It's hard enough to have Parkinson's. We deal with tremors, stiffness and rigidity, depression, and anxiety, and then we can add things like dementia, hallucinations, and delusions. As if we didn't have enough to deal with! Hallucinations and delusions are scary things to think about. 
You are more likely to experience these things the longer you have PD, have dementia or memory problems, and some medications can cause them. A hallucination is when a person sees, hears, feels, smells, and even tastes something that isn't real or that other people aren't experiencing. (Parkinson's UK)
About 20-40% of people with PD will have hallucinations or delusions. They can also experience illusions—seeing things that are there but not as they appear. An example of this is clothes in a closet looking like people. There is also something called delirium. This is reversible, and it involves attention and concentration. Both or one of these are altered and can lead to changes in behavior and thinking. It usually develops quickly and resolves after treating the underlying condition, like an infection. (Parkinson's Foundation)
A delusion is a strongly held thought or belief that isn't based on evidence. They can include paranoia, jealousy, grandiose beliefs, and wrongly identifying places and objects. (Parkinson's UK)
We've already established that experiencing a hallucination or delusion is genuinely frightening. You can experience several types of hallucinations. Auditory and visual hallucinations can be the scariest of them. Auditory hallucinations are things you hear, but other people around you cannot. These can be voices, music, doors opening and closing, etc. Visual hallucinations are things like seeing people, animals, or anything you can see in real life or dreams. No one else in the room can see them. Tactile hallucinations include things like the feeling of bugs crawling on you. You can feel like someone or something is near you when there is nothing there. (Parkinson's UK)
Experiencing a hallucination for the first time is remarkably frightening and confusing. If you start to hallucinate, you should tell your neurologist/doctor/movement disorder specialist so that they can help determine what's causing them and help either manage them or get rid of them. If you experience a hallucination, try not to panic. Take some deep breaths and tell yourself that you will be okay. Hallucinations cannot hurt you or others, and they will pass. Keep a diary of when they happen and give that information to your neurologist. There are some things that you can do to help.
Focus your attention on an activity to distract yourself from the hallucination. This can be anything like reading, doing a puzzle, watching TV, or playing a video game. Engage with the hallucination—write about it, draw it, or talk about it with someone. Practice breathing techniques like box triangle breathing. Exercise. (Parkinson's UK)
You don't have to let hallucinations control you. Like PD, we have the choice to control it or not. You don't have to do this alone. There are groups, places, and therapists who can help. Reach out, and don't go through this alone. You are not crazy, and it's not your fault.
Delusions are the other issue that we may experience. Aren't we lucky?
They can be more challenging to deal with than hallucinations, and they may involve the people you love. If you experience paranoia, you might think that someone is trying to hurt you in some way. You may also think that people are conspiring against you in some way. You may experience jealousy regarding a spouse or other people close to you. You may think your spouse is having an affair. You may experience grandiose thoughts and think you have superpowers or that you have a relationship with a famous person. You may not recognize the people and objects around you. (Parkinson's UK)
Delusions are very problematic for those who care for us. We may not realize that we are experiencing them. It's essential for those who care for us to know what delusions and hallucinations look like so that if we can't tell our neurologist, they can. If you're fortunate, you can experience both hallucinations and delusions. (Parkinson's UK)
Other things we can do to help ourselves are:
- Create a Good Memory box or book
- Get as much sleep as you can (I know, that's not easy)
- Improve lighting to reduce shadows
- Your diet is also very important—Eat healthy meals and snacks!
- Talk to your loved ones—They want to help. (Parkinson's UK)
All in all, it sucks to have PD, and the chance that we might experience hallucinations and/or delusions makes it even worse. However, we must remember that we are not alone on this journey. We are a strong, loving, supportive community, and we are in this together. There are so many of us that you can reach out to. This disease can be brutal, but it can also lead to many positive things. So, take this article as it was meant to be taken—informative and, I hope, not too scary. I am here for you, as are many other people. Don't be afraid. Be informed.
Dianne Bramble is a Registered Nurse in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She left nursing and got her certification in Health Coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Personal Training. Dianne's focus is on people with chronic conditions like Parkinson's. She's 56, married with two kids, a dog, and a horse. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's in September 2013. Her blogs will focus on mental and physical health.
