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72 a USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS »It’s not that I, that I was totally incapable (laughing) of functioning, but I had problems, and because of that I didn’t have a harmonic relationship with the outside world’ (Ivan). 5.4. DISCUSSION This study investigated the voice hearing experiences of individuals using the IPA data analysis method. IPA is often used to analyse the experience of voice hearers because it is applicable for research on complex and dynamic topics (Chin et al., 2009; Mawson et al., 2011; Milligan, McCarthy-Jones, Winthrop, & Dudley, 2012; Rosen et al., 2015; Smith et al., 2009). This study focused on how the recovery and self-help group experiences impacted the voice and the self, the change and the process of learning to coexist with the voices. Four master themes were identified: (1) the role of the voice; (2) the relation-ship between the voice and T; (3) the role of the self-help group and (4) the role of the voice hearing method. Existing studies of voice hearers are typically interpret and identify the voices. Both in recent studies and in this study, the voices have a different status and meaning for the hearer and the identification is different. The relationship with the voice is not static, but is dynamic as Milligan and colleagues (2012) have argued. The meaning can change with the help of the self-help group’s different external stories, as well as with combating the condition. Finding the proper explanation has an important role in reducing anxiety and regaining control (Newton et al., 2007). Rosen and colleagues (2015) found that when hearers recognised real (e.g. family members’) voices, they felt more ability to influence the voices. The personalisation makes it possible for the relationship between the voice and the self to be analysed using interpersonal relationship rules (Paulik, 2012). Hayward and colleagues (2013) emphasise that the voice hearer has to break the complementary role in the voice hearer relationship in order to end the voice’s control over the self. This complementary relationship was identified through the symmetric and asymmetric relationships discussed in this study. Participants broke the voices’ control by applying the voice hearing method. The hearer changes the relationship with the voice and its role and position by giving anti-complementary replies (i.e. asking the question or having a conversation) (Hayward et al., 2013). Examining the position of voices, two types could be discriminated; the hearers’ regard the source of the voice internal or external. Newton and colleagues (2007) connected understanding the source of the voice and role with the agency-based explanations in psychotherapy. The passive (non-agency) explanation of the voice and the self-relationship is that the source of the voice
