Co-Worker Hearing Voices

[LordLove7_11_11]

My co-worker is always mumbling and talking “to herself” at work. Everyone sees it and even makes fun of it, saying she has imaginary friends, but I know different. I know Satan and his demons speak to certain people in attempt to deceive and lead them away from Christ. The afflicted co-worker has now decided to become Jewish, saying she is “fascinated” by it. She said she does not believe that Christ is the Messiah. I know she is being led astray, but what can I do? Pray, I know, but I feel it is my duty to approach her about it. I have been afflicted with auditory evil in the past as well, so maybe I can tell her this and she’ll open up about it.

I also feel that the “voices” may be telling her to do something harmful to someone. She consistently says, “he’s just a child.” The other day she shouted it amidst a group of about 100 people: “He’s only a child!”

I feel I must love my neighbor as myself and treat others as I would like to be treated, and I know that if someone was certain that I was being conned into eternal damnation, I would want them to tell me, rather I agreed with them or not. Thanks for any feedback, and PLEASE pray for her.

PS- This person will not seek medical help.

 

[DawnInTexas]

Creepy, indeed.

Someone-here at CAF once wrote that when in College, they went somewhere with friends where an Ouija board was being played with (when they walked in). He (I think it was a he) said he went out to his car and got his brown scapular, put it on and went back in. The Ouija Board spelled out: I smell God.

Do you wear a brown scapular? Pray the Rosary for Our Mother’s Protection every day? Do you wear a Miraculous Medal? How about a St. Benedict medal?

Pray the Guardian Angel and St. Michael Prayer each day.

I also like the Spiritual Canopy prayer:

catholicwarriors.com/pages/warfare_prayers.htm

Spiritual Armor prayer:

catholictools.com/prayer-of-protection-for-spiritual-warfare/

God Bless you.
+Jesus, I Trust In You!
Love, Dawn

 

[LordLove7_11_11]

Creepy, indeed.

Someone-here at CAF once wrote that when in College, they went somewhere with friends where an Ouija board was being played with (when they walked in). He (I think it was a he) said he went out to his car and got his brown scapular, put it on and went back in. The Ouija Board spelled out: I smell God.

Do you wear a brown scapular? Pray the Rosary for Our Mother’s Protection every day? Do you wear a Miraculous Medal? How about a St. Benedict medal?

Pray the Guardian Angel and St. Michael Prayer each day.

I also like the Spiritual Canopy prayer:

catholicwarriors.com/pages/warfare_prayers.htm

Spiritual Armor prayer:

catholictools.com/prayer-of-protection-for-spiritual-warfare/

God Bless you.
+Jesus, I Trust In You!
Love, Dawn

That’s very interesting. They say blessed and holy objects have a particular smell that “stinks” to demons. I do wear a brown scapular and I pray the rosary daily along with the guardian angel and St. Michael prayers. Thanks for the prayers.

 

[dontknow]

Please don’t rule out mental illness. Coming from a family where this situation exists (diagnosis - Paranoid / Schizophrenia) - I’ve seen/heard it many times myself.

My brother claims to have talked to the devil himself a few times.

Once under proper treatment it disappears.

 

[anonymous_in_fl]

It sounds as if your co-worker has a mental health problem.

You may wish to go to Human Resources, in confidence, and speak with them about what you have observed.

It’s fairly obvious this woman needs some medical intervention to assist her, as well as prayer.

 

[grasscutter]

I agree with everyone’s advice about mental illness. Also, in terms of converting to Judaism (unless her mother is Jewish) it’s not that simple. Similar to becoming a catholic convert, there is a period of study and discernment. A rabbi will probably realize her conversion is confused and will direct her to appropriate help.

 

[mommyof4]

It sounds as if your co-worker has a mental health problem.

You may wish to go to Human Resources, in confidence, and speak with them about what you have observed.

It’s fairly obvious this woman needs some medical intervention to assist her, as well as prayer.

I second this.

 

[BluesPicker]

I second this.

     I   third  it.    It should be the last thing considered..or one of them.    Prayer should be the response to all  these problems.

