Unusual experiences

Unusual experiences

Many people have experiences that other people do not share, or that others may find hard to understand or believe.

When experiences are not shared by the people around us, they can feel confusing, worrying or upsetting.

However, unusual experiences are more common than many people realise. Around 1 in 10 people have experiences such as hearing voices or seeing visions at some point in their lives.

In a bubble (about 1 in 10 people have experiences such as hearing voices or seeing visions at some point in their lives).

Most people who have unusual experiences do not go on to develop a serious mental health problem and having these experiences does not mean that someone is “crazy” or unwell.

However, support can sometimes be helpful, especially when experiences feel distressing, confusing or difficult to manage.

Having support from a mental health team can often help to reduce the impact of peoples distressing experiences and can reduce risk of developing more significant difficulties further down the line

Getting help early is important and when people are encouraged to seek support as early as possible, this help is more likely to be effective.

An early intervention team like aspire can become involved when an individual’s experiences or difficulties become so distressing that they are finding it hard to cope, or when a persons difficulties are are impacting on their day to day life significantly.

Some people find that with support their unusual or distressing experiences can reduce in frequency, become less intense or in some cases go away completely. Other people find that unusual experiences continue to be part of their lives, but develop strategies and ways of coping that help them to manage, and the experiences become less of a barrier to the life they want to live.

What is meant by unusual experiences

This term refers to a wide range of experiences that are often unshared by others or hard to understand.

These can sometimes include:

Unusual ideas or thoughts

• Having thoughts or ideas that people are following, watching or talking about you, or want to hurt you.
• Feeling unsafe or believing that others are out to get you.
• Becoming increasingly suspicious of other people.
• Thinking or feeling like your thoughts, behaviour or emotions are being controlled by something or someone outside of yourself.
• Thinking you have special powers or abilities.
• Feeling like your thoughts are muddled or that your thoughts are getting lost or removed.
• Seeing patterns or special meaning in the things around you or believing or feeling that messages and information are directed at you personally. For example, from the TV, from messages and information online, or from certain objects or people.

Unusual perceptual experiences.

Many people seek help because of seeing feeling or hearing things that others do not.

Hearing

Some people have an experience of hearing one or more voices, or  variety of sounds that others cannot.

Sometimes the voices people here  can make hurtful comments or tell them what to do. Other people have voices that speak between themselves or say horrible things about them to each other. Some people recognise their voices while others might not. Some people hear their voices clearly, and for others the experience might be unclear, like a whisper.

Seeing

Some people see things that others do not such as figures, shadows, flashes of light or patterns. Sometimes people see real objects changing shape or colour, or experience them moving with no explanation.

Smells, taste and touch

Some people experience strange smells that others cannot, or have unusual or disconnected tastes. Some people experience unusual sensations in their bodies – like vibrations, feelings of numbness, itching, or feeling something that may not be there.

Feeling that you the world or other people have changed

• A common unusual experience is a sense that the person, other people or the world around them has changed in some way or that places or people seem strange or unfamiliar.
• Some people can feel detached from their own identities, not feel like themselves or feel disconnected from time and place. Some people can feel like their body is changing in some way.

What impact these experiences may have

These types of experiences can be really difficult to put into words and explain to others They can be very distressing and can also begin to impact on a person’s day to day life and routine:

• Challenges in relationships, daily routines, or coping at school, college university, or work
• Withdrawing or isolating from family, friends, or social activities
• Feeling uneasy, irritable, or on edge
• Experiencing unusually fast or slowed down thoughts
• Difficulty concentrating, struggling to follow conversations, appearing confused, or experiencing difficulties with memory
• Changes in mood, low mood, or heightened anxiety
• Tiredness or fatigue, reduced energy and motivation
• Disturbed sleep patterns
• Changes in appetite

What can cause unusual experiences

Often, unusual experiences are understandable and normal responses to challenging life situations however the exact cause is not always fully understood.

Some common factors that may contribute to unusual experiences can be:

• Difficult or traumatic life events such as; bullying, discrimination, victimisation, grief, bereavement and loss
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Use of drugs and alcohol
• Social issues and inequalities
• Family history of mental health difficulties

How people might understand their experiences

• Many people find it helpful to think of their unusual experiences as normal psychological responses to stress and difficult life events.  Although everyone’s experiences are different, often they seem more understandable when what a person has been through is taken into account.
• Having these experiences does not necessarily mean that someone is unwell. However, some people may find it helpful to think of their experiences as symptoms of a mental illness. It can sometimes feel reassuring to have a name for a problem or difficulty, and can allow people to feel more confident to seek professional help.
• Some people understand their unusual experiences as signs of a personal crisis or an opportunity for growth and development. Unusual experiences may lead a person to think about the direction of their lives, and changes they’d like to make.
• For many people, unusual experiences are seen as having religious or spiritual significance. For example, some people view their experiences as coming from God, the devil, Jinn or other supernatural sources. Some people see their experiences as a sign of being special in some way, while others can worry that they are cursed or have done something wrong. Even if you see your unusual experiences as religious, it can still be really helpful to access support in understanding and managing them.