Hello, im a 14 year old living in the US. i have been pretty stressed over the past couple of years. from the time i was a child, i was seen as odd and as having strange mannerisms and being very socially non-fluent, but ever since last year, i have had intermittent hallucinations. this started at a time i was very stressed due to being in a leadership role with higher-ups who made it very difficult for me to do my job, with the first hallucination (that i know of) being of the voice of an annoying fellow classmate saying “hi” directly into my ear. however, when i turned around, the only visible people were two teachers talking about 20 feet away. the hallucinations continued intermittently, and this past year for a while i would hear noises at night that sounded like something throwing itself against the house, or other ones that sounded more like gravel being thrown at the window of my bedroom. at one point over the past summer they got more intense, with sounds like some huge monstrous thing chewing right outside my window and at one point what sounded like a man in his early 20s or so laughing like some villain from far away, but very far away. they got so bad i stayed up until late at night and when i did go to sleep, slept with my closet light on and slept holding my pocket knife for fear of being killed in my sleep. i figured they must be hallucinations of some sort because they sounded nonsensical, even though they sounded incredibly real. i also get very paranoid. i cannot stand to be around mirrors in the dark because i am scared that something will attack me through them and keep the one mirror in my room covered with a towel. i also get very scared at times when i try to go outside to relax and eventually have to go inside because i feel watched.i also get the feeling that people are watching me and thinking bad things about me in school and in public in general. i also have to go through certain routines during the day or things feel wrong, especially at night before i go to bed. the hallucinations aren’t happening right now, but should i still ask my parents if i can see a doctor?
Yes, it would be in your best interest to ask for mental health treatment. A therapist would collect information about your concerning experiences, determine what might be wrong and what treatment would help.
These experiences are sometimes occurring during times of stress and or when you are sleep deprived. Stress and sleep deprivation could be causing these symptoms.
In the meantime, document your experiences and bring them to your therapy appointment. Having that documentation could assist your therapist in determining the problem. You also might want to bring the letter you wrote to us here at Psych Central.
It’s encouraging that you are open to seeking help. Treatment could greatly assist you in eliminating these symptoms from your life. I hope you receive the help that you desire. Please take care.
Dr. Kristina Randle
