[meccorad]

You'll have to bear with me, because I'm going to try and explain this the best way I can. I don't know if I'm having hallucinations or not. How would I even know if I'm having them?

So I have a few questions that I'm hoping someone might be able to answer for me.

1.) What is a visual hallucination? and what does an attack feel like, in your own words (not some text book answer)
2.) What is an audial hallucination?

If I'm having a visual hallucination, would my eyes be "seeing" something, or would my brain be "seeing" something (as in, would my eyes be physically reacting to an external stimuli even though there's nothing really there, or would just the part of my brain responsible for interpreting the stimuli be reacting?) Would I even know I'm hallucinating?

What about the audial hallucinations? How could I distinguish them from "inner dialogue"?

[lil-angel-wings]

I see faces... and oras around people... i also have seen what i call ghost... im told this is not normal

I hear voices in my head mostly... they are not my voice... sometimes they sound like voices of people in my life living and passed. they are very critical... sometimes they just repeat words over and over again and again... some times i can not make out what they are saying. it is like another language... some times there are voices outside me... i hear my name, I hear different conversations then what some one eles might hear...

i pick up codes from signs along the road as we are driving or from what i hear on the radio or tv... i hear hiden messages on my mp3 player from things i have put on it from cds...

i feel like people are attacking me thru the things they say... that they are reading me, my mind my thoughts and using that against me...

at work i have a hard time not believing that everyone is talking about me all the time... i hear bits of conversation and i put the peices togethere...

i have a family member that is in a high security job, and i know that they track me on my phone and pc and email and everyting that i do... i know that they are always watching me... i have to pretend that they are not there alot of times because they will start coming out of the wood wrk if i let on that i know they are there... when i go shopping i am followed every where i go. it does not matter what store i am in... they have a security code that they say or a sound that starts over the speakers and it alerts thenm when i walk into the store... so i have to pretend that they are not following me

i tell my husband this stuff and he does not believe me... so i dont talk about it to anyone... i just live with it and go about my day...some times it causes me a great deal of anxiety though and then i dont sleep... the more i lack sleep the worse it seems to get, so i try really hard to get good sleep

i beleive that it is a spiritual battle that i face... that these thing happen because i am more sensitive then the ""normals"" so i pick up on these things. i hear the evil spirits and see the evil presents that others do not see or hear. I believe that what the bible says about the spiritual battle is true and i am in the middle of it...

i am really fighting right now to believe that this si just a physical thing in my brain... i do not take meds because i want to be aware of what the evil is doing around me... god is helping me to get thru the hard things...

it is a battle daily but i will keep fighting ... iknow that others do not believe me and think that im crazy, but i know what i know...

[Limburglar]

Ok so I'm a 28 year old dude, and with the exception of a recent 2 or 3 week "episode of psychosis" I've been mostly normal.

My hallucinations or delusions were not audio sounds, or visual images, or smells etc.

My physical effects was that the right top side of my brain was sizzling like it was being irradiated. Also, the front left part of my brain felt like it was under pressure. These weren't generic head-aches, and these sensations were not painful.

Anyway, it felt like I was on "auto-pilot." I would behave normal, but it felt like some powerful force was pushing me around, like a puppet.

I wrote something while I was under this spell of madness:

"Passion is a nice word for Obsession. And Obsession is a nice word for Possession. I will release you from your pain when you stop feasting on the blood of the innocent."

[CastlesInTheAir]

It depends on if you're psychotic or just having one those moments like when you are between sleep and wakeness which is actually normal. I've hallucinated texting someone in that state.

If you're in a state of psychosis like I was back in September:

-- I actually SAW things and even felt things that were not there. Like someone coming in through my window, brushing up against me, and leaving the room, my curtains even billowed like the window was open.

-- I constantly heard the voices of my friends and not like "inner dialogue" more like hearing a radio like they are actually in front of you talking to you.

-- I heard someone in the attic constantly following me through the house. Even went into the garage finally to open the attic and a shadow came hurling at me even heard the thumps. Of course I ran out the garage.

