Schizophrenia Hallucinations and How They Affect People

Schizophrenic hallucinations occur when someone with the condition has a sensory experience that is not real. Hallucinations can take many forms, including seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling things that are not in the environment. While hallucinations are, categorically, not real, they feel very real to the person who’s experiencing them. Sometimes, the individual is aware that they’re hallucinating, but very often it is difficult to differentiate between a hallucination and real life. Experiencing a hallucination is very frightening as it disconnects the person experiencing it from reality.

Hallucinations are often accompanied by delusions, where an individual believes things that aren’t true, even when confronted with evidence to the contrary. Paranoia, where people believe something or someone is out to get them, is also common with hallucinations.

Some hallucinations take the form of more realistic or mundane sensory experiences, like a bad smell that won’t go away. Others are fantastical, like seeing demons or other mythological creatures.

Not all hallucinations are caused by schizophrenia. Hallucinations are sometimes caused by substance use, reactions to medication, seizures, or even sleep deprivation. Regardless of their cause, hallucinations are always a concern. If you or someone you love is experiencing a new or worsening hallucination, seek medical attention immediately.

People with schizophrenia can have all types of sensory hallucinations. Now, we’ll cover some examples of different types of hallucinations.

Auditory Hallucinations Caused by Schizophrenia

Auditory hallucinations are one of the most common types of hallucinations. They occur when people hear things that are not produced by something in their environment.

People with these hallucinations may hear things that imply someone they can’t see is entering the room, like doors slamming or footsteps. Hearing music that isn’t playing is another common auditory hallucination. Sometimes, an individual will hear entire songs or just one section playing on a loop.

Auditory hallucinations featuring voices are also common with schizophrenia. Sometimes, these voices are neutral or even friendly. However, it is common for these voices to be cruel, antagonistic, and argumentative. Voices can instruct people with schizophrenia to hurt themselves or someone else, which creates a dangerous situation. If someone you know hears voices telling them to commit acts of violence, get them medical attention immediately.

Visual Hallucinations Caused by Schizophrenia

Visual hallucinations involve seeing things that are not really there. Examples of moderate visual hallucinations include strange lights, patterns, or shapes. Some people see inanimate objects. In more severe cases, people with schizophrenia see people or animals. Dead loved ones or religious figures are also common. Some visual hallucinations are stationary, while others move around or even follow the person.

Visual and auditory hallucinations can become combined if a visual hallucination begins to speak or give instructions to the person interacting with it. As with auditory hallucinations, some visual hallucinations are friendly while others are angry or threatening.

An individual with schizophrenia will feel touch and other bodily sensations that aren’t actually occurring during a tactile hallucination. In some cases, tactile hallucinations are harder to identify because they’re not always as obvious.

One of the more common tactile hallucinations is the sensation of bugs crawling on or burrowing into the skin. Visual hallucinations of bugs can accompany this tactile hallucination. People also hallucinate feeling very warm or cold. Sensations of burning, itching, and skin stretching are also common during these hallucinations. Some people have an intense feeling that they can’t get clean.

Tactile hallucinations are not always uncomfortable. Examples of pleasant hallucinations include sexual activity and massage.

Olfactory Hallucinations Caused by Schizophrenia

Olfactory hallucinations happen when someone smells something that no one else can smell. In some cases, things smell differently than they’re supposed to. These can be pleasant smells, like flowery aromas or sweets. In other cases, people smell smoke or rotting food. This can be especially unpleasant because there isn’t a good way to get rid of the smell.

Gustatory Hallucinations Caused by Schizophrenia

Gustatory hallucinations impact a person’s taste buds. The most common gustatory hallucination is a metallic taste, which is unpleasant. Similar to olfactory hallucinations, gustatory hallucinations cause foods to taste like something other than what they are. For example, someone might eat a piece of apple and taste broccoli instead. More unsettling sensations, like things tasting sour or rotting, are also common.

Triggers for schizophrenic hallucinations are unique to the individual. Because hallucinations are so based on sensory experience, the triggers depend on the associations people have with different stimuli. Additionally, not every person with schizophrenia hallucinates. That being said, there are some common triggers for hallucinations, including:

• Periods of high-stress
• Major life changes
• Not getting enough sleep
• Reminders of past traumatic events
• Alcohol and other substances
• Hormonal changes

Hallucinations can also be triggered by mundane stimuli, like far-off voices, or even by consuming certain media. In some cases, hallucinations have no clear trigger.

Reducing possible triggers is important for managing schizophrenia hallucinations. For example, reducing extra auditory stimuli and keeping the area around you well-lit can reduce the chances of auditory or visual hallucinations. If you’re concerned about a loved one with schizophrenia, talk to them about how you can reduce their triggers.

To reduce the likelihood of experiencing hallucinations, people with schizophrenia should try to manage stress, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Anti-psychotic medication, when used as prescribed by a doctor, is an extremely useful tool for minimizing or preventing hallucinations and other symptoms of schizophrenia.

If someone you’re with is having a hallucination, it is important to stay calm. Determine whether or not the hallucinations are upsetting to the person experiencing them. Talk to the person who is hallucinating to decide if they are a danger to themselves or someone else. If they do not appear to be in danger, immediate intervention may not be necessary.

Do not try to argue with someone about what they’re seeing. People who are hallucinating experience irrational thinking, so trying to reason with them is not usually effective. Some people find it calming to engage with their experience. For example, if they see a child in the room, ask how you can help the child. Try your best to safely meet them where they’re at rather than bring them back to reality.

The most important thing is to keep the environment as calm as possible. Be reassuring and use a soothing voice and touch when appropriate. Remind the person you’re with that they are in a safe place where nothing is going to hurt them. Let them know that you’re here to help.

If the situation is highly volatile or dangerous, prioritize keeping yourself safe. You can’t help someone if you get hurt in the process.