Author: James Anderson

Hallucinations: Definition, Causes, Treatment & Types

Never stop taking a medication without speaking to your healthcare provider first. Charles Bonnet syndrome causes a person whose vision has started to deteriorate to see hallucinations. Hallucinations are a perception not based on sensory input, whereas illusions are misinterpretations of sensory inputs. In other words, hallucinations involve experiencing something that doesn’t exist.

Health Conditions

  1. They may get better if you get more sleep or sleep at regular times.
  2. Many people who have bipolar disorder do not experience psychotic symptoms, but delusions or hallucinations sometimes occur during severe manic or depressive episodes.
  3. They may also occur during withdrawal from alcohol and certain other drugs.
  4. Elderly people may be at greater risk due to increased sensitivity to medications.
  5. You should never stop taking medicine without talking to your doctor.

Although experiencing a different reality than other people can be very frightening, doctors and mental health professionals can help identify the root cause and develop a treatment plan. Hallucinations are more common than many people might realize. Although they can be frightening, they do not always mean a person has a serious brain disorder or mental health issue. People with hearing or vision loss may experience hallucinations. This may be due to brain changes in sensory processing regions or in the visual or auditory information the brain receives.

Causes of hallucinations

However, future studies should pay closer attention to the animals’ reactions to visual stimuli in the presence versus the absence of drugs. To be sure, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure you receive all of the medical support needed on your journey to finding answers for your hallucinations. It’s also possible that your healthcare provider will suggest lifestyle or behavioral modifications, such as getting more sleep or drinking less alcohol to improve your hallucinations.

Other conditions

However, if you have an acute medical issue that’s causing them, like an infection or a fever, it’s important to seek medical treatment for the issue. Hallucinations are typically a symptom of a psychosis-related disorder, particularly schizophrenia, but they can also result from substance use, neurological conditions and some temporary situations. First psychotic episodes (FPEs) need to be addressed in order to alter the course of the schizophrenia, and prevent further acute episodes. Treatment incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, job assistance, family support, substance use intervention, and lower doses of antipsychotics.

Medication

You may also find that maintaining a day-to-day schedule can help you feel grounded and secure in a reliable routine. If your healthcare provider recommends keeping a record of when and where your hallucinations occur, this may also help provide a sense of order to your hallucination experiences. In some cases, knowing that the hallucinations happen because of brain changes during the sleep cycle can make them less frightening. People with psychosis may experience delusions and hallucinations and exhibit behaviors that are not typical. Antipsychotic medication may help manage symptoms, and some people function better with therapy. Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that changes the way a person thinks and behaves.

Coping with Hallucinations

It is important to attend to any signs of psychosis (which can include hallucinations) when they are first experienced. Yes, scientists are beginning to uncover a few differences between the two. Schizophrenia spectrum disorders most involve auditory hallucinations, while psychedelic-induced psychosis typically involves visual distortions like seeing geometric patterns, research shows.

People who hear sounds, such as voices, that aren’t actually there are dealing with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). Such voices can run the gamut from positive to negative and everywhere in between. Sometimes, the “voices” issue commands, but other times it’s just a constant commentary, often described as a “radio station in my head.” Check out these common hallucinations to learn why they happen.

Work to build a positive relationship with your hallucinations. For example, try challenging them, being kind to them, or responding to them neutrally. Some people say you can avoid this by setting certain rules for yourself. Sometimes, people are able to turn these experiences into something they learn from or are challenged by. Up to half of people who have this condition sometimes see things that aren’t there.

Medical conditions are also a serious culprit, with more than 50 percent of schizophrenia patients surveyed in 2016 reporting that they had experienced tactile or visual hallucinations. Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia also are connected with tactile hallucinations. People dealing with severe instances of such hallucinations are often directed to cognitive behavioral therapy to help them manage the emotional fallout.