Delirium is when your brain gets confused and can't think clearly for a little while.
Imagine you're playing with building blocks, and suddenly all the blocks start to wobble and change colors, even though nothing actually changed. That's kind of like delirium. Your brain is trying to make sense of things, but it’s getting mixed up.
Delirium can happen when your body is very tired or sick, like after a big fever or a long hospital stay. It feels like your thoughts are going on a rollercoaster, sometimes you’re happy and excited, other times you're worried or scared, all in a short amount of time.
How it feels
When someone has delirium, they might:
- see things that aren’t there (like extra blocks floating in the air)
- have trouble remembering what just happened
- get really tired or sleepy very quickly
It’s like your brain is wearing a funny hat and can't see straight, but it will get better once the hat comes off!
Examples
- A child suddenly can't remember their name and keeps repeating the same sentence over and over.
- Someone wakes up after surgery and doesn't know where they are or who is around them.
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See also
- Are we really programmed to be lazy?
- Arnold Scheibel - How Do Brains Function?
- Do Artists See Differently?
- How Do People Develop a Stutter?
- How do our brains process speech? - Gareth Gaskell?