on the different treatment options. We were referred to many children's hospital but nothing worked. With one of my friends suggestion we took the hearing test from a clinic in Toronto and at last he had to depend on the basic hearing aids ( www.hearingsolutions.ca/products/hearing-aids ). Only thing is that ensure you go to any registered audiologist and get the required treatment.

[Lucy61]

Ignore my last message! Glad you got to the bottom of this. X

[Lucy61]

You should be able to access support from a play therapist and educational psychologist through your son's school. I'd speak to the SENCO at school about it. Definitely seek help.

[duchesse]

Hope your DS is on the mend, OP.

[Selks]

Any update OP? How is he doing? Did you take him to the GP re the hearing voices?

[VworpVworp]

Oak- I've been lurking, hoping he's okay- I'm so pleased you went to A&E! Wishing your DS a very speedy recovery.

[bisjo]

I'm so pleased you took him to A&E. I hope your ds makes a quick reovery and you get support for him from your GP (and support for you too with your arse of a dh).

[GarlicReturns]

Thank goodness he's being treated! Well done, Oak, on taking him to hospital.

[applepearorangebear]

Hope your DS is on the mend quickly OP - so glad he's been receiving the proper care. Just to add, my nan started hallucinating, hearing voices and having conversations with imaginary people whilst she was suffering from an undiagnosed kidney / urine infection. As soon as it was cleared up she was completely back to normal and refused to believe we weren't making it all up when we told her about it! We had no idea that it could be a side effect with this sort of infection. I really hope that this is the case with your DS, but if not them I completely agree that he should see his GP asap, and I hope that everything works out well for you all.

[Selks]

So glad you took him OP, well done.
Please do still urgently see the GP re his general unhappiness, anxiety and hearing voices. These still need urgent assessment and until that happens do not assume that they are side effects of the kidney infection.

[MerryMarigold]

Thanks so much for the update. I hope ds gets better soon. Well done for taking him to a and e. What would we do without mumsnet?? I terms of your dh, I think his attitude could be harmful to the kids, they must feel very unloved by him, let alone you. Do seek some help in this. Now your youngest are a bit older it's time to deal with it all...when you've recovered from this big scare. Take care...

[SireeDubs]

So pleased that you took him. I know there's other things you'll need to address in the longer term, but concentrate on stabilising your son and getting rid of infection.

Your next steps are yet to be decided, as others have said - kidney problems cause all sorts of things including hallucinations... However, you don't know at present. Get him better and be guided.

Yes, your DH is behaving like a child. You don't have time to indulge him. Plan without him for now and address it when time permits.

I hope your DS begins to feel better.
x

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Glad you got a diagnosis! Am sure he will be better soon.

Nevertheless, in the short term, you have to continue to support him and set reassuring boundaries & routines to alleviate his anxiety as suggested above by Fwkings and Vicks.
Really, don't just shrug it off until the next episode. There is a pattern that is making him very unhappy. It doesn't have to be that way.

[adoptmama]

Glad you got medical attention for him. Please don't neglect going to the GP and seeing him/her about the voices. It may not be connnected to his kidney infection. As for your husband- only you can decide if you plan to put up with things as they are. You could always go to couples counselling - they will see you even if your husband will not go, and it may help you decide what to do in the future. Have faith in yourself - you sound as if you doubt yourself and have little confidence. You are stronger than you think.

[TheGonnagle]

Oh I'm so glad you got him to A and E. I was reading the first page going "kidneys, kidneys, kidneys!"
A severe UTI/kidney infection will cause havoc with the mind too- it can cause a change in personality/mental state.
Keep a close eye on his urine output, don't hesitate to take a sample up to your GP for them to dip if it gets very dark or if you can see blood in it.
I have long term kidney problems- please keep on top of this or your ds could end up pretty poorly. Also please don't assume that he is better when the drugs are finished- keep monitoring his output and don't worry about getting him back up to the doctors as often as is needed.
Good luck and well done for getting him up to A and E.

[Northumberlandlass]

Thank you for updated OakLuz and so pleased he is getting sorted.
Don't be hard on yourself about your son.

Your H though is another matter entirely

But we are here if you want to talk about that too x

[RockinHippy]

Oak I think once you get the stress of your DS being ill sorted, you need to get yourself over to the relationships forum.

My DH works ridiculously hard at the moment thanks to his pee taking employers dumping staff left right and centre and not replacing he also drives 40 miles each way to get there & has to be up at 5am for that, he's not perfect by any means, he's totally exhausted & can be a growls arse at times as a result of that.

BUT he looks forward to family holidays, misses us times when we are away & he can't join us & would give anything to join us, he will come home from work & cook tea if I need him too, play with DD - because he LOVES to & sees her & me as the reason he keeps going with his ridiculous work load - I'm at home so in theory he could take your DHs stance & leave it all to me, but noway would he feel that was his right.

We are a team & absolutely no way would he not be there to help if DD has an accident or was ill, he's straight there driving us to A&E every time, which is often as she has a health condition that makes her accident prone - he would NEVER dream of leaving me to it & we only have 1 DC.

Your DH is nothing more than a lodger & I suspect you would cope a whole heap better without the stress of living with him & hoping just this once he will come through for you & your DCs :(

[Vicx]

Hello, my daughter is 9 years old and she has obsessive compulsive disorder. Part of this sounds similar to your son. She doesn't hear voices as such but she gets plaques with intrusive thoughts.
We got a referral to get it checked out they said the big difference between the two is if the voices talk back. In her case and your son's sounds like they don't. The psychiatrist said children personify the voices because it's the best way they know how to make sense of what is happening.
Intrusive thoughts usually occur at 8 and they are manageable but you have to et help before they turn 12 as with puberty they go out of control.
You do urgently need to take him to the gp. If you can leave him outside and go in first and explain what is happening, then bring your son in. If e really doesn't want to then don't bring him, go on your own. You need him to be referred to CAHMS (child and adolescent mental health service google it) or if you are in London settle for no less than the cahms at theTavistock centre. The right help will get your kid talking.
Unfortunately it's a long process (6-12 weeks) as the gp can't refer you straight there they can only send you to a peadtrician that can make the referral to cahms and then assesment. Bit of a faff and it takes a while. Also ask for a hearing test while you are at the gp's. It's just to rule out the voices. The hearing test people will deem it unnecessary but it's just a step you have to take.
Even if the behaviour goes away, it is important to get the cahms referral and follow through with it because it can return with any additional stress. my daughters episodes last about a month with a 6 month break.
In terms of coping until you can get professional help.
Reassure him that you don't think there is poison in his good but you make him a new meal once but not twice. So he trusts you and you set a boundary.
Ask him to write it down. This helps empty the thought from his head. Also evidence for the gp. However if he doesn't want to do this allow him to rip it up after.
Use night lights, sleep with the light on, the radio. Whatever it take to make sure he gets a Good nights sleep and you do to. I know it will seem like he is going rapidly down hill and new symptoms are arising daily but try and look at it from this way he has probably been feeling like this for a while so it's good it's coming out now rather than eating him up and making him feel different.
Really hope this helps.

[LEMmingaround]

What does he get from this relationship?

[OakLuz]

WipsGlitter Me and the children were away for Christmas, we arrived back on the 2nd Jan and had Christmas day at my mums, my husband will never ever come to anything I arrange for us all to go to, it is almost like he isn't part of the family.

[FuckingWankwings]

'he has it in his head that because he goes to work and provides for us, I shouldn't ask him for anything more.'

Well, he has it wrong. And he obviously DOES know how to behave, if you got back together after he promised he'd be a dad from now on. He just doesn't seem to want to. The two of you really need to work that out.