Hallucinations & Delusions
As a practitioner,
it is imperative to develop the ability to distinguish between various
psychotic symptoms. Common examples of
such considerations are hallucinations and delusions. A hallucination refers to an individual’s
perception of things which seemingly exist, however in reality the incident or
object is merely a figment of their imagination. These events occur while the subject is
conscious. Various types of
hallucinations include bodily sensations, hearing sounds or voices, smelling
odors, or seeing patterns, lights, or objects (Berger, 2012). The practitioner may identify someone
experiencing hallucinations from noticing the symptoms associated within
inclusive of one’s inability to differentiate reality from an illusion coinciding
with bluish tint on the lips or fingernails, experiencing chest pain, variance
in skin temperature or texture, high fever, mystification, constant vomiting,
breathing complications, seizures, abdominal pain, or illogical, suicidal
behavior (Klasco, 2011). On the other
hand, delusions are a form of hallucinations which refer to one experiencing
irrational, fixated notions or false beliefs although reality undoubtedly
contradicts the perception. In the
subject’s mind, they believe the imaginable.
Furthermore, this experience solely pertains to the subject, excluding
others. Typically, delusions include the
belief that the individual’s cognition or behavior is directed or affected by a
foreign source or the belief that bodily functions are altered or compromised
(Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2010).
Other disorders
which the practitioner must distinguish upon are disorganized speech,
disorganized and catatonic behavior, and positive and negative symptoms. If the subject is speaking irrationally while
maintaining effective communication, they are generally suffering from
disorganized speech. Disorganized and
catatonic behavior involves one’s inability to function properly or maintain
normalcy within their daily interactions and practices. Additionally, positive and negative symptoms
refer to an overindulgence or lack of psychotic symptoms or regular activity
accordingly (Butcher et al.,
2010). Noticing the characteristics of
such symptoms is critical to proper diagnosis and treatment. The practitioner must determine the specific
psychotic symptom as well as the extent to which the subject is afflicted.
References:
Berger, F.K.
(2012). Hallucinations. Retrieved from
Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., &
Hooley, J.M. (2010). Abnormal psychology (14th ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Klasco, R. (2011). Hallucinations:
Symptoms, causes, treatments. Retrieved from,
