Reality Testing

An excerpt from Ron Ungar’s ‘Some ideas about how to cope with voices‘

The voices may be saying something about your friend or partner, for example, saying that your friend is angry at you about something. There are two ways you might “reality test”:

One way is just to check in with your friend in general. “How is it going? Would you like to get together sometime?” If your friend really is angry with you they will tell you, but probably you will find out they aren’t, and you will do so without having to mention the voices or what the voices said!

Or, providing that your friend is understanding and are not likely to take offence, you might try asking your friend directly if what the voice is saying is true. You may have to be cautious about the content of what you wish to check out with person the voices are speaking about, as some of it may just be too intrusive or personal and may actually cause offence! And it may be the voices just want to get you into trouble or bring trouble in your friendships or with the people the voices are attacking. So be cautious with this one.