-- I too would hear messages through the radio, like warnings, or personal attacks towards me. If i watched tv I would be watching something totally different then everybody else but we would be on the same channel. Like one night we watched the movie "Avatar" and the scenery was about the same but the story line and the dialogue was completely different. I remember thinking what the hell someone re did this movie to attack me???? All the shows and movies were like that I was terrified.....

-- I can't tell you how many spiders I hallucinated...it was a lot...

--while in the hospital I saw smoke.....

--much more!

I won't even begin to tell you about the delusions I had (like thinking my dad was in some sort of secret government agency and my mom was a cover wife). There is a difference between a hallucination and a delusion. If you have both...it sucks....


lil-angel-wings----- I can't believe you're going through all that without medication. I actually give you big kudos on that! I kinda wish I could've done the same but then I would have lost my job and that probably would have been it for me. You've got some strength in you! Big hugs to you!

[Tsunamisurfer]

Originally Posted by meccorad

2.) ... Would I even know I'm hallucinating?

What about the audial hallucinations? How could I distinguish them from "inner dialogue"?

Auditory Hallucinations: hearing voices can range from hearing what feels like someone else inside your head that you can converse with in thoughts, through to hearing very clear and convincing voices apparently through your ears. If you aren't too deluded, you can usually rationalise that a voice is not real because of inconsistencies such as there being nobody present - the voice is right next to you, but there is nobody visible.
The more deluded you become, the more reasonable bodyless voices may seem, and the less aware you may be that something is wrong. You will probably get clues from other places, like people telling you you need help, or people looking at you strangely all the time.
Psychiatrists will probably pay little attention to your mentioning of voices that seem like thoughts, unless they appear to be persuading you to do things that are dangerous.

Hearing voices talking directly to you on the radio can be really freaky, especially when you are not expecting to be personally addressed. But if you are expecting a secret security agency to contact you while you are driving, the radio speaking to you will not seem out of place.

[Shoe]

I had similar like sensations around my head.

Originally Posted by Limburglar

Ok so I'm a 28 year old dude, and with the exception of a recent 2 or 3 week "episode of psychosis" I've been mostly normal.

My hallucinations or delusions were not audio sounds, or visual images, or smells etc.

My physical effects was that the right top side of my brain was sizzling like it was being irradiated. Also, the front left part of my brain felt like it was under pressure. These weren't generic head-aches, and these sensations were not painful.

Anyway, it felt like I was on "auto-pilot." I would behave normal, but it felt like some powerful force was pushing me around, like a puppet.

I wrote something while I was under this spell of madness:

"Passion is a nice word for Obsession. And Obsession is a nice word for Possession. I will release you from your pain when you stop feasting on the blood of the innocent."

[missmorganxo]

A hallucination for me is like, I see a full figure of a person...or hear voices talking to me that aren't there. The ones I get a lot are music, mumbling voices, dark shadows, and hearing footsteps/doors slam at night...when in fact, there is nothing going on. I sometimes can't decipher whether my hallucinations are reality or not. that's when I know I'm having an episode....when I feel broken with reality.

It's awful. Hope I explained it well. Good luck

[Little-Lost-Me]

1) most the time it goes like this for me; i see something i know cant possibly be real (aka seing shadowy figures looking down upon me when Im alone trying to sleep) first comes shock, followed by fear and then lastly confusion (when it's over)

2) you know how you have a conversation in your head with yourself? it's like that but I have 3 other voices in there as well, they sound different from me, i would be talking to myself and they would just barge through my thoughts, pretty much cut though my conversation, that's how i knew they were not my thoughts.

Psychosis voices hallucinations(auditory and visual and the rest)

I believe others believe I have some or all of these. I've been me my whole life, I refuse to view myself through the eyes of others. I've been deceived in my life before by my psychosis. I've deceived others before also. I can't tell anyone what my experience of life is "like." Maybe I could say, "Yay or nay" as far as whether I experience things others do or do not. I think everyone has a "twin." Like; we are pleasant outwardly, but inwardly, we fantasize about unpleasantries.

I am not frightened now as I was when I was younger. Sometimes I become afraid of needless stuff, but not nearly as often. I am not able to believe in the spiritual predators of christian mythology. I believe that I need help to stay safe in the day to day of my life, currently.

