The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
My mother is in a binge and has been having full blown hallucinations.
One night she was in her lounge room and suddenly felt like she was in a jungle. She could see the jungle, feel it, smell it - in her reality, she was there. And she was all tangled in the foliage.
Another night she hallucinated that she was trapped in a swamp in Mississippi and her legs wouldn't work. She was screaming for my brother to help her. He wasn't in the house at the time.
Another night she went in to check on my brother and saw his face morph, become snakelike, and start saying horrible things to her. He was asleep.
When I was with her tonight at the hospital she perceived people as transvestites who weren't, thought my brother was calling the receptionist and abusing her (he wasn't ) and urinated herself, went over and verbally assaulted hospital staff, then resumed conversation with me where she'd left off as though nothing had happened.
She's drinking 2 litres of wine a day plus extras, and taking morphine.
This isn't my first rodeo, but I've never, ever known her to hallucinate like this. Can this be a symptom of alcoholism or do you think it's a psychotic episode of some sort?
She also hallucinates that people are in the house who she hasn't seen for years.
She can't really distinguish what's real and what isn't.
-- Edited by hiraeth on Friday 28th of August 2015 01:15:28 PM
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Hugs, hiraeth.
I am sorry to hear that you are dealing with such a stressful situation.
I don't know the answer to your mom's particular story, but my wife and I had one of her childhood friends over several years ago now. The friend, her husband, and their three kids were vacationing nearby, and decided to spend an extra night with us on their way home. Turned into 2 nights, as my wife's friend got completely drunk and was too hung over to travel. While she was drunk, she asked her husband to get something from the car. The kids were in the house with my wife and me. The woman suddenly was screaming abuse and barking commands at her kids, ordering them to get out of the elevator and away from the creepy man. The kids were terrified. I told the kids to stay put, that they were fine and should keep coloring with my wife, and went to get their dad - incidentally the only male on the 40 acre farm at the time.
I have heard that long-term drug use, including alcohol, in high amounts, can result in hallucinations (also when the person is not using), but I am not a medical professional, and I don't really know the "official" answer about what causes hallucinations. It could be age as well, or some combination. I worked with many dementia patients in my early 20's, and some of them were still at war, while others were concerned that I would let the cat out. (or in. I have shooed many an invisible cat out of the room before closing doors...)
Depending on your situation, it might be appropriate to speak (perhaps even in general, non-specific terms) with your doctor or your mother's doctor. (I have spoken to my doctor, who also happens to be my wife's doctor, about concerns that I have about a "friend" - and gotten a better idea from the doc about what might be medically happening, possible, or impossible, all in very general, non-specific contexts, of course.)
Wishing serenity for you,
__________________
Skorpi
If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. - Lao Tzu
I am not a doctor, but I had a friend who was given morphine in the hospital and had hallucinations.
Whether that is the cause or not, the amount and combination of alcohol and morphine is playing with fire. I'm sure you know this. As well as that we can't control it. Awful. Hang in there.
The psych services people said the hallucinations are due to the alcohol and if she stops drinking they will stop (along with suicide desire) so in their professional opinion, she doesn't qualify for psychiatric help.
Have you ever experienced an alcoholic to hallucinate? Other than in withdrawal?
As if just 'stopping drinking ' will fully restore her to sanity. Psych ppl mustn't get much training in addictions
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Thanks Mattie. Yeah I bet it's the morphine. Nothin I can do. Nothing hospital or doctors will do. She was escorted to hospital by police tonight and still they wouldn't let her have a bed.
Their drug and alcohol policy is that the addict has to be sober 3 days before they're eligible for help!!! Now I've seen it all
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Oh hi Skorpi, sorry I missed your awesome post, I'm in cortisol speed mode and didn't see it.
Really appreciate your compassionate and insightful words. Doctors so far are of no use. They literally turn her away. No one wants to deal with alcoholism or mental illness round here.
