DELUSION: what is it, symptoms and types

Delirium can be considered the very essence of madness, the typical expression of what was previously called alienation, a term very strong and impregnated with the poison of marginalization, which means, in essence, the loss of possession of one's own personality. But delusions are quite common: for example, it is estimated that between 10% and 20% of hospitalized adults are at least sporadically in this condition; the percentage rises to 30-40% in the case of hospitalized elderly patients. With this Psychology-Online article we will better understand what is a delusion in psychology, the various typologies, as well as the causes and possible treatments.

Index

1. What is a delusion
2. Types of delusions
3. Causes of delusions
4. Treatments for delusions

Delusions are a variety of confusional states of mind in which the subject's attention, perception and cognition seem significantly affected. The term "delirium" derives from the Latin lyre, "furrow", so delirium means etymologically "to leave the furrow", that is, from the straight path of reason. The term delusion in the strict sense (incorrigible misbelief) refers to a

In itself, delirium is not a disease, but a syndrome (a complex of symptoms) that can appear in several, acute or chronic, expression of a metabolic suffering of the brain with multiple causes. The current diagnostic classification (DSM-V, 2014) inserts delusions within the "key" characteristics that define the psychotic disorders (persecutors, reference, grandeur, erotic, nihilistic and somatic) but the presence of persistent delusions is the main feature of delusional disorder. Chronic forms of delusion, based on the rational and lucid elaboration of an erroneous belief system, can be, In fact, the only symptom of a psychic pathology: in this case we speak precisely of chronic delusional disorder or paranoia. They can generally seem totally plausible; however, they no longer need to be strangers, as required by DSM-IV. In any case, patients are generally normal until the area of ​​one of their delusions is touched.

Essential characteristics of the delusional disorder:

• The patient has delusions for at least a month, in the absence of other psychotic symptoms and relatively short mood symptoms.
• Except for delusions, behavior is not altered.
• There may be tactile or olfactory hallucinations, but only in connection with the delusions (and not obvious).

Delusions, which can be acute, isolated, recurrent or chronic, are classified based on their content and distinguished by dominant ideas, which are not convictions and certainties, but simple fears, concerns or interests that assumed an excessive importance for the subject, to the point of altering the continuity of the experience and its flow habitual. The terminology of delusions provides:

• Jealous delusion, also called Othello syndrome, characterized by the interpretation of the most insignificant details of the behavior of the couple as an indication and proof of the betrayal. It is frequent in subjects affected by alcoholism.
• Delusion of compensation, of a situation experienced as negative or unpleasant, such as sterility, compensated by a delusion of pregnancy.
• Delusion of guilt, typical of melancholic people who blame themselves never committed to give justification and a consequence to the pain they suffer.
• Erotic delusion, of whom he is convinced to be secretly loved by a generally important or exalted person. Erotomanic delusion can also be called Clerambault syndrome.
• Fantastic delusion, which feeds on philosophical, religious, scientific theories, which solve hitherto insoluble problems.
• Delusions of greatness, which puts the protagonist at the center of a great destiny. In this article we explain symptoms and causes of delusion of grandeur.
• Delusion of interpretation, called "reasoned insanity" because it obeys a need to explain everything according to a fundamental system of private meanings.
• Delusion of denial, also called nihilistic delusion, frequent in depressed elderly, convinced that the world is coming to an end and that their own body is dead or empty of viscera.
• Delusion of persecution, typical of someone who is convinced of the existence of a plot against him, and therefore is obliged to defend himself and suspect everyone. In this article you will find more information about the delusion of persecution.
• Complainant's delirium, which focuses on a harm actually suffered or imagined, activating behaviors that are expressed with written requests, manifestos, summons to court and the like.
• Referral delusion, in which the subject has the impression that everyone refers to him with their looks, gestures and allusions to his person. This delusion is also called paranoid.
• Delusion of ruin (economic, family, position or prestige), frequent in depressive forms accompanied by delusions of guilt.

Delusions usually have medical causessuch as infections or chemical imbalances in the body and other medical conditions such as anesthesia or sedation. They may also be due to the consumption of substances whether they are medications or drugs, both in withdrawal and in overdose. Also for other toxins. Even among the causes of delusions severe lack of sleep.

Starting from the conviction that each of us has a particular vision of the world, on the basis of which he organizes what real, when this vision, which is different in each subject, exceeds a certain limit of common experience we are in the presence of a delirium. G. Jervis emphasizes that what is unstructured is, first of all, the category of familiarity with which each of us usually treats things as strange or familiar.

Another reason that may be at the base of a delusional formation is, always for Jervis, the condition of passivity, which implies the feeling of being dominated by reality without being able to determine it. In order to free oneself from this oppression, there is the possibility, through delusion, of inventing a reality or links of reality that allow the delusional person a minimum of control.

In endogenous psychoses, delirium is the result of loss of relationship with yourself, with the consequent loss of control of reality, which is endowed with a different interpretation. Semi-delusional attitudes can be found in personalities with rigid and distrustful character traits, and therefore not very adaptable to reality, or in people who, enjoying a high social position, are inclined to suspect continuous threats to their power.

From the psychoanalytic point of view, the genesis of delirium has its explanation in the projection mechanism, by which they are attributed to other intentions or attitudes that are actually their own.

The aim of treatment is, first of all, to establish a good doctor-patient relationship and manage complications, since the substantial lack of insight it is a challenge to treatment (if patients are considered dangerous, they may need to be hospitalized).

Treatment is generally intended to remove the patient from the pervasive beliefs of her trying to interest him in something else, for example, entrusting you with a difficult but rewarding goal to achieve, and therefore capable of diverting your mental energies. The incommunicability and incorrigibility of the delusional experience certainly constitute a great obstacle to an approach psychotherapeutic, but sometimes it can be a very valuable instrument to rebuild a relationship with the world that has lost.

Although there are no special pharmacological indications for the treatment of delusional disorder, they are often used antipsychotics for symptomatic treatment. There are antipsychotic medications called "delusions", which seem to have the power to correct the ideational disorder that leads to the formation of delusions.

In depressive delusions, specific treatment for depression can be very effective and save the patient from the high danger of suicide.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Delirium: what is it, symptoms and types, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

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