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70 = USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS time. During the examination, two relational sub-themes were emerged: (1) the symmetric and asymmetric relationships and (2) position of voice. The symmetric-asymmetric relationships. In some cases, especially in the initial phase of voice hearing, there was a one-way relationship between the voice and the individual. In this asymmetric relationship, the voice was direct and critical and several participants expressed feelings of vulnerability: »At that time there was this symptom, which was not voice hearing, but it was only a thought, like, there were like, half-like strange thought could have been ... I wanted to be good for these thoughts, these were criticizing and such and... umm ... and then I was always trying to suit these, so I could stop the voices. Then I was doing everything, without thinking. And... umm... this was accompanying me along, and frustrating me as well. The voices, the apparition and that it was making the man a fool, I was making myself a fool. And how exposed I was, and really, how I was acting, and such.” (Eszter) Conversely, a symmetric relationship also existed. This is when the voice takes on the helper role and the person begins to recover with the help of the voice. When the voice hearer negotiates with the voice, it is defined as a symmetric relationship. Thus, the voice hearers could change voices’ control over them by communicating with the voices, this inner conversation becomes adaptive throughout the recovery. In the asymmetric relationship, the voice causes anxiety for the person. When the relationship becomes symmetric, the individual begins to view the voice as a governable phenomenon, considering it as an equal partner or friend. The application of the voice hearer method encourages the voice hearer to initiate conversation with the voice (Mérey, 2013). The role of shaping a symmetric relationship is to retrieve the control from the voice and allow the hearer to become less exposed and vulnerable. ‘The position of the voice. The participants’ intentions to understand and interpret the voices was clear from their attempts to place their voices on the self-non-self axis (although not always consciously). The positioning of the voices changes as the hearer gains acceptance for the voice. The identification of the inner voice was present in the interviews where participants discussed recovery and the evolved relationship with the voice. This revelation demonstrates recognition and acceptance of the disorder. Acceptance is a learning process in which the hearer has to cooperate with the voices.
