Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access

Abstract

A Weird but Interesting Journey: Personal Traumatic Growth for Individuals with Hallucinations

Lily Dixon, Chris Sanderson, Tim Alexander and Lucy Holt

Objectives: Hallucinations can be traumatic. However, research into ‘post-traumatic growth’ in relation tohallucinations is scarce. This study aims to further our understanding of personal growth in the context ofhallucinations.

Design: A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to explore experiences of personal growth withhallucinations, adopting Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven people who experience hallucinations.Participants were asked about experiences of personal growth, their expectations of individual transformation, andfacilitating and hindering factors in the attainment of personal growth. Transcripts were analysed ensuring suitablesaturation and representation of the data was achieved.

Results: One overall theme (A journey towards personal growth) and five subthemes were identified: A difficultjourney taken day by day, Stigma, Acceptance, Finding the right support, and Personal growth.

Conclusions: Findings supported personal growth in the context of hallucinations and highlighted facilitators andbarriers.