Hallucinations and hearing voices - NHS

Some people with visual impairment may experience temporary visual hallucinations. This is known as Charles Bonnet syndrome and it tends to affect older people ... Skiptomaincontent Home Mentalhealth Feelings,symptomsandbehaviours Feelingsandsymptoms Backto Feelingsandsymptoms Hallucinationsandhearingvoices Hallucinationsarewheresomeonesees,hears,smells,tastesorfeelsthingsthatdon'texistoutsidetheirmind.They'recommoninpeoplewithschizophrenia,andareusuallyexperiencedashearingvoices.Hallucinations canbe frightening,butthere'susuallyanidentifiablecause.Forexample,theycanoccur asaresultof:takingillegal drugsor alcoholamentalillness,suchasschizophreniaaprogressiveneurologicalcondition,suchasAlzheimer'sdiseaseor Parkinson'sdiseaselossofvision causedbyaconditionsuchas maculardegeneration–thisisknownas CharlesBonnetsyndromeSeeyourGPstraightawayifyou'reexperiencinghallucinations.Therecommendedtreatmentoptionsforhallucinationswilldependontheunderlyingcause.Forexample,antipsychoticmedicationmayhelpwithhallucinationsforpeoplelivingwithschizophrenia.Hallucinationscanmakeyoufeelnervous,paranoidandfrightened,so it'simportanttobewithsomeoneyoucantrust.Thefollowinginformationexplainsthetypicaltypesofhallucinations,includingwhytheyoccurandwhatyoucando.Itcovers:hearingvoicesdrug-inducedhallucinationshallucinations andsleephallucinationsinchildrenwithafeverCharlesBonnetsyndromehallucinationsinolderpeoplewithdeliriumHallucinationscanalsooccurasaresultofextremetirednessorrecentbereavement.However,theseandother rarercausesarenotcoveredhere. HearingvoicesHearingvoicesinthemindisthemostcommontypeofhallucinationinpeoplewithmentalhealthconditionssuchasschizophrenia.Thevoicescanbecritical,complimentaryorneutral,andmaymakepotentiallyharmfulcommandsorengagethepersoninconversation.Theymaygivearunningcommentaryontheperson'sactions.The experienceisusuallyverydistressing,butit'snotalwaysnegative.Somepeoplewhohearvoicesareabletolivewiththemandgetusedtothem,ormayconsiderthemapartoftheirlife. It'snotuncommonforrecentlybereavedpeopletohearvoices,andthismaysometimesbethevoiceoftheirlovedone.PracticaladviceIfyou'rehearingvoices,discussanyconcernsyouhavewithyourGP.Ifnecessary,they'llreferyoutoapsychiatrist.Thisisimportantindeterminingwhetheryouhaveaseriousmentalillness.Ifyourvoicesareduetoschizophrenia,theearlieryourtreatmentisstarted,thebettertheoutcome.Youmayalsofindthefollowingadvicehelpful:talktoothervoicehearers –theHearingVoicesNetwork isaUK-basedcharitythatcangiveyouhelpandsupport,andputyouintouchwithotherpeopleinasimilarsituationtoyoubeopentodiscussingyourvoicestrytounderstandwherethevoicescomefrom,whyandwhattriggersthemTheMentalHealthFoundationhasmoreinformationandpracticaladviceabouthowtodealwithhearingvoices. Drug-inducedhallucinations IllegaldrugsandalcoholPeoplecanexperiencehallucinationswhenthey'rehighonillegaldrugssuchasamphetamines,cocaine,LSDorecstasy.Theycanalsooccurduringwithdrawalfromalcoholordrugsifyousuddenlystoptakingthem.Drug-inducedhallucinationsareusuallyvisual,buttheymayaffectothersenses.Theycanincludeflashesoflightorabstractshapes,ortheymaytaketheformofananimalorperson.Moreoften,visualdistortionsoccurthataltertheperson'sperceptionoftheworldaroundthem. Thehallucinationscanoccurontheirownorasapartofdrug-inducedpsychosis.Afterlong-termdruguse,theymaycauseschizophrenia.Somepeopletakecannabisto"calmthemselves"andrelievetheirpsychoticsymptoms,withoutrealisingthatinthelongerterm,thecannabismakesthepsychosisworse.Heavyalcoholuse