• The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Ask Dr. Bob

QUESTION
My husband has begun hallucinating. What can I expect next? He was hospitalized after the last incident but continues to drink.


ANSWER
There are many questions I would like to ask you before trying to answer your question, for example, How old is your husband? What is the status of his general health? Does he have any known mental disorder other than alcoholism? How long has he been drinking and how long have you known it to be a problem? Has he had hallucinations previously when withdrawing from alcohol? Does he seem to have periods of confusion or memory loss? Does he use other drugs or medications? Are his hallucinations auditory (hearing things), visual (seeing things), or tactile (strange skin sensations)? Each of these questions sheds some light on various disorders that might contribute to the cause of his hallucinations.

For example, he may have an early dementia, related to alcoholism or Alzheimers Disease; some chronic mental illnesses produce hallucinations; severe liver failure or other medical illness may cause hallucinations at times; certain drugs of abuse will cause hallucinations; etc.

If we assume your husband is now drinking, is an alcoholic, does not abuse other drugs nor take medications which might cause this, does not have another brain disease or tumor, does not have a mental illness, then the most likely cause would be alcohol-induced brain damage. This can be reversible at certain stages or might be permanent.

Please review our "Ask Dr. Bob" answers for July/Aug 2001 (brain damage) and June 2004 (withdrawal conditions) for further discussion. And please, have your husband examined by a physician who can help clear up some of the questions I have raised!

Good luck,

Dr. Bob



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Disclaimer

Dr. Bob does not provide specific medical advice or a medical diagnosis for any particular condition described, nor verify the authenticity of any information described in the questions presented. Patients should always consult their physician to discuss any specific symptoms, conditions, or modes of therapy for any particular mental or physical difficulties, diseases or conditions.

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