My seven year old says he hears voices in his head.- should I be worried?

[Anonymous]

He just turned 7. I asked DS if the person he hears had a name and how long has it been happening; He said since he was 4...that was the age he changed from a quiet, introspective kid to a loud, attention seeking, naughty (but cute) child. He's very precocious too.

[Anonymous]

Need more information. Does he hear the voices of people he knows? Repeating things that happened during the day? His friends? His family? Babysitteer, whatever?

Does he like what he hears? Are these thoughts uncomfortable, how does he feel?

Can you ask him to give you an example?

Kids have a hard time articulating things.

[Anonymous]

I hear a voice in my head. It's my conscience. If he hears voices telling him to do unsafe, dangerous, hurtful things, that's a different story.

[Anonymous]

We all have an internal voice, and internal monologue, after a certain age (maybe 4-6?). Developing a silent inner voice is a milestone. (From Scholastic: "This ability to think in words is something adults do every day without even being aware of it. It is : the process we use to figure things out in our heads. Kindergartners' monologues are the precursor to this important skill. A strong inner voice is essential not only for cognitive functioning, but also to build social awareness.")

Your son could just be self-aware of this development.

All kids personalities change and they go through stages. My 5 year old acts VERY differently than she did at 1, 2, or 3.

I suspect you are worrying needlessly absent any significant day-to-day mood issues with your child.

[Anonymous]

I think it is worth raising with his doctor, but is not necessarily an issue.

[Anonymous]

I think "voices in my head" could mean a lot of things to a 7-year-old and he's probably just thinking of the "inner voice" we all have. I would be a lot more concerned if he was blaming the voices for his behavior, if he was remembering events that didn't happen, or he seemed unusually paranoid or anxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think "voices in my head" could mean a lot of things to a 7-year-old and he's probably just thinking of the "inner voice" we all have. I would be a lot more concerned if he was blaming the voices for his behavior, if he was remembering events that didn't happen, or he seemed unusually paranoid or anxious.

This is good advice, OP. Also, as someone noted above, if he says the voices are telling him to do things like harm himself or others, or act out in ways that are not appropriate, then it's time to get him evaluated. He may just be more aware than most kids that he's narrating his own life to a degree, talking to himself -- we all do that and it's normal. But hearing voices that are not his own or especially that tell him to do things, that would be more of a red flag.

Have there been any changes in his life lately? New school situation, new house, close friend moved away, changes/stressors at home, new sibling or new conflicts with a sibling who's been around a while, anything? Those could be making him more aware of self-talk, which is OK, or they could be prompting something more. I'd just keep close tabs, for now, on whether he starts to blame the voices for "making" him do things, or whether he doesn't do that out loud to you but does behave differently from what you know is normal for him. If it helps you process this, OP, keep a notebook in the house and one in the car and jot down things if you feel he says things that are way off kilter, or if he seems anxious or paranoid. Be sure to note when it happens and in what circumstances, in case he finds certain circumstances to be especially stressful. I would wager he's just meaning he's aware he talks to himself as we all do....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think "voices in my head" could mean a lot of things to a 7-year-old and he's probably just thinking of the "inner voice" we all have. I would be a lot more concerned if he was blaming the voices for his behavior, if he was remembering events that didn't happen, or he seemed unusually paranoid or anxious.

Agree. He is just realizing that he actively thinks about things.

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone. This website is so helpful. Have s great day!

[Anonymous]

couldn't hurt to have him talk to a counselor to make you feel better about it.

[Anonymous]

I would ask more questions and not discount it if you think it is not his conscious. I come from a family were my sister became mentally ill as an adolescent.

[Anonymous]

Probably nothing of concern....childhood schizophrenia is extremely rare (1/50,000). I would ask him about the nature of the voices but not making a big deal out of it.. What are the voices saying, etc

[Anonymous]

My DS had two people in his head for the longest, age 3-5. We would talk about them regularly. It was hilarious, the kinds of thoughts and ideas that he attributed to them. Part of why I was so inquisitive about them is that I was initially worried. But the more we talked about it the less worrisome it was. They faded away. This post reminded me about this and now I see it as a fun memory.

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old recently told me this, too, and it made me really happy as I think it was her saying she has a conscious (the voice tells me what the right thing to do is).

I mentione dit to my mom; she says "oooh, the ego is developing!"

I think schizophrenia is typically manifested/diagnosed much much later (early 20s)

[Anonymous]

Depending on what your DS tells you about these voices, may also be worth picking up a copy of "your psychic child." The author is a down-to-earth real mom, who provides a lot of good information for parents who (like me) are left brain rational and not at all indulgent of these types of things.