Hearing Voices in Childhood & Adolescence

Helping Young People Who Hear Voices Reclaim Their Lives

Monday 14 April 2014 from 6.30 – 8.00 in Boole 4, UCC

A Public Talk by Rachel Waddingham, Project Manager at Mind in Camden’s Voice Collective – www.voicecollective.co.uk

Organised by

The School of Nursing and Midwifery

and

The Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing

Around 22% of 11-13 year olds, and 8% of older teens hear voices that other people don’t. For some these experiences are transient or pleasant, perhaps giving support or encouragement during times of stress or insecurity. For others, the voices can become overwhelming – bullying, threatening, distracting, commanding or criticizing them, leaving them feeling isolated and frightened. It can be such a stigmatizing experience that many hide it.

In this talk Rachel will explore:

· The experience of voice-hearing in childhood and adolescence
· The link between distressing voices, visions, emotions and traumatic life events
· Ways of creating safe spaces for young people to open up about their experiences and find creative ways of coping with them.
· Simple youth-friendly coping strategies

Who is this talk for?

This talk is open to anyone with an interest in gaining knowledge and understanding of young people’s voice hearing experiences

About the speaker

Rachel (Rai) Waddingham manages the Mind in Camden’s Voice Collective project, supporting young people who hear voices / see visions (www.voicecollective.co.uk). Rai is a trustee of the English Hearing Voices Network & vice chair of ISPS UK. She is a media spokesperson, writer & trainer. Rai is also a voice-hearer. See:www.behindthelabel.co.uk

Funded by the HSE Nursing and Midwifery Planning Development Unit, Dublin North