6 year old tells me he hears voice in his head

[tricci]

My 6 year old son keeps telling me that his brain is telling him bad things.  This morning he was upset because his brain kept saying "I'm right" over and over and he says he can't stop it.  He says it gives him a headeache.  He usually won't tell me what he hears because he says they are bad words that he is not supposed to say.  He's been telling me this for awhile and I just kind of tell him that it's normal but I'm not so sure it is???We do have mental illness in our family (bipolar disorder) but I don't believe this is related.  Is it really normal that he would be hearing these things?

[sunshine1976]

This does NOT sound normal to me.  One of the questions asked when I was getting a diagnosis for my son was about hearing voices and talking to himself.  I know as a parent the difference between imagination and hearing voices is hard to determine at this age, but it is obviously upsetting him and should be looked into soon.  If it ends up being nothing you've given yourself and your son peace of mind.  If it ends up being a problem than you are getting the tools to help your son.  

[psychicRod]

A lot of kids go through that its normal relaxxxx

[hexcaliber]

We do not all have voices in our head, much less more than one. There is a world of difference between thinking to yourself and hearing voices giving you instructions.  

While it is rare, around 1 in 40,000 children develop child onset schizophrenia every year.

Sadly children as young at 6 or 7 have committed acts of self harm including suicide or attacks on others after having reported hearing voices, any child reporting such voices must be taken seriously.

[mugsymolone73]

my daughter has epilepsy and learning disorders. she has been in hospital recently with chest pains and another time with debilitating headaches where she was admitted into hospital and screamed for 4 days straight In agony where no medication worked. my daughter has heard voices every now and again but since the hospital stay its been every day. she hears 2 girls lilly and elly and one is evil and the other is nice. elly hates me and wants to hurt me but s waiting for the right time to do it which freaks me out. my daughter also said that elly wants her gone and she wants to take over her body. my daughter also since her miagraines has been verbally aggressive which is very unusual. she sees lights and dots In her eyes and she said she can smell a dead smell. im very concerned that somehing is going on. took her to the hospital to see a pediatrician today and she ended up with 4 specialists asking her questions. so now she has to see a ped psychologist and she is going to have many tests.. i feel for my daughter and Im feeling helpless when shes holding her head screaming to get the voices out of her head. lets see what the doctors say.

[bb7493]

Take your child to see a child psychiatrist, who is the best person to determine whether it is or is not normal.

[specialmom]

Yes, I think this should be assessed.  With kids, they will often tell you that their "brain tells them to do something" but that is different than voices.  It sounds like your son can not quiet his thoughts or is hearing voices.  I think a mental health professional can help you in answering if this is the begining of a disorder or if it is normal kid stuff.  good luck

[NocturnalOracle]

Sounds like he's showing signs of schizophrenia, and it's NOT normal to hear voices until you become upset. Take him to a doctor ASAP.

[tshay]

My 6 year old son has told me he can hear voices in his head that tell him to do bad things........to his baby sister and to himselve I fell like I can't take my eyes off him. He is going though a medical assesment at the moment but the voices in his head have told him to do really bad stuff but it hurts me to say that my son has said he no longer wonts to be here and die and his only 6 and the voices in his head are going to help him

[KEa2019]

You may not take my suggestion but just think on it if you are a religious person take him to a religious leader or church prayer never hurts anyone...there may be something going on with him that is out of your control...You may not believe but teach your  child to say JESUS when he hear the voice and ask him does the voices stop. If you have tried everything else try this because this my save your child life

[LynnBoston]

I so wish you had not even suggested that the mother do this.  A mental health professional is far better equipped to both ascertain what is going on and also to give advice.  The child is young and confused. Doing what you suggested is only going to add to his confusion.

[Joycej]

Can you tell me what happened with this?

[whatuptho]

Lynn, only if your worldview is correct.  If his is correct, it could make all the difference.  You don't know you're right about this.  It's possible that his cure is the only possible one.

[Oia]

we all have voices in our heads some stronger than others.
We don't always admit it but we all have  thought process that is like a voice in our heads.  I know for a sensitive child if around many unspoken negative feelings, they will sence it as a bad voice in their head. Learning to " clear the air " around him by talking about difficult feelings or situations can help.  go to family therapy and safe your son from anguish and you too:)

[singledad1311978]

I'm sorry but am i the only one who finds this post amazing. Have you ever seen a movie or heard a news story about people who hear voices. Its never good and always should be treated with urgency. just the fact that your child is having headaches because of the voices should get him a trip to the doctors. I don't mean to sound like I'm apathetic because I'm not but this is a no brainer right?

[CandyGramma]

My 6 Y/O grandson is hearing voices telling him to hate his mother,  and father,  the voices are making him cry, " because they will not stop".  He now is saying  the "DEVIL" is telling him to kill his mother.   He is depressed, has lost 2 lbs,(  and he was a preemie and is tiny to begin with).  He has begged his mom to tae him to the hospital.  The voices/devil has him wanting to call  his loved ones all bad names.  He is asking his mom to make it stop.
  My little guy,  has always been the sweetest,  most loving, cutest little guy that has ever existed.  schitzo disorders usually manifest in the mid teens.  Please  if anyone out there  had even the slightest idea of any  diagnosis that fits this behavior,  please please   share  it.  
My daughter has him at the Hospital right now,  trying to get to the bottom of this,  
any infor anyone can share will be so very helpful
ty
candyGramma

[rogueronin]

OMG I had that exactly since I was young(around 5~ ), now I'm 25 and I still have that sort of voice in my head all the time(I think it is actually useful for me at work as a software engineer), I would yell at myself when I'm alone to make it stop especially when I want something and it just keeps repeating it for long.

