I hear voices in my head: How a mental health nurse helps others live with the condition

MENTAL health nurse John Robinson teaches others to manage the condition after living with it since childhood

John encourages people to share their fears John encourages people to share their fears [JONATHAN BUCKMASTER]

WHEN patients confide that they can "hear voices" psychiatric nurse John Robinson nods encouragingly.

As a mental health nurse, care co-ordinator and specialist he is more than just an expert on the subject. He understands his patients' anguish only too well because he hears them too.

"I've heard voices for as long as I can remember," explains the 62-year-old. "It's more common than you'd imagine, affecting two to four per cent of the British population.

"However some estimates suggest that up to 16 per cent of people live with voices without ever seeking or even needing help."

It is common for someone in a large crowd to "hear" someone calling their name or for a mother to think her baby is crying in another room. These are all voice-type experiences that come from having primed our minds to listen for certain things.

But true voice hearers can hear voices coming from strangers on a bus, animals or even inanimate objects.

While mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are now more widely talked about and accepted, hearing voices still holds a huge stigma, says John.

health, mental health, psychiatric nurse, voices, trauma, nurse, mental, hearing voicesMany people are terrified to admit that they hear voices [GETTY]

I've heard voices for as long as I can remember

John Robinson

"It's still associated with unpredictable and violent behaviour which, in fact, is very rare. Voices can also be heard by people in distressing and stressful situations, for example when people are kidnapped, lost or being imprisoned." It's that category John's voices fall into.

Born in the Far East in a harsh, poverty-stricken environment, as a young child John was regularly beaten and abused by his parents.

"I quickly learned that being still and quiet gave me the greatest chance of not being noticed and therefore not being beaten," he explains.

John doesn't remember the first time he heard voices but says: "I never thought about who they were. I was just happy to have company.

"Seen in the wrong place, at the wrong time, by the wrong doctor, I might have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and given medication when in fact it was just a coping strategy. I'm sure they were triggered by the extreme isolation and trauma I was suffering."

John was sent to the UK in 1962 by a great aunt, where he was placed with a foster family. Despite struggling with dyspraxia, dyslexia and ADHD, he did well at school.

health, mental health, psychiatric nurse, voices, trauma, nurse, mental, hearing voices'No matter how fearful or isolated you feel, you do not have to be on your own,' says John [GETTY - PIC POSED BY MODEL]

He qualified as a general nurse in the army and went on to become a mental health nurse. "It wasn't until I became involved in the Hearing Voices Network that I realised I was experiencing what my patients were describing."

John now specialises in helping other patients manage their voices.

And his experiences led to the making of an acclaimed British drama. The independent film Ollie Kepler's Expanding Purple World was nominated for several awards for its realistic portrayal of mental health issues.

John worked as a consultant, reviewing the script and giving insights into the condition.

"I was a bit fearful about being involved but thought the resulting film was excellent and gave a really accurate portrayal of what it's like to hear voices," he says.

Over time, as John's life has become more stable, the voices have faded. "I occasionally still hear voices but over the years they have grown quieter," he says.

"When my voices largely went, I missed their company. The world seemed duller, more ordinary with less magic."

However, John accepts that not everyone finds comfort and solace in the condition.

"There can be shock at first and the most natural instinct is to repress or suppress the voices. But most of these strategies tend to actually make things worse. It's more important that people learn to accept their voices and cope with them."

He says for many people, the voices can start off being friendly but over time become negative, critical, sinister and threatening. "People can wait years before coming to a group but it's amazing how quickly they relax and open up."

And his advice to others? Find someone you can talk to, your GP or the Hearing Voices Network (hearing-voices.org).

John says: "No matter how fearful or isolated you feel, you do not have to be on your own."