Job Hazards

Hallucination

A hallucination occurs when a fully conscious person senses an image or sound that is a figment of his or her imagination. Common hallucinations include:

• Crawling feeling on the skin or beneath the skin's surface
• Hearing voices or other noises when nothing has made a sound
• Visualizing patterns, lights, or figures that are nowhere to be found

Hallucinations involving scent or taste are unusual.

Recreational drugs such as LSD and potent strands of marijuana are capable of causing hallucinations. These hallucinations are often based on your sense of sight and may exist in the form of colorful patterns or rings around lights. People under the influence typically realize that these depictions are caused by the effect of the drugs and that they are not real.

Audible hallucinations are often associated with psychological disorders like schizophrenia, but they may also be generated by large quantities of cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants. Drugs that fall under this category may also cause you to feel as if bugs are crawling on or under your skin.

Sometimes, a hallucination may be a normal part of the grieving process if someone you care about has recently passed. For example, you may think you hear that person's voice or see their image because you haven't been able to completely cope with the idea of them being gone.

Causes of Hallucinations

Hallucinations are caused by a variety of things such as:

• Drug or alcohol use, or coming down from a marijuana, LSD, cocaine, crack, heroin, or alcohol-induced high
• Delirium
• Dementia
• Fever (common in young or elderly)
• Sensory impairment (e.g., blindness or deafness)
• Life-threatening illness or disease (e.g., liver failure, kidney failure, brain cancer)
• Psychological disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic depression, post-traumatic stress disorder)

When to Get Help

Someone who hallucinates and appears out of touch with the real world should be examined by a medical expert immediately; various health problems that cause hallucinations may require emergency care. Someone who is hallucinating may become panicky, paranoid, and frightened, so they should always be accompanied by a responsible person. If someone you know is hallucinating and cannot distinguish these delusions from what is real, bring them to the emergency room or dial 911.