Hallucinations:
Definition:
Hallucinations are experiences where one's senses are deceived and the unreal seems real.
Hallucinations are common psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, post-partum psychosis and other psychotic disorders.
The most common hallucinations are auditory, where a patient hears voices or sounds that do not really exist. Visual hallucinations (seeing images that aren't there) are the next most common type.
The word "hallucination" comes from Latin and means "to wander mentally." Hallucinations have been defined as the "perception of a nonexistent object or event" and "sensory experiences that are not caused by stimulation of the relevant sensory organs."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Question: What Are Hallucinations?
Answer:
Hallucinations involve perceiving things in the absence of stimulation. In other words, perceiving things that are not really there. A hallucination can false or distorted, but seem very real and vivid to the person experiencing it.
Hallucinations can involve any of the senses including vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste and movement. There are a number of different things that may cause hallucinations including substance abuse and schizophrenia.
In layman's terms, hallucinations involve hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and even tasting things that are not real. However, auditory hallucinations (hearing voices or other sounds that have no physical source) are the most common type.
Hallucinations are most often associated with the mental illness schizophrenia. However, hallucinations may also occur for those with bipolar disorder when either depression or mania has psychotic features.
Hallucinations are one possible characteristic specifically of Bipolar I Disorder, both in mania and in depression; in (Bipolar II, they may occur only during depression; Cyclothymia by definition excludes the presence of hallucinations).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes people who have deeply disturbing experiences of seeing or hearing things that aren't really there—often terrifying things—resist speaking about them, resist seeking treatment, or need validation before they do anything about the problem.
There are many conditions that can cause hallucinations. Some of these are:
* Bipolar disorder
* Schizophrenia and similar disorders
* Brief Psychotic Disorder
* Temporal Lobe Seizures
Based on what you've described, you should also speak to a doctor about the possibility of sleep paralysis.
You are not "insane." As you've seen, plenty of people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses experience hallucinations. Whatever the cause/s of your experiences may be, they are symptoms of an illness that needs to be treated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve sensing things while awake that appear to be real, but instead have been created by the mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alternative Names -- Sensory hallucinations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Common hallucinations include:
* Feeling bodily sensations, such as a crawling feeling on the skin or the movement of internal organs
* Hearing sounds, such as music, footsteps, windows or doors banging
* Hearing voices when no one has spoken (the most common type of hallucination). These voices may be critical, complimentary, neutral, or may command someone to do something that may cause harm to themselves or to others.
* Seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren't there
* Smelling a foul or pleasant odor
In some cases, hallucinations may be normal. For example, hearing the voice of, or briefly seeing, a loved one who has recently died can be a part of the grieving process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Causes
There are many causes of hallucinations, including:
* Being drunk or high, or coming down from such drugs as marijuana, LSD, cocaine (including crack), PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ketamine, and alcohol
* Delirium or dementia (visual hallucinations are most common)
* Epilepsy that involves a part of the brain called the temporal lobe (odor hallucinations are most common)
* Fever, especially in children and the elderly
* Narcolepsy
* Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and psychotic depression
* Sensory problem, such as blindness or deafness
* Severe illness, including liver failure, kidney failure, AIDS, and brain cancer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When to Contact a Medical Professional
A person who begins to hallucinate and is detached from reality should get checked by a health care professional right away. Many medical and psychiatric conditions that can cause hallucinations may quickly become emergencies.
A person who begins to hallucinate may become nervous, paranoid, and frightened, and should not be left alone.
Call your health care provider, go to the emergency room, or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if someone appears to be hallucinating and is unable to tell hallucinations from reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your health care provider will do a physical examination and take a medical history. Blood may be drawn for testing.
Medical history questions may include the following:
* How long have the hallucinations been occurring?
* Do the hallucinations occur just before or just after sleep?
* Has there been a recent death or other emotional event?
* What medications are being taken?
* Has alcohol been used?
* Are illegal drugs being used?
* Is there agitation?
* Is there confusion?
* Is there a fever?
* Is there a headache?
* Is there vomiting?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations:
** Hallucinations happen when someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind. They are common in people with schizophrenia, and are usually experienced as hearing voices.
** Hallucinations can be frightening as they may be unexpected or unwanted, but there's usually an identifiable cause. They can occur as a result of taking illicit drugs or alcohol, or as part of a mental illness such as schizophrenia.
** Some people may experience hallucinations that are not related to a mental illness.
** Hallucinations can make you feel nervous, paranoid and frightened, and it's important to be with someone you can trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the meantime, the following information explains the typical types of hallucinations, including why they occur and what you can do. It covers:
* hearing voices
* drug-induced hallucinations
* hallucinations and sleep
* hallucinations experienced by children with a fever
* Hallucinations can also occur as a result of extreme tiredness or recent bereavement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hearing voices:
* Hearing voices in the mind is the most common type of hallucination in people with conditions such as schizophrenia. The voices can be critical, complimentary or neutral, and may give out potentially harmful commands or even engage the person in conversation. They may make a running commentary on the person's actions.
