How to treat hallucinations. hallucinations. Olfactory, tactile and gustatory hallucinations

hallucinations- disorders of perception, when a person, as a result of mental disorders, sees, hears, feels something that does not exist in reality. It is, as they say, perception without an object.

Mirages cannot be classified as hallucinations - phenomena based on the laws of physics. Like illusions, hallucinations are classified according to the sense organs. Usually isolated auditory, visual, olfactory, taste, tactile and the so-called hallucinations of the general sense, which most often include visceral and muscle hallucinations. There may be combined hallucinations (for example, the patient sees a snake, hears its hiss and feels its cold touch).

All hallucinations, whether they are visual, auditory or other deceptions of the senses, are divided into true And pseudohallucinations.

true hallucinations are always projected outside, associated with a real, concretely existing situation (“a voice” sounds from behind a real wall; “devil”, waving his tail, sits on a real chair, wrapping his tail around its legs, etc.), most often they do not cause patients no doubt about their actual existence, as bright and natural for the hallucinatory, as well as real things. True hallucinations are sometimes perceived by patients even more vividly and distinctly than really existing objects and phenomena.

Pseudo-hallucinations more often than true, are characterized by the following distinctive features:

a) most often projected inside the patient's body, mainly in his head ("the voice" sounds inside the head, inside the head the patient sees a business card with indecent words written on it, etc.);

Pseudohallucinations, first described by V. Kandinsky, resemble representations, but differ from them, as V. Kandinsky himself emphasized, in the following features:

1) independence from the will of man;
2) obsession, violence;
3) completeness, formalization of pseudo-hallucinatory images.

b) even if pseudo-hallucinatory disorders are projected outside of one's own body (which happens much less often), then they are devoid of the nature of objective reality inherent in true hallucinations, and are completely unrelated to the real situation. Moreover, at the moment of hallucination, this situation seems to disappear somewhere, the patient at this time perceives only his own hallucinatory image;

c) the appearance of pseudo-hallucinations, without causing the patient any doubts about their reality, is always accompanied by a feeling of being made, rigged, induced by these voices or visions. Pseudo-hallucinations are, in particular, an integral part of the Kandinsky-Clerambault syndrome, which also includes delusions of influence, therefore the patients are convinced that they "made the vision" with the help of special devices, "the voices are directed directly to the head by transistors."

auditory hallucinations most often expressed in the pathological perception by the patient of some words, speeches, conversations (phonemes), as well as individual sounds or noises (acoasma). Verbal (verbal) hallucinations can be very diverse in content: from the so-called hails (the patient "hears" a voice calling his name or surname) to whole phrases or even long speeches delivered by one or more voices.

The most dangerous for the condition of patients imperative hallucinations, the content of which is imperative, for example, the patient hears an order to be silent, hit or kill someone, injure himself. In view of the fact that such "orders" are a consequence of the pathology of the mental activity of a hallucinating person, patients with such painful experiences can be very dangerous both for themselves and for others, and therefore need special supervision and care.

Hallucinations are threatening are also very unpleasant for the patient, since he hears threats against himself, less often against people close to him: they “want to stab him”, “hang”, “throw him off the balcony”, etc.

TO auditory hallucinations comments are also included, when the patient "hears speeches" about everything he thinks about or does.

A 46-year-old patient, a furrier by profession, who has been abusing alcohol for many years, began to complain about the “voices” that “do not give him a pass”: “now he is sewing skins, but it’s bad, his hands are shaking”, “I decided to take a break”, “I went for vodka "," what a good skin he stole ", etc.

Antagonistic (contrasting) hallucinations are expressed in the fact that the patient hears two groups of "voices" or two "voices" (sometimes one on the right and the other on the left) with a contradictory meaning ("Let's deal with them now." - "No, wait, he's not so bad" ; "Nothing to wait, let's have an ax." - "Don't touch it, it's yours on the board").

visual hallucinations can be either elementary (in the form of zigzags, sparks, smoke, flames - the so-called photopsies), or objective, when the patient very often sees animals or people that do not actually exist (including those whom he knows or knew), animals , insects, birds (zoopsia), objects or sometimes parts of the human body, etc. Sometimes these can be whole scenes, panoramas, for example, a battlefield, hell with many running, grimacing, fighting devils (panoramic, movie-like). "Visions" can be of normal size, in the form of very small people, animals, objects, etc. (Lilliputian hallucinations) or very large, even gigantic (macroscopic, Gulliverian hallucinations). In some cases, the patient can see himself, his own image (double hallucinations, or autoscopic).

Sometimes the patient "sees" something behind him, out of sight (extracampine hallucinations).

Olfactory hallucinations most often they are an imaginary perception of unpleasant odors (the patient smells rotting meat, burning, decay, poison, food), less often - a completely unfamiliar smell, even less often - the smell of something pleasant. Often, patients with olfactory hallucinations refuse to eat, because they are sure that "poisonous substances are poured into their food" or "they are fed rotten human meat."

Tactile hallucinations are expressed in the sensation of touching the body, burning or cold (thermal hallucinations), in the sensation of grasping (haptic hallucinations), the appearance of some liquid on the body (hygric hallucinations), crawling over the body of insects. The patient may feel as if he is bitten, tickled, scratched.

Visceral hallucinations- a feeling of the presence in one's own body of some objects, animals, worms ("a frog is sitting in the stomach", "tadpoles have bred in the bladder", "a wedge has been driven into the heart").

Hypnagogic hallucinations- visual illusions of perception, usually appearing in the evening before falling asleep, with eyes closed (their name comes from the Greek hypnos - sleep), which makes them more related to pseudohallucinations than true hallucinations (there is no connection with the real situation). These hallucinations can be single, multiple, scene-like, sometimes kaleidoscopic (“I have some kind of kaleidoscope in my eyes”, “I now have my own TV”). The patient sees some faces, grimacing, showing him the tongue, winking, monsters, bizarre plants. Much less often, such hallucinations can occur during another transitional state - upon awakening. Such hallucinations, also occurring with closed eyes, are called hypnopompic.

