Delusions and Hallucinations

Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences or perceptions. These sensory impressions are created by the mind rather than by any external factors, and may be seen, heard, felt, and smelled or tasted.

A hallucination occurs when environmental, emotional, or physical factors such as stress, medication, extreme fatigue, or mental illness cause the brain that helps to distinguish conscious perceptions from internal perceptions. Hallucinations occur during periods of consciousness.

A delusion is a false belief based on incorrect assumption about external reality. This belief is sustained despite what almost everybody else believes. The belief is not one ordinarily accepted by other members of society.

Delusions are a common symptom of several mood and personality mental illnesses, including schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. They are also the major feature of delusional disorder. Individuals with delusional disorder suffer from long term delusions and include persecutory, grandiose, jealousy. In extreme cases disease sufferers with bipolar disorder and other disorders are in a state of psychosis. The person has strange thoughts, such as delusions and hallucinations. They lose the sense of their immediate environment and are not able to distinguish the difference between reality and hallucinations.

Ideas of reference and delusions of reference involve people having a belief or perception that are irrelevant, unrelated occurrences in the world refer to them directly or have special personal significance.

In psychiatry the states are considered in the psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or bipolar disorder during the elevated stages of mania.  It can also be a characteristic of paranoid personality disorder. These symptoms can also be caused by intoxication, especially with hallucinogens or stimulants.

In true paranoia the person exhibits an unreasonable or exaggerated mistrust and suspicion of others. This suspicion is not based on fact and often become delusions. Paranoia is a symptom that can be part of several disorders, including delusional disorder, paranoid personality disorder, psychotic and mood disorders including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, as well as other illnesses for example substance abuse.

While delusions and hallucinations are a part of these disorders it is not as commonly seen but do play a role in diagnosing the disorder.  In some cases they are overlooked and can only be found in the offices of doctors.  When they interrupt the person’s life and normal activity the hallucinations and delusions need to be treated. Antipsychotic medications are effective. The recovery rate is excellent with compliance to the treatment plan.