canalsoleadtopsychoticstates,hallucinationsanddementia.Findouthowtogethelpforadrugproblem.MedicationVariousprescriptionmedicinescanoccasionallycausehallucinations.Elderlypeoplemaybeatparticularrisk.Hallucinationscausedbymedicationcanbedose-relatedandtheyusuallystopwhenyoustoptakingthemedicine.However,neverstoptakingamedicinewithoutspeakingtoyourdoctorfirstand,ifnecessary,afterbeingassessedbyapsychiatrist.SpeaktoyourGPabouthowthemedicationisaffectingyou,soyoucandiscussthepossibilityofswitchingtoanothermedicine. HallucinationsandsleepSomepeopleexperiencehallucinationsjustasthey'refallingasleep(hypnagogic),orastheystarttowakeup(hypnopompic).Thehallucinationmaytaketheformofsounds,orthepersonmayseethingsthatdon'texist,suchasmovingobjects,oraformedimage,suchasaperson(thepersonmaythinkthey'veseenaghost).Hypnagogicandhypnopompichallucinationsareparticularlycommoninpeoplewithnarcolepsy.However,theycanalsooccurinpeoplewithoutnarcolepsyoranydisorder.They'reessentiallylikedreams,andinthemselvesarenothingtoworryabout. Hallucinationsinchildrenwithafever Hallucinationscansometimesoccurinchildrenwhoareillwithafever.CallyourGPifyourchildisunwellwithabodytemperature of38Coraboveandyouthinkthey'rehallucinating.Inthemeantime,staycalm,keepyourchildcoolandreassurethem.Encouragethemtodrinkplentyoffluidsandgivethem paracetamoloribuprofen(alwaysreadthepatientinformationleaflettofindoutthecorrectdoseandfrequencyforyourchild'sage,andcheckthey'renotallergictomedicinesyougive).Thehallucinationsshouldpassafterafewminutes.Readmoreaboutfeverinchildren. CharlesBonnetsyndromeSomepeoplewithvisualimpairmentmayexperiencetemporaryvisualhallucinations.Thisisknownas CharlesBonnetsyndromeandittendstoaffectolderpeoplewhohavestartedtolosetheirsight,althoughitcanaffectpeopleofanyage. Thehallucinationsusuallylastforabout12to18monthsandcantaketheformofsimple,repeated patternsorcompleximagesofpeople,objectsorlandscapes.Someofthemostcommoncausesofvisualimpairmentinclude:age-relatedmaculardegeneration(AMD)–wherethecentralpartofthebackoftheeye(themacula,whichplaysanimportantroleincentralvision)stopsworkingproperlycataracts–whenchangesinthelensoftheeyecauseittobecomelesstransparent(clear)glaucoma–wherefluidbuildsupinsidetheeye,damagingtheopticnerve(whichrelaysinformationfromtheeyetothebrain)diabeticretinopathy –wherebloodvesselsthatsupplytheeyebecomedamagedfromabuild-upofglucoseIntheUK,around100,000peoplearethoughttobeaffectedbyCharlesBonnetsyndrome. HallucinationsinolderpeoplewithdeliriumHallucinationscansometimesoccurinfrailolderpeoplewhoareill.Thehallucinationsmaystartbeforeothersignsthatthepersonisunwell. Theymaybe causedbya chestinfectionorurineinfection,forexample.CalltheGPor111ifyourelderlyrelativesuddenlydevelopshallucinations,particularlyiftheyappearunwellinanyotherway. Morein Feelingsandsymptoms Stress Anxiety,fearandpanic Lowmood,sadnessanddepression Feelinglonely Griefafterbereavementorloss Anger Lonelinessinolderpeople Signsofananxietydisorder Hallucinationsandhearingvoices Pagelastreviewed:5February2019 Nextreviewdue:5February2022