Hearing voices can be positive Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Hearing voices can be positive Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania: "HELEN KEMPTON
September 01, 2009 04:00am
A NETWORK is being set up to support the estimated 20,000 Tasmanians who experience auditory hallucinations.
Hearing Voices Network Australia soon will be operating in Tasmania under the auspices of Richmond Fellowship Tasmania.
Hearing voices was not always a symptom of mental illness, Richmond Fellowship Tasmania chief executive Patrick Carlisle said.
'In many cases, voices can be positive. There have been many famous high achievers who have contributed very significantly to society who have identified themselves as a voice hearer, including Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, Gandhi and (actor) Anthony Hopkins,' he said.
Research has found that about 4 per cent of the population hears voices but only 0.5 per cent of those are eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The new network will give Tasmanians affected a chance to meet and talk, share coping strategies and explore ways to work with the voices rather than against them.
The network will begin training support staff and facilitators in November with the aim of starting meetings early in 2010.
For more information, contact Richmond Fellowship Tasmania on 6228 3344"

---

Working across the world to spread positive and hopeful messages about the experience of hearing voices