What are hallucinations and delusions?

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What are hallucinations and delusions?

Hallucinations are sensations that are artificially created by your mind but appear to be real. Most people have the impression that hallucination only means hearing things that do not exist, but the reality is a lot more than that. It could be as severe as smelling, feeling, and tasting things that do not exist.

Watch these videos to know more about hallucinations

Delusion, on the other hand, is an illness where patients are unable to differentiate between reality and imagination. It was previously known as a paranoid disorder.

Hallucinations and delusions indicate mental illness, but don’t always mean that you’re unwell. They are characterized as a psychotic disorder, as both are very common in schizophrenic patients.

Convincing patients with a delusional disorder that what they think or believe is not true is very tricky and challenging because they believe what they say and stick to their beliefs. Their claims are powerful. Delusions, in simple words, are unshakable beliefs of people that are contrary to reality.

Both hallucinations and delusions can be drug-induced and can be a symptom of drug withdrawal many times. These conditions can be temporary or be long-term based on the varying causes.

High fevers, anxiety, migraines, depression, mental illnesses, etc. can induce hallucinations and delusions.

Other causes include brain trauma, Charles bonnet syndrome, liver failure, toxins, sleep disturbances, etc.

Apart from all these evident and logical causes, lack of sleep is also a significant cause that can cause hallucinations and delusions. Disturbed sleep causes your brain to work overtime, which stresses it out, so it may release out its stress in this form.

Some people experience hallucinations right before falling asleep, known as hypnagogic hallucinations. Or right before waking up from sleep, known as hypnopompic hallucinations.

Hallucinations can be comparatively more problematic than delusions. Delusional people often work and usually socialize and live a healthy life except for the subject of their delusion. They do not generally behave awkward or weird as in people with hallucinations do as symptoms of hallucinations are frightening.

It is important to analyze that either they exist without any other disease or not. In many cases, hallucinations and delusions are common symptoms of schizophrenic patients.

Hallucinations and delusions can exist together or independently in any person.

There are five types of hallucinations i.e., auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory.

In auditory, a person sees things that do not exist. Same as that in auditory hearing problems occur, in olfactory, patients sense unusual smells. Tactile is more frightening in which people feel that they are being touched when they are not. Gustatory hallucinations cause abnormal taste sensations.

Scans are performed to observe unusual patterns in the brain. An EEG (electroencephalogram) may be performed to check if your hallucinations are due to seizures.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to produce excellent results in hallucination and delusional patients. It focuses on improving the behavioral and mental aspects of patients. It helps people to manage their symptoms effectively.

Medications may be needed to treat if the symptoms appear due to schizophrenia. But the major and vital aspect is to be patient with people suffering from hallucinations and delusions. Especially while dealing with someone with these patients is that it doesn’t make them feel that they are lying. Always remember that they do not do it on purpose. Love and care will heal them in a way better than anything else.

Until Next Time,

Team Doctor ASKY!

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