* Hearing voices is a well-recognised symptom of schizophrenia, dementia or bipolar disorder, but can be unrelated to mental illness.The experience is usually very distressing, but it is not always negative. Some people who hear voices are able to live with them and get used to them or may consider them a part of their life. It is not uncommon for recently bereaved people to hear voices, and this may sometimes be the voice of their loved one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Practical advice
* If you're hearing voices, discuss any concerns you have with your GP. They will refer you to a psychiatrist if necessary. This is important in determining whether you have a serious mental illness.
* There is no shame in seeing a psychiatrist, and it's important to be thoroughly assessed and treated early. If your voices are due to schizophrenia, the earlier your treatment is started, the better the outcome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may also find the following advice helpful:
* Talk to other voice hearers. Try the Hearing Voices Network.
* Be open to discussing your voices.
* Try to understand where the voices come from and why, and what triggers them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drug-induced hallucinations:
** People can experience hallucinations when they're high on illicit drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, LSD or ecstasy. Hallucinations can also happen during withdrawal from alcohol or drugs if you suddenly stop taking them.
** Drug-induced hallucinations are usually visual, but may affect other senses. Hallucinations include flashes of light or abstract shapes, or may even take the form of an animal or person. More often, visual distortions occur that alter the person's perception of the world around.
** These hallucinations can happen on their own or they can occur as a part of drug-induced psychosis. After long-term use, they may cause schizophrenia.
** Some people take cannabis to "calm themselves" and relieve their psychotic symptoms, without realising that in the longer tern, the cannabis makes the psychosis worse.
** Heavy use of alcohol can also lead to psychotic states, hallucinations and dementia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Medication:
* Various prescription medicines can occasionally cause hallucinations. Elderly people may be at particular risk.
* Hallucinations caused by medications can be dose-related and usually go away when you stop taking the medicine. However, never stop taking medication without speaking to your doctor first, and if necessary after being assessed by a psychiatrist.
* Speak to your GP about how the medication is affecting you, so you can discuss the possibility of switching to another medicine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hallucinations and sleep
* It is relatively common for people to have hallucinations just as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic), or as they start to wake from sleep (hypnopompic).
* You may hallucinate sounds or see things that don't exist, such as moving objects or even a formed image such as a person (people may think they've seen a ghost).
* Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are especially common in people with the sleep disorder narcolepsy, although they are also common in people without this or any disorder. They are essentially like dreams, and in themselves are nothing to worry about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hallucinations in children with a fever
* Hallucinations can sometimes occur in children who are ill with a fever. If your child is unwell with a body temperature of over 37.5C (99.5F) and you think they are hallucinating, call your GP.
* In the meantime, stay calm, keep your child cool and reassure them.
* Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids and give them paracetamol or ibuprofen (always read the patient information leaflet to find out the correct dose and frequency for your child’s age, and check they are not allergic to medicines you give).
* The hallucinations should pass after a few minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Definition:
Hallucinations are experiences where one's senses are deceived and the unreal seems real.
Hallucinations are common psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, post-partum psychosis and other psychotic disorders.
The most common hallucinations are auditory, where a patient hears voices or sounds that do not really exist. Visual hallucinations (seeing images that aren't there) are the next most common type.
The word "hallucination" comes from Latin and means "to wander mentally." Hallucinations have been defined as the "perception of a nonexistent object or event" and "sensory experiences that are not caused by stimulation of the relevant sensory organs."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Question: What Are Hallucinations?
Answer:
Hallucinations involve perceiving things in the absence of stimulation. In other words, perceiving things that are not really there. A hallucination can false or distorted, but seem very real and vivid to the person experiencing it.
Hallucinations can involve any of the senses including vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste and movement. There are a number of different things that may cause hallucinations including substance abuse and schizophrenia.
In layman's terms, hallucinations involve hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and even tasting things that are not real. However, auditory hallucinations (hearing voices or other sounds that have no physical source) are the most common type.
Hallucinations are most often associated with the mental illness schizophrenia. However, hallucinations may also occur for those with bipolar disorder when either depression or mania has psychotic features.
Hallucinations are one possible characteristic specifically of Bipolar I Disorder, both in mania and in depression; in (Bipolar II, they may occur only during depression; Cyclothymia by definition excludes the presence of hallucinations).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes people who have deeply disturbing experiences of seeing or hearing things that aren't really there—often terrifying things—resist speaking about them, resist seeking treatment, or need validation before they do anything about the problem.
