Understanding Charles Bonnet Syndrome

6. Complications of CBS

People with Charles Bonnet syndrome have no control over their hallucinations. Although the hallucinations are not harmful, they may cause issues in everyday life because:

• The hallucinations overlay images of the real world, so the person may have trouble negotiating daily tasks.
• The person may not know at first whether the image is real or imagined. This can be frightening if they see, for example, a stranger in the house.
• Seeing things that are not there is distressing, even if the images are pleasant.
• The person may fear they are going insane or exhibiting signs of dementia.