Hallucinations Health Video

A hallucination is a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, caused by various physical and mental disorders or by reactions to certain toxic substances. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of hallucinations in this video.

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Contact a doctor if you see or hear things that aren't there
Contact a doctor for unusual sensations of things crawling on your skin
Adopt coping mechanisms for severe fright or nervousness

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladerry. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary and I'd like to give you some brief information about hallucinations. This involves sensing something as real but isn't really there and it occurs while the person is awake and conscious. Common hallucinations include things like feeling a crawling sensation on the skin or hearing voices when no one has spoken, seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren't there. Rarely, people may experience hallucinations that are related to smell or taste. What causes people to hallucinate? Many different things, for example recreational drugs including LSD and strong types of marijuana. Hearing things, auditory hallucinations, this is more common in mental illnesses like schizophrenia. High doses of stimulant drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines can lead to a feeling as though there are bugs crawling on or even just under the skin which is very unpleasant. Acute withdrawal of drugs or alcohol can also cause very disturbing hallucinations. Certain medical illnesses will also give rise to hallucinations including delirium and dementia. Fever is another cause for people to hallucinate, especially in children and the elderly. For those of us with sensory problems, such as blindness or deftness, we may also experience hallucinations, and in the case of severe illness including liver failure, kidney failure, and brain cancer. Those people may also experience hallucinations. It can be very dangerous. A person who begins to hallucinate and is detached from reality needs attention fast. Many medical conditions that cause hallucinations may quickly become medical emergencies. A person who is hallucinating may become nervous, paranoid, and frightened and shouldn't be left alone. You need to call your emergency number and get help very fast in this situation.

Hallucinations Health Video

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