What Helps With Hallucinations? 7 Tips for Loved Ones

Hallucinations are a common symptom of schizophrenia, but they can be scary and confusing for both the person experiencing them and their caregivers. When a loved one hears, sees, or senses something that isn’t there, it can be difficult to know how to respond.

In this article, you’ll learn about the different types of hallucinations, common triggers, and practical ways to support someone who is experiencing them. If you have concerns about your loved one’s symptoms, reach out to their care team for guidance.

How To Recognize Hallucinations

Understanding the different types of hallucinations and what may trigger them can help you better support your loved one and know how to respond.

Types of Hallucinations

Hallucinations can affect any of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste. The most common types of hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia are auditory hallucinations and visual hallucinations.

Auditory hallucinations occur when someone hears something that isn’t actually present. Often described as “hearing things,” auditory hallucinations are most commonly experienced as hearing voices, but they can also involve hearing music, knocking, footsteps, or other common sounds.

It’s also helpful to understand command auditory hallucinations. Command hallucinations occur when a voice tells a person with schizophrenia to do something. The instructions may be harmless, but in some cases, they may encourage risky behavior or harm to oneself or others.

If your loved one reports hearing commands that could lead to harm, seek immediate professional help.

Visual hallucinations occur when someone sees something that isn’t there. It’s often referred to as “seeing things” and can range from simple shapes or flashes of light to people, animals, or objects. Visual hallucinations can be neutral, pleasant, or frightening.

Other types of hallucinations include:

• Gustatory hallucinations — Tasting something that isn’t present
• Olfactory hallucinations — Smelling something that isn’t present or that others can’t smell
• Tactile hallucinations — Feeling touch or movement on the body that isn’t actually happening, like bugs crawling on the skin or a tingling sensation

Common Triggers

Understanding what may trigger or worsen your loved one’s hallucinations can help you recognize patterns and respond more effectively.

Common triggers may include:

• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Substance use
• Changes in medication or missed doses
• Side effects of certain medications
• Major life changes or emotional distress

Some people with schizophrenia find it helpful to track their symptoms in a journal or app. You may be able to help your loved one by encouraging them to record when hallucinations occur, where they were, what they were doing, and how they were feeling before it started. Over time, this may help you identify both patterns and potential triggers to avoid.

Understanding hallucinations and triggers can help you recognize what’s happening and why. The next step is learning how to respond in a supportive and effective way.

7 Tips for Supporting a Loved One During Hallucinations

How you respond during a hallucination can make a difference. In general, the goal is to reduce distress, avoid escalation, and create a safe and supportive environment.

Here are seven practical strategies you can use to support a loved one during hallucinations.

Staying calm can help prevent the situation from escalating. Hallucinations can feel very real to the person experiencing them, and strong emotional reactions from others can increase their distress or confusion.

Speak in a steady, quiet voice and offer reassurance. Even if you feel worried or uncertain, a calm presence can help your loved one feel more grounded and safe.

Your loved one may feel frightened, confused, or overwhelmed. Creating a safe, calm environment can help them feel safer.

If they are seated, consider sitting down as well rather than standing over them, which can feel intimidating.

Be cautious with physical touch, as this may be perceived as threatening by some people. If you need to touch your loved one, ask for permission first.

Also, be careful when making eye contact. Direct eye contact can sometimes feel threatening or confrontational, especially if your loved one is feeling fearful, suspicious, or overwhelmed.

Hallucinations can make it difficult for your loved one to process information. Keep instructions, questions, and explanations clear and concise.

Try to focus on one idea at a time rather than giving multiple instructions at once. For example, “We’re going to the car now” may be easier to follow than explaining the entire day’s schedule.

Speaking calmly and respectfully can also help your loved one feel supported and understood.

It’s rarely helpful to argue about whether a hallucination is real. While you may know that what they’re seeing or hearing isn’t actually there, your loved one’s experience feels very real to them.

Instead of debating what they’re experiencing, acknowledge that it feels real and distressing to them. You can calmly explain that you don’t see or hear the same thing without dismissing their experience.

Focusing on the emotions your loved one is experiencing can help them feel supported and understood. It can also help build trust so they feel comfortable opening up about their symptoms. But try not to validate false beliefs while validating their feelings.

You might say things like:

• “I can see that you’re scared.”
• “That sounds upsetting.”
• “I’m here with you.”

If it feels appropriate, you can also ask about their experience and whether there is anything you can do to help.

Redirecting your loved one’s attention during a hallucination may help reduce distress and allow the experience to pass more quickly.

For example, you might suggest an activity they enjoy or change the environment by inviting them to sit with you in a different room.

Here are a few ideas to try based on their interests:

• Listening to music
• Watching TV
• Going for a walk
• Spending time with a pet
• Painting or doing other creative activities
• Practicing breathing exercises
• Playing an instrument
• Reading a book

When suggesting activities, try to phrase it as an invitation. For example, “Would you like to walk the dog with me?” Remember, try to be calm, supportive, and reassuring at all times.

Supporting someone with schizophrenia can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. Taking care of your own well-being can help you stay patient, calm, and better able to support your loved one during hallucinations.

In the immediate moment, this may mean asking for family support so you can take a short break if needed. If no family members are available, ask a trusted friend for help.

Over time, self-care may include joining a support group, connecting with other caregivers through social media, seeking mental health support, and taking regular breaks.

If you need help finding resources for schizophrenia caregivers, ask your loved one’s care team for guidance.

When To Seek Help

Hallucinations can often be managed with support, communication, and guidance from a healthcare professional.

As the caregiver, it can be helpful for you to stay in contact with your loved one’s care team, especially if symptoms change or become more frequent. They can also help you develop a safety plan to prepare for future hallucinations.

Seek immediate emergency help if:

• Your loved one is experiencing command hallucinations that involve harming themself or others.
• Your loved one is expressing thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
• Your loved one is severely agitated, frightened, or unable to stay safe.
• Your loved one is acting in a way that puts themself or others at immediate risk.
• You are concerned about your own safety or the safety of others.

If there is an immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. You can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or chatting online.

Join the Conversation

On MySchizophreniaTeam, people share their experiences with schizophrenia, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

How do you support a loved one during hallucinations? Let others know in the comments below.