Hallucinations
Hallucinations are when you see, smell, taste, feel, or hear things that appear real but only exist in your mind. Kindly seek medical help if you or someone you know have hallucinations. Hallucinations types
- You hear voices or sounds that nobody else can hear
- You see things that are only visible to you
- You feel movement or touch in your body which is unreal, like bugs crawling or internal moving around
- You smell things that don’t exist
- You taste things that are strange or unpleasant to you
- You think your body is floating or flying when it’s not
Hallucinations causes
They can occur for multiple health conditions that affect the senses; the causes can include:
- Mental health conditions (bipolar disorder or schizophrenia)
- Drugs or alcohol abuse
- Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease
- Depression, anxiety, or grief
- Medicines’ side effects
- Anesthesia or after surgery
Often it can be temporary and can happen when you have migraines, a high temperature, or wake up. Brain tumors or delirium (confusion) can also cause hallucinations, especially in older people.
Consult a doctor if
Hallucinations can cause symptoms, but consult a health professional if you come across the following:
- If you feel like you want to harm someone else or yourself
- If you hear voices telling you to hurt yourself or someone else
- If you have a sudden seizure (fit)
- If you are abruptly confused
- If you don’t make any sense while speaking
Hallucinations treatments
The treatments depend on the reason behind your hallucination. If it’s from a health condition like schizophrenia, you will be prescribed a therapist who can help you reduce symptoms.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022