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Urine just falls out of her. She said she can't even feel herself peeing. There's so much! !! An inhuman amount. I got her clean pants from home and she declined to change, she wasn't bothered by sitting in soaked pants all night.
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Hi there, I just wanted to add that in my experience hallucinations (delirium) could also be caused by infections, such as a severe urinary tract or other infection. I hope a doctor can check it out from that angle, if they have not already.
I'm so sorry you are going through this, I know it is horrible to experience.
Wishing you get the answers you and Mom need as soon as possible {{Hireath}}. I do not have any ESH concerning what is happening to your Mom, but do hope that her doctor's find what is going on with her.
__________________
"Forgiveness doesn't excuse bad behavior, but it
does prevent bad behavior from destroying your heart". ~ unknown
I'm watching a very good girlfriend of mine deal with this exact situation at the moment and all I can say is there is always the possibility it is mental there is always the possibility that it is the alcohol .. unless they can get the person sober and stabilized there is no way to make a real diagnosis.
It is very frustrating when she can only get her son no more than a 72 hour hold and it's very scary to watch because my XAH went through a similar things as well. He's still not all right in the head at this point. He was begging the hospital for help and not acknowledging the issue with the drinking. It is just so very sad to watch.
Hugs and prayers, S :)
__________________
Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do "faith". - Brene Brown
"Whatever truth you own doesn't own you" - Gary John Bishop
My aunt (who drank alot but never professed to be an alcoholic) was in the hospital for surgery. At some point during her stay, she got this way and it took them a while to figure out that her potassium was completely out of whack. Believe it or not, just that one element being skewed badly made her hallucinate AND belligerent and just crazy, crazy, crazy.
Huge (((Hugs))) to you as you maneuver through the nuances of the great divide - is it mental health or it is addiction? Most medical facilities in our state separate the two from each other even when they are obvious to co-exist. The treatment centers here are much better at trying to treat both, but still have very limited cross-trained staff.
Keep the faith and keep working on your program. So very sorry this is your current 'reality' - know that you are not alone and it will pass....sometimes it feels as if it won't when it's in progress.
Hang in there - know we're just a post away!
__________________
Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Hi hiareth :) I have yet to post here till now but your experience pulled me out of lurkdom. When my husband was in the middle of his worst days he too was hallucinating. One night "our dog attacked him and his arm was covered with bleeding wounds" I tried to tell him that his arm was perfectly fine and there wasn't a mark on him. He came back later with self inflicted injuries.
One night he went running through our cornfield with an assult rifle chasing down "the person snooping in our barn with a flashlight" It sounds terrifying to me now but at the time I was in a numb state of just handling these incidents. At that time he was also mixing I don't know what prescription drugs with his alcohol. I was certain he had a mental illness, his psychiatrist thought so to. But when he got sober, that kind of craziness stopped. He does not have a mental illness.
Two of the things I've learned since, I do not need to understand the reasons for the behaviors in order to take care of myself emotionally, I'm likely not seeing things crystal clear either but the whys don't matter. And there is hope, I had no idea serenity and sanity could be possible for my spouse.
The worst looked like the end to me, but it was just the beginning. I'm so glad I found the help I needed in alanon. I really hope you do too.
-- Edited by StayBeautiful on Saturday 29th of August 2015 08:42:13 AM
Hiareth, I am so sorry for what you are dealing with right now. The urinating really sounds like it would be a medical issue, but I am no medical expert. It sounds so frustrating trying to get her some help! I hops you can get some answers soon. Thinking about you!
I've realized, it really doesn't matter if it's morphine or alcohol or both. These are her choices. I cannot be involved any longer, and I don't owe her anything.
__________________
You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. Plato
Hiraeth - Acceptance of life as it is can be freeing - I sense a bit of peace with your post. Still got positive thoughts and prayers headed your way!
StayBeautiful - I too welcome you to MIP - so glad you found us and came 'out' to post!
Stick around and hang with us.....it's a great group - one I am proud to call my extended family!!
__________________
Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
