Voices

It’s a bit of a common myth in the UK that hearing voices means you are schizophrenic and that may be a worry for some. The truth is most of us hear at least one internal voice, usually personal dialogue.
In the same way that children describe what they’re doing when young and chat to themselves while they play, at a certain age around 3 – 7 that voice starts to become internalised and becomes a kind of personal narrative.

Often referred to as ‘inner speech’ or ‘inner dialogue’, internal thoughts and conversations that occur within a person’s mind are a common aspect of human thought and may vary significantly from person to person. They can be conscious or unconscious, manifest as self-talk, planning, problem-solving, or self-reflection, and can have emotional or visual components alongside the internal voice.

Voices can be encouraging and reassuring or critical or in extreme cases demeaning. A child’s internal voice will be coloured by the voices of those around them and the kinds of tones and feelings behind them that a child hears. Sometimes there’s more than one voice – (no doubt this is a skill that Actors make use of when they take on the role of another person and change literally the accent they use and the personal mannerisms they employ as well as remembering their script.)

Common Examples of Negative Self-Talk

Personal Criticism
* “I always mess things up.”
* “I’m not good enough.”
* “I’ll never be successful.”
Catastrophizing
* “If I fail this test, my life will be ruined.”
* “Everyone will think I’m a loser if I don’t get this job.”
Over-generalization
* “I never do anything right.”
* “No one likes me.”
Filtering
* “I got one bad review, so my work is terrible.”
* “I only remember the times I failed, not the times I succeeded.”
Blaming
* “It’s my fault that everything went wrong.”
* “I can’t believe I let myself get into this situation.”
Self-Doubt
* “I can’t handle this.”
* “I’m not as talented as others.”
Negative Comparisons
* “I’ll never be as good as my friends.”
* “Everyone else is more successful than I am.”

Recognizing these negative statements is the first step toward changing them into positive self-talk, which can improve your mindset and overall well-being.

However, getting to the roots, not only of negative self-talk but also the often debilitating emotions that can underlie them, can be a powerful step in building back confidence and self-esteem. Pesso Boyden is particularly effective in this regard. Especially where they are woven into patterns of depression, or anxiety.

For more information about work working with voices using Pesso Boyden please feel free to contact me via the contact page by phone or message.