I need help with...

I see things that other people don’t

Hallucinations can cause confusion and stress and can have many causes. Whatever the reason, the sooner you seek help the better.
 

A hallucination involves seeing, hearing, smelling or tasting something that doesn’t actually exist.

Hallucinations can be the result of mental health problems like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or schizophrenia, but also be caused by other things including alcohol or drugs.

Experiencing hallucinations can be confusing and can cause significant distress, so it’s important that you seek help as soon as you can. Learn more.

What to do

If you’re experiencing hallucinations then you need to speak to your GP as soon as possible. While the hallucinations may not be unpleasant or currently cause you any problems, they could be the symptoms of serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia.

Your GP will work with you to attempt to identify the cause of your hallucinations. As part of the process you may need to speak to a psychiatrist. While it can be difficult to discuss things like hearing voices, you need to be as honest an open as you can.

There are many reasons you may experience hallucinations, but the sooner you understand why, the sooner you can receive treatment.

If you are in crisis call 111 and select the mental health option or visit our 'I need help now' page or contact Samaritans on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org.

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