5 ms·

> He never said he had hallucinations. [...] it became evident that most likely he did have hallucinations, but was keeping that to himself. I do not know if I

> He never said he had hallucinations. [...] it became evident that most likely he did have hallucinations, but was keeping that to himself. I do not know if I would tell people about hallucinations. It is bad enough to be out of control of your function, but to have no trust in your experience is terrifying. I wouldn't be surprised if I convinced myself I didn't have them in order to feel in control.

usaphp 10y ago
What is the point then going to doctors searching for a reason of your problems if you don't even tell them truth about your symptoms?
- tunesmith 10y ago
  Ironically, that point could be lost on those suffering from these sorts of symptoms - hallucinations, paranoia, etc.
- Normal_gaussian 10y ago
  I would fully expect myself to have convinced myself that I am not experiencing hallucinations - particularly because hallucinations are often incredibly minor. I am also very mindful about the dangers of telling people things that will alter how they interact with you. Combining these I find it likely that there be a very high bar for knowing something like that - especially as it is likely a personal suspicion. Not all doctors qualify as over this bar. Of course I would actively seek a doctor I was comfortable disclosing everything to, yet I understand a reluctance to do so.
- texthompson 10y ago
  It turns out that the people who need the most help might have a hard time telling doctors the truth about their symptoms for a variety of reasons. I think you're right that this would be better, but I think it would be really sad to avoid helping people just because they had problems with self-awareness and communication. I might be wrong though. :)
ap22213 10y ago
I think many people envision hallucinations as these grand visions - like an LSD trip or something. So, when they wonder, 'am I having hallucinations?' the answer to them is clearly no. Hallucinations can be as minor as seeing unexpected movement out of one's peripheral vision. It's can be occasionally seeing shadows that initially appear to be something else. Because those types of things seem relatively minor, people tend to disregard them. But, they can be a signal of some neurological system acting abnormally.
- sverige 10y ago
  Right. My wife sometimes has auditory and occasionally the sorts of visual hallucinations you mention. I suspected it for some years but never asked her. She finally told me about it a few years ago. I've known her since the '70s. It's not an easy thing to discuss with people. There has to be a lot of trust that, even if this person I tell thinks I'm crazy, they won't ditch me because of it.
  - DasIch 10y ago
    This is one thing that's certainly an issue but another is that people's idea of what a hallucination is being shaped by movies and tv. So people end up having this idea of what hallucinations are that has nothing to do with reality and so naturally when they do have hallucinations, it makes far more sense to dismiss them as optical illusions, weird lightning, a noise coming from the neighbor and stuff like that.
    - sverige 10y ago
      Now I am sometimes asked, "Did you hear that?" Sometimes yes, often no. The greatest relief she shows is when I tell her one of the cats jumped off something.
th0vvavvay 10y ago
I experience mild hallucinations when stressed out or drunk. Lack of sleep is another trigger. I haven't had it diagnosed but I suspect HPPD, stemming from some badly times mushrooms trips a couple of years ago. I find it mostly ignorable thankfully. I was aware of the hallucinations for one year before I told anyone about it. Have only talked with one friend about it a couple of times. It is a difficult subject, and hard to relate to for people that haven't experienced hallucinations. And on the other hand is it an deeply private sensation that is very hard to convey.
- mkalv 10y ago
  If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by mild?
  - th0vvavvay 10y ago
    That they are usually just predictable visual "enhancements" like trailing images, pulsating or undulating motion, or shifting colors. I see these as mild compared to something like intrusive movement in the peripheral vision, or hallucinations that react to the external world.
Pokepokalypse 10y ago
My mother has LBD (as near as the doctors can tell, because it can't be diagnosed while the patient is alive) - and we're pretty sure she hallucinates, but she doesn't share that with us. She used to tell us about seeing some random animals running through the yard - some fairly unbelievable, but plausible things.

usaphp 10y ago

What is the point then going to doctors searching for a reason of your problems if you don't even tell them truth about your symptoms?

tunesmith 10y ago
Ironically, that point could be lost on those suffering from these sorts of symptoms - hallucinations, paranoia, etc.
Normal_gaussian 10y ago
I would fully expect myself to have convinced myself that I am not experiencing hallucinations - particularly because hallucinations are often incredibly minor. I am also very mindful about the dangers of telling people things that will alter how they interact with you. Combining these I find it likely that there be a very high bar for knowing something like that - especially as it is likely a personal suspicion. Not all doctors qualify as over this bar. Of course I would actively seek a doctor I was comfortable disclosing everything to, yet I understand a reluctance to do so.
texthompson 10y ago
It turns out that the people who need the most help might have a hard time telling doctors the truth about their symptoms for a variety of reasons. I think you're right that this would be better, but I think it would be really sad to avoid helping people just because they had problems with self-awareness and communication. I might be wrong though. :)

ap22213 10y ago

I think many people envision hallucinations as these grand visions - like an LSD trip or something. So, when they wonder, 'am I having hallucinations?' the answer to them is clearly no. Hallucinations can be as minor as seeing unexpected movement out of one's peripheral vision. It's can be occasionally seeing shadows that initially appear to be something else. Because those types of things seem relatively minor, people tend to disregard them. But, they can be a signal of some neurological system acting abnormally.

sverige 10y ago
Right. My wife sometimes has auditory and occasionally the sorts of visual hallucinations you mention. I suspected it for some years but never asked her. She finally told me about it a few years ago. I've known her since the '70s. It's not an easy thing to discuss with people. There has to be a lot of trust that, even if this person I tell thinks I'm crazy, they won't ditch me because of it.
- DasIch 10y ago
  This is one thing that's certainly an issue but another is that people's idea of what a hallucination is being shaped by movies and tv. So people end up having this idea of what hallucinations are that has nothing to do with reality and so naturally when they do have hallucinations, it makes far more sense to dismiss them as optical illusions, weird lightning, a noise coming from the neighbor and stuff like that.
  - sverige 10y ago
    Now I am sometimes asked, "Did you hear that?" Sometimes yes, often no. The greatest relief she shows is when I tell her one of the cats jumped off something.

th0vvavvay 10y ago

I experience mild hallucinations when stressed out or drunk. Lack of sleep is another trigger. I haven't had it diagnosed but I suspect HPPD, stemming from some badly times mushrooms trips a couple of years ago. I find it mostly ignorable thankfully. I was aware of the hallucinations for one year before I told anyone about it. Have only talked with one friend about it a couple of times. It is a difficult subject, and hard to relate to for people that haven't experienced hallucinations. And on the other hand is it an deeply private sensation that is very hard to convey.

mkalv 10y ago
If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by mild?
- th0vvavvay 10y ago
  That they are usually just predictable visual "enhancements" like trailing images, pulsating or undulating motion, or shifting colors. I see these as mild compared to something like intrusive movement in the peripheral vision, or hallucinations that react to the external world.

Pokepokalypse 10y ago

My mother has LBD (as near as the doctors can tell, because it can't be diagnosed while the patient is alive) - and we're pretty sure she hallucinates, but she doesn't share that with us. She used to tell us about seeing some random animals running through the yard - some fairly unbelievable, but plausible things.