Hallucinations3.5mins

Each person’s experience of psychosis though unique can have shared features. The majority hear voices, but others experience non-verbal thoughts, images and visions, tastes, smells and sensations, which have no apparent cause. For example, feeling as if insects were crawling under your skin, having a sensation like an electric shock, or smelling things that other people around you can’t smell. These are called hallucinations, although many regard the term as misleading, because of the implication that the experiences are not real.

What seems to be important is how you react to these experiences. Some people take them in their stride; others feel overwhelmed by them. You may feel ashamed and afraid that you are going mad. You may not realise how common the experience is.