Children & Young People's Emotional Health

Seeing & Hearing Things

It can be frightening to discover that your child or young person has been seeing or hearing things that don't appear to be real. 'Hallucinations' are when a person hears, sees, smells, tastes or feels things that appear to be real but only exist in their mind.

Seeing and hearing things can be a sign of an underlying illness, or can be caused by a stressful event, like losing a close friend or relative. It can also be the result of a physical illness like an infection, a reaction to drugs or part of a mental illness.

Dive Deeper

Select an option

Hallucinations

Hallucinations are where children or young people hear, see, smell, taste or feel things that appear to be real but only exist in their minds. They might:

Hear sounds or voices that nobody else hears
See things that are not there - like objects, shapes, people or lights
Feel touch or movement in their body that is not real
Smell things that do not exist
Taste things that aren't linked to food
Think their body is moving like flying or floating when it isn't.

Hallucinations can make you feel nervous, paranoid and frightened, so it's important to be with someone you can trust. These unusual sensory experiences can appear out of nowhere, but on most occasions can be linked to physical illness. Hallucinations can sometimes occur as a side effect of taking drugs or be a symptom of a more serious mental health condition.

Causes Of Hallucinations

Seeing and hearing things can be caused by a number of reasons. The symptoms can be temporary and come on for no obvious reason, which makes it hard to know why sometimes. They can happen if you have migraines, a high temperature or just as you wake up or fall asleep.

Common causes for hallucinations are:

Having a very high temperature
Not getting enough sleep
Following high-stress periods, like the death of a family member
After surgery or anaesthesia
As a side effect of taking illegal drugs
Mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
Following being abused, bullied or hurt by someone
Anxiety & depression.

After having a baby some parents can experience hallucinations as part of postpartum psychosis.

Find a guide to postpartum psychosis here

Talking About Hallucinations

As a parent, it can feel confusing when young people experience seeing or hearing things that aren't real. Your child or teenager may be feeling scared, so it's important to let them communicate their feelings to you in a safe and non-judgemental way.

Explore the young person's experience

Let them talk to you about their experience. If they don't feel they can explain to you, they could try drawing or writing a journal to be able to express their feelings.

Don't assume the visions or voices are problematic

Not all hallucinations are upsetting. Quite often children and young people see or hear things which comfort them.

Try to contain your own feelings

Although you may be worried and upset, try to remain calm and measured when you talk to your child about their experience.

Offer a safe space to talk and listen

Try to listen without judgement and create a space that your child feels comfortable in.

Ways To Cope

It's important to reassure your child that they are not the only one dealing with this and that hundreds of children seek support and treatment for hallucinations every year.

We would recommend seeking medical advice from your GP to discuss these symptoms and explore any underlying cause. This can offer your child reassurance and let them know they are on the right track to being treated.

Keeping busy and practicing mindfulness can both be useful ways to cope. You could suggest they try:

Listening to music, audiobooks or podcasts as a way to calm them down
Using distraction by encouraging them to focus on something they enjoy like sports or the arts
Using grounding techniques like memory games to keep them occupied during quiet moments
Trying breathing exercises to help calm them, focusing on taking deep slow breathes in through their nose and out through their mouth
Journaling their feelings or keeping a diary of what's been happening to them.

Getting Help

If your child or teenager is frequently seeing or hearing things, we would recommend booking an appointment to discuss these symptoms with their GP to understand any underlying causes.

You may be advised to support your child or teen in keeping a diary, which can be a really useful tool to give healthcare professionals some insight into how they have been feeling. It also helps to keep track of how they are sleeping, if they have been drinking alcohol or using drugs, and whether they have experienced any other symptoms like low mood, increased stress, anxiety or loneliness.

There are mental health service helplines available for parents to discuss any worries about their children including:

Young Minds Parents Helpline - Call 0808 802 5544 for free Mon-Fri from 9.30am to 4pm

NHS 111 or call 111 and select the mental health option.

Who can Help?

For 24/7 immediate advice, support and signposting for people with mental health difficulties please contact 111 and select the mental health option. You can also text SHOUT to 85258. You can also contact your GP, who can help you access support.

If someone’s life is at risk or they cannot be kept safe, call 999 or go to A&E.

For 10 to 18-year-olds, Kooth is a free, confidential and safe way to receive online counselling, advice and emotional well-being support.

Childline - Children and young people under 19 can call 0800 1111 for free support.

Young Minds Parents Helpline - Call 0808 802 5544 for free Mon-Fri from 9.30am to 4pm.

To speak to other Norfolk parents and carers, you can join our online community forum below.