Coping Strategies

People find various things helpful with coping with voices

Calming techniques

• Going to a safe place in your mind or in real life.
• Focussing on slowing your heartbeat or breathing.
• Finding someone to be with.

Expressing the voices or your emotions

• Drawing the voices or writing down what they say.
• Expressing your needs or feelings to the person they are aimed at but are currently avoiding.

Distraction techniques

• Listening to music.
• Finding an activity that can absorb you.

Engaging with voices

• Putting limits on the voices. For example, ‘I’m busy now, I’ll listen properly later‘.
• Challenging what the voices say. For example, ‘I am a good person and I am safe‘.
• Work out experiments or keep a diary to notice patterns, triggers or fears in what they say.
• Work out what they represent in your life.
• Work out what the voices need.
• Work out what function the voices serve.