Both of these types of hallucinations are often among the first harbingers of delirium tremens or some other intoxicant psychosis.

functional hallucinations- those that arise against the background of a real stimulus acting on the senses, and only during its action. A classic example described by V. A. Gilyarovsky: the patient, as soon as water starts to flow from the tap, heard the words: "Go home, Nadenka." When the tap was turned on, auditory hallucinations also disappeared. Visual, tactile and other hallucinations may also occur. Functional hallucinations differ from true hallucinations by the presence of a real stimulus, although they have a completely different content, and from illusions by the fact that they are perceived in parallel with a real stimulus (it does not transform into some kind of "voices", "visions", etc.).

Suggested and induced hallucinations. Hallucinatory deceptions of the senses can be suggested during a hypnosis session, when a person will feel, for example, the smell of a rose, throw off the rope that is "wrapping" him. With a certain readiness for hallucination, the appearance of hallucinations is possible even when these deceptions of feelings no longer appear spontaneously (for example, if a person has just had delirium, especially alcohol). Lipman's symptom - causing visual hallucinations by lightly pressing on the patient's eyeballs, sometimes an appropriate suggestion should be added to the pressure. The symptom of a blank slate (Reichardt's symptom) is that the patient is invited to very carefully consider a blank sheet of white paper and tell what he sees there. With Aschaffenburg's symptom, the patient is offered to talk on the switched off phone; in this way, the readiness for the occurrence of auditory hallucinations is checked. When checking the last two symptoms, you can also resort to suggestion, saying, for example: "Look, what do you think about this drawing?", "How do you like this dog?", "What does this female voice tell you on the phone?"

Occasionally, suggested hallucinations (usually visual) can also have an induced character: a healthy, but suggestible, person with hysterical character traits can “see” the devil, angels, some flying objects, etc., after the patient. Even more rarely, induced hallucinations can occur in several people, but usually for a very short time and without the clarity, imagery, brightness, as it happens in patients.

hallucinations - a symptom of a disease disorder(although sometimes short-term, for example, under the influence of psychotomimetic drugs). But sometimes, as already noted, quite rarely, they can also occur in healthy people (suggested in hypnosis, induced) or in pathologies of the organs of vision (cataract, retinal detachment, etc.) and hearing.

In this case, hallucinations are more often elementary (flashes of light, zigzags, multi-colored spots, noise of leaves, falling water, etc.), but they can also be in the form of bright, figurative auditory or visual perception deceptions.

A 72-year-old patient with loss of vision to the level of light perception (bilateral cataract), who did not have any mental disorders, except for a slight decrease in memory, after an unsuccessful operation began to say that she sees some people, mostly women, on the wall. Then these people "came off the wall and became like real people. Then a small dog appeared in the arms of one of the girls. For a while there was no one, then a white goat appeared." In the future, the patient sometimes "saw" this goat and asked others why the goat suddenly appeared in the house. The patient had no other mental pathology. A month later, after a successful operation on the other eye, the hallucinations completely disappeared and during the follow-up (5 years) no mental pathology, except for memory loss, was detected in the patient.

These are the so-called hallucinations of the type of Charles Bonnet, a naturalist of the 17th century, who observed his 89-year-old grandfather, suffering from cataracts, hallucinations in the form of animals and birds.

Patient M., 35 years old, who had been abusing alcohol for a long time, after suffering from pneumonia, began to experience fears, sleep badly and restlessly. In the evening, he called his wife anxiously and asked, pointing to the shadow from the floor lamp, "to remove this ugly mug from the wall." Later I saw a rat with a thick, very long tail, which suddenly stopped and asked in a "nasty squeaky voice": "What, have you drunk?" Closer to the night I saw rats again, suddenly jumped up on the table, tried to drop the telephone on the floor, "to frighten these creatures." When stationed in the emergency room, feeling his face and hands, he said irritably: "Such a clinic, and the spiders were bred, cobwebs covered my whole face."

hallucinatory syndrome(hallucinosis) - an influx of profuse hallucinations (verbal, visual, tactile) against the background of clear consciousness, lasting from 1-2 weeks (acute hallucinosis) to several years (chronic hallucinosis). Hallucinosis can be accompanied by affective disorders (anxiety, fear), as well as delusional ideas. Hallucinosis is observed in alcoholism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, organic lesions of the brain, including syphilitic etiology.

The desire of a person to escape from the daily routine led him to discover drugs - chemical compounds, distorting the perception of reality, provoking various visions and sounds that are not really there. Hallucinogenic drugs sold in modern pharmacies are very popular among adolescents. Such funds contain substances that can enter the patient into a state of euphoria and cause hallucinations. However, these drugs are by no means harmless, and can be highly addictive.

Why do people have hallucinations

There are many reasons why a person has imaginary images that do not correspond to reality. These include:

mental illness - schizophrenia, alcoholic psychosis, epilepsy, paranoia and others;
pathologies of a somatic nature - neoplasms, brain damage;
infections - meningitis, encephalitis, syphilis of the brain, severe illness blood vessels and heart, intoxication;
taking drugs that affect the central nervous system: drugs, alcohol, medicines, as well as the use of certain plants and fungi that have a toxic effect on the brain;
chronic stress and sleep deprivation.

Hallucinations can affect all the senses, while patients are able to hear voices or sounds, see people or animals that do not exist.

Most often, illusions arise under the influence of serious diseases affecting the brain.. However, sometimes illusory effects can appear due to the refusal of sleep for more than 2 days, after surgery, with depression, during menopause in women and during puberty in adolescents.

Substances that cause imaginary images

Some people seek to escape from reality purposefully, using chemicals or narcotic compounds internally. One well-known psychedelic is lysergic acid diethylamide, known as LSD..

