Do schizophrenics really believe the voices are real or do they know they are make-believe but choose to hear?

Question

I know it sounds difficult but I mean, do they know that they are fake voices but they have to go along or they can actual hear things they think are real. I hope that makes sense.

Answer 1

The "voices" as they are refered to are very much like our thoughts. We all have conversations with ourselves, in our heads, and never question it. Imagine one day waking up and not being able to trust any of the thoughts and rationalizations that we once depended on. Once diagnosed they are made aware of the condition and now must try to desipher which thoughts are real and which are not. One can only imagine that kind of h**l

Answer 2

it really depends how severe the schizophrenia is and what kind of medication they are taking.

for most people (i know a schizophrenic) they know the voices are unreal but the voices still distract them from doing normal things

Answer 3

To them the voices and images 'are real', what they see and hear is as real to them as you looking at people at the mall.

At times I think they know the difference, but most of the time they can't tell who is real and who isn't. They can have from One 'friend' to many,many 'friends'

Answer 4

schizophrenia runs in my family, and i have symptoms of it. i use to hear voices and see things and believe of things that never happened.  I  knew the voices werent real, but thats why it was worse. I knew they were just in head and it fustrated me because i knew that there was nothing i could do to get them out.

My grandma was also a schizo, and she listened to the voices like they were God. They told her to kill herself several times and attempted to before my family got her into a mental hospital.