The Voices Janey Hears

To the casual observer, Janey Antoniou looks like an ordinary woman. The 46-year-old molecular biologist works as a mental health trainer for the London police. But what most people don’t know is that she hears voices of people who aren’t there. This is because she is suffering from schizophrenia.

“To be honest, I can’t remember when I first heard the voices. They have certainly been there at least since my late teens. I hear between four and seven, both male and female - different ones at different times. They have English accents like me,” she told Stella Breeze of the Daily Mail, a popular British newspaper.

“I am lucky because I am a scientist and can try to understand what is happening to me. But I also have to accept that there will be times when it is impossible to ignore them - and I have learned to live with that,” she added.

Schizophrenia is a serious disorder of the mind and brain that occurs in all societies regardless of class, color, religion or culture. It is found in over 1 percent of the population over the age of 18 or as many as 51 million people worldwide. It appears between the ages of 15 and 25 with men getting the disease earlier than women according to Schizophrenia.Com, a non-profit web community that provides information, support, and education to people with schizophrenia.

“People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don't hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. Because many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant as well,” said the US National Institute of Mental Health.

Indeed, schizophrenia is costly for both families and society. In the United States alone, schizophrenia consumes a total of $63 billion a year for direct treatment, societal, and family costs. It is one of the Top 10 causes of disabilities in developed countries according to the World Health Organization.

Available treatments can relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia but there is no cure for the disease. In general, the earlier the patient is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. Unfortunately, half of all patients with schizophrenia are unaware they have the disease and are not being treated. The stigma associated with the disease has made many people reluctant to seek medical help.

As for Antoniou, she still hears voices but her condition has greatly improved following treatment. She’s been happily married for 21 years and her husband’s support has given her the strength to cope with the disease.

“It's still not perfect and I still go in and out of the hospital. I hate doing it but once I am there, there is a feeling of relief. As for my future, I just want to try to stay as well as I can. My hope is that one day there will be a medication without any side effects,” she said.

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