In addition, some synthetic compounds and plants containing alkaloids have a hallucinogenic effect:

PCP, angel dust, or phencyclidine;
cocaine is a drug in the form of a powder or paste, which is obtained from coca growing in South America and Africa;
opium, a drug derived from the poppy;
heroin - a derivative of morphine in the form of a powder;
psychedelics - marijuana, marijuana, hashish, synthesized from hemp;
ecstasy, MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, an amphetamine that has become part of street culture;
salvia (sage sage) - a plant that can be found in the forests of Mexico;
peyote is a hallucinogenic cactus;
poisonous mushroom Psilotsibum;
ayahuasca - a decoction made from vines;
iboga plant native to Africa.

To provoke hallucinations, it is enough to eat mushrooms that cause clouding of consciousness, for example, pale grebe or fly agaric. Some plants - belladonna and datura - also have hallucinogenic properties.

Drugs and alcohol taken in large doses, as well as an overdose of certain medications, can cause a violation of the perception of reality.

What drugs cause hallucinations

Some medications used in psychiatry, dentistry, surgery and other areas of medicine can cause hallucinogenic effects.

A well-known psychedelic drug is nitrous oxide - "laughing gas", which is used in dentistry. Inhalation of a large amount of this substance can provoke a short-term onset of hallucinations.

Other medications that can cause hallucinations include:

analgesics of narcotic and non-narcotic origin: Indomethacin, Ketamine, Morphine, Pentazocine, as well as salicylates;
antibacterial drugs - Acyclovir, Amantadine, Amphotericin, Chloroquine, Benzylpenicillin and others;
antihistamines - Suprastin, Tavegil;
anticonvulsants - Suxilep, Hexamidin;
some drugs prescribed by doctors for the treatment of Parkinson's disease also have a hallucinogenic effect, for example, Levodopa, Bromocriptine, Carbidopa;
if the dosage is exceeded, ordinary nasal drops can cause a violation of consciousness - Ephedrine, Nazol;
antidepressants - Amitriptyline, Trazodone;
cardiotropic drugs, for example, Lidocaine, Digoxin, Novocainamide;
Clonidine, Dopegit, Inderal, Propranolol - such solutions and tablets cause hallucinations in the treatment of hypertension;
tranquilizers - Triazolam, Diazepam, Relanium;
steroid substances - Prednisolone, Dexamethasone.

Most commonly, hallucinogenic drugs are taken to numb or put patients into artificial sleep. These drugs usually have side effects including hallucinations.

The most dangerous substances

Among the most dangerous pharmaceutical preparations that cause a hallucinogenic effect and addiction, one can note preparations containing:

ethanol;
cocaine;
nicotine;
morphine;
heroin;

Opioids are of particular concern.:

tramal;
buprenorphine;
oxycodone;
lortab and others.

Stimulants that elevate mood and increase energy, such as cocaine, as well as drugs with morphine sulfate, fentanyl, methadone, can cause great harm to the body.

The list of pharmacy drugs includes codeine-containing drugs that cause powerful physical and psychological addiction:

kofeks;
nurofen plus;
sedalgin;
solpadeine;
terpincode;
codeterpine;
pentalgin N;
sedal M and others.

Dependence on these drugs is a serious disease and requires serious treatment.. In addition, with uncontrolled use, the following agents can cause glitches:

Lyrica is a drug for people suffering from epilepsy. Has properties similar to opioids;
tropicamide - available in the form of eye drops. Able to provoke a hallucinogenic effect and fainting;
tramadol is taken for pain relief by patients suffering from malignant neoplasms;
psychedelic drugs containing dextromethorphan (Tussin +, Glycodin, Atussin);
muscle relaxant Baclofen, anticholinergics Parkopan, Taren;
mescaline, dimethyltryptamine and psilocin do not cause strong psychological and physiological dependence, but are very dangerous for the brain. Often they become the cause of impaired perception, psychosis and decreased intelligence.

The most popular drugs are the opioid group, including codeine, ephedrine and tramadol, as well as tranquilizers with a sedative effect.

Effects of hallucinogenic drugs

Sometimes the visions and images of an addict are quite harmless, but they can also be dangerous. At the same time, voices appear in the person’s head, ordering to perform any aggressive actions or deeds. Besides, taking hallucinogens can lead to severe poisoning and be fatal.

Hallucinations from pills can manifest as:

imaginary voices and non-existent objects;
distorted perception of taste and smell;
touch sensations that are not there.

Hallucinogens with prolonged use can provoke the patient:

convulsions;
disorientation in time and environment;
falling into a coma and a state of delirium.

Exceeding the dosage leads to depression of the psycho emotional state person. The most dangerous are drugs that stimulate the central nervous system - amphetamine and cocaine.. In overdose, they cause the strongest hallucinogenic effect, overexcitation and psychosis.

Uncontrolled use of psychedelic substances often causes coma, arrhythmias, and even death.

Consequences

Hallucinogenic drugs are often purchased by drug addicts for their further synthesis with other harmful substances. Combining substances with chemicals, a person turns them into a poison that can destroy him in a few years. The most popular drugs are Desomorphine, Koldakt, Vint.

An addict can become addicted very quickly.. The strongest desire to have fun and eliminate bad health leads him to use hallucinogens. With the so-called withdrawal, the drug addict experiences the following symptoms:

fever or chills;
panic attacks;
tendency to diarrhea;
lacrimation, discharge from the nose;
cramps in the abdomen;
excessive sweating;
bouts of nausea and vomiting;
confusion;
sleep disturbance or drowsiness;
deterioration in coordination;
restless behavior, anxiety, depression, irritability.

The systematic intake of a hallucinogen causes the brain to gradually adapt to it, and the body's addiction leads to the need to increase the dose.

Hallucinogenic substances can be highly addictive. In this case, the psychological dependence is usually stronger than the physical one.

