Help! I think I might be having hallucinations!

Hello,

I’m a 15 year old female, and I think I might be suffering from hallucinations for the past 2/3 weeks. It first started with the feeling that bugs are crawling all over my skin. I’ve had this for a while, but it has become more intense and has been interfering with daily activities. About three weeks ago, I started smelling an intense smell of something along the lines of grape flavored Smarties or those grape flavored chewable Benadryls. I couldn’t stop smelling that for about three hours and then it stopped. Later that day, I started getting an intense smell of dog food. I couldn’t get rid of it until a few hours later, and it was as if someone shoved dog food in my face. Lately, I have been hearing noises that aren’t there. I hear buzzing, tapping, or scraping noises. I sometimes hear the sound of footsteps as well, and I have been hearing extra sentences when people talk to me that they did not say. The extra sentences thing has been happening for a few years, and sometimes I hear people that are around me say something when they really don’t. The past few days, I’ve been seeing things that aren’t there either. I remember that I was in the shower last week, and I believed that there was an earthquake because the glass shower walls seemed to be shaking violently as if they were going to shatter, though it was fine. Today, I was at my mother’s office ( dental office) and I thought I saw two people in the same room as me when there wasn’t. I remember there being a lady sitting in a chair diagonal from me with her legs crossed. I don’t remember her face or clothes though. I also remember seeing what looked to be like a dental assistant who was wearing gray scrubs and a mask. Her hair was brown and had blonde highlights and was tied in a low ponytail that ended at the tops of her shoulders. She was also wearing eye protection glasses, but I again don’t remember her face. She was bending down to get something off of the ground next to the chair that the patient would sit in. I then remember that both of them disappeared and the patient’s chair started to shake violently like how the shower did. None of this happened in reality of course. I am starting to get very concerned about what is happening to me and why it is happening. Help?

I think that you might be suffering from hallucinations. I would start by explaining to your parents and them set up appointment with your doctor to rule out there being anything physically wrong and then get a referral for a therapist who could better help you.

Hello bdel: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to Psych Central.

As has already been suggested the thing to do here, I believe, is to talk with your parent(s) about what you're experiencing & get yourself checked out by a medical doctor to make certain there's nothing wrong physically. Then, assuming you're physically healthy, find a psychologist or mental health therapist you can work with to delve into what you're experiencing as well as what to do about it. Then, if it becomes apparent medications would be appropriate you may want to seek the services of a psychiatrist who can prescribe the correct medications.

In the meantime, here's a link to a possible resource that may be of some interest to you:

Hearing Voices Network: Free Downloads (including coping strategies)

And then here are links to 3 articles, from Psych Central's archives: 2 on the subject of how to find a good therapist & 1 that offers tips for handling emotions as a teen:

How Do You Find a Good Therapist? An Interview with Dr. John Grohol

How to Find a Good Therapist

Techniques for Teens: How to Cope with Your Emotions

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

heres the thing... we cant tell you whether you are having hallucinations or not. (see disclaimer at the bottom of every psych central page)

what I can do is tell you if you google what you posted you will see that these problems can be any number of things.

the best thing to do is talk with your parents, let them know whats going on and schedule an appointment with your doctor. your family doctor can tell you what this is in you and how to best treat it.

Those are great links. I wish that I had that thought about that myself.