BP

 

[PattiDay]

The recommendation of going to Human Resources is a good one. Go to the manager of the HR department or to the nurse, if there is one onsite, someone who will respect your and her confidentiality and who understands the potential seriousness of this in a corporate setting. Although you want to speak with her, it may not be a good idea, as your coworker may consider this a confrontation and an intrusion into her privacy. If your coworker is exhibiting signs of doing physical harm, you don’t want to push her.

 

[puzzleannie]

My co-worker is always mumbling and talking “to herself” at work. Everyone sees it and even makes fun of it, saying she has imaginary friends, but I know different. I.

actually we don’t know this, and neither you nor other coworkers is qualified to make any assumption about her spiritual state. by your own account, this is just what people say. Has she said she hears voices? If her behavior is disturbing to the extent she presents a danger to herself or others or the work of the department is being seriously affected, report it to managment, otherwise, ignore it.

this is a coworker. If she asks your opinion on religous issues you can offer it, but you cannot initiate religious discussion on the job. If “everyone” in your department stuck to doing their jobs instead of gossiping about co-workers with eccentric mannerisms it would probably be a better place to work.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I go with those who assume mental illness as that’s what you’re supposed to assume first because the mentally ill suffered a great deal from ‘exorcists’ who thought they were possessed.

 

[odile53]

This sounds like some sort of psychosis to me. Auditory hallucinations (and responding to them) are a very common feature of them, and by the way, so is something called “religious preoccupation.” If you were to listen to the content of the religious preoccupation, it is not spirituality or religion, makes little or no sense, and is so far apart from true religion that the pathology is obvious. Many times these people believe that God has set them apart for some specific mission, or is giving them special messages. But neither the mission nor the message is consistent with any genuine faith.

This poor woman needs treatment, whether or not she wants it. If her supervisor is not aware of the situation, he or she ought to be. And so should the human resource department. And your coworkers ought to be praying that she receives the help she desperately needs instead of laughing at her pathetic and serious symptoms. You should not try to intervene by yourself, because you have no idea what her voices are telling her to do.

 

[Abundant]

Just based on the information that you provide, it sounds like schizophrenia. She could just like to talk to herself, but assuming that it is more than that–she should see a mental health professional and fast. People who suffer from schizophrenia can see, hear, smell or otherwise imagine things that are not there. Your co-workers ‘lauhging’ at her behind her back or making fun of her could make the situation worse. Go talk to human resources and if that is not an option, then talk to your boss directly. If that doesn’t work, then look up the number to the Mental Health facilities in your community and make a phone call asking for help. In the mean time, be nice to your co-worker. It sounds like she has bigger problems than wanting to become Jewish…afterall Jesus was Jewish too

 

[LordLove7_11_11]

Thanks for all the advice, but honestly, it seems none of you are aware of evil in the world (excluding the first replier).

Nothing is “just” a mental illness. Every problem, pathology or not, stems from either good or evil. Yes, treating people like my co-worker with medication makes the voices go away because it changes the brain chemistry, thus making it less receptive to the spiritual. The problem with that is, the medication makes one less receptive to messages from God as well.

I was looking for advice from Catholics who are more in tune with the spiritual realm, and less concerned with “reporting it to a supervisor.” Nothing is secular in God’s eyes, no matter how today’s society wants us to view things. However, I received some great advice from the webmaster over at CatholicWarrior, thanks to the first poster who replied.

God bless, and thanks for any more feedback.

 

[elizabeth_anne_1]

Baloney. I have a mental illness and I take my medications knowing that they are a GIFT from God to keep me in touch with reality. My medications are helpful to my prayer life, not detrimental at all. Ever try to be in touch with God while hallucinating or delusional? Jesus is Truth and the more we are in touch with reality the better. This is not to say that He is not with us during a psychosis, For certain He never abandons us. Who do you think gave us the ability to make scientific advances to be able to treat these problems? I am quite receptive to the Lord, thank you very much. Your statement could be DANGEROUS to people with mental illness, ie) “I want to be receptive to God, thus will stop my medication.” Is this whole, “Your medication makes you less open to God” thing your personal theory? It is not the Church’s.

The Church does not automatically treat these things as demonic in origin. There is a thorough investigation to see if the problem in psychological or physiological or supernatural. You do not know more than the Church. This is not to say that these things can not be based in the supernatural or have a component of both natural and supernatural causes, but that we are physical, social, psychological and spiritual beings. We are complex creatures and things can go awry in any of these aspects of who we are. In the end Christ will restore each of us, but in this world we are vulnerable. It is called “the Cross.”