In addition, the regular use of drugs entails severe damage to the central nervous system, a mental disorder that is expressed by symptoms similar to schizophrenia. This is especially pronounced in old age: older people are more prone to accidents and injuries under the influence of drugs.

Narcotic drugs have a negative impact on the state of health in general, they can destroy the liver and brain. The likelihood of addiction formation increases several times with the use of drugs in high doses, their combination with alcohol and pain medications.

Hallucinations are the perception of images in the absence of an external stimulus. A person sees or hears something that does not really exist. These phenomena occur in people with psychiatric pathology or in healthy individuals under certain circumstances.

Diseases for which the symptom is characteristic:

psychosis;
schizophrenia;
epilepsy;
poisoning various substances;
alcohol or drug intoxication;
postpartum depression;
tumor or brain metastases;
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease;
brain stroke;
migraine.

Development mechanism

Visual hallucinations are the imaginary perception of non-existent images. Such a violation occurs in psychiatric diseases or temporarily in healthy people due to various reasons.

The mechanism of occurrence of hallucinations is not exactly understood today. Psychiatrists and physiologists distinguish two theories of their appearance. The first opinion speaks of the psychological nature of perceptual disturbance, but this theory is imperfect.

In practical medicine, they are more committed to the theory of corticosensory stimulation. Based on the experimental works of neurophysiologists. According to the theory, hallucinations occur due to mechanical or chemical stimulation of certain sensorimotor centers of the brain.

Types of hallucinations

Depending on the sense organs involved in the process, hallucinations are:

visual (when the patient sees non-existent objects);
auditory (the patient hears sounds that are not present);
olfactory (sensation of imaginary odors);
tactile (a person feels touch or non-existent objects);
bodily (unusual, sophisticated feelings in the internal organs, for example: twisting of the intestines, insect bites in the stomach).

Also, hallucinations are divided into simple and complex. If the imaginary perception affects one sense organ, then the hallucination is simple. If the patient hears, sees and feels non-existent objects, hallucinations are complex.

True and false hallucinations

Imaginary perception is classified into true and false.

True hallucinations are perceived by the patient as real objects, sounds, they have a certain shape, frequency, timbre. When these phenomena occur, the patient's behavior changes: he looks closely or listens to a non-existent object. A person can accurately describe the image that appears.

With false or pseudo-hallucinations, the perceived object or phenomenon is located in an illusory mental space. The patient cannot describe the location, the shape of the object. Most often, pseudohallucinations occur in schizophrenia. The patient hears voices in his head, but cannot describe their exact projection, says that he "hears them with his brain." A person's behavior does not change with a false perception, since there is no need to look closely at what a person does not see.

Possible reasons

In mentally healthy people, illusions or visual hallucinations occur due to:

effects on the brain of toxic substances (alcohol abuse - alcoholics often have visual hallucinations in the form of rats, spiders; drug use and hallucinogens);
tumor or brain metastases (neoplasms mechanically irritate sensory areas);
severe intoxication (with severe infectious diseases, pneumonia, oncological intoxication);
overwork, lack of sleep;
reception medicines With side effect in the form of hallucinations.

At the same time, patients have criticism of their condition.

Visual imaginary images are characteristic of damage to the central nervous system and occur in such conditions:

psychoses (complex hallucinations are more characteristic);
affective disorder, schizophrenia (characterized by the development of pseudohallucinations, delusions, behavioral disorders, lack of criticism of one's condition);
epilepsy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Important! Visual hallucinations are a violation of perception in the form of visual images that do not exist in reality. This symptom occurs with somatic diseases, overwork, the presence of mental pathology. Treatment consists in eliminating the underlying disease. In some cases, you will need to take specific drugs

Risk factors

Risk factors for this symptom include:

hereditary predisposition (high probability of a psychiatric disease if there were cases of this disease in the family);
frequent or excessive use of alcohol or other drugs;
elderly or children's age;
prolonged fever;
trauma or vascular lesions of the brain.

Associated symptoms in various diseases

For differential diagnosis and differentiation of pathological conditions, accompanying symptoms play an important role.

For migraine, in addition to impaired perception, attacks of a specific headache, photophobia are characteristic.

In Alzheimer's disease, dementia, fear, anxiety, and memory loss are observed.

Epilepsy is characterized by a history of seizures and memory impairment.

In the presence of general intoxication symptoms, cough or rash, we can talk about an infectious disease.

Oncological diseases are characterized by weakness, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and a history of neoplasm. With a brain tumor, there is a violation of memory, behavior, hearing or vision, headaches.

With alcoholism, you can notice a change in personality, the smell of alcohol from the mouth, a history of abuse.

hallucinations in the elderly

In old age, atrophic and vascular changes in the brain are observed. This leads to the development of senile dementia, which is characterized by a reduced concentration of attention and memory. The appearance of anxiety, tremor of the limbs, visual hallucinations. Older people, especially lonely ones, have a disturbed perception of reality as a compensation for the lack of communication and isolation.

Alzheimer's disease, in the case of hallucinations, has an unfavorable, severe course.

People over the age of 70 with a lack of hearing or vision have Charles Bonnet's hallucinosis. It consists in the appearance of visual imaginary perceptions in the form of spots, then the visions become more complicated, take on the appearance of three-dimensional objects or people. These individuals retain criticism of their condition, but gradually they are involved in communication with imaginary people.

Sometimes people over 60 have a feeling of crawling insects, pricks, unusual pains in the body. Symptoms are due to coronary disease heart, atherosclerotic lesions of cerebral vessels.

hallucinations in children

Due to the physiological immaturity of the nervous system, illusions are often observed in children of preschool and school age. This is due to the inability to clearly distinguish between the real and the imaginary. The reason for this may be overwork, increased excitability and impressionability, stress in the family. Many children think that toys come to life or see dark figures in the window.

As well as in adults, perception is disturbed in children with fever or severe intoxication, epilepsy.

Hallucinations during the manifestation of psychiatric problems, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, are accompanied by a change in the child's behavior, delirium, sleep disturbance.

