Can you feel pain in hallucinations?

Hallucinations of pain and touch are very rare in the schizophrenic disorders but about 20% of patients with the schizophrenia may experience some sort of tactile hallucinations along with the visual and auditory hallucinations. The most common tactile hallucination in patients with schizophrenia is like a sensation in which a patch of their skin is stretched elastically across their head. They vary in the intensity, range and speed at which they might feel this stretching painful sensation. They are usually triggered by some emotional cues such as a guilt, anger, fear and depression. Additionally, they occasionally hallucinate the feeling of small animals such as snakes crawling over their body. Such vivid tactile sensation of an object that is not present results from an unsuccessful attempt of the brain trying to perceive the objects that are novel and that may represent unreal situations usually triggered by some guilt and fear. Patients with schizophrenia also have hard times portraying emotions as they divert most of their energy to control the pain from their tactile hallucinations.

Facts:

·       Neurological conditions or drugs that may target the central nervous system can cause tactile hallucinations.

·       Some medicines that impact the neurotransmitters are known to cause these tactile hallucinations.

·        Hallucinations are not the specific to one disease or disorder but are the symptoms of many conditions.

·        Sometimes, different types of hallucinations can occur at the same time.

·       Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) often helps to reduce emotional symptoms, such as distress from hallucinations.