AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS

Auditory Hallucinations

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion4

Supporting people experiencing Hallucinations4

How common are Auditory Hallucinations?5

Auditory Hallucinations in Healthy People6

Auditory Hallucinations in Mental Disorders7

The Symptoms of Auditory Hallucinations9

What steps can be taken to eliminate the symptoms of Auditory Hallucinations10

The Strategies used by Patients10

Conclusion12

Auditory Hallucinations

Introduction

Auditory hallucinations are sensory perceptions that occur in the absence of any causal external stimulus. Hallucinations are a hallmark symptom of schizophrenia. Hallucinations can occur in all five sensory modality, but auditory hallucinations are by far the most commonly reported. Auditory hallucinations occur in approximately 70 percent of patients with schizophrenia and can take various forms. Command hallucinations involve voices that tell the individual what he or she should think, feel, or do. Patients with schizophrenia regularly report voices that keep up a running commentary of the patient's behaviours or events the patients come across in their environment, or they report that voices are arguing. In relation to auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations are less common but involve patients seeing imaginary people or creatures. Auditory hallucinations can occur in healthy individuals who are under intense physiological stress, such as sleep deprivation, and they can also occur as a result of using drugs with hallucinogenic properties.

Sensory precepts may sometimes occur in the absence of adequate sensory stimulation. The most prominent examples of non-veridical precepts are hallucinations. They can be pathological but can also affect healthy individuals. Nearly ten percent of the general population reported having experienced an unexplained perception; about three percent reported having heard a voice. Auditory hallucinations may result in secondary delusions, inaccurate explanations of what is happening. This study discusses auditory hallucination in relation to the approach towards supporting people experiencing the auditory hallucinations with respect to care.

Discussion

Supporting people experiencing Hallucinations

Auditory hallucinations are a phenomenon that when a person hears voices and sounds that are not, in fact. When, in the case of auditory hallucinations, is to resort to medical care; the patient should be treated by the doctor as hearing any sounds and voices that do not exist. Furthermore, where you suspect actual hallucinations, try to explain calmly what is happening, to see if the person can take in this information and retain it. If they cannot, try repeating it when the person is more rested and calm. However, if this is still not possible, there is little point in arguing. You are extremely unlikely to convince someone with damaged logical thinking ability that their thoughts are incorrect, or to persuade them of the objective facts of reality through reasoned argument. Efforts to reason logically become even more difficult when adrenalin levels rose as they are during an argument. Trying to convince someone that they are mistaken can lead to more distress, for both parties.

Stay with and observe the person if possible, especially if they are frightened. Improve light levels eliminate shadows and shady areas. Listen carefully to what they are describing. Offer reassurance (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, 39-64). See if distraction stops the apparent hallucination. Tell them that what they are sensing is not evident to you, but ...