Doctor's advice. Do not tell the child what he saw. This further damages the child's psyche. Surround him with attention and care, consult a doctor to solve this problem

When and which doctor to contact

If visual or other types of perceptual disturbances appear, you should contact:

Diagnostics

For diagnosis and correct diagnosis, data from such tests will be needed:

clinical blood test (for the diagnosis of infectious lesions);
blood test for alcohol and other drugs;
encephalography (to detect pathological foci and symmetry of the brain stem structures);
magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (to exclude a tumor, metastases or other neoplasms of the brain.

After receiving the results of diagnostic tests, the doctor will find out the cause of the development of an unpleasant symptom. The anamnesis of life and disease also plays an important role.

Treatment

To start adequate therapy, find out the cause of hallucinations.

If the cause is fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, they normalize sleep and rest. It is possible to take sedatives based on herbs (Persen, Tenoten, valerian extract).

When an imaginary perception appears during an infectious disease, dehydration, detoxification, if necessary, antibiotic therapy is carried out.

The occurrence of hallucinations against the background of the use of drugs or alcohol syndrome is treated by detoxification measures. The patient should begin treatment for alcohol dependence.

In case of oncological disease, the question of surgical treatment or chemotherapy is decided. If these methods are not effective, resort to symptomatic treatment.

If the patient is disturbed by hallucinations due to psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder), treatment is carried out in a specialized clinic. In this situation, neuroleptics and tranquilizers are used.

To treat perceptual disorders in children with somatic diseases, it is necessary to influence the underlying disease. In case of poisoning - detoxification, with high fever, it is necessary to reduce body temperature.

In the presence of epilepsy, both in adults and in children, it is necessary to choose anticonvulsant therapy.

In the treatment of senile delirium, the main thing is to eliminate the cause (fight against infection, organic lesions). In the event that delirium is caused by dementia, the acute period is stopped and supportive therapy is performed.

Help with hallucinations: do's and don'ts

In the event of hallucinations, the patient should not be reassured, since he sees these objects as realistically as other objects. It is better to calm the patient and play along so that the person calms down. Don't make fun of or make fun of the problem.

You need to see a doctor to find out the cause of the symptom. If the patient becomes dangerous to himself or others, call an ambulance.

Complications

In case of untimely treatment for an unpleasant symptom, the condition that caused the hallucinations may worsen. In the presence of alcoholism, alcoholic delirium develops. If a patient with schizophrenia has hallucinations, this indicates an exacerbation of the disease.

Forecast

The prognosis depends on the underlying cause. If the appearance of imaginary objects has developed as a result of a somatic disease or poisoning, then when the cause is eliminated, the symptom disappears.

If the patient has a mental disorder, then the prognosis for recovery is poor. But with adequate therapy and socialization, it is possible to minimize exacerbation and achieve stable remission.

Prevention

The main prevention is a healthy lifestyle and refusal to use drugs, taking prescribed drugs, rest, finding the opportunity to avoid stressful situations.

Medications that cause hallucinations

Medications that cause hallucinations:

narcotic analgesics;
some antibiotics and antiviral drugs;
sulfonamides, anti-tuberculosis;
anticonvulsant, antiparkinsonian;
antidepressants;
cardiotropic, antihypertensive;
psychostimulants, tranquilizers;
drugs: mescaline, cocaine, crack and LSD.

If, while taking such drugs, the patient has imaginary images, it is worth telling the doctor about it. The doctor will cancel, reduce the dosage, or change the appropriate medication.

Hallucinations are a phenomenon that not only sick people, but also quite healthy people face. In most cases, they occur against the background of mental illness or disorders, as well as as a result of the influence of narcotic and toxic substances, alcohol. Some of their types require serious medical treatment. Others - elementary care from relatives and supervision from the doctor.

What are hallucinations and who suffers from them?

Deception, an error in the process of perceiving the surrounding reality - this is how one can characterize such a thing as hallucinations. This is a special painful disorder in the process of perceiving the surrounding world, when a person feels, sees or hears something that is not really there. The psyche of a person suffering from hallucinations independently recreates non-existent objects, sounds, etc., regardless of his desire.
Most often, hallucinations occur in people who abuse alcohol. Most addicted people have various types of mental disorders, one of the manifestations of which can be non-existent pictures and phenomena. This group includes drug addicts and people who use all kinds of psychotropic drugs. All of them are at risk and quite often face such a phenomenon as hallucinations.

However, no one is immune from the occurrence of such disorders in the process of perception. Even an absolutely healthy person can experience hallucinations due to various reasons. Below we consider in more detail the most common of them.

Diseases that cause hallucinations

There are a large number of diseases during which a person has disorders in the process of perceiving the world around him. Most often we are talking about: schizophrenia, mental disorders, cerebral syphilis, rheumatic diseases, alcoholism and drug addiction, infectious diseases, atherosclerosis, herpetic encephalitis, epilepsy, neoplasms of the brain, diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Syphilis of the brain. Against the background of the disease, the patient develops severe hallucinations. Their main manifestation is sharp sounds and voices, as well as unpleasant visual images.
Drug addiction and alcoholism. They lead to a mixture of rather terrible visions, incomprehensible images, intrusive sounds and even paranoia. In patients suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction, some illusions first appear, which are later replaced by true hallucinations, accompanied by visions, auditory, olfactory and tactile hallucinations. Many patients fall into a delusional state characterized by feelings of fear and a desire to escape from reality. Some do not leave the feeling of persecution and constant danger.
Decompensation of cardiovascular diseases. It leads to a frequent change in the emotional state of the patient, and also regularly causes an unjustified feeling of fear and anxiety. Over time, sleep disturbances and hallucinations join such unpleasant manifestations. Such symptoms completely disappear as the work of the circulatory system is restored and the general psychophysical condition of the patient improves.
Diseases of a rheumatic nature. Cause, and fatigue, intolerance and periodic hallucinations.
Malignant neoplasms of the brain. A relatively infrequent cause of hallucinations of varying intensity. Their strength is affected by: the degree of exhaustion of the body, the general condition of the patient's brain, the intensity of the toxic effects of the tumor, as well as the use of narcotic drugs for treatment.
Diseases of an infectious nature. The list of possible symptoms often includes different types hallucinations. So, for example, typhoid or malaria causes bodies and can provoke delusional states and the appearance of imaginary phenomena and visions.

