Dealing with imaginary visions

Posted by bernier @bernier, Jul 10, 2023

I am a caregiver for my wife. I have dealt with dreams and hallucinations, TV people in our living room and other imaginary things but this has me stumped.

My wife sees her reflection in the mirror and thinks it is a real person “out to get her”. “She” (the reflection) steals her clothes, uses her things and is her enemy. My wife wants me to “get rid of her “. Logic and explanations just get her, my wife, very agitated.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

BA

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Hi, @bernier I'm Scott and for a while, my wife had the same issue with elections (mirrors, windows, etc.)

The first thing I did was tell myself to remember that since her brain was broken, logic no longer worked with her so trying to explain it away only made the issue worse. My wife's paranoia about various things like this ebbed and flowed, but I found deliberately changing the subject was my most effective method to deal with this. I'd start talking about something totally unrelated -- the color of the sky, something in the other room, what I was getting ready for our meal, a pretend phone conversation I'd had, etc. At least for my wife, this seemed to often help and stop her concern with reflections.

I did resort to removing one mirror we had over the bureau in our bedroom so it just wasn't there to worry about.

Not sure this will help but I hope so.

Strength, Courage, & Peace

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Thanks so much for the advice. Logic is like pouring gasoline on a fire.
Will try changing topics. I removed some mirrors and covered others.
Now she wants them back.
It’s a fine line we tread

B

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my wife tells me almost every day that there was a group of people having a party in our basement over night. and various other hallucinations, the cast of characters increases about every week: a little blonde-haired girl, little brown-haired boy, and a man with a beard are the latest additions to the crowd.

i've quit arguing with her about it most of the time. i tell her "i didn't see them." and change the subject. some days i'll get her in the car and just go somewhere. doesn't matter where.

i've said in another thread that i got us two kittens and it has really helped, they get her mind off the delusions, but that won't work for everybody

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Thanks for all the advice. I knew I was not alone dealing with this. I have a new tactic. I was talking to a social worker. She said “my wife takes cues from me “.
I decided to just say “she”, the vision, left the house. Said I couldn’t see “her”, she must be gone.
Amazingly it has helped. Not sure how long it will last but, I’ll take what I can get.

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@bernier I was a psychiatric nurse back in the 1980’s on an adult unit with many older chronic mentally I’ll patients. Trying to reason with someone who does not have a grasp on reality is pointless. To some I was a son and others a spouse and I just played along with their delusion. As you know their attention span is short and you are in charge in the house. And as it was pointed out she takes your cues. I wish you luck with the mirror issue and hopefully “she” will not return to visit your wife.

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