CBT offers the opportunity for the person to address their delusions and to discuss alternate possibilities about their misbeliefs. If psychosis is not evident, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common approach to the treatment of delusions. The treatment of either delusions or hallucinations will greatly depend on the condition that is causing these breaks with reality. Further, it is not unusual for a person who is going through drug or alcohol detox to hear, see, or feel things that aren’t real, which is one of the reasons detoxing under medical supervision is so heavily recommended. In addition, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, and brain injuries are also common causes. For example, the mental illness schizophrenia is a common cause of hallucinations. Given this, they can be quite distressing. Causes of hallucination are similar to those of delusions. Hallucinations are created in the brain and are very real to the person experiencing them. Therefore, types of hallucinations include:

Hallucinations affect your senses and are categorized by such. Like delusions, hallucinations are often a symptom of a broader disorder, but can also be caused by situational circumstances, such as substance abuse. That is, a person will feel, see, taste, hear, or smell something that isn’t there. Hallucinations are like delusions, but instead of centering on misbeliefs, they involve sensory misperceptions. However, hallucinations are not based on beliefs. Hallucinations are similar to delusions in the sense that they cause a person to feel that they’re experience something that didn’t actually happen. Alternatively, someone diagnosed with schizophrenia may believe that they are being spied upon through the appliances, which could become a major source of stress in their life. For example, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may experience delusions that do not necessarily disrupt their life, such as their being able to communicate with a deceased family member. Other conditions that may cause delusions include:ĭepending on the person’s beliefs, delusional thoughts may not cause distress. Schizophrenic delusions are most often of a persecutory nature.ĭelusional psychosis can be a condition of its own or could be a symptom of another disorder. Alternatively, a person could believe others are out to harm them. Persecutory delusions are paranoid in nature and include beliefs like being spied on. This is thought to be the most common type of delusion. People with somatic delusions believe they are suffering from a medical condition or parasitic infection that they do not have. This could be harmless or lead to behaviors such as stalking. Jealous delusions often revolve around beliefs of being the victim of an affair.Ī person with erotomanic delusions believes that an important person (for example, a celebrity) is in love with them. In other words, the person believes they are better than others. Symptoms of grandiose delusional disorder center around beliefs of superiority. Therefore, types of delusions are categorized by theme. There are many different types of delusions but delusional thinking generally follows patterns.

On the other hand, examples of delusions that are bizarre include things that could never happen in real life, such as the ability to become invisible. Examples of delusions that are non-bizarre include something that could actually happen in real life, like a cheating spouse. Delusions are referred to as non-bizarre or bizarre in nature. Usually, these beliefs persist even when there is evidence that they are not real.

Therefore, a person experiencing a delusion will steadfastly believe in something that isn’t true.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Delusions vs Hallucinationsĭelusions are false beliefs.

Knowing the difference between these two conditions can help you determine the best course of action. While delusions can be a mental illness on their own (Delusional Disorder), delusions and hallucinations are often a part of a bigger problem. When this happens, the alterations in the brain can cause misunderstandings between what is real and what is imagined in our everyday lives.īoth delusions and hallucinations distort reality in ways that are incredibly difficult for a person to understand. When a mental health condition develops, a malfunction in the brain can occur. The brain dictates moods, thoughts, and behaviors, and creates individuals’ realities. Understanding the differences between delusions vs hallucinations can be helpful in diagnosis and treatment as well as in the management of mental health conditions that cause these symptoms. However, while similar, they are not the same. Delusions and hallucinations are both symptoms of mental health disorders that alter a person’s perception of reality.

Hallucination example