Today in Focus Digital demons: the radical new treatment helping people with psychosis
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Jan 27, 2025 Join Guardian journalist Jenny Kleeman as she delves into groundbreaking avatar therapy for psychosis. She shares how patients create digital avatars of their hallucinated voices, leading to transformative therapeutic interactions. Listen as she recounts a personal journey battling psychosis, highlighting emotional struggles and societal stigma. The discussion also touches on the innovative treatment's potential to alleviate distress and improve self-esteem, offering hope and insight into the future of mental health care.
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Claire's First Voices
- At age 10, Claire first heard a male voice urging her to jump out of her window.
- Other voices emerged later, becoming increasingly abusive and threatening over time.
Psychosis Defined
- Claire's experience is a case of psychosis, involving a disconnect from reality.
- This often manifests as hallucinations or delusions, like hearing non-existent voices.
Nature of the Voices
- Claire recalls not initially feeling fear when she first heard the voice, perhaps due to her age.
- She emphasized that the voices felt external, sensed as if spoken directly into her ear.