Hallucinations: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate hallucinations:

Pathognomonic (indicative of a disease).

  • Sensory illusion without a real correlate.

Warning signs (red flags)

  • Anamnestic information:
    • Alcohol dependence
    • Drug use
    • Neurological diseases
    • Psychiatric diseases
  • Auditory hallucinations → think: psychotic illness (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic depression).
  • Olfactory hallucination → think of: Temporallapenepilepsy
  • Tactile hallucination → think of: Alcohol withdrawal; occasionally also in cocaine abuse.