Reviewed By:
Charles Carlson, DO, MS (Psychiatry)
Dr. Carlson graduated from Touro University in Nevada with a degree in osteopathic medicine. He then trained as a resident in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals where he was also a chief resident and completed a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry. After training, he started practicing in | Addiction Psychiatry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he also teaches Psychiatry residents.
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
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False sensory perception
Patient is feeling agitated and seeing things after stopping alcohol less than 2 days ago
Hallucinations with insects
Have hallucinations
Seeing things
Just 3 minutes.
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About the Symptom
Most commonly, a hallucination can be seeing or hearing something that does not exist, but it could also include one of the other senses such as smell or touch. It can be caused by many different physical or psychiatric conditions.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Hallucinations
Possible Causes
Generally, Hallucinating can be related to:
A psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thinking (cognition), emotional responsiveness, and behavior, with an age of onset typically between the late teens and mid-30s. Hearing voices and/or believing things that aren't consistent with reality are common symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are likely responsible.
Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE)
Herpes encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by the herpes simplex virus, resulting in neurological symptoms.
Depression
Related serious diseases
Sometimes, Hallucinating may be related to these serious diseases:
Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurologic condition condition characterized by vision changes, ataxia (loss of coordination and balance), and confusion. It is caused by B1 or thiamine deficiency.
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES)
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
Have you experienced non-existent sensory perceptions?
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References
Jardri R, Larøi F, Waters F; International Consortium on Hallucination Research. Hallucination Research: Into the Future, and Beyond. Schizophr Bull. 2019 Feb 1;45(45 Suppl 1):S1-S4. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sby170. PMID: 30715538; PMCID: PMC6357977.
https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/45/Supplement_1/S1/5305654
Zepf J, Zepf S. Hallucination in Adolescence-Or, Nora in Nowhereland Between Neurosis and Psychosis. Psychoanal Rev. 2018 Oct;105(5):463-480. doi: 10.1521/prev.2018.105.5.463. PMID: 30300083.
https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/prev.2018.105.5.463
Graux J, Lemoine M, El Hage W, Camus V. From depersonalization to hallucination. Psychopathology. 2012;45(1):42-52. doi: 10.1159/000325911. Epub 2011 Nov 28. PMID: 22123515.
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/325911
Blom JD. Auditory hallucinations. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;129:433-55. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62630-1.00024-X. PMID: 25726283.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978044462630100024X?via%3Dihub
Wu F, Cheng J, Wang X, Wang L, Tao D. Image Hallucination From Attribute Pairs. IEEE Trans Cybern. 2022 Jan;52(1):568-581. doi: 10.1109/TCYB.2020.2979258. Epub 2022 Jan 11. PMID: 32275630.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9059026
Reviewed By:
Charles Carlson, DO, MS (Psychiatry)
Dr. Carlson graduated from Touro University in Nevada with a degree in osteopathic medicine. He then trained as a resident in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals where he was also a chief resident and completed a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry. After training, he started practicing in | Addiction Psychiatry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he also teaches Psychiatry residents.
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
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