title: Case report of visual hallucinations in anxiety.
abstract: Hallucinations rarely occur in individuals with anxiety disorders. This case report describes a 36-year-old male with Social Phobia and Agoraphobia with Panic Attacks who had prominent visual hallucinations that were both distressing and incapacitating. Treatment with sertraline 200 mg/d, clonazepam 1 mg/d, and propranolol 20 mg/day for one month completely resolved both his anxiety and the hallucinations, after which he was able to return to his social and occupational life. The report underscores the fact that visual hallucinations are not always indicators of a psychotic disorder, they may be present across a spectrum of mental disorders. In cases where hallucinations occur in nonpsychotic disorders, treatment of the underlying condition usually simultaneously resolves the associated hallucinations without the need to resort to the use of antipsychotic medication. Detailed analyses of such unusual cases can help improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of psychotic-like symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Park Street, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sachdeva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ankur
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Park Street, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Saxena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ankit
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Park Street, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kandpal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manish
keywords: India; anxiety disorders; case report; visual hallucinations