[xYesVirginiax]

Good morning,

I was diagnosed with Bipolar I with Psychotic Features several years ago. I understand that hallucinations are classified as being visual or auditory (generally), however I experience more often than these olfactory hallucinations.

Olfactory (of course) being odors or scents. I would recognize the onset of an episode by "smelling" a person that I used to know (that was not there, nor was ever there) that acted as its own trigger into the episode.

I have also heard of tactile and gustatory hallucinations, but I was wondering if anyone else here has experienced hallucinations that are out of the realm of visual and auditory.

[Moose72]

I thought i smelled burnt toast for several blocks once. Funny thing was that it was near the burnt toast inn.

[SillyKitty]

I experience olfactory more than others. My first psychiatrist said it's rare, but it does happen.

[Trippin2.0]

Warm rotting flesh... "Vile" does not do it justice, and its a recurring one, the only one.

Yes, olfactory. Similar to Trippin', "mine" (though I hate to have possession of it, lol) is rotten chicken. P-U. Doesn't happen a lot (TG!) and it seems very erratic, but it's always the same smell. Haven't been able to link it with anything cycling-wise (but there's not a lot of "data" to work with, and I'm a terrible record-keeper, so who knows?).

Is it one of your primary clues in recognizing an episode, xYesVirginiax?

[IndieVisible]

Only once during the Lynyrd Skynrd song, That Smell.. a long time ago.

Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

It's not uncommon for me to have delusions that the music on the radio is directed at me with hidden meaning, but this one time I also got a smell, very horrible smell I could not place. I was at my apartment listening to the stereo.

Now I've heard that song 100's of times before that and after that and it only happened that one time.

Yes, olfactory and tactile. Strong smell of smoke inside a building where there is no smoke whatsoever. Tactile where it felt like someone's hand lightly brushed across my face and hair - scared me to death. I've had the smoke one a few times and have the same diagnosis that you do. I'm at risk for a psychotic break/psychotic symptoms when I am under a significant amount of stress for an extended period of time. Take care. x

[BipolaRNurse]

I've "smelled" cigarette smoke off and on for years. I always thought it was my mother's ghost walking around the house. But during my most recent manic episode I had both auditory and visual hallucinations, which I've never had before in the absence of a high fever......don't know what was so special about this particular episode.