The Monster Technique

A cognitive behavioral technique/coping mechanism for managing hallucinations that Rachel Star Withers, who lives with schizophrenia, developed and can be used for all ages.

  1. Draw the hallucination 

    • If it is an audio hallucination, then draw what that voice would look like 

  2. Name the hallucination 

    • It is not allowed to name itself. Choose something basic or funny 

  3. What is something that would scare the hallucination?

          • Ideas: going to the dentist, public speaking, a rude boss 

  4. Give the hallucination advice on how to overcome its fear 

The goal of The Monster Technique is to take the fear out of the hallucinations by changing the way you think about them

Examples

One of my favorites was a young woman with schizophrenia who was plagued by seeing a man stalking her. His face contorted into a smile with rotting teeth. She decided he would be afraid of going to the dentist. She gave him dental hygiene advice and told him he would have to start brushing and flossing daily. 

Another person with schizophrenia heard an old woman’s voice, similar to a witch. They decided that the woman would have to be around 90 to 100 years old. And how would you react to a 90-year-old tiny woman scrabbling after you, calling you horrible names? You feel sorry for her. “Okay, grandma, let’s get you back to bed.”

A teen girl had an unnerving hallucination that would get right in her face and lean into her. It frightened her and made it hard for her to be alone at all. Why would this hallucination get so close to her? She decided that the hallucination must have terrible eyesight and is too embarrassed to wear glasses.

A common hallucination of mine (Rachel Star Withers) is the large, 8-9-foot, dark, shadowy humanoid creature who likes to loom over me while I work. I named him “Loomy”. What would scare Loomy? Having to sit in the middle seat on a long flight. Advice: Loomy, my man… You have to book early, pick an aisle seat, and consider paying more for extra legroom. 

Note From Rachel

I came across this after years of being tormented by a hallucination of myself, but distorted without my face. She haunted me, tempting to make me myself become like her. I was so scared. I couldn’t sleep for days or be in the dark. I started the cuts on my face. I didn’t trust myself. One night, partly psychotic, I had taken all I could. I confronted the hallucination. Due to her distortion, she couldn’t speak, so she just stared at me like always, but this time I didn’t try to make her go away. This time, I stared back and realized she was me at my worst. And right at that moment, I stopped being afraid of her. It made me sad. She was scared, too, and I wanted her to know that she was safe with me.