How to recognize delusional disorder

Video: What is Delusional Disorder? | Comprehensive Review | Schizophrenia Controversy

Content

Steps
Tips
Warnings
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Delusional disorder is expressed in the presence of persistent beliefs in a person, which in reality are absolutely wrong, but for himself completely believable, which explains his sincere belief in them. Having a delusional disorder is not the same as having schizophrenia (which is often confused with). Delusional disorder differs in that with it, a person develops and lasts a month or more erroneous beliefs and beliefs that are completely normal for him; otherwise, human behavior is absolutely healthy.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders identifies 6 types of delusional disorder: erotomania, megalomania (grandiose delusions), jealous delusions, persecutory delusions, hypochondriacal delusions, and mixed delusions. Each of these types is explained in detail in this article to make it easier for you to recognize one or another type. As you become familiar with this disorder, remember that our minds are incredible powers, capable of taking on the forms of the strangest fantasies that may seem completely real to us.

Steps

1 Watch for signs of erotomania. Erotomania is characterized by the belief that someone is in love with an individual. The situation is especially common when a person suffering from this disorder believes that some celebrity is in love with him, despite the fact that this celebrity is not even able to recognize the person's face, or even completely unfamiliar with him! Signs that a person is suffering from erotomania include:
- A simple gesture, smile or a kind word turns into a conviction that a person secretly loves an erotomaniac. An innocent gesture can be interpreted as a sign of hidden love or an attempt at romantic rapprochement emanating from what the gesture is made.
- The need to interpret special "signs" that the person with whom the delusional disorder communicates wants to be with him.
- Escape from social life and hanging out with people. Instead, the sufferer spends time in fantasies, imagining how the object of his love does what confirms his dreams.For example, a person can type all the movies of their favorite movie star, sit at home and watch them over and over again in order to somehow bring their love to life - and all this instead of going out and living a real life.
- The person suffering from this disorder may send messages or gifts to the object of their erotomania. He may even start chasing that person.
2 Observe people with an insistent sense of grandeur (delusions of grandeur). This type is often very selfish in nature. Day after day, they live with the conviction that they are unrecognized geniuses with special abilities that society has simply not recognized yet. Signs that a person is suffering from delusions of grandeur include:
- A person may believe that they have an undisclosed or special talent / ability; a person may believe that they have made amazing discoveries that others simply do not understand.
- A person believes that he can save the world through simple, harmless repetitive actions. Such people have an unrealistic view of the degree of their influence on what is happening and the world around them as a whole.
- A person believes that he is in a relationship with some important celebrity (king, prince, president, star, mythical or supernatural beings). In their minds, they sincerely believe that this relationship exists in reality. A perfect example would be the person sitting by the phone, waiting for a call from Elvis Presley or another rock star; or the one who believes that the Lord speaks directly to him.
3 Consider strong, intense outbursts of jealousy as signs of possible upset. Most people suffer from jealousy from time to time, the feeling of jealousy does not last long and is soon replaced by rationalization that allows you to move on. However, in a person suffering from jealousy within the delusional disorder, both the intensity and duration are out of bounds. Such manifestations include:
- A person is convinced that his spouse, lover or partner is acting dishonestly towards him or cheating on him. Even if there is absolutely no evidence in this direction, such people never calm down. They think in such a way that their decision cannot be changed.
- A delusional disorder can go an incredibly long way to prove that he or she has reason to be jealous. This often takes the form of spying on a partner or organizing a private investigation.
4 Be aware of those who suffer from persecution delusions. In certain life situations, distrust is a necessary means in order not to be used by people who want to harm us. Most of the time, however, our trust radar tells us that most people are good, and that through trust, we can make our relationship with them better and fuller. For those suffering from persecution delusions, trust in others is almost impossible at any time, in any situation. This type believes that a certain group of people is hunting for him, no matter how erroneous this belief may seem. Some signs of the disorder include:
- The persecuting delusional is convinced that those around him are conspiring against him. Such a person constantly suspects others and closely monitors them.
- The high level of distrust in others is quite obvious and goes beyond the usual caution. An ideal example of such a disorder would be a person who constantly thinks that the conversations of others among themselves concern something negative in relation to him.
- The sufferer believes that others want to harm him, undermine his authority, or even destroy in some way. Sometimes these fantasies can lead the sufferer to physically attack the alleged conspirators, making them potentially violent and dangerous.
5 Learn to understand people suffering from hypochondriacal delusions. This type of disorder is mostly about the body, not the mind.A person suffering from it is sure that something is wrong with his body. It is important to understand that there is more to this disorder than it appears to people who suffer from it, who constantly feel unwell. Signs of this disorder include:
- A person is deeply concerned that he (as it seems to him) smells bad, or that his body is infected with parasites or insects, etc.
- Man is obsessed with the thought that he is ugly.
- A person often brings up this topic in conversations, making it a central part of communication. The manner in which this issue is discussed by him is far from the normal modes of communication.
6 Help people with delusional disorder get professional help. This person can be a member of your family, a work colleague, or a member of a local sports team. It is very important to detect delusional disorder before it destroys the lives of many people - delusional disorder generally alienates the sufferer from the people around him, because of it he loses his job, friends and even family ties. And it's not just about caring for the person himself - you must help him also in order to prevent harm that can be caused to other people (delusional disorder can provoke cruelty, harassment, aggressive behavior, etc.). The sooner you help the person get the help they need, the better - the longer the disorder is left untreated, the more likely it is that others (and the patient) will be harmed.
- Keep in mind that delusional patients rarely seek psychological help on their own. Don't forget - they believe what their mind tells them; they truly believe that their fantasies real.
- Take the necessary preventive measures to keep the sufferer safe from acts of self-harm, cruelty, violence and neglect towards themselves or others.
- If you are directly responsible for this person, talk to their family, friends, or other people with whom they live. They may need additional knowledge and a deeper understanding of the situation.
- If you are in a vulnerable position with someone with delusional disorder, find someone to help you get out of danger. If you are under attack or a dangerous confrontation with a sufferer, do not hesitate to call the police - your safety comes first. Once you are safe, the person will be provided with the necessary assistance.
7 You should understand that if you are in charge of someone with delusional disorder, there will be periods of hospitalization. This means that you and your family members should think about creating an environment in which the person receives all the necessary care for their life, and family and friends share the responsibilities and affairs of the sufferer for the entire period of his hospital stay.
- You may need to help the person make decisions about who will be their caregiver and what treatments to choose.
- Your help may be required to ensure that the sufferer consistently adheres to all treatment instructions. Develop a system that allows you to do this; you may need a group of family and friends who visit the person regularly. Efforts to ensure that he performs all the treatment procedures may require persistence and patience on your part, but it will be worth it.
- Be prepared to help the person resolve their legal issues, but do it in between delusional periods so that the sufferer is fully aware of what he is agreeing to.
- Help family and friends better understand delusional disorder. Look up information about the disorder (including asking your doctor about a good source of it) and talk to them about it. Make sure family and friends are not afraid of him or try to cope with him with jokes, insults, or complete disregard for the sufferer. Knowledge will make others more sympathetic, and reduce the distance between them and the person.

