{"id":13572,"date":"2015-11-19T11:00:22","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T11:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=13572"},"modified":"2023-03-08T10:16:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T10:16:06","slug":"flashback-vs-hallucination-vs-delusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/flashback-vs-hallucination-vs-delusion.htm","title":{"rendered":"Flashback vs Hallucination vs Delusion – What is the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"hallucination<\/a>

By: David Ensor<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Haunted by images<\/strong> that you think are traumatic memories, but are not sure? Does this mean you are suffering flashbacks, or are they hallucinations? Or could it be you are actually delusional \u2013 and does the difference matter?<\/p>\n

Flashback vs hallucination vs delusion<\/h2>\n

A flashback is when out of the blue you are overcome by such an intense memory that it’s as if for a moment you are back in time.<\/strong> Usually flashbacks are a visual replay in your head, although it is possible that a flashback can simultaneously involve other senses, such as feeling tingles on your skin or smelling an odour.<\/p>\n

A hallucination, on the other hand, is when you perceive something as real that is not only not real, but never happened.<\/strong> Hallucinations are often thought of as ‘seeing things’ that aren’t real, but visual hallucinations are not the only kind. You can have a hallucination using any sense at all – auditory, tactile, or even a smell or taste.<\/p>\n

A delusion is actually not a visual or sensory experience at all, but rather a belief.<\/strong> It’s when you hold something to be true that there is no factual evidence for and that does not fit with the society you are living with.<\/p>\n

So what are some examples of flashbacks, hallucinations, and delusions?<\/h2>\n

Flashbacks:<\/strong> If you were the victim of a trauma, including things like a natural disaster, mugging, or childhood abuse<\/a><\/span>, you might find experiences in the present day trigger horrible strong visuals of the past event to run through your head. These are flashbacks.<\/p>\n

Hallucinations:<\/strong> If you feel that a strange man is always following you, or constantly smell gasoline, or hear a woman always calling your name, or feel like someone is always tapping you on the shoulder, you are experiencing hallucinations.<\/p>\n

Delusions:<\/strong> If you are sure that voices from the radio are talking just to you, that your neighbour is a spy that is watching you, that your teacher can read your mind, or are convinced that you are developing a superpower, then you are suffering from delusions.<\/p>\n

Why do people confuse these terms so much?<\/h2>\n
\"hallucinations<\/a>

By: thierry ehrmann<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Hallucinations can often be linked to flashbacks, and experienced together, <\/strong>which is why people can confuse these two terms.<\/p>\n

For example, going back to the mugging victim. If that mugging victim has a flashback, then suddenly hears the mugger saying horrible things in her ear he never said in reality, and then sees his face in her mind when really he was wearing a balaclava, then she is experiencing hallucinations along with flashbacks \u2013 a mix of real and imagined.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hallucinations and delusions<\/strong> are also often experienced together, both being main symptoms of psychosis.<\/p>\n

Related mental health issues<\/h2>\n

Flashbacks are based on real trauma. They are often a part of<\/strong> post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)<\/a><\/span> and are also common for those who have suffered childhood abuse<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Hallucinations and delusions, on the other hand, are linked to psychosis<\/strong>, which means youare out of touch with reality and your mind is essentially playing tricks on you.<\/p>\n

Psychosis can be a sign of schizophrenia but this is not always the case so you should not jump to conclusions<\/strong>. It can also be a possible symptom of any of the following:<\/p>\n