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Sometimes I hear a voice in my head that tells me negative things like everyone hates me or I should kill myself. What should I do?

225 Answers
Last Updated: 05/27/2022 at 7:09pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Danielle Gonzales, PsyD

Psychologist

Hello! My name is Dani, I am a Psychologist and registered Psych Assistant. I have a passion for helping a different types of clients from all diverse backgrounds!

Top Rated Answers
colourfulButton4002
June 24th, 2020 8:13am
I can relate to the over thinking of people’s opinions towards yourself. I struggle with depression and anxiety myself. I personally would confront the person you feel thinks this way about you. If someone says that you should take part in that action, I highly suggest you confront an adult you trust. Bullying is sadly something that occurs often and isn’t taken seriously all the time. Being bullied is something that I too have struggled with, and I have also been told to take my own life. When this occurred I told an adult I trusted and got the situation taken care of. This situation you’re in can feel very overwhelming and stressful. You’re strong and you’re loved.
strawberrychar
June 28th, 2020 6:37am
First off, please please don't listen to that voice, you are amazing and deserve to be here. I understand feeling like everyone hates you, but trust me they don't. Your friends and care about you so much, they may just have a hard time showing it. Your mind may be hard on you because it knows that you can handle it. But please don't listen to it. If you need to reach out for help, there is no shame in that. everyone needs help and there is plenty of help out there. And if you feel like you cann't open up, write it in a notebook to get it out. But you belong here and you are loved. (hotline number if you need it: 1-800-273-8255)
SnugglyFuzzle
July 15th, 2020 7:25am
Let the voice talk. It has zero power to act when you do not follow its directions! Eventually, the voice will stop talking once it realizes that all its efforts to bring you done are useless. Try not to fight it, rather let it be. Also, have you tried distraction? Sometimes the voices in our head tend to be the loudest in our moments of complete solitude. Try doing something that you like, something that holds your attention for extended periods of time. Or simply watch a movie or listen to a song if you do not wish to extend too many efforts into actively doing something.
compassionatehugs
July 25th, 2020 7:07am
I love this quote that goes "you're not responsible for your first thought but are in control of the ones you have afterwards." That negative voice doesn't define you nor should it control your actions (although I know it can be convincing). Next time that voice pops up try and sit back and observe it. Let those thoughts flow through your head and then once they've calmed down a bit, tell yourself positive affirmations, think of traits you like about yourself, things that make you happy. And try and recenter yourself and remember that YOU are in control and that negative voice isn't always correct, and in fact is rarely correct!
magicalrose22
August 1st, 2020 10:18am
The negative talk that you hear in your head are all lies. You must remember that it is not the truth. You have the power within you to change those thoughts in your head. It will take some time and practice but you definitely can do it. When you hear a negative thought remember that it is not the truth. Try replacing it with another more positive thought that feels good to you. Every day take a small step to uplift yourself higher. You are so worthy and important in this world. Never give up on changing your thoughts - you have the ability to create change within yourself.
Ava1122
August 6th, 2020 3:04am
Whatever scenario it is this is a concerning thing so its definitely worth a trip to your GP to get a mental health plan. If we're talking a voice that doesn't seem to be a part of yoru thoughts like an audible voice, we could be looking at a more serious condition like mania, or schizophrenia, which needs a diagnosis and treatment. But that being said, it's not a death sentence to be diagnosed with any of these conditions. We are slowly beginning to udnerstand these conditions little by little in the medical and mental health field and many people who recieve care and medication are able to live healthy successful lives.
Anonymous
August 29th, 2020 6:04pm
Challenge the voice! Ask the voice why and will find that your inner critic is falsely informed you and those around you. Ask the questions that challenge negative thoughts and be kind to yourself, you are doing your best to survive the day to day and that's an amazing achievement! I have struggled with depression and know that once I started challenging my negative thoughts I started to become more aware of how I was my own worst enemy. I started to be kinder to myself and have made improvements with every day that I make it through. Things will get better and you will start to hear that voice less and less with each day that you learn you are enough for the world!
Anonymous
September 16th, 2020 5:53am
Please don't listen to that voice! Both of those thoughts are unhealthy and untrue, and the second one is definitely not something to ignore. 7 cups has trained therapists who can help you, and hearing voices is a job for a trained therapist. Therapy is life-changing stuff. Reach out to a Licensed psychologist, counselor, therapist, LCSW, or MSW, and they can help you create a happier, healthier you! Wouldn't life be better without voices like that trying to hurt you? Of course it would! If your friend had voices telling them bad things, you would want them to get help and be safe, right? Be your own friend on this! Therapists want to help you. All you have to do is ask.
radiantSun1075
September 16th, 2020 5:16pm
This voice are thoughts and "we are not our thoughts". So just because we have a thought, does not make it true. Try to practise grounding techniques and mindfulness in order to gain some space between your mind and your thoughts. Look into practising self compassion....people don't hate you but maybe you just don't like yourself very much at the moment. It may be a good idea to do more things for yourself to show kindness like exercising, watching your favourite show, other self care activities that you would normally enjoy. You are loved and cared about and have a place in this world.
