# How do I know if I’m hearing voices or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [August 31, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516 "2026-08-31T17:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/1 "2026-08-31T17:09:47Z")
I do have command hallucinations but lately they have been indistinct voices and now indistinct background chatter. I don’t know rather this is part of my ADHD or part of my schizophrenia. It’s extremely distracting and takes over and I can’t focus on anything b/c it’s so “loud,” but it seems like I would know if I was hearing voices or not. Has anyone experienced this background chatter? Any advice on how I know the difference between thoughts and voices? ---
**Author:** ![yinyang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/yinyang/32/14062_2.png) [@yinyang](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/yinyang)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/2 "2026-08-31T17:22:24Z")
The loud voices are symptoms of your schizophrenia. Anti-psychotic medication will suppress the voices by inhibiting the neurons in your brain from over firing causing your command hallucinations. ---
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/3 "2026-08-31T17:38:20Z")
Ok. So you don’t think this background chatter could just be thoughts and not voices? ---
**Author:** ![yinyang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/yinyang/32/14062_2.png) [@yinyang](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/yinyang)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/4 "2026-08-31T17:41:01Z")
> [@Confused](#): > > Ok. So you don’t think this background chatter could just be thoughts and not voices? I know for certain that the command voices are symptoms of schizophrenia because I have the same hallucination when paranoid. The background chatter I am not familiar with so discussing these symptoms with your psychiatrist would be best. ---
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/5 "2026-08-31T17:48:55Z")
Yeah. I knew the command hallucinations were part of schizophrenia. Those suck. I hate those. I just mainly didn’t know if I would be able to tell if I was hearing voices. Or if they were just part of my adhd. I do go see my psychiatrist in about a week though. Thanks for the reply! ---
**Author:** ![yinyang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/yinyang/32/14062_2.png) [@yinyang](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/yinyang)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/6 "2026-08-31T17:50:21Z")
> [@Confused](#): > > Or if they were just part of my adhd. ADHD has nothing to do with voices you hear and no body else hears. Internal voices are definitely schizophrenia. ---
**Author:** ![WhiteRaven](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/whiteraven/32/5401_2.png) [@WhiteRaven](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/WhiteRaven)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/7 "2026-08-31T19:04:59Z")
If you’re really unsure, ask someone else to double check if it’s a real noise. ---
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/8 "2026-09-01T00:16:13Z")
Ok. I was just unsure if it could cause the “brain chatter.” Thanks for clarifying. ---
**Author:** ![Jimbob](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/jimbob/32/2608_2.png) [@Jimbob](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Jimbob)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/9 "2026-09-01T00:26:36Z")
You could record audio of whatever room you are in on your phone. If you hear something refer back to that moment on the recording and see if it was real or not ---
**Author:** ![Dika](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/dika/32/9061_2.png) [@Dika](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Dika)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/10 "2026-09-01T10:23:28Z")
I have internal voices, the difference between them and my own thoughts is the voices aren’t from me but other entities living in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 11:41am UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/12 "2026-09-01T11:41:41Z")
> [@Dika](#): > > I have internal voices, the difference between them and my own thoughts is the voices aren’t from me but other entities living in my head. Ok. That makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Confused](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Confused](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Confused)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 11:51am UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/13 "2026-09-01T11:51:25Z")
> [@MatQuasar](#): > > My psychiatrist once said, inner voice is voice you can control (can make it stop), but internal auditory hallucination is not, i.e. cannot control to make it stop. Wow!! That makes so much sense!! I totally understand that. What I’m experiencing right now is not something I can control. It’s definitely “out of control.” But he/she was right. My own thoughts I have control over. Thank you so much for the insight! ---
**Author:** ![MatQuasar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/matquasar/32/16337_2.png) [@MatQuasar](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/MatQuasar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/14 "2026-09-01T12:04:55Z")
Glad that you liked the answer. You’re most welcomed! ---
**Author:** ![sweetpotatopie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/sweetpotatopie/32/8234_2.png) [@sweetpotatopie](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/sweetpotatopie)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 12:42pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-know-if-i-m-hearing-voices-or-not/8516/15 "2026-10-01T12:42:39Z")
Closed on October 1, 2026, 12:42pm UTC