Hallucinations due to malfunctions of the psyche

Mental disorders, diseases and abnormalities in the functioning of the nervous system more often than other diseases lead to the appearance of hallucinations of varying intensity.

These include ailments such as:

schizophrenia;
alcoholic delirium (delirium tremens) with alcoholism;
preinfarction state;
all kinds of psychoses;
epilepsy.

During the above diseases, hallucinations occur against the background of malfunctions in the central nervous system (central nervous system) and everything. The latter instantly reacts to the slightest distortions and deviations by creating pseudo-sensations and feelings in the organs and their systems. As a result, the patient experiences intense or weak hallucinations, which can be eliminated by taking psychopharmacological drugs.

Hallucinations in case of poisoning

Disturbances in the work of the brain and central nervous system can occur as a result of the action of all kinds of psychotropic and narcotic drugs. For example, such as:

marijuana;
amphetamine;
morphine or heroin.

Important! These substances belong to the category of narcotic drugs, the distribution and use of which in our country is prohibited at the legislative level.

Induce hallucinations different kind may toxic substances during direct contact and inhalation. These include:

varnishes and dyes;
synthetic adhesives;
gasoline and various solvents.

Some people experience hallucinations as a special reaction to certain medications. Here, as a rule, we are talking about psychotropic drugs, as well as painkillers. These medicines include:

antidepressants;
tranquilizers;
antihistamines;
anticonvulsants;
psychostimulants;
analgesics with a narcotic effect.

Additional Information. It is generally accepted that hallucinations while taking medications appear when the recommended dosage is exceeded.

Types of hallucinations and their symptoms

Visual. They are characterized by the involuntary appearance of non-existent pictures or images (dim, saturated or excessively bright), entire scenes or plots in which the patient can be an active or passive participant in their absence in reality.

The most common causes of visual imaginary visions: poisoning with drugs or alcohol, potent psychotropic substances (LSD, opium, cocaine), certain medications (antidepressants, atropine, scopolamine, etc.), while eating inedible mushrooms(most often white grebe).

Auditory. A person hears sounds, voices, screams in their complete absence. Such auditory sensations can call a person to certain actions, scold or praise. The main "culprits" of auditory hallucinations are all kinds of mental disorders, schizophrenia, poisoning with potent psychotropic substances. They are one of the most common types that provoke the so-called hallucinogenic syndrome.

Additional Information. Only a highly qualified doctor can accurately determine the presence of a problem. In some cases, an absolutely healthy person, during active thinking, can hear his inner voice. Such a phenomenon is erroneously classified as a hallucination.

How to get rid of the voices in your head (video)

Olfactory. A rarer species, which is associated with the sensation of foreign odors when none are present. Most often, this kind of hallucination occurs when it comes to lesions of the temporal lobe of the brain, as well as in schizophrenia. In the case of schizophrenia, the patient feels acrid and unpleasant odors.

Additional Information. Infectious diseases often occur against the background of olfactory and auditory visions.

Taste. Manifested by the appearance of foreign tastes in the mouth, which can be pleasant or vile. In this case, we are not talking about the impact of any taste stimulus. Quite often, due to unpleasant taste sensations, a sick person refuses to eat.
Tactile. The patient is haunted by sensations of crawling over the body, touch, cold or heat in the absence of the slightest contact with objects or irritants. The patient feels a lot of discomfort as a result of imaginary scratching, tickling or stroking.
Hypnagogic. Illusions of vision that occur in quite healthy people when going to bed or during waking up. At the same time, a person sees monsters, grimacing faces, strange plants, etc.

Important! Quite often, hypnagogic hallucinations signal the approach of delirium tremens or other intoxicating psychosis.

Visceral. Associated with the feeling of the presence of something foreign in the body of the patient: objects, animals, insects (most often worms).

Other types of hallucinations

True and false. A person sees and feels true hallucinations from the outside, while the images are in the nature of reality, the projection of which occurs in space. During false hallucinations, projection into external space does not occur. A suffering person sees, hears and feels inside his own head. It is in it that the projection of unreal visions takes place.

Simple and complex. With simple hallucinations, the reflection of one of the sense organs is captured. When several types and types of hallucinations are combined, we are talking about complex ones. For example, if a patient sees a trait, feels his touch, and at that moment a cold runs down his back, then we are talking about a complex form of hallucination.

hallucinations in the elderly

Do you belong to the category of those who are “for ...”? You are at risk for the possibility of hallucinations. In most cases, hallucinations in old age occur against the background of various ailments. A fairly common phenomenon is imaginary visions after a stroke, as well as with all kinds of diseases of the neuropsychic system. Most often, in old age, people suffer from auditory and visual impairments in the process of perceiving the surrounding reality.

Why do hallucinations occur in older people?

The reasons for this are numerous. Most often, imaginary visions in old age occur due to: vascular diseases, depression, social isolation, mental illness, disruptions in sleep and wakefulness, against the background of taking tranquilizers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, as well as neoplasms, with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. The intensity of hallucinations directly depends on the stage of the disease that caused the unpleasant symptom.

Additional Information. The statistics are disappointing - up to 20 percent of the elderly worldwide suffer from nocturnal hallucinations.

What to do?

Very often, when imaginary visions appear, older people become dangerous to themselves due to possible injury. For this reason, in the acute course of the disease that caused the appearance of hallucinations, inpatient treatment is recommended.

