My 32 year old son has a severe mental illness. He experienced his onset before he had a chance to finish school, establish a career. He's been robbed of a true life by the illness. He continues to try, but voices return often making it difficult for him to work or maintain relationships with friends and family. He says to him they are real and he has to accept that's his reality. He doesn't like being told they don't exist, because for him they do and he must learn to live in spite of them. They are never nice, they are never kind. As he said "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be horrified." I pray it gets better for him.