Hallucinating when stressed

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Hey this happens really rarely to me, say maybe less than ten times a year, but when I am really stressed I hallucinate. I tend to see weird patterns on things like swirls, or today I saw translucent fur on my walls and can sometimes see different coloured lights. This only really happens when I'm stressed and varies in how vivid they are as they are usually transparent/translucent things that I see and usually happen after I am fully awake and can last up to around 20-30 mins. Does this happen to anyone else here? I unfortunately didn't tell my doctors about this because it happens so infrequently that I would forget about it or think I was making it up. I have other sensory issues related to my mental illness as sometimes before panic attacks I completely lose my sight or my body starts shaking so this is within the normal for me.

you really should inform your Doc .

when you're stressed it must trigger a part of your brain which is causing these visuals

If you are hyperventilating when stressed, this might be result of hypocapnia, look it up.

When I'm doing breathing exercises, part of it is basically controlled hyperventilation and visually effects of doing it for like 5 minutes are freaking psychedelic.

Partly it's due to vasoconstriction and visual nerves conductivity disruptions (swirls, lights, lightnings, bright spots and sparks), partly due to temporary brain hypoxia. These are not really hallucinations, more like physical glitches. I used to completely lose sight (everything would become blindingly bright, then red and then completely black) and sometimes pass out in uncomfortable situations, I believe due to hyperventilation, because it stopped happening since I decided to be more mindful, learn to control my breathing by doing breathing exercises.

I think this is related to the auras seen by migraine patients at the beginning of a migraine attack and can be triggered by stress. I wouldn't actually call them hallucinations.

Interesting, but still confusing since I don't get migraines but I'm also not always 100% connected to my pain but who knows. I saw pumping veins once too. I sent my GP a message about it anyways so I'll see what they say :').

A migraine with aura doesn't necessarily include the painful headache. Look it up. It's seeing spinning lights in a circular pattern that usually lasts for 20 minutes or so. Going into a dark room helps. You're not crazy, it's a distortion in the optical nerve, could very much be tied to photosensitivity.

Also sounds like you're seeing floaters as well. Floaters are usually harmless.

Honestly, a lot of GPs may be ignorant about these things. It would be better to ask an optometrist/ophthalmologist.

Max E makes a very good point.

I hadn't thought of your description as migraine auras or occular migraines, but it does make perfect sense.

When I get them, I don't experience a headache or migraine at all. They happen separately from my migraines.

They look kind of like this:



I have prescription meds that helps stop the vision, but the only thing that makes me 100% better is to sleep in a dark room with my blindfold on.

I'm glad you're asking your doctor's opinion and I hope you get some resolution soon.

I'll definitely look into it! I already have vision problems so maybe it's all related. I see small things as moving constantly and little spirals at times. I think I'll also ask an eye doctor! Since I have so many physical symptoms of mental illness it is hard to tell real problems and mental health symptoms apart ;-;

You can test if you can induce similar effects by hyperventilating for like 30 seconds. But do it safely, laying on a bed and ask someone to watch you. Some people get disoriented and keep breathing automatically for much longer, until they pass out.

I get this several times a month, it's called Scintillating Scotoma. It's an episodic neuronal discharge starting in brainstem and ending in the visual cortex. Not something to worry about according to my house doctor and the optometrist I saw.
I get them pretty bad tho, they last about 30 minutes from start to end, and I'm often completely blind for 10 to 15 minutes in between. The first time it happend I was walking to the train station and I thought I had gone permanently blind. Just when I was about to ask for help it started to clear up.
I usually get a headache and nausea. It's also very tiresome to see that caleidoscope going round and round.
If I'm driving when it happens I pull over asap.