Advice needed to combat hallucinations

[TalkToTheHand123]

Hi all. Anyone suffer hallucinations or know anyone who does and know how to fix? I'm struggling a bit to support a customer who hears voices being negative towards her and is sexually assaulting her in her mind.

Her psychiatrist doesn't seem to offer any psycological advice.

And in what role or capacity are you “supporting” the customer? If this part of your job role and work description the best people to advice are those who have trained you or your line manager. If it is not your role to actually support this person then do not venture into it based on advice off the internet and take steps to make sure you are protected from harm.

How are you qualified to support this person?

I suggest your customer goes to the GP and seeks medical advice and possibly a referral to a psychiatrist for specialist support.

This is a very specialist area. This person needs to go back to the psychiatrist and medication is usually the best way to manage it. So meds might need to be tweaked.

That's because there basically isn't any. It's only manageable (as in, ceased) by getting onto the correct medicine, or cocktail of meds, for that particular patient. Which is trial and error. For some unfortunate souls nothing truly works.

In that case it's strategies for managing it, similar to someone experiencing intrusive thoughts I suppose. Acknowledge it isn't real. Distraction from it using healthy coping strategies. Focusing on stress and anxiety reduction, getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol/drugs etc. All the things likely to exacerbate symptoms if they're out of control, get them back under control and symptoms reduce naturally.

Ask for referral to a psychologist for help developing coping strategies if necessary. Psychologists delve into your mind's workings and talk things through with you, to find ways of understanding yourself better and how to go about improving your life. Psychiatrists prescribe medications to control symptoms and improve your life that way, they aren't necessarily very good at the talking side of things. They're both doctors.

A GP will refer to EIP.

Did we miss the part 'her psychiatrist...'?😉

I have a Google PHD.

It's her EIP that I'm having issue with. They don't seem to offer her any advice. I may contact them directly though as I'm just going off what she says and also contact one of our assigned medical professionals.

Yeah, it shows.

Do this person a favour and get them to contact their psychiatrist for medication review and ask for a psychology referral.

Psychiatry and psychology are 2 distinct professions.

Please note many psychologists wouldn’t be well placed to work with hallucinations. It’s quite a specialist area. Speaking to the EIP service is a good plan. They shouldn't talk to you without the patient’s consent though.

I suffer hallucinations. I’m getting no support from my psychologist or psychiatrist. It is really hard to get support.

You were given a lot of advice here:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/feeling_depressed/5350707-auditory-hallucinations-carer-perspective?reply=144886128

Perhaps further responses to this OP are unwise. They have a google phd after all

Ah wondered where the post went, apologies. Whilst I would somewhat agree there was a lot of advice was given, none is useful.

I'm wondering if there was a way to deal with the voices directly. Ie advice to say to the voices. The advice we are following is to try distract her which doesn't work. She has advised the medication will be being increased soon, so hopefully will help.

Is she actually taking her medication? Some people get on better with anti psychotic injections if they can't take tablets consistently.

It's better not to collude with voices - fine to say that it must be very scary or unsettling for you.

If the dose is being increased soon that sounds like the psychiatrist is in the process of getting her onto the right meds/dose. These things have to be increased gradually if a higher dose is needed, so the body can adjust and it isn't an overdose. During this time it's about being patient and waiting for the meds to work effectively. If she isn't safe during this time she'll be hospitalised until she's more stable on the correct meds/dose.

You're looking for a quick fix. There isn't one. Engaging with the hallucinations isn't going to help. If she can't keep herself safe due to these hallucinations, she needs to go to A&E to see the duty psychiatrist. Or contact the home treatment team if she's under them at the moment.

She always takes her medication. I seem to have had a bit of a breakthrough tonight. I told her to keep saying to her voice that she isn't real. This seems to have worked quite well, so touch wood it continues.