do bipolar patients "see" and "hear" things?

Question

my husband has been "seeing" things like black smoke leaving his body, his name being called when he's in bed, kids pulling on sheets while he's asleep and then seeing them run out of the room. years ago, says the phone rang after his mother's death and that it was her. the list goes on...is this part of being bipolar? it sounds kinda' schizophrenic to me.

Answer 1

You can have Bipolar with psychotic features. However, this sounds more like schizotypal or psychotic thinking.

He should probably make a appointment with his psychiatrist to see if a his mood stablization meds are on level or if he may benefit from mild dose of antipsychotics.

Good luck.

Answer 2

You are so right these are the symptoms of schizophrenia (paranoid). That was me for many years and I thought it was everyone else and nothing was wrong with me. Until one day at work (Wal-Mart) it all closed in on me and I lost in the middle of the store. Needless to say I had to spend the next seven days in the hospital on the mental ward. That is where I found out that I had a real problem and now get help on a semi regular basis. Sometimes I think that I am cured and stop taking all my meds but then after about a week or so my family and friends realize that I have stopped taking it and get me back on track. Be a good support system for him and get him so help. Sometimes he doesn't realize he is doing things that you see and you can help him and the doctor. He will be much happier when this is under control the best it can be. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I cringed at the answers that precede mine. It is a common misunderstanding that if a person hallucinates he/she has schizophrenia. A recent survey of 9000 people found that 27% reported hallucinations not associated with drug use. An old 1894 survey found 10% of the human population experienced hallucinations. Schizophrenia afflicts only 1% of the human population.

Since so many people report hallucinations it is not surprising that some bi-polar people report them, Any one can hallucinate and some (hyonogogic and hypnopompic) are considered normal. It is only when hallucinations interfere with normal functioning and result in other symptoms (like delusions, paranoia etc.) that they are serious. Do not get your husband any further into the "mire of abnormal psychology" than he already is as the public stigma for these diseases is almost worse than the diseases themselves

If you want to check out the prevalence of hallucinations enter "hallucinations" into Yahoo! search and a whole bunch of links comes up. Also check out "bi-polar" and "schizophrenia" in the same way. Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia is a good source in all these.

Good luck, good health (for your husband and you), peace and Love!

Answer 4

yes it can be. My friend is bipolar scizophrenic. The last episode inlcuded her hearing voices to kill herself and people telling her that they are going to kill her. She thinks that people follow her etc. It is a very serious disease and requires a psychiatrists attention and even hospitalization. Alot of patients with this disease refuse treatment. Luckily my friend finally realized that she had something wrong and agreed to the medication. From my recollection these symptoms get progressively worse which I would think you would have noticed. Does it happen all the time and interrupt his daily actions? If so, I would def. try to see a doctor soon. If it has happened over a period of years and doesn't interupt daily life then I wouldn't worry to much about it since the medicines can have some pretty harsh side effects.

Answer 5

I am a firm believer that too many people are diagnosed with mental illnesses when they haven't been physically checked out. These are the reasons that can cause that:

1. Stress-yesss stress. (a therapist can help tear apart whats stressing him get his mind back in order.)

2. Drugs..definetly illegal drugs of any kind, but many prescription drugs will cause this too.. antidepressants that rev the metabolism... as a matter of fact over the counter medications can cause this, like anything with psuedoephidrine... which can be in cold, allergy, diet pills etc. Anything that revs the metabolism can do this. People hallucinate when they get tired. ADHD meds can cause this too.

3. Hypersensitivity can cause this. Coming from a drama queen family can cause this. As a child people cope by daydreaming, fantasy, etc. Accute imagination...go figure.

4. A TUMOR ON THE BRAIN.. or spinal cord...

5. Auto immune disorders.. like multiple sclerosis, and others..

6. A heart condition... a sudden loss of oxygen because of clogging of arteries..

7. Antihistamines and/or allergies.

8. Sleep aids.

9. Spinal injuries -signals coming and going to the brain.

10. epilepsy

11. Diabetes... low or high blood sugar

12. Panic Anxiety disorder

13. Post traumatic Stress disorder

14. Alchohalism

15. bi- polar

16. Schizophrenia


I guarantee you, if you take him to a shrink... they will immediatly diagnose him with one of the last two. But if you take him to a medical doc... they will run diabetic test, mris, ekgs... allergy test, sleep tests... Sometimes hallucinations are a symptom that will save their life... but if you take them to a shrink and its something else... they will treat him with med for major mental disorders, and often never call for medical treatment...and diagnosis. Its a business, what can I say.

Take him to your family clinic first before you take him to a shrink.

Answer 6

These are not the symptoms of bipolar disorder. This sounds like schizophrenia or a schizoaffective disorder (schizophrenia with a mood disorder). Sounds as if your husband was not properly diagnosed. He needs to go to a dr/psychiatrist to get medication for his hallucinations/delusions. Schizophrenia responds very well to medication.

Answer 7

I'm sorry that your family is suffering. I don't claim to be a pyschologist like everyone else. But my mother was diagnosed with Manic Depressive (Bi-Polar) She seen and heard things, and it's a very serious disease. Take him to a psyhcologist to get professional treatment. There's so much of a debate about mental illnesses and science continues to do research and update facts. I know how draining it can be when your loved one suffers..make sure to be good to yourself as well and seek a support group for you to cope. I dealt with a mentally ill parent for about 17 years...(Everyone has the answers who's not personally dealing with it) Educate yourself by reading and take care of your mental health as well. Be in courage In Jesus name.

Answer 8

Hallucinations are one possible characteristic specifically of Bipolar I Disorder, along with schizoaffective disorder; other less severe types of manic depression (Bipolar II and Cyclothymia, for example) by definition exclude the presence of hallucinations.

Answer 9

I realized that I still harbor some resentment toward Christianity from my days as a Christian. There is still that wound that needed to be healed. There was a series of conversations with my brother-in-law, my wife, and my sister-in-law in which we discussed the church, and God, etc. I came to realize that my own relationship with God is one of not knowing. I simply don't know what God is, if he/she/it is out there, or what its nature is if it is. Understanding this non-knowing and accepting it, I could look back on my life for the past few years and see just how faithfully I was practicing the teaching of Jesus, even as a Buddhist. My resentment faded, and I sort of came full circle--back to my roots as a former Christian. Now this last bit of resentment is healing, and this to me is the purpose of spirituality. It is about healing and making peace with oneself and everyone and everything.

Answer 10

I think that your concerns may be correct, These are not typically normal things for people with Bipolar Disorder. I suggest taking him to a Psychiatrist for help with this...

It may be that he does have schizophrenia.
It may also be a reaction to a medication, or combination of medications, that he is taking.