Blake1604
September 24th, 2020 11:32pm
This could many different things depending on what this voice is. If this is simply your voice saying these things, or if these are intrusive thoughts it is most likely caused by an anxiety disorder. But if this is a literal voice in your head telling you to hurt yourself than it gets a bit more complicated. If you are hearing a literal voice than that is considered a hallucination. Many disorders can cause hallucinations. Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. For example, some people when they are severely depressed for a long period of time, they lose touch with reality. This makes them hallucinate things like voices telling the to hurt themselves. What this voice means and what you should do is very dependent on what disorders you are currently diagnosed with. I hope this helped. Either way you should talk to a medical professional though.
calmingFriend2210
October 8th, 2020 2:21am
Don’t listen to them. Ignore them and get help. This can be caused for several reasons. I will try to be positive and tell my head to start thinking positive. Such as going outside and expressing life. Another thing is to tell someone about them cause this is something that should be concerning. By listening to these thoughts will make all the more worst so try to do things that make you happy and tell them to your family. If they continue try to go the the doctor or a therapist for this but besides that you should remain positive and ignore the negative thoughts.
mayaLIFTnibbles2020
October 8th, 2020 5:07pm
When I'm hurting, my inner voice can say hurt things. I try to remember that the upset words are just like a grumbling stomach - they just show me that I'm hungry for something. So then I try to listen quietly inside myself. I ask, "What are these negative words secretly yearning for?" What does the negative thought ache to experience? So if I'm telling myself, "I should kill myslef," maybe that voice is crying inside because actually I'm aching for kind, supportive friendship in my life. Or if I'm telling myself, "I should kill myself," maybe it's actually that I'm hurting so badly, and really want to find my joy in life. By finding these underlying core values behind the negative words, now I can do things to feed that core value. I can make a request. I can go online to 7cups to find kind friendships. Or I can ask other people what they do for joy. But most importantly, I remind myself that the negative words are just a grumble. My job is to find out what I'm hungry for, and then ask for that.
Anaiviv01
October 15th, 2020 1:36pm
There is a proper definition for this: self-sabotaging behavior. Self-sabotage happens when we adopt a vocabulary that focuses on failure, negative traits and so on. Most of the time we fall into the trap of adopting a poor language (also inner language) as we label ourselves. The "basic" secret is to try divert our labeling actions — instead of labeling ourselves in general, we detach our words. I AM NOT a mess, I'm coping with some mess. I'm not a mistake, I made a mistake. This way we can overcome the total identification that occurs between ourselves and what we are going through.
Evertonest
October 16th, 2020 2:56am
You are not your thoughts. Detach yourself from these thoughts. When you identify yourself with these thoughts, you can feel very upset. Our minds can say pretty negative things about ourselves. It is one of the things our minds naturally do. It might help to visualise your mind as an untamed monkey, spouting mean things to you. When it starts spouting negative things, don't take it personally. Just view those thoughts as they are without judgment as they appear in your awareness, and let them go. Your monkey mind does not know better what to say, so just leave it to do it's own thing without identifying yourself to what it is saying.
Anonymous
October 24th, 2020 6:49pm
I would seek out mental health services, or professionals in the mental health services. Going to the experts that have spent their life helping those that have the same thoughts and voice as you do. I know from personal experience that seeking out help with therapists or other professionals can really help. Getting help for issues like this is an important step, a very brave step, in your mental health journey. Perhaps talking to a trusted family member, or someone that you are close to, about the thoughts that you have occasionally, might be helpful as well.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2020 5:42pm
It seems to me that what you may be experiencing is part of schizophrenia, the best way to approach this is professional help, another way to go about it by yourself would be to analyze the root cause of these feelings, anything that is hurting you consciously? Is there a certain event in your life that has brought about these feelings? I have come across a few such scenarios and I have heard that diverting you mind when this voice appears seems like a good way to, have you tried listening to music or read? and I would like to assure you that everyone does not hate you, the world is a big place and I assure you that you have your loved ones and our community to support you
Anonymous
November 19th, 2020 8:27pm
This is very common in people who are suffering from anxiety and depression. Healthy coping mechanism #1: try to relax. You can do this by practicing breathing techniques, taking a warm, relaxing bath/shower etc. Healthy coping mechanism #2: shift your focus on something else, distract yourself. You can do some form of physical exercise, for example take a walk or go for a run. If you like to cook or have some other hobby that you enjoy doing, then try spending time with that. Or find new activities/hobbies that you might enjoy. The key here is to occupy your brain and stop it from throwing negativity at you. Healthy coping mechanism #3: positive sentences/mantras. They can strenghten your self-confidence and can help develop a more positive way of thinking. Try to turn your attention to good things that make you happy, because they are great for relieving tension. +1: A conscious lifestyle can effectively manage anxiety and can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by stress. Drink a lot of water, eat healthy food, exercise, have a sleeping schedule and so on.