[HoosierDONK]

I've come here as a father whose 37 year old son is currently manic, delusional, hearing voices, not sleeping, not eating. Trying to seal off the attic, trying to seal off under the house. Talks out loud to these voices. Has wrote a lot of weird stuff on his walls. I'm not sure if I'm missing anything or not..

I could tell something was different about two weeks ago and it has progressively gotten worse. I am currently reading as much as I can to try and understand what is going on so that is how I found my way here.. I'm torn between calling the police to help me take him to a hospital but he doesn't have any insurance. He can't hold a job. He won't go to the hospital if I ask him to...

Should I just stay near him and let him ride out the manic stage? Should I call the police to drag him to the hospital? Do I want him on these psychotic drugs? I have so many questions... I'm pretty sure my son could not come close to using this forum...

If anyone wants to say anything I'd appreciate it.. I'm not looking for answers just some directions? What to expect. In the mean time I'll keep reading as long as he doesn't get violent or anything..

I think you 37 year old son needs to grow up. If he has a mental illness, he needs to accept that and adapt accordingly. Letting him experience his imaginary world in your attic will not bring him to "our" reality. It might be what he says he wants, but I doubt it is in his best interest. What will happen if you die, or for whatever reason you can't support him, what would happen to him then? Do you really think anyone but you would tolerate this?

I think you need a plan and you should talk to a professional mental health worker for advice on what to do. I think your 37 year old son is in a bad state of mind, maybe he is embarrased of this. That might be why he hides from everyone.

G'luck. brook.

[lil-angel-wings]

Originally Posted by HoosierDONK

I've come here as a father whose 37 year old son is currently manic, delusional, hearing voices, not sleeping, not eating. Trying to seal off the attic, trying to seal off under the house. Talks out loud to these voices. Has wrote a lot of weird stuff on his walls. I'm not sure if I'm missing anything or not..

I could tell something was different about two weeks ago and it has progressively gotten worse. I am currently reading as much as I can to try and understand what is going on so that is how I found my way here.. I'm torn between calling the police to help me take him to a hospital but he doesn't have any insurance. He can't hold a job. He won't go to the hospital if I ask him to...

Should I just stay near him and let him ride out the manic stage? Should I call the police to drag him to the hospital? Do I want him on these psychotic drugs? I have so many questions... I'm pretty sure my son could not come close to using this forum...

If anyone wants to say anything I'd appreciate it.. I'm not looking for answers just some directions? What to expect. In the mean time I'll keep reading as long as he doesn't get violent or anything..

When I am in the middle of an episode that where i am totally out of control and begin to feel suicidal, my husband helps me to go to the hospital. Calling the police should be the very last choice in my mind. It is the most tramatic thing to go through. I have been cuffed and stuffed twice and I do not wish it on anyone. The biggest problem with police is tht i do not believe they are trained to deal with phycosis. In my opinion you should try to get him in to the hospital or into see a phyciatrist right away. there are alot of options with out insurance in the state I live in. If you do not have insurance the majority of Hospitals in my area do Charity care. There are also county mental health clinics. If you call and tellthem you are in crisis and need immedient care they are usesually very helpful in getting you to the right place so are the 1-800 crisis lines. if you need some numbers you can go to

http://Igiveup.yolasite.com

and there are alot of numbers there. also you can simply google mental health crisis phone numbers.

There are lots of places for help.
Try to let your son know that you belive him. What he thinks is real to him. The more tht people denie what I think is real the more I go inward and stop asking for help. Just becasue it is not real to you does not mean it is not real to me. everyones reality is different.

I hope this helps some... Im a nobody and I know nothing but what ive been thru and where I come from. And by no means am I a professional.

[CastlesInTheAir]

I agree with lil angel wings.

In September when i had a full blown episode my closest friends were really worried about me because I no called no showed at work for three days and pretty much fell off the face of the earth I wasent answering calls or text messages. I was in a really bad place and it was hard to say what I would do from one moment to the next. I ended up at the hospital because my friends didn't give up on me and called and called and my dad finally forced me to the hospital to get me stable. Without those friends who knows what I would have done.