There are many conditions that can cause hallucinations. Some of these are:
* Bipolar disorder
* Schizophrenia and similar disorders
* Brief Psychotic Disorder
* Temporal Lobe Seizures
Based on what you've described, you should also speak to a doctor about the possibility of sleep paralysis.
You are not "insane." As you've seen, plenty of people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses experience hallucinations. Whatever the cause/s of your experiences may be, they are symptoms of an illness that needs to be treated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve sensing things while awake that appear to be real, but instead have been created by the mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alternative Names -- Sensory hallucinations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Common hallucinations include:
* Feeling bodily sensations, such as a crawling feeling on the skin or the movement of internal organs
* Hearing sounds, such as music, footsteps, windows or doors banging
* Hearing voices when no one has spoken (the most common type of hallucination). These voices may be critical, complimentary, neutral, or may command someone to do something that may cause harm to themselves or to others.
* Seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren't there
* Smelling a foul or pleasant odor
In some cases, hallucinations may be normal. For example, hearing the voice of, or briefly seeing, a loved one who has recently died can be a part of the grieving process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Causes
There are many causes of hallucinations, including:
* Being drunk or high, or coming down from such drugs as marijuana, LSD, cocaine (including crack), PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ketamine, and alcohol
* Delirium or dementia (visual hallucinations are most common)
* Epilepsy that involves a part of the brain called the temporal lobe (odor hallucinations are most common)
* Fever, especially in children and the elderly
* Narcolepsy
* Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and psychotic depression
* Sensory problem, such as blindness or deafness
* Severe illness, including liver failure, kidney failure, AIDS, and brain cancer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When to Contact a Medical Professional
A person who begins to hallucinate and is detached from reality should get checked by a health care professional right away. Many medical and psychiatric conditions that can cause hallucinations may quickly become emergencies.
A person who begins to hallucinate may become nervous, paranoid, and frightened, and should not be left alone.
Call your health care provider, go to the emergency room, or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if someone appears to be hallucinating and is unable to tell hallucinations from reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your health care provider will do a physical examination and take a medical history. Blood may be drawn for testing.
Medical history questions may include the following:
* How long have the hallucinations been occurring?
* Do the hallucinations occur just before or just after sleep?
* Has there been a recent death or other emotional event?
* What medications are being taken?
* Has alcohol been used?
* Are illegal drugs being used?
* Is there agitation?
* Is there confusion?
* Is there a fever?
* Is there a headache?
* Is there vomiting?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations:
** Hallucinations happen when someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind. They are common in people with schizophrenia, and are usually experienced as hearing voices.
** Hallucinations can be frightening as they may be unexpected or unwanted, but there's usually an identifiable cause. They can occur as a result of taking illicit drugs or alcohol, or as part of a mental illness such as schizophrenia.
** Some people may experience hallucinations that are not related to a mental illness.
** Hallucinations can make you feel nervous, paranoid and frightened, and it's important to be with someone you can trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the meantime, the following information explains the typical types of hallucinations, including why they occur and what you can do. It covers:
* hearing voices
* drug-induced hallucinations
* hallucinations and sleep
* hallucinations experienced by children with a fever
* Hallucinations can also occur as a result of extreme tiredness or recent bereavement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hearing voices:
* Hearing voices in the mind is the most common type of hallucination in people with conditions such as schizophrenia. The voices can be critical, complimentary or neutral, and may give out potentially harmful commands or even engage the person in conversation. They may make a running commentary on the person's actions.
* Hearing voices is a well-recognised symptom of schizophrenia, dementia or bipolar disorder, but can be unrelated to mental illness.The experience is usually very distressing, but it is not always negative. Some people who hear voices are able to live with them and get used to them or may consider them a part of their life. It is not uncommon for recently bereaved people to hear voices, and this may sometimes be the voice of their loved one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Practical advice
* If you're hearing voices, discuss any concerns you have with your GP. They will refer you to a psychiatrist if necessary. This is important in determining whether you have a serious mental illness.
* There is no shame in seeing a psychiatrist, and it's important to be thoroughly assessed and treated early. If your voices are due to schizophrenia, the earlier your treatment is started, the better the outcome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may also find the following advice helpful:
* Talk to other voice hearers. Try the Hearing Voices Network.
* Be open to discussing your voices.
* Try to understand where the voices come from and why, and what triggers them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drug-induced hallucinations:
** People can experience hallucinations when they're high on illicit drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, LSD or ecstasy. Hallucinations can also happen during withdrawal from alcohol or drugs if you suddenly stop taking them.
** Drug-induced hallucinations are usually visual, but may affect other senses. Hallucinations include flashes of light or abstract shapes, or may even take the form of an animal or person. More often, visual distortions occur that alter the person's perception of the world around.
