Reviewed By:
Charles Carlson, DO, MS (Psychiatry)
Dr. Carlson graduated from Touro University in Nevada with a degree in osteopathic medicine. He then trained as a resident in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals where he was also a chief resident and completed a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry. After training, he started practicing in | Addiction Psychiatry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he also teaches Psychiatry residents.
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Hallucinations
Went cold-turkey from alcohol less than 2 days ago but now seeing things and insects crawling
Tactile hallucination
Experiencing persistent visual perceptions of small insects that are not actually present
Seeing things and feeling restless after cutting down on alcohol less than 2 days ago
Hallucinating
Imaginary insects
Hallucinating things, like insects, after stopping alcohol for 2 days or less
Daydreaming
Visual hallucinations from alcohol withdrawal less than 2 days ago
See things don't exist
Delirium
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Most commonly, a hallucination can be seeing or hearing something that does not exist, but it could also include one of the other senses such as smell or touch. It can be caused by many different physical or psychiatric conditions.
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, Hallucinating can be related to:
A psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thinking (cognition), emotional responsiveness, and behavior, with an age of onset typically between the late teens and mid-30s. Hearing voices and/or believing things that aren't consistent with reality are common symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are likely responsible.
Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (HSE)
Herpes encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by the herpes simplex virus, resulting in neurological symptoms.
Sometimes, Hallucinating may be related to these serious diseases:
Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurologic condition condition characterized by vision changes, ataxia (loss of coordination and balance), and confusion. It is caused by B1 or thiamine deficiency.
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES)
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
Jardri R, Larøi F, Waters F; International Consortium on Hallucination Research. Hallucination Research: Into the Future, and Beyond. Schizophr Bull. 2019 Feb 1;45(45 Suppl 1):S1-S4. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sby170. PMID: 30715538; PMCID: PMC6357977.
https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/45/Supplement_1/S1/5305654Zepf J, Zepf S. Hallucination in Adolescence-Or, Nora in Nowhereland Between Neurosis and Psychosis. Psychoanal Rev. 2018 Oct;105(5):463-480. doi: 10.1521/prev.2018.105.5.463. PMID: 30300083.
https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/prev.2018.105.5.463Graux J, Lemoine M, El Hage W, Camus V. From depersonalization to hallucination. Psychopathology. 2012;45(1):42-52. doi: 10.1159/000325911. Epub 2011 Nov 28. PMID: 22123515.
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/325911Blom JD. Auditory hallucinations. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;129:433-55. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-62630-1.00024-X. PMID: 25726283.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978044462630100024X?via%3DihubWu F, Cheng J, Wang X, Wang L, Tao D. Image Hallucination From Attribute Pairs. IEEE Trans Cybern. 2022 Jan;52(1):568-581. doi: 10.1109/TCYB.2020.2979258. Epub 2022 Jan 11. PMID: 32275630.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9059026Reviewed By:
Charles Carlson, DO, MS (Psychiatry)
Dr. Carlson graduated from Touro University in Nevada with a degree in osteopathic medicine. He then trained as a resident in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals where he was also a chief resident and completed a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry. After training, he started practicing in | Addiction Psychiatry at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he also teaches Psychiatry residents.
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
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