The patient is shown consultations of narrow specialists: a neuropathologist, a psychiatrist, a therapist, a narcologist and an oncologist. Adequate therapy is prescribed only after a diagnosis is made and the root causes of the appearance of imaginary visions are determined.

In acute hallucinogenic syndrome, tranquilizers, detoxification drugs, as well as mental and social therapy are prescribed.

Important! In the event of hallucinations in the elderly, any self-medication is unacceptable. You should go to the hospital for help as soon as possible.

Children's hallucinations

Hallucinations in children are easily confused with illusions. However, these are completely different phenomena. Illusions are a kind of individual perception by a child of the surrounding reality and real objects. In most cases, this is a physiological norm. In this way, the baby develops fantasy and other important mental functions. If a child has imaginary visions that are accompanied by fear, a panic state and give him and the environment some discomfort, then we are talking about a more serious syndrome called hallucinations.

We noticed that the child behaves very strangely and constantly talks about monsters, vampires or unknown voices chasing him - there is a reason to talk frankly and find out all the details. Do not pretend that the problem does not exist and hope that over time everything will go away by itself. Ideal Solution- visit a psychiatrist who will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment, and, if necessary, refer you for a consultation with narrow specialists.

Are hallucinations dangerous in children?

Most often, hallucinations in children occur against the background of elevated body temperature, with poisoning, and disorders in the nervous system. In such cases, the hallucinogenic syndrome disappears immediately after the child's health improves.

Sometimes children's hallucinations occur during puberty against the background of a change hormonal background child. Doctors agree that such a phenomenon is safe and does not require any treatment, since after a certain period of time it goes away by itself, without harming the health of the child.

Important! If a child constantly complains about visions, sounds and actions that do not exist in reality, it is worth visiting a doctor. In some situations, hallucinations can be a symptom of serious problems and malfunctions in the child's psyche.

What can parents do to help their child:

try to give the child more time and surround him with affection and care to ensure a sense of security;
reduce the load on the psyche: less TV viewing, computer games, more walks on fresh air and active games;
do not panic, as the child involuntarily copies the behavior of adults;
do not make fun of or make fun of the problems and experiences of the crumbs;
devote more free time to creativity: drawing, modeling, dancing, etc. Such activities allow the baby to escape from the outside world and relax.

Help with hallucinations: do's and don'ts

The nature of care for a hallucinogenic syndrome depends on the severity of the symptom, its content, general condition the patient, the depth of violations and the nature of the course of the underlying disease, which led to the appearance of imaginary visions. In some cases, help must be urgent. Only an emergency response can avoid serious consequences for the life and health of both the patient himself and his environment.

Additional Information. With a mild course of a hallucinogenic syndrome, observation is possible at home or, on the recommendation of a doctor, in a hospital.

First aid. The main task is to prevent the growth of excitement and the strength of hallucinations, as well as to prevent socially dangerous actions when the patient can harm himself or others. What should be done? Close windows and doors, remove potentially dangerous objects, create a calm and comfortable environment, surround the patient with care. With an increase in nervous excitement and symptoms, it is recommended to fix and immobilize the patient until the ambulance arrives.

Health care. In the mild course of the hallucinogenic syndrome, the use of sleeping pills is indicated. In acute course - tranquilizers. It is with them that drug therapy begins in a hospital setting. If it is impossible to use broad-spectrum antipsychotics, it is possible to use more mild sedative drugs, for example, such as valerian, motherwort tincture, codeine, etc.

Important! The appointment of any psychotropic drugs and their dosage is carried out exclusively by a doctor, taking into account the general physical state of the patient's health (body weight, age, the presence of chronic and concomitant diseases).

Hospitalization. In the event of an exacerbation of the underlying mental illness (for example, schizophrenia) with a pronounced hallucinogenic syndrome, emergency hospitalization is indicated in a specialized hospital department or a psychiatric hospital. In the absence of a specialized medical facility in the locality, assistance to a patient with hallucinations is provided by emergency ambulance doctors or in a hospital hospital, but only if accompanied by relatives.

What not to do with hallucinations:

underestimate the danger of imaginary visions, leave the patient unattended for his behavior;
laugh at the patient and his feelings;
discuss in detail the content of hallucinations;
to convince a person of the unreality of his visions;
self-medicate, and do not seek emergency medical care if a symptom worsens.

Additional Information. If a person’s hallucinations do not cause anxiety and discomfort to him and his environment, and at other times a person behaves calmly and more than adequately, then it is recommended not to focus on minor violations, and consult a doctor only in case of an exacerbation of the hallucinogenic syndrome.

When hallucinations do not require treatment (video)

When should hallucinations not be treated? And in what cases should you immediately consult a doctor? Answers to these questions and more in an up-to-date and informative video.

Hallucinations are a reason to be alarmed, whether you experience this phenomenon on yourself or observe it in another person. Mild cases of hallucinations can be successfully treated at home, but severe or chronic hallucinations require mandatory medical attention.

Steps

Part 1

Home treatment (help yourself)

Understand the nature of hallucinations. Hallucinations can affect any of the five senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch—and can have a variety of underlying causes. However, in any case, a person experiences them while being conscious, and they seem absolutely real.

Most hallucinations are disorienting and uncomfortable, but some seem interesting or enjoyable.
If you are a person hears voices, such hallucinations are called auditory, if you see non-existent people, objects, light - these are visual hallucinations. The feeling that insects or something else is crawling on the skin is a common tactile hallucination.