** These hallucinations can happen on their own or they can occur as a part of drug-induced psychosis. After long-term use, they may cause schizophrenia.
** Some people take cannabis to "calm themselves" and relieve their psychotic symptoms, without realising that in the longer tern, the cannabis makes the psychosis worse.
** Heavy use of alcohol can also lead to psychotic states, hallucinations and dementia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Medication:
* Various prescription medicines can occasionally cause hallucinations. Elderly people may be at particular risk.
* Hallucinations caused by medications can be dose-related and usually go away when you stop taking the medicine. However, never stop taking medication without speaking to your doctor first, and if necessary after being assessed by a psychiatrist.
* Speak to your GP about how the medication is affecting you, so you can discuss the possibility of switching to another medicine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hallucinations and sleep
* It is relatively common for people to have hallucinations just as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic), or as they start to wake from sleep (hypnopompic).
* You may hallucinate sounds or see things that don't exist, such as moving objects or even a formed image such as a person (people may think they've seen a ghost).
* Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are especially common in people with the sleep disorder narcolepsy, although they are also common in people without this or any disorder. They are essentially like dreams, and in themselves are nothing to worry about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hallucinations in children with a fever
* Hallucinations can sometimes occur in children who are ill with a fever. If your child is unwell with a body temperature of over 37.5C (99.5F) and you think they are hallucinating, call your GP.
* In the meantime, stay calm, keep your child cool and reassure them.
* Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids and give them paracetamol or ibuprofen (always read the patient information leaflet to find out the correct dose and frequency for your child’s age, and check they are not allergic to medicines you give).
* The hallucinations should pass after a few minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations in children:
Hallucinations in children are of grave concern to parents and clinicians, but aren’t necessarily a symptom of mental illness.
In adults, hallucinations usually are linked to serious psychopathology; however, in children they are not uncommon and may be part of normal development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is hallucination?
A hallucination is a false auditory, visual, gustatory, tactile, or olfactory perception not associated with real external stimuli.
It must be differentiated from similar phenomenon such as illusions (misperception of actual stimuli), elaborate fantasies, imaginary companions, and eidetic images (visual images stored in memory).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In children, hallucinations are not always a sign of psychosis
Although hallucinations frequently are considered synonymous with psychotic disorders, in children this is rare. Neurobiologic studies (fMRI) of adults show activation of Broca’s area (left inferior frontal gyrus) seconds before patients perceive auditory verbal hallucinations, which suggests that auditory hallucinations may be misidentified self-talk.
According to Piaget, children age <7 may have difficulty distinguishing between events occurring while dreaming and awake. He further theorized that nonpathologic hallucinations could become pathologic when combined with trauma such as abuse. Straussd suggested that psychosis might lie on a continuum with normal phenomenon. In a case series, Wilking and Paulie described how developmental difficulties, deprivation, sociocultural conditions, and family relationships could contribute to impaired reality testing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imaginary friends or companions are common among all children. Children who have imaginary friends are more likely to report hearing “voices.” of Imaginary friends:
* appear, function, and disappear at the wish of the child
* pose no threat and often are a source of comfort
* often can be described in detail
* are not ego-dystonic.
Also, children with imaginary friends will not show evidence of a thought disorder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
Hallucinations in children are of grave concern to parents and clinicians, but aren’t necessarily a symptom of mental illness.
In adults, hallucinations usually are linked to serious psychopathology; however, in children they are not uncommon and may be part of normal development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is hallucination?
A hallucination is a false auditory, visual, gustatory, tactile, or olfactory perception not associated with real external stimuli.
It must be differentiated from similar phenomenon such as illusions (misperception of actual stimuli), elaborate fantasies, imaginary companions, and eidetic images (visual images stored in memory).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In children, hallucinations are not always a sign of psychosis
Although hallucinations frequently are considered synonymous with psychotic disorders, in children this is rare. Neurobiologic studies (fMRI) of adults show activation of Broca’s area (left inferior frontal gyrus) seconds before patients perceive auditory verbal hallucinations, which suggests that auditory hallucinations may be misidentified self-talk.
According to Piaget, children age <7 may have difficulty distinguishing between events occurring while dreaming and awake. He further theorized that nonpathologic hallucinations could become pathologic when combined with trauma such as abuse. Straussd suggested that psychosis might lie on a continuum with normal phenomenon. In a case series, Wilking and Paulie described how developmental difficulties, deprivation, sociocultural conditions, and family relationships could contribute to impaired reality testing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imaginary friends or companions are common among all children. Children who have imaginary friends are more likely to report hearing “voices.” of Imaginary friends:
* appear, function, and disappear at the wish of the child
* pose no threat and often are a source of comfort
* often can be described in detail
* are not ego-dystonic.
Also, children with imaginary friends will not show evidence of a thought disorder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
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