I really do not mean any disrespect, but I am coming from the position of someone who has suffered the hell of mental illness. Mother Teresa said it is a sharing in the crown of thorns.

 

[puzzleannie]

Just based on the information that you provide, it sounds like schizophrenia.

OP provided NO information about this woman’s mental state, except that she sometimes talks to herself. Others in the work place allege she hears voices and comments on that, but OP does not say that she does, only that it is a gossip allegation from coworkers. No lay person is qualified to make a medical, psychiatric, or spiritual diagnosis of the condition of another person so the snap diagnoses here are way, way out of line. So far OP has provided NO evidence of any mental or spiritual disorder. For her coworkers to run around mocking her for this and making such allegations is a sin and scandal and should be reported to managment. Sounds like harrassment to me.

Thank you Elizabeth Anne for being a voice of reason and welcome to the forums.

 

[grasscutter]

You rock, Elizabeth Anne!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Dones anyone think that maybe the woman may be merely praying?

Reminds me of a story in the book Walden Pond, by Henry David Thoreau.

There was a man who traveled between Quebec and Delaware earning his living
by working in the woods as he traveled along, cutting wood, splitting rails and other jobs people hired him for. While he worked, he sang songs that sounded like gibberish nonsense to the people in the village around Concord, MA, and they merely assumed the man was mentally deranged.

One day while keeping out of sight, Thoreau observed the man working. The man seemed happy and peaceful as he worked and Thoreau heard him singing a tune with a strange sound with words he couldn’t understand. Anyway, Thoreau decided to investigate the man. Well, it turns out that when he was a boy, he was an orphan who had been raised and educated by Jesuits up in Quebec and they taught him Hebrew and Latin. He was singing a hymn in Hebrew, when Thoreau had observed him. From what Thoreau learned about the man, instead of being mentally deranged, he was highly intelligent, more so than those who thought otherwise.

It may be this woman is merely misunderstood.

Jim

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Thanks for all the advice, but honestly, it seems none of you are aware of evil in the world (excluding the first replier).

Nothing is “just” a mental illness. Every problem, pathology or not, stems from either good or evil. Yes, treating people like my co-worker with medication makes the voices go away because it changes the brain chemistry, thus making it less receptive to the spiritual. The problem with that is, the medication makes one less receptive to messages from God as well.

You know, if the occult can actually penetrate every single aspect of our lives, you might as well start throwing free will and consequence out the window. There might as well not be any atheists around either because if Satan is so evident and as common as mental illness, then we’d have all the proof we need of his existence and, eventually, God’s.

Unfortunately, the one thing that the devil can’t stand is for people to find proof that he exists. That is why, I suspect, he and his minions don’t just start possessing people willy-nilly.

And where do you get this bizarre idea that medicine makes one “less receptive to messages from God”? That type of thinking only contradicts the Church’s reputation in the fields of science and academics.

I was looking for advice from Catholics who are more in tune with the spiritual realm, and less concerned with “reporting it to a supervisor.” Nothing is secular in God’s eyes, no matter how today’s society wants us to view things. However, I received some great advice from the webmaster over at CatholicWarrior, thanks to the first poster who replied.

Oh great. Once again, I am presented with yet another fine example of a self-proclaimed ‘spiritual’ Catholic who think they’re better than any other Catholic who doesn’t adhere to magical thinking.

Are you aware that your type of thinking is what led to the witch hunts?

 

[anonymous_in_fl]

Oh my goodness! I usually don’t “double-dip” (reply twice to the same thread), but when I read some of the responses about medication impairing one’s spirituality I just about fell over in a faint!

Do we say that to some one on high blood pressure medication, or medication for epilepsy, or diabetes? Then why the stigma still regarding mental illnesses?

I am a devout Catholic, a member of a Third Order, and a licensed psychotherapist in two states. I am the type of person most of the responders at CAF are encouraging people to seek out when they are suggesting someone get professional psychological help from a Catholic practioner.

I would most definitely suggest mental health medications to someone who needs them. Geez, we are not in the Dark Ages.