Measure the temperature. High body temperature can cause hallucinations of varying severity, especially in children and the elderly. Even if you don't belong to any of these age categories, it can cause hallucinations, so it's best to check if you have a fever.
Get enough sleep. Mild to moderate hallucinations can be caused by a severe lack of sleep. Severe cases of hallucinations usually have other causes, but lack of sleep can make them worse.
- An adult needs an average of seven to nine hours of sleep a night. If you are currently suffering from severe sleep deprivation, you may even need to increase this amount for a few hours until your body recovers.
- Daytime naps can disrupt the normal sleep cycle and lead to insomnia and, as a result, hallucinations. If your sleep pattern is off, try to set it to normal.
Manage stress more effectively. Anxiety is another common cause of mild hallucinations and can also exacerbate severe hallucinations from other causes. Learning to minimize psychological and physical stress can help reduce the frequency and severity of hallucinations.
- To reduce physical stress, you need to maintain the body's water balance and get enough rest. Regular light to moderate exercise will also improve your overall health and relieve you of stress-related symptoms, including mild hallucinations.
Know when it's time to ask for help. If you are unable to distinguish between reality and hallucination, you should seek emergency medical attention immediately.
- If you're experiencing mild hallucinations but it's happening over and over again, you should also make an appointment with your doctor, as it's most likely medical. This is especially likely if general measures to improve well-being have not brought any effect.
- If you experience hallucinations accompanied by other severe symptoms, you also need emergency medical attention. Such symptoms include discoloration of the lips or nails, chest pain, clammy skin, confusion, loss of consciousness, high temperature, vomiting, rapid or slow heart rate, difficulty breathing, injury, seizures, severe abdominal pain, or behavioral disturbances.
Part 2
Home treatment (helping others)
1. Learn to recognize the symptoms. People who experience hallucinations may not talk about it openly. In such cases, you need to know how to identify the less obvious signs of hallucinations.
  - A person experiencing auditory hallucinations may not notice others and actively talk to himself. He may seek solitude or obsessively listen to music in an attempt to drown out voices.
  - A person whose gaze is focused on something you cannot see may experience visual hallucinations.
  - If a person combs or shakes off something invisible to the eye, this may be a sign of tactile (tactile) hallucinations, if he pinches his nose for no reason - hallucinations associated with smell. Spitting out food can be a symptom of gustatory hallucinations.
2. Keep calm. If you need to help a person suffering from hallucinations, it is important to remain calm at all times.
  - Hallucinations can become a source of increased anxiety, so that the patient may be in a state of panic. If stress or panic increases because of you, it will only make the situation worse.
  - If someone you know is hallucinating, you should also discuss this with them at a time when they are not hallucinating. Ask what the likely cause might be and what kind of support you can offer.
3. Explain what is really happening. Calmly explain to the patient that you do not see, hear, touch, taste or smell what he is describing.
  - Speak directly and without accusations, so as not to upset the patient.
  - If the hallucinations are mild to moderate and the person has experienced hallucinations before, you can also try to explain to him that his feelings are not real.
  - Those who have hallucinations for the first time, as well as those who suffer from severe hallucinations, may not be able to understand that they are hallucinating and act aggressively in response to your doubts.
4. Distract the patient. Depending on the circumstances, it can be helpful to distract the person by changing the subject or moving to another location.
  - This advice is good for mild to moderate hallucinations, but you may not be able to influence someone who has severe hallucinations.
5. Convince the person to seek professional help. If someone you know has recurring hallucinations, strongly encourage them to seek medical or psychological help.
  - Talk to the person when they are not hallucinating. Discuss the severity of the situation and share any knowledge you have regarding possible causes and solutions to the problem. Your approach should be based on love and support. Never take an accusatory position.
6. Continue to monitor the situation. When the hallucinations worsen, they can become a safety hazard for the sufferer or those around them.
  - When it comes to safety, urgently call an ambulance.
  - If hallucinations are accompanied by other severe physical symptoms, or if the patient is no longer able to distinguish hallucinations from reality, emergency medical attention is also required.
Part 3
Health care
1. Diagnose and treat the underlying cause. Hallucinations are a typical symptom of certain psychiatric disorders, but can also be caused by a number of physiological causes. The only way to get rid of hallucinations in the long term is to treat the underlying cause.
  - Mental causes include schizophrenia, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorder, psychotic depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder.
  - Physiological factors affecting the central nervous system can also cause hallucinations. These include brain tumor, delirium, dementia, epilepsy, stroke, and Parkinson's disease.
  - Some infectious diseases, such as infections Bladder or lung infections can also cause hallucinations. Some people experience hallucinations when they have a migraine.
  - The use of drugs or alcohol can also cause hallucinations, especially when taking large doses or during periods of discontinuation (withdrawal, or "withdrawal").
2. Take antipsychotic medications. Antipsychotics, also known as antipsychotics, are most commonly used to help manage hallucinations. These medications may be prescribed to treat hallucinations caused by both mental and physiological reasons especially when other treatments are unavailable or insufficient.
  - Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic, is usually prescribed at a dosage of 6 to 50 mg per day, depending on the severity of the hallucinations. The dose should be increased gradually to prevent complications. Blood counts should be monitored regularly while taking this drug, as it can lower the white blood cell count to a dangerous level.
  - Quetiapine is another atypical antipsychotic used to treat hallucinations. As a rule, in most cases it is less effective than clozapine, but it is also safer.
  - Cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, marijuana, heroin, ketamine, phencyclidine, ecstasy are all hallucinogens.
  - Hallucinations can occur not only with the use of drugs, but also with its abrupt cessation. However, hallucinations caused by withdrawal symptoms can usually be treated with antipsychotic drugs.
3. See a psychotherapist regularly. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, can help some patients with recurring hallucinations, especially if they are caused by psychological disorders.
  - This therapy examines and evaluates a person's feelings and thoughts. Having discovered probable psychological reasons problem, a professional psychotherapist can develop a strategy to help the patient cope with it and reduce symptoms.
4. Find a group therapy opportunity. Help and self-help groups can help reduce the severity and frequency of hallucinations, especially auditory hallucinations, caused by psychological causes.
  - Help groups teach patients to stay in touch with reality and help them separate hallucinations from real life.
  - Self-help groups motivate people to take responsibility for their own hallucinations, thereby helping to control and cope with them.