Tips

Delusional disorder is believed to be more common among those with low social and economic well-being; among those who have a family history of schizophrenia (do not forget that this is another disorder), who suffer from constant stress or any kind of brain disease. Hearing loss (or hearing impairment) is also sometimes a cause.
Reducing stress is also an important part of helping the person with delusional disorder; It is very important to follow the usual guidelines for a healthy diet, regular exercise and good sleep. This will give some hope for the future; if a person is not employed, find something productive for him that he could do in life. He can sell things from home through eBay, write, make art, create useful household items from wood or metal, volunteer, and more.
Awareness will help you know when to seek help if things get out of hand. Usually it is about the awareness of family and friends, since the person himself is rarely able to realize that he is in a state of delusion.
The diagnosis of delusional disorder is usually made only when episodes last a month or more, occur repeatedly and over a long period of a person's life.
Delusional disorder can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and certain antipsychotic medications.
Sometimes grandiosity and the pursuit of greatness correspond to ambitious goals. "I wrote 5 stories and got an order for a complete novel from an agent" may be absolutely true. Even "I'm sure this will be a bestseller" may just be optimistic. The delusion of grandeur - to believe that the publisher will offer a multimillion-dollar contract after the first read of the proposal.
Certain personality types have a higher propensity for delusional disorders.
Sometimes paranoia accompanies delusional disorder. It all depends on the severity of the individual's reaction. Paranoia can not and should not treated as a delusional disorder.

Warnings

Do not ignore the sufferer, do not force him to behave violently or dangerous. Get help.
Don't ignore the stress levels of yourself or other caregivers. He can be very tall and exhausting; enlisting the support of other caregivers is an important part of taking care of yourself.