Never thought it was a big issue honestly, but reading your comment made me think it might actually be :S

I am no longer affected(cry/feel bad) by its bad thoughts, however, I just ignore it.

[IChris]

Both dissociations, compulsive thoughts and Tourettes comes to my mind. It is not rare with bizzarre content in compulsive thoughts and they may make one being scared of loosing control. When it comes to Tourettes disorder is the mechanism in this on the spectre of compulsive thoughts and may also trying to get the person affected to say involuntary things. Dissociations is a defence mechanism which shield the person from traumatic events and something everyone do once in a time, it is when it gets extreme that it can be a serious problem. From simple things like repression of thoughts and daydreaming to more serious things like 'possession by the devil' and multiple personalities may dissociations manifest itself.

[CandyGramma]

Thank you , Chris.   I think you hit the nail on the head.   The preliminary Dx was OCD.  Thank you , again,  so very much.
CandyGramma

[maggie5758]

My son never thought he was possessed.  He thought that the devil was saying something to him in his mind ONLY after my idiot husband decided it was a good time to tell him about religion and said the devil is putting this stuff in his mind.

And how did this Chris "hit the nail on the head" by saying that he has dissociations, compulsive thoughts and Tourettes?  He was diagnosed with OCD.  Look it up and read about it.  It is a classic case.

My baby said his brain has a mind of his own and his thoughts were getting progressively worse as I was telling him his thoughts were "okay" and "normal."  Then, and only then, did it get worse.  

Please do not post anymore personal information on the internet about my baby.  

[IChris]

Not to interrupt to much, but I meant that those three things could each be a possibility alone. So either dissociations, compulsive thoughts or Tourettes was what I meant.

[IChris]

The thing is that "to hear voices" are often being thought of as "to hearing external voices" which can make something which is not a big problem into crazyness. Especially children, but also adults, may talk about intrusive thoughts as voices, and so it is important to find out if the person is talking about "internal voices" or "external voices". If no other symptoms on mental illness are shown, "internal voices" are often the case and in this sphere both compulsive thoughts, impulse control disorders, Tourettes and dissociations lies.

When I was younger I used dissociation as a defence mechanism when people and pets I loved died. I made them into fantasy friends so I still could have contact with them. When I later got in contact with a psychologist because of some other mental illness, I said that I talked with the deads and the psychologist took it right away as "external voices" and hallucinations when it in facts were "internal protective voices". She did not figure me out since I had no other symptoms of psychosis or so. The next psychologist I went to figured it out because she saw it as "internal voices".

So the thing is, voices should be cleary sorted out before attempting to say anything about it. "Internal voices" can even be healthy and according to the psychologist Lev Vygotsky it is an important aid in development of language.  

[Snizajane2012]

My stepson and I were reading his little bible stories tonight and we got to the ten commandments and he said, "I say **** God and **** Jesus in my head, and I can't help it. I don't want to, after I think it I tell him I don't really mean it." he says he prays for it to go away. Yikes, where do I turn? He is currently being treated for a tick.

[BadKitten]

Ok, to clarify... I have OCD, you do NOT hear voices! I know many others with this condition & none "hear voices". I'm not sure what "research" you did, but hearing voices is NOT classic OCD. It is however, classic disassosiative & multiple personality disorder.
Please do not post misinformation about this disorder.
If you want to know what OCD is just ask.

[margypops]

It could be your stepson has been hearing other people/ children saying things about religion, or on TV or the computer, has he access to the Computer ?

[ashiemc27]

My 5 year old is going thru same thing. She says the right ear is bad voice and left is good. She cries all the time saying she wants to be good but the bad voice says not too! I'm not sure when to worry!! She hadn't said anything else about then except that the bad voice tells her not to listen!

[margypops]

Again does your daughter have access to watching anything scary on TV or the Computer, there are some nasty things on nowadys  has she any olde siblings may also be listening to ?

[shanhc]

We are going through something similar that has started this week with my four year old. It's breaking my heart and has me in years. Is he medicated? Any improvement?

[Apo11o]

This is a theory i have about my 4 year old brother. Is there any medicines, or drugs out there that may be associated with this kind of behavior and the child might've got ahold of some or possibly tricked into taking them? If so, what can be done in identifying which one he could've  ingested.
Best of luck to all,
Apollo

[Sandman2]

   Margypops has pretty well identified the usual cause.  I highly doubt that any medicines or drugs could cause this.  And they would be out of the system by now anyway.

[TENS]

my 8 yr old has been telling me from time to time that his brain tells him to hurt himself.. it has only happened like 3-4 times in 2yr period but does anyone have any ideas if this is just his age, or could there be something up?

[yoshidesu]

I find this is very helpful comment. May I ask what you are basing it on?   -Fred

[Oia]

I base it on my own life. And a family therapist I know.
It is hard to be grown up and have very strong negative feelings
AND ADMIT IT.
so often, without knowledge,  these feelings are projected on the most vulnerable member of the family and then everybody else can feel god about them self. This is " making of the black sheep" in the family. Sometimes this family pattern runs so deep and is so  old that everybody have to be crying for years if they EVER ADMIT their true and strong overvelming feelings. Which btw. are often carried through generations. Don't forget the spiritual aspect of life and use every faith method that you feel in your heart will help.

[alison29]

i hope things have got better for you my nephew is going thr the very same thing he is 7 and says ghosts are in his head and telling him to kill his Mother and his brother