[mugwort2]

I know of a man who doesn't need drugs to hallucinate. Is this a sure sign of schizophrenia Could what I wrote of him be true of a different diagnosis. I don't want to jump to conclusions.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by mugwort2

I know of a man who doesn't need drugs to hallucinate. Is this a sure sign of schizophrenia Could what I wrote of him be true of a different diagnosis. I don't want to jump to conclusions.

it can be any number of normal, mental or physical health problems. example of normal hallucination...some people can daydream so clearly and in such detail that for them it can cross over into being a hallucination. the brain normally does have sensory hallucinations. a very common one is think about a favorite food. think about how it smells, feels and tastes and suddenly your brain processes these thoughts to the point where you can actually start smelling , tasting feeling that food without actually having it right there in your hand. this can happen with just about anything we experience on a daily basis.

from there hallucinations can be part of any physical health problem and just about every mental disorder there is.

my suggestion anyone who feels they may be having hallucinations may want to contact their treatment providers for assessment and treatment options.

[-jimi-]

There are other psychotic disorders beside schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is sort of a full packet of different symptoms, and hallucinations is just one part.

Also all hallucinations are not psychotic, some are brought on by epilepsy, fevers/brain inflammation, or in rare cases people can hallucinate out of self suggestions. Finally, there is a specific kind of dementia that gives you hallucinations. Also I think some people can actually see into other dimensions.

[Rose76]

Alcoholics who are in withdrawal sometimes hallucinate. There certainly are more causes for hallucinations than just schizophrenia.

It can be hard to know for sure if someone hallucinates. I would not assume that someone hallucinates, just because they say they do. I have actually seen people who were hallucinating, when I worked in hospitals. In one case, for instance, I saw a man talking to a person who wasn't there. He asked me why the person wasn't answering him. When I've witnessed people hallicinating, it was clear to me that they had no idea that they were having a hallucination. Afterwards, they usually had no memory of the hallucination.

When a person is hallucinating, medical professionals call their state of mind "psychotic." A psychotic state of mind is generally defined as a state causing a person to be unable to distinguish between reality and unreality. It can be temporary or chronic.