Delusions and Hallucinations

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

A hallucination occurs whenenvironmental, emotional, or physical factors such as stress, medication,extreme fatigue, or mental illness cause the brain that helps to distinguishconscious perceptions from internal perceptions. Hallucinationsoccur 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 ordinarilyaccepted by other members of society.

Delusions are a common symptom ofseveral mood and personality mental illnesses, including schizoaffectivedisorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Theyare also the major feature of delusional disorder. Individuals with a delusional disorder suffer from long term delusions and include persecutory, grandiose, jealousy. In extreme cases people 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 specialpersonal significance.

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

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

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