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Schizophrenia Shaped by Culture
What we can learn from Eastern cultures about treating Schizophrenia
In the article, Hallucinatory ‘voices’ shaped by local culture, a Stanford anthropologist states the difference between Western and Eastern cultures when viewing the voices that people with Schizophrenia experience. The study found that people from Africa and India had a much more positive experience when hearing the voices in their heads sometimes; they even listened to the voices of family members. This was compared to Americans who had more negative experiences when they heard the voices in their head due to viewing the voice as a medical problem.
The lack of connection to the voice in their head caused Americans to have more troubling and traumatic experiences with their voices compared to Eastern cultures that connected the voice to more positive experiences of hearing God or a guiding voice. This difference in point of view shows that the encouragement of spirituality and the change in perspective about the voices people experience with Schizophrenia can cause people to have more pleasant experiences with their voices.
Additionally, many Eastern cultures tend to be more accepting of the idea of spirituality intertwined with medical practices. This difference can change the perspective of the voice to be viewed less as an intrusion that needs to be fixed and more like a connection to spirituality.
Based on what Luhrmann states in the article, the advice I would give is to try to name and build a relationship with the voice. This encouragement can help not provide the voice as much power and create the foundation for a more positive experience the person has with the voice.
Additionally, though it is difficult in our more medically driven world, I would encourage the loved one to view the voice in a more positive light. It may be common for people to get a diagnosis of Schizophrenia and view themselves as broken. I think reframing the idea of the voice, like what was shown in many Eastern cultures, can change the words and experiences of the person with Schizophrenia.