Auditory hallucinations can include hearing voices or sounds that aren’t really there. While this can be a form of psychosis, there are plenty of other potential causes. Some are treatable medical or behavioral conditions, and some are problems with simple remedies like hunger or sleep deprivation. For those who are experiencing psychosis because of a mental health condition, residential and outpatient treatment programs are available. The best form of treatment for those who are hearing voices will depend on the cause of their symptoms.

Because there’s no easy way to explain this phenomenon, and because psychotic conditions are so highly stigmatized, hearing voices can be unsettling. However, you should know you’re not alone. In general population studies, between 2.5% and 7.3% of people reported hearing voices at some point in their lives. In most cases, there are effective treatments that can fully eliminate your symptoms or keep them to a minimum. For the vast majority of people who hear voices, it only happens on up to five different occasions. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some conditions that cause people to hear voices.

Why am I hearing voices?

Auditory hallucinations can happen for a number of reasons. They may be innocuous or a sign of a treatable condition. Not getting enough sleep, being very hungry or stressed, and taking certain medications or substances can cause people to hear voices. You may also hear voices if you have a psychiatric condition like complicated grief, severe depression, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Medical conditions that can cause auditory hallucinations include sleep disorders, hearing impairment and neurological disorders. 

8 potential causes of auditory hallucinations

The only way to know for sure what’s causing you to hear voices is to see a medical professional. If you are experiencing any other symptoms or have had any recent changes in your life, that can help you determine what kind of care you need. Talking with your primary care physician is a good place to start. If you think your auditory hallucinations are related to a psychiatric condition, you would need to see a psychiatrist or seek treatment from a clinical care team. For other types of conditions, you may need to see a specialist, such as a neurologist or an audiologist. If you’re having a mental health crisis, you may need to seek emergency services or book a same-day psychiatry appointment.

The following are eight conditions that may cause you to hear voices:

• Sleep deprivation or sleep disorder — Some people hear voices as they’re falling asleep. They’re more common in people with sleep disorders like narcolepsy or insomnia. You may also hear voices if you’re not getting enough sleep. 
• Extreme stress or grief — During periods of intense grief, some individuals may experience “grief hallucinations,” such as briefly hearing the voice of a lost loved one. These experiences are often considered a normal part of the grieving process and may not indicate a psychiatric disorder. If these experiences are persistent or distressing, it’s important to seek professional support.
• Severe depression with psychotic features — Sometimes people with severe depression may have hallucinations or delusions. A combination of medication and psychotherapy is usually the best treatment approach.
• Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder — People who hear voices because of conditions like schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder need antipsychotic medication and therapy to manage their symptoms.
• Hearing impairment — People with impaired hearing may experience a ringing in their ears known as tinnitus. Other types of auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices or sounds like telephones or doorbells, are less common with typical hearing impairment. However, people with musical ear syndrome may experience them. Distracting yourself with music may help. You may also go to a support group, see a therapist or take prescription medication. 
• Neurological conditions — Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, migraines, temporal lobe epilepsy, brain tumors, encephalitis, or dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) can cause auditory hallucinations. People experiencing a stroke or those with brain tumors may also hear voices. These conditions require treatment from a qualified professional.
• Substance use — The use of substances such as alcohol, cannabis, psychedelics, stimulants or certain prescription medications can lead to auditory hallucinations, especially in high doses or with prolonged use. Additionally, withdrawal from substances like alcohol or benzodiazepines can also result in hallucinations.
• Medication side effect — Although very rare, hearing voices can be a side effect of certain medications. Some psychiatric medications as well as sleep aids, sedatives and seizure medications can cause people to hear voices.

In some cases, there are things you can do to stop hearing voices. Most of the time, it involves finding treatment for an underlying condition. For instance, if you’re hearing voices because of sleep deprivation or hunger, you would need to get some sleep or eat regular meals. If you have a behavioral condition like substance use or an eating disorder, you may need treatment to resolve it. Psychiatric and neurological conditions as well as hearing impairment need to be treated by the appropriate professionals. 

If your auditory hallucinations are accompanied by other mental health symptoms that affect your ability to function, there is hope that you can get back to living a fulfilling life. At Lightfully, we treat the whole person. That means your treatment here won’t revolve around a diagnostic label or your symptoms. We see our clients for who they are and create highly personalized treatment plans for long-term mental wellness. 

Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team to learn more about your treatment options. They can help you schedule an assessment and help you with your next steps.