What do you say to LO who is experiencing Hallucinations/delusions?

jbrocks

When my DH has hallucinations, talks about the people sitting around our house (just he and I live here) what should I do? What should I say. I mean, I've said to him that this is "our" home and no one is here but us. He gets mad and tells me that I'm trying to say he's crazy and that I'm planning on putting him in a "loony farm". Then the other day he was telling me how sleepy he has been lately and then accused me of slipping something in his food.

What is the correct response to stuff like that? What do you guys say or do?

mathreader

I tell my DH that I know he sees other people but I do not. I ask what they look like. He always says he can’t see their faces. He is always shocked that they fussy goodbye. I tell him that was a little rude. He wants to know why they didn’t stay for dinner. I tell him I guess they had other plans. At least in our house those people don’t seem threatening. Such a weird disease

mathreader

sorry. I should have read my post. He wonders why they didn’t say goodbye

jbrocks

Same with my DH he never can make out their faces. I guess I should just play along, after all I'm living in his world now.

BPS

I think as long as they are not upsetting him then just go along. My wife had a few hallucinations and they were pretty easy to go along with, but she also had delusions and I could go along with them except for the delusion that I was having an affair. I couldn't go along with that so I finally learned to just say that didn't happen and leave the room for a little while and when I came back she had forgot what she said and wouldn't bring it up again until another day.

BPS

Also when her delusions started getting more intense the doctor was able to prescribe medication to make them less intense. They didn't completely go away but she was not as upset by them.

jehjeh

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/232352#Comment_232352

DH had the same delusions. Suddenly sad because I had a boyfriend and don't love him anymore. I used to try to reason wirh him, reassure him but he would escalate and get angry. I finally learned to leave the room too. Works much better.

Worriedwife123

I found out that going for a drive helps him in clearing what I call as ‘foggy brain’. After 5 minutes of driving, it clears away and I just continue doing so until he tells me directions on how to go home.

We usually go through drive thru before going home so that when his mind clears up, he knows why we went out and that’s to get food.