Complex PTSD refers to PTSD that results from prolonged, repetitive trauma. It is also known as C-PTSD. Hallucinations are false sensations or perceptions of things that are not really there. They can affect any of the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. There is some evidence that complex PTSD can in rare cases cause hallucinations, but more research is needed. The potential link is most often seen in visual and auditory hallucinations.
What is complex PTSD?
Complex PTSD results from prolonged, repetitive trauma. This is different from regular PTSD which results from a single traumatic event. Examples of events that can lead to complex PTSD include:
- Childhood emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Domestic violence
- Human trafficking
- Being a prisoner of war
- Living in a war zone
With complex PTSD, the traumatic events typically occur repeatedly over months or years. This leads to more severe and longer-lasting symptoms compared to regular PTSD. Some key symptoms of complex PTSD include:
- Problems regulating emotions
- Feeling detached or disconnected from oneself and others
- Persistent feelings of shame, guilt or failure
- Difficulty sustaining relationships
- Trouble feeling safe
What are hallucinations?
Hallucinations involve perceiving things that are not actually present. The most common types of hallucinations include:
- Visual hallucinations – seeing things that are not there such as shapes, people or flashes of light
- Auditory hallucinations – hearing sounds or voices that do not exist
- Olfactory hallucinations – smelling odors that are not really present
- Gustatory hallucinations – tasting flavors that do not exist
- Tactile hallucinations – feeling sensations on the skin with no cause
Hallucinations feel very real to the person experiencing them. But they occur without any real external trigger. They are a disturbance of perception.
What causes hallucinations?
Some potential causes of hallucinations include:
- Mental health disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe depression
- Drug use disorders
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Sleep deprivation
- Sensory deprivation
- Grief
- Extreme stress
- Brain injuries
- Brain tumors
- Dementia
- Seizures
- Fever
- Migraines
In most cases, treating the underlying cause will resolve the hallucinations. Sometimes medications may also be used temporarily to manage hallucinations as part of the treatment process.
The potential link between complex PTSD and hallucinations
There is some evidence that complex PTSD can potentially lead to hallucinations, but the link needs more research. Here is what we know so far:
- Studies show auditory and visual hallucinations occur more frequently in individuals with PTSD compared to the general population.
- The prevalence of hallucinations seems to be even higher in those with complex PTSD than regular PTSD.
- One study found auditory hallucinations present in 36% of women with complex PTSD related to childhood sexual abuse.
- The extremely high levels of stress associated with complex PTSD may make individuals more prone to experiencing hallucinations.
- The dissociation and detachment from reality experienced in complex PTSD can increase the risk of hallucinations.
- More research is still needed on hallucinations specifically in complex PTSD patients.
While the association seems apparent, more research is needed to establish causation. Some researchers hypothesize that complex PTSD symptoms like hyperarousal and dissociation may directly contribute to the development of hallucinations by altering perceptions. However, this requires further study for confirmation.
Types of hallucinations linked to complex PTSD
The hallucinations most frequently associated with complex PTSD include:
- Visual hallucinations – seeing threatening figures from the past, flashes of light, or shadows moving.
- Auditory hallucinations – hearing voices, noises, screams, or sounds related to past trauma.
- Olfactory hallucinations – smelling odors connected to memories of traumatic events.
These types of hallucinations are often linked to or reminiscent of the original complex trauma. Patients may hallucinate a visual image, sound or smell that occurred during the traumatic experience. The hallucination essentially represents a re-emergence of the traumatic memory.
Example hallucinations
A child who was abused by a caregiver may later hallucinate the face or voice of their abuser. An individual who witnessed combat may hallucinate sounds of gunfire or explosions. Someone who lived through a house fire may hallucinate smells of smoke associated with the traumatic event.
Other key points
- Hallucinations in complex PTSD tend to be episodic and come and go, rather than being a constant presence.
- They often only occur during times of extreme stress or triggers that relate to the trauma.
- Complex PTSD patients usually retain insight that the hallucinations are not real, unlike hallucinations in schizophrenia.
- Medications are generally avoided and trauma-focused psychotherapy is the first line of treatment.
Conclusion
There appears to be an association between complex PTSD and hallucinations, particularly involving visual and auditory hallucinations related to past trauma. High stress levels and dissociation in complex PTSD may contribute to the development of hallucinations. However, more research studies are still needed to confirm the link and establish causation. Treatment focuses on addressing the root trauma through psychotherapy rather than medications. Overall, hallucinations appear to be an occasional symptom in some patients with complex PTSD, resulting from the overwhelming stress and trauma exposure underlying the disorder.