Hallucinations and Delusions

Of late, John had been regularly complaining about his ex-girlfriend constantly calling him on his cell phone or ringing the doorbell when he was alone at home. Initially, his partner Bips dismissed John's claims as she thought it to be some stupid dream (another reason being his ex-girlfriend was no longer alive!). However, things got much worse. One day, when Bips actually saw John talking and arguing with an imaginary woman inside the hallway, in the middle of the day, did she begin to realize that there was indeed a serious problem with John.

Brad had just landed a new job as a model coordinator. Being in the fashion industry, attending photo shoots at odd hours and working late to meet deadlines soon became a regular feature of his job. However, his wife Angie didn't take it too kindly. She was convinced that the only reason Brad was coming home late was because he was having a secret affair with another woman. Brad tried to convince her that it was not the case, and he even took her along to one of his shoots to show her just how long a shoot takes. But it did not help. She was adamant about him having an extra-marital affair.

What was wrong in the case of John and Angie? Were they suffering from the same mental or medical disorder? Read ahead to find out.

First and foremost, no, John and Angie were not suffering from the same disorder. 'Hallucination' is what John was suffering from, whereas in case of Angie, it was nothing but a case of 'Delusion'. So what are these? And what are the differences between a hallucination and a delusion? Well, let us find out.

Delusions and Hallucinations Explained

First let us have a look at the concept of hallucinations. Without getting into any medical terminology, here is a simple explanation of what hallucinations are. Basically, a hallucination is nothing but a case of seeing, hearing, touching, smelling (and even tasting) things which do not exist. It is a false perception regarding the presence of something/someone which, in reality, does not exist. So, seeing faces where there aren't any, hearing voices when there's no one around, etc., are all types and cases of hallucinations. A delusion on the other hand, is when a person has an unshakable, fixed belief about something or someone, and the belief is unreal, false or a figment of his imagination or perception. Let us now have a look at the types and causes of both hallucinations as well as delusions.

Hallucinations - Types and Causes
Well, it is said that hallucinations while sleeping or at night are a fairly common and normal phenomenon, and that it is not something to be alarmed about. However, when it starts getting serious (as in the case of John), it is definitely a cause of concern. Here are some possible causes of hallucinations:

• Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, psychosis, etc.
• Severe depression
• Dementia
• Bipolar disorder
• Delirium
• Extreme stress
• Lack of sleep
• Drug abuse, use of hallucinogens and other drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, etc.
• Certain cases of meditation

Hallucinations can be classified into multiple categories or types. The following are the different types of hallucinations:

• Visual hallucinations
• Auditory hallucinations
• Olfactory hallucinations
• Gustatory hallucinations
• Tactile hallucinations
• Mood-congruent and mood-incongruent hallucinations

Delusions - Types and Causes
The following are the most common causes of delusions:

• A state of mania
• Cases of paranoia
• Extreme depression
• Neurological illnesses
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Dementia
• Delirium
• Anorexia nervosa

Delusions too, can be categorized or classified into different types. The following are the different types of delusions:

• Delusions of grandeur
• Delusions of paranoia
• Delusions of control
• Delusions of jealousy or infidelity (as in the case of Angie)
• Religious delusions

This was a brief introduction to hallucinations and delusions. After reading about them, I'm sure you can distinguish between both of these conditions. This is where I sign off. Take care!