My 10 y.o daughter casually mentioned she regularly hears voice in her head. She has never given us signs to believe she is mentally unstable or her mental health is out of the ordinary. I asked her what the voices say and she said they just tell her to do stuff (like play outside) was the only example she gave.
We live in a remote(ish) area of WA and I took her to the GP, who basically shrugged and said this is common for kids.
I can't get her in with a psychiatrist until mid june and I need advice on what to do until then?
Daughter hearing voices in her head
Daughter hearing voices in her head
Posted in:
Mental Health, Anxiety & Depression
12 Replies
Hopefully by now u have seen the psych. Be careful about schizophrenia as this is one of the symptoms and it can happen at an early age.
Sorry, when I re read my post, it said psychiatrist appointment is mid June but I meant mid July.
Perhaps she means her inner dialogue or thought process? I'll often think things to myself in my head before or as I do it, eg. "You should go have a shower".
I wouldn't worry, the voices aren't telling her to do bad things and there's nothing out of character.
Just see what the psych has to say when the time comes.
I was wondering if it was her inner dialogue too. I often talk to myself too or will speak to myself in my head as a third person...
Maybe just ask her more about it at a later date and see what other examples she gives. If it’s just general things, maybe it’s more just her thoughts ...
Don’t do anything until she sees the psychiatrist unless the voices tell her to do bad things.
Some kids have trouble telling the difference between hearing there own thoughts, and hearing voices, or explaining that they have thoughts.
Recommend you do some reading on child development and internalised speech. And also schizophrenia if that's your concern, I think you'll find that 'hearing voices' is quite a stereotype, there is a lot more to it.
I too had the same and the GP had the same response.
Mine was so bad I was sleeping on my parent’s bedroom floor or in my sister’s bed at 13! Mine wasn’t just inner thoughts either. I legitimately was hearing voices and would have conversations at times with no one thinking someone was talking to me.
I actually was diagnosed not long after with severe depression. Once medicated it stopped and when I weaned off of the anti-depressants the voices were gone :)
She may just be an introvert, with a busy inner dialogue, we are very much in our own heads. Does she like her own space/company after a busy day out with friends? As for schitzophrenia, it usually comes with lots of other signs, that would not be my first thought.
If she's had a busy day socailising for example, she won't generally seek her own space, but she will do a solo activity with the company of the family (like playing her ipad in the lounge)
Yes iPads are good for down time. Google introverts, see if any of the signs are there, remember is it a spectrum like everything and it’s actually a pretty awesome personality type, nothing to be fixed lol
Mum, please do not stress too much. Could be just your daughters imagination etc... my son when aged 6-9 would hear screaming noises. It would really distress me. I kept a record of when he heard them. He begged me to take him to the dr to fix it. I attended the local GP wasn’t much help but I found he would hear these noises when really tired, nervous or stressed. I bought him a book online called I have a worry.
Hugs and all the best xx
Ive heard of this before in kids before they realize their ‘thinking to themselves’ is not a voice in their head persay but just their own thoughts ... maybe discuss it with her more about what she thinks the voices are .. are they different to her own voice ? Is it when she’s thinking about certain things or trying to decide what to do ? Maybe it’s a development thing and she’s confused ? I thought no it’s worth booking in to talk to someone to make sure and try not to make her feel silly but discuss it with her more atnthis point to see :)