Athenalu
November 28th, 2020 4:34pm
Try to tell somone about how you feel, its always positive to let out your emotions by telling somone. Try to distract yourself in the meantime with things that you enjoy to take your mind off of these thoughts. Remember that you are loved and that not everyone hates you , you can't please everyone but you can't make everyone hate you . From my own personal experience I realised that maybe I hated myself , if I ever felt like maybe i didn't deserve to live i counted to ten and wrote a list about all the people who would miss me and what I would miss.
Anonymous
November 28th, 2020 11:54pm
That seems like a really stressful issue. I can see that you are very concerned about it, and want to make steps to improve. You know best when it comes to you, and you don't need to take any advice from me but may I ask have you met with a therapist? There are some great ones available online at 7 cups. I would be happy to refer you. But, if you are considering killing yourself, I would need to refer you to the suicide hotline as we would not have the capacity at 7 cups to provide you with suicide-related resources.
Anonymous
November 29th, 2020 12:40am
Ignore the voices, it is your self-conscious telling you these thinks. Nobody hates you, and your mind automatically goes to killing yourself. Your mind isn’t always correct, especially with this situation. I have a negative voice sometimes which tells me to do something I don’t want to. What I do is take a few deep breaths, relax and move my mind to my happy place, such as the beach. Try some meditating, it helps clear the mind of these annoying voices. If someone in particular is upsetting you, remove them as fully as your can from your life. They aren’t worth it, trust me.
Anonymous
December 9th, 2020 6:22pm
I think the first step to combating those voices is acknowledging how you feel towards yourself. You should think of how people around you would feel if they lost you. Remember that everyone has worries and thoughts in their own minds just like you. People around you experience the same feeling everyday so you're not alone and nobody is judging you personally. Another thing I would suggest is positive affirmations. For example, every day when you see yourself in the mirror say a phrase like "You are beautiful" or "You are worthy of being here." I promise that after a while the positive energy you give yourself will be felt in your life and attitude over time. The main thing is to ultimately prove those voices wrong because you are loved and you are wanted in this world.
Anonymous
December 11th, 2020 10:06pm
Firstly, it's statistically impossible for EVERYONE to hate you, so rest assured, that isn't true in the slightest. Secondly, you are already realizing that this voice is in your head. It's just a voice. Just because it tells you something, doesn't mean you have to pay attention or believe it. Don't. You are a human being and as such, merit life, love, and happiness. Lastly, and probably more seriously, if you are indeed hearing a legit voice tell you these nonsensical things about yourself or negative and hurtful things you should do to yourself, you should reach out and talk to a medical professional. If you haven't done that before, I know firsthand it can feel scary. Don't let that stop you from reaching out. I've been to that dark mental space and considered extreme actions before, and I am so happy and grateful I didn't pursue them. Instead, I reached out for professional help and support. It wasn't easy, but it was so worth it. If this is indeed your reality, please know you are not alone. Many of us have blazed the trail ahead, and it's so worth reaching out to a professional therapist to talk about what's going on and if necessary, to get medical help. I promise you won't regret it.
Anonymous
December 27th, 2020 4:26am
You should talk to a professional in the mental health field now, before it gets harder to handle. I realize right now you may feel like you can handle what is going on at the current level, but you should act now while you have awareness and more autonomy. The voices usually can and do get worse over time without intervention. The earlier the intervention is, the more positive the outcome . Plus, personally I know that I was in a position once where I was aware of what was going on, but with time I lost that awareness and insight and became totally lost in my own world until medications brought me back out of it. Everyone has a place in this life and everyone who dies by their own hand rips a tear in the fabric of society and is missed. Act now so that you can discover your place and who cares for you.. and so people won't have to grieve so when you are gone. It is said that with suicide everyone that person has ever known or touched has a higher risk of suicide after that one person is gone.
