Hallucination

Dellusions
Hallucination

 False sensory perception

 Occuring in the absence of any relevant external stimulus
hallucination may depend on type of sensory system affected.
 This is a positive symptom, which is an addition to normality.
Definition

 A hallucination is a false perception of objects or events involving

your senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste
For example, a person may see children playing in the living room
when no children exist.
 Common Causes of Hallucinations

 Hallucinations most often result from:

Schizophrenia. More than 70% of people with this illness get visual
hallucinations, and 60%-90% hear voices. But some may also smell and taste
things that aren't there.
Parkinson's disease. Up to half of people who have this condition sometimes
see things that aren't there.
Alzheimer's disease. and other forms of dementia, especially Lewy
body dementia. They cause changes in the brain that can bring on
hallucinations. It may be more likely to happen when your disease is advanced.
Migraines. About a third of people with this kind of headache also
have an "aura," a type of visual hallucination. It can look like a
multicolored crescent of light.
Brain tumor. Depending on where it is, it can cause different types of
hallucinations. If it's in an area that has to do with vision, you may see
things that aren't real. You might also see spots or shapes of light.
Tumors in some parts of the brain can cause hallucinations of smell
and taste.
• .
 Charles Bonnet syndrome. This condition causes people with
vision problems like macular degeneration, glaucoma,
or cataracts to see things. At first, you may not realize it's a
hallucination, but eventually, you figure out that what you're seeing
isn't real.
 Epilepsy. The seizures that go along with this disorder can make
you more likely to have hallucinations. The type you get depends on
which part of your brain the seizure affects
Types of Hallucination

• Hearing Things (Auditory Hallucinations)

• Seeing Things (Visual Hallucinations)
• Smelling Things (Olfactory Hallucinations)
• Tasting Things (Gustatory Hallucinations)
• Feeling Things (Tactile or Somatic Hallucinations)
Hearing Things (Auditory Hallucinations)

 You may sense that the sounds are coming from inside or outside your
mind. You might hear the voices talking to each other or feel like they're
telling you to do something. Causes could include:
• Schizophrenia
 Bipolar disorder
 Psychosis
 Posttraumatic stress disorder, Hearing loss, Sleep disorders
 Brain lesions
 Drug use
Seeing Things (Visual Hallucinations)

See things others don’t, like insects crawling on your hand or on the face of someone you
know
See objects with the wrong shape or see things moving in ways they usually don’t
 Schizophrenia
 Depression, Bipolar disorder
 Delirium (from infections, drug use and withdrawal, or body and brain problems)
 Dementia,Parkinson’s disease,Seizures,Migraines
 Brain lesions and tumors
 Sleep problems,Drugs that make you hallucinate,Metabolism problems
Smelling Things (Olfactory Hallucinations)

You may think the odor is coming from something around you, or that
it's coming from your own body. Causes can include:
• Head injury
• Cold
• Temporal lobe seizure
• Inflamed sinuses
• Brain tumors
• Parkinson’s disease
Tasting Things (Gustatory Hallucinations)

You may feel that something you eat or drink has an odd taste. Causes
can include:
• Temporal lobe disease
• Brain lesions
• Sinus diseases
• Epilepsy
Feeling Things (Tactile or Somatic Hallucinations)

You could feel a blast of hot air on your face that isn't real. Causes include:
• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective disorder
• Drugs that make you hallucinate
• Delirium tremens
• Alcohol
• Alzheimer's disease
• Lewy body dementia
• Parkinson's disease
Goals for nursing the person who is experiencing
hallucinations

Appropriate goals in a community or hospital setting when caring for a

person who is hallucinating include:
 Develop a relationship with the person based on empathy and trust.
 Promote an understanding of the features and appropriate
management of hallucinations.
 Promote effective coping strategies for anxiety, stress or other
emotions which may act as triggers for hallucinations.
 Promote positive health behaviours, including medication
compliance and healthy lifestyle choices (for example, diet,
exercise, and/or not smoking).
 Promote the person’s engagement with their social and support
network.
 Ensure effective collaboration with other relevant service
providers, through development of effective working
relationships and communication.
 Support and promote self care activities for families and carers of
the person experiencing hallucinations.
 Guidelines for responding to a person who is experiencing
hallucinating
 If your relationship is appropriate, directly ask the person whether
he or she is experiencing hallucinations. For example, you could
say: ‘Are you hearing voices now? Is it a man’s or a woman’s
voice? What are they saying to or about you?’ It is not appropriate
or necessary to repeat this questioning frequently.
 It may be difficult for the person to concentrate on what you are
saying because of the distraction of the hallucinations. Without
being condescending, speak clearly and keep sentences simple.
 Do not respond as if the hallucinations are real. For example, do not
argue back to voices that the person may be hearing
 Do not deny the person’s experience, but suggest your own
perceptions. For example, you could say: ‘I understand that you are
feeling worried now. I don’t see or hear anything, but I can
understand that it may be difficult, worrying or unpleasant for you’.
 Remember that a person who is experiencing hallucinations is often
able to distinguish between the hallucinations and reality.
 In such cases, the person can understand the conversations you are
having.
 Help the person to identify symptoms, symptom triggers and symptom
management strategies. For example, it may be helpful to ensure that the person
has a well lit room andthat extraneous noise is kept to a minimum. Explain
unfamiliar equipment and noise in theenvironment and let the person know what
the normal routine is.
 Help the person to cope with auditory hallucinations by providing diversions. For
example,
you could make conversation or undertake simple projects or physical activity with
the person.
 Help the person to compare his or her thoughts and ideas with those of others to
see if the impressions are similar (reality testing).
 Hallucinations can take weeks, even months, to diminish fully, even if the person
does respond to antipsychotic medication. Once the person has responded to
medication and other treatment, he or she can live a full and normal life.
Encourage the person to look forward to this.
 Monitor recovery, compliance with medication and general physical health
(including nutrition, weight, blood pressure etc.). Provide education on possible
side effects to any medication and work with the person to develop appropriate
actions to address any issues.
 Provide family members and carers with information about hallucinations if
appropriate, as well as reassure and validate their experiences with the person.
Encourage family members and carers to look after themselves and seek support
if required
Delusion

