Mental Disorders

[Ombranymous]

Someone near and dear to me has suffered from a very specific visual hallucination for a few years now and it has recently become severe enough to interfere with their ability to function normally.

At this point I'm past any questioning of the authenticity...there's no chance it could be an attention ploy or a lie of any kind. Whatever is or isn't there - they see it.

They frequently see a specific hallucination of a young girl, dark and partly decomposed. She follows her, haunts her. Sometimes she'll harmlessly be sitting in a corner, observing - other times she'll be assertive and startling. The image of the girl alone terrifies this person but is somewhat familiar to them now.

As it now interferes with their ability to function because it sends them into terror ridden seclusion, curled up into the fetal position and crying, they want to seek help but are afraid and clueless.

It doesn't really seem to fit into any specific mental problem I can find. The trouble is that these hallucinations move into not only sight, but TOUCH. They'll reach for a light switch and graze her hair, looking down to scream and run to their room, terrified. At times she'll forcefull grab them quickly only to give a menacing stare after startling her. Strangely enough, auditory hallucinations aren't experienced at all.

What could this possibly be? I've no question in my mind whatever this is, they believe it exists 100%. They are aware it's in their mind, aware it's a hallucination and in some way feel a twisted fear that if it stops, they'll almost miss her.

[mjmilam]

Hello, Ombranymous,

Visual and tactile hallucinations like you describe are typical of toxic reactions more often than anything else. Toxic symptoms can originate from medication, from medication interaction, from chemicals, from toxic plants, or from substances or combinations of substances the person is very sensitive to.

Your friend's environment and habits need to be examined carefully by a health professional who is knowledgeable in this area. Look for a health psychologist, a clinical ecologist, or an organically oriented physician.

Hope this helps your friend. I have seen this type of thing before but not that often.

[caitlin]

Hi, i'm new but i saw your post and it sounded familiar- i knew a boy who had episodes of being utterly convinced that there were spiders crawling all over him. he could see them and feel them and he was utterly paralysed with fear during these episodes. he was diagnosed with a form of epilepsy specific to the temporal lobe of the brain. instead of having the seizures typical of epilepsy, he would have these episodes or hallucinations. i don't know for sure but it just sounded similar.