PieceoftheUniverse
December 30th, 2020 12:44pm
That depends. A psychiatrist could help you to get antipsychotic medication. Most of the times voices go away when you take antipsychotics. A psychologist can help you figure out why you're hearing voices. This is most of the time a response to a trauma. The voice is a metaphor for the trauma that wants to be heared. When you work through it listening to a voice can actually cause healing. I mean not listen when it tells you negative things of course. But listen to the trauma underneath that demands attention. I've never heared voices but have gone through psychosis so if you want you're free to text me about it also for peer support:) Good luck! Wish you the best
StassieJones
January 13th, 2021 2:22am
Don't isolate yourself to your thoughts. Something I always remind myself when I'm feeling that way is "the mind a dangerous place to hang out". If you're bored and unstimulated its easy for negative thoughts to creep in. Sadly human beings can't help but go to the negative. It's almost like a protective instinct. So don't think it's JUST you. It's not, we've all felt like this from time to time. Anyways, try to fill up your time doing things you like Find a hobby like music, exercise, reading, crafts, whatever and keep yourself happily distracted. Also mention it to people you trust and feel safe around. Use the listeners and the therapist here on 7cups! Good Luck!
thousandhands1000
January 23rd, 2021 3:35am
Hello there, First of all, thank you for being so brave by sharing it out here. I just want to say that you are not alone. I guess you've done a very good first step which is acknowledging that there is a voice in your head that telling you those 'unwanted negativities'. I can relate to it a lot. Different people have different coping mechanism. I am not sure these following will help you but to me personally: I have practised Mindfulness over the last few years and I feel it helps me in those situations by (1) acknowledging those thoughts arising; (2) Welcoming whatever it is - though it's difficult - it takes practising; (3) Cultivating another voice in your head knowing that this is only a thought - not a fact; a very incorrect thought. (4) List of the things that you love about yourself - if possible. If you feel you can write to a trusted/beloved friend/family member or a support circle, you can ask them to list things that they love about you. - this is not easy though when the voice is so loud and clear. Another way is if you can, you can try to imagine what would you talk to a good friend in those situation if they have those negative talks in their head. You'd defo point out that those thoughts are faulty and not correct, wouldn't you? Challenging Those Negative Thoughts. Recently I have found Woebot - an app that used AI to support me in those situation when I feel overwhelming. As for me so often, I feel like I am unable to reach out to a friend/or family member. So talking to a bot who has been trained to offer us CBT / listening space really helps. Ahh I want to write more but I myself struggle with this too and currently very low in energy. But I hope you won't give up on yourself and knowing that you are loved. Thank you for sharing your question here. It's much needed.
SherlockX221b
February 24th, 2021 5:16pm
I'm sorry you are experiencing such a problem, I have been struggling with that a lot and I really understand how awful, stressful and confusing it is, the first thing to do is seeking a professional help, that is what you should do at the first to understand which problems you are going through and try to deal with, and there are a little ways to cope, I cope with them by listening to music ( for some people, music makes it worse so be careful) you can try humming, or distract yourself as possible, remember they can never control you, you are the only one who can, I hope you stay safe and if you want to talk about that more, I'm all ears 😊💙 have a good day.
HyojuHan
March 21st, 2021 12:31pm
I'm really sorry to hear you are going through this. With Schizophrenia one can experience delusions (false beliefs not based on reality), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that do not exist), disorganized speech and behavior. It’s unimaginable how fearful you would be in this situation. You can talk with our professional counselors here who may have specialized experience with what you go through and our trained listeners who are ready to listen to and talk with you who may have personal experience with what you are going through. We are here to guide and support you to the right help for what through by sharing a crisis resource where you can receive more support urgently. We also have mindfulness and self-help exercises available on our site to support you. Wishing you well.
peachtones
April 14th, 2021 7:36am
Aw, I'm so sorry you have to experience that. But always know that it is important to flush the voice out. That voice doesn't hold any sort of importance; it's honestly just another way of belittling you. All these negative things that are coming to your mind aren't truly what you're about. You're a strong and wonderful person that can get through anything that comes in your way. No one hates you, it's just a hurtful thought that makes you feel like you aren't enough. It's okay to have these thoughts, but just know that it isn't necessarily something that needs to define you, or your choices.
Anonymous
May 6th, 2021 10:57pm
Set aside a set of reminders for yourself and be aware of these negative thoughts. Where do these thoughts come from and why? Then you can know how to overcome them and recognize that it's just your negativity that is talking. Combat those thoughts actively and try to prove them wrong! Realize that none of what that voice says is true. It is going to be hard to fight against that voice, but it is necessary to not let that voice win. Keep going and fight that battle within your mind because I promise that your positive side will eventually win. It always does, slowly but surely.