A delusion is a belief that is clearly false and that indicates an

abnormality in the affected person's content of thought.
Types of delusions

 Persecutory delusion. ...

 Delusion of grandeur. ...
 Delusional jealousy. ...
 Erotomania or delusion of love. ...
 Somatic delusional disorder. ...
Persecutory delusion

Someone who has this believes they (or someone close to them) are
being mistreated, or that someone is spying on them or planning to
harm them. They might make repeated complaints to legal authorities
Delusion of grandeur

This person has an over-inflated sense of worth, power, knowledge, or

identity. They could believe they have a great talent or made an
important discovery
Delusional jealousy

This usually develops due to a fear that a spouse or partner is being

unfaithful. These doubts may be unfounded and can cause severe
damage to the relationship.
Somatic delusional disorder

In this disorder, a person believe they have a physical defect or

medical problem. This type of delusion may often lead to multiple
consultations with physicians, surgical procedures, depression and
even suicide..
Erotomania or delusion of love

The person believes someone is in love with them and might try to
contact that person. Often it’s someone important or famous. This can
lead to stalking behavior.
Categories

 Bizarre delusion – Refers to delusion that is implausible or bizarre such as alien

invasion

 Non-bizarre delusion – Refers to delusion such as fear of being followed

 Mood-congruent delusions – This is delusion that is consistent with the depressed or

manic state of the sufferer. For example, when depressed, a person may feel delusions
of persecution and when feeling manic, they may feel delusions of grandeur.

 Mood-neutral delusions that are not influenced by mood.

Causes of delusions

 Genetic: The fact that delusional disorder is more common in people who have family
members with delusional disorder or schizophrenia suggests genes may be involved. It is
believed that, as with other mental disorders, a tendency to have delusional disorder might
be passed on from parents to their children.
 Biological: Researchers are studying how delusional disorders might happen when parts of
the brain aren’t normal. Abnormal brain regions that control perception and thinking may
be linked to the delusional symptoms.
 Environmental/psychological: Evidence suggests that stress can trigger delusional
disorder. Alcohol and drug abuse also might contribute to it. People who tend to be
isolated, such as immigrants or those with poor sight and hearing, appear to be more likely
to have delusional disorder.
People may experience delusions due to a range of illnesses or other
causes, including:
 Brain chemistry imbalance (delirium)
 Problems with perception
 Mood disorders
 Psychotic disorders (including substance-induced psychosis)
 Organic disorders (such as dementia)
Treatment

 Sedatives and antidepressants might also be used to treat anxiety or

mood symptoms if they happen with delusional disorder.
Tranquilizers might be used if the person has a very high level of
anxiety or problems sleeping. Antidepressants might be used to treat
depression, which often happens in people with delusional disorder

 Psychotherapy can also be helpful, along with medications, as a way

to help people better manage and cope with the stresses related to
their delusional beliefs and its impact on their lives. :
 Individual psychotherapy can help the person recognize and
correct the thinking that has become distorted.
 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help the person learn to
recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to
troublesome feelings.
 Family therapy can help families deal with or support a loved one
who has delusional disorder.
People with severe symptoms or who are at risk of hurting themselves
or others might need to be hospitalized until the condition is stabilized.
Goals for nursing a person experiencing delusions

Appropriate goals for caring for a person with delusions in a community or hospital
setting include:
• Develop a relationship with the person based on empathy and trust.
• Promote an understanding of the features and appropriate management of
delusions.
• Promote effective coping strategies for anxiety, stress or other emotions which
may act as triggers for a delusion.
• Promote positive health behaviours, including medication compliance and healthy
lifestyle choices (for example, diet, exercise, not smoking and/or limit
consumption of alcohol and other substances).
 Promote the person’s engagement with their social and support
network. Ensure effective collaboration with other relevant service
providers, through development of effective working relationships
and communication.
 Support and promote self care activities for families and carers of
the person experiencing delusions. Guidelines for responding to a
person experiencing delusions.