The Delusional Syndrome, A Puzzle For Science
Delusional Syndrome (or Delusional Disorder) poses a great challenge to the sciences that study the mind. Indeed, we have not yet succeeded in classifying it precisely and we do not know what causes it. Therefore, we do not know the best interventions to improve it.
People with delusional syndrome have strange ideas or interpretations about one aspect of reality. However, in all other areas of their life, they are perfectly rational and have a high level of consistency. This means that delirium is the only symptom and that it remains isolated from other aspects of thought and personality.
Rather than delusional syndrome, we can also speak of paranoid obsession, or simply paranoia. All these names allow us to see how difficult it is to put a name on this concept and to classify it. Indeed, while some situate it in the domain of neurosis, others put it rather in the domain of psychosis. The debate is still open.
Manifestations of delusional syndrome
People with delusional syndrome are completely convinced of something unreal . These ideas obviously have an irrational content. In extreme cases, someone may think they are a famous hero and others are plotting against them. In less extreme cases, a person may be convinced of their partner’s infidelities, infidelities which in fact do not exist.
The content of this delirium, or ambiguous conviction, generally refers to a single aspect. This means that it is stable content which generally has a persecutory nature. In other words, the person thinks they are or may be the object of an attack because of who they represent. It is common for this to be accompanied by ideas of personal greatness.
These delusions do not affect social or professional life. Those who have it usually don’t talk about their delirium with everyone. On the contrary, they keep a reservation about it, which is why others do not even notice that they have this peculiarity.
Common contents of delusional syndrome
Delusional Syndrome can appear at any time of life. As we said before, there is still not enough explanation for its causes. Likewise, it can be linked to any aspect. However, there are four contents that are most common in this type of conditions.
The four usual contents of delirium syndrome are :
- ?? Delusion of grandeur: the person believes to have exceptional talents or characteristics. she generally thinks that she received these talents through supernatural or magical means.
- ?? Persecution delirium: the person thinks that he or she is constantly the victim of a conspiracy. Something or someone is determined to persecute, harass, torment her, etc. It is the most common form of delusional syndrome.
- ?? Erotomaniacal delirium: this occurs when someone believes that they are loved by another person, yet they do not have any evidence to support it. Often the alleged lover is someone famous or powerful.
- ?? Somatic delirium : this type of delirium is related to the perception that a strange process or transformation is taking place in their body. The person thinks they are decaying, growing too much, etc.
There is a fifth, less severe group which corresponds to delusions due to jealousy. It is an obsessive thought that leads to believe that the partner has parallel relationships with other people.
Treatment of delusional syndrome
Unfortunately, chronic delusional syndrome is often misdiagnosed. Due to the irrational or bizarre nature of their delusions, people who suffer from them are often thought to be schizophrenic when they are not. Obviously, the wrong diagnosis leads to inadequate or ineffective interventions.
It is difficult to treat this syndrome, mainly because it is often the subject of strictly psychiatric care. The drugs apparently do not have a significant impact on the evolution of this type of case. While they can help manage anxiety states , they fail to change the situation in any meaningful way. This is not a biological problem, but a symbolic distortion.
Psychological therapy is usually the most appropriate. The scarce data in this regard indicate that the most effective model for treating these cases is the cognitive-behavioral stream. Thus, the intervention described in this framework aims to reinterpret mistaken beliefs: delusional syndrome can be cured.
Our thoughts Erotomania is a psychological disorder in which a person believes that they are loved by another with higher social status.
