Delusional disorder, also known as paranoia, consists of the appearance of false beliefs in the patient who suffers from it, these perceptions being maintained for at least one month. These ideas are related to real-life; they are usually identified with actions in ordinary life, such as feeling cheated by your partner or thinking that someone is constantly watching you. As a general rule, people who suffer from this pathology remain active and functional, which means they continue with their working life and daily tasks. At FastlyHealwe, explain the symptoms, causes, and treatment of delusional disorder so that you have all the necessary information about this disorder.
Table of Contents
Symptoms and signs according to the type of disorder
Sometimes delusional disorder appears after a previous paranoid personality disorder, whose paranoia consists of thinking that other people are taking advantage of you.
The most common signs that people with this disorder show are:
- The lack of trust in others, feelings of concern about the loyalty of friends, couples, or family.
- The feeling of constantly feeling threatened and hurt by comments or deeds without bad intentions and the appearance of a constant resentment.
Delusional disorder is classified as follows:
- Erotomaniac, in which patients believe that there is a person who loves them, and it is widespread for them to make an effort to speak with that person through phone calls, letters, or directly stalking them; sometimes breaking the law and being in trouble for this behavior.
- Great, in which patients consider themselves superior to other people, thinking that they have a talent, quality or that they have discovered something important.
- Jealous, the person lives obsessed with believing that his partner is unfaithful when generally the evidence is very doubtful. This belief can become dangerous, with some affected resorting to physical aggression towards their spouse.
- Somatic, the delusional idea presented by these patients is related to the body. They consider that they have a physical deformity, somebody parasite, or a distinctive odor, which they do not have.
- Persecutory, patients believe they are being watched, spied on, or slandered, sometimes resorting to violence in defense of this unreal persecution.
- Mixed, in which the behavior of the patients presents varied characteristics, including the combination of two or more of the attitudes above.
Causes of delusional disorder
Delusional disorder is rare in psychiatric practice, with the prevalence of this condition being about 25 cases per 100,000 people. There is no specific cause to which we can attribute delusional disorder; however, this alteration seems to be related to at least one of the following factors:
- Genetic
- Environmental, being affected by the family, social isolation, immigration, drug use, or economic problems.
- The neurotransmitters’ imbalance in the biomolecules transmits information between neurons through the chemical synapse. Specifically, delirium acts by increasing dopamine secretion, which is why antipsychotic drugs are used that block the receptors of this neurotransmitter to avoid an overproduction of it and treat this disorder.
Diagnosis and treatment of the delusional disorder
The diagnosis of a case of delusional disorder is established through the clinical evaluation of the patient and his detailed medical history, which includes all the information necessary to know the type of alteration that he presents, as it is vitally important to rule out other specific conditions associated with delusions.
In addition, due to the possibility of aggressive attitudes, it is convenient to identify the level of danger since the patient can carry out any attitude to avenge his delusional idea. Treatment is psychological therapy, which must be established to lessen the disorder and treat possible complications. The main objective in treating this alteration is to change the main topic of concern, that is, to move this delusional idea towards a more constructive point or to create another concept that allows you not to become obsessed with your central belief.
On certain occasions, if the patient presents dangerous attitudes or it is considered that he may have them in the future, it is necessary to admit him to a psychiatric center. Regarding drug treatment, depending on the degree of paranoia, in some instances, medical personnel recommend using antipsychotics to reduce or suppress symptoms.
We remind you that if you think you have any symptoms related to paranoid ideas or consider that any of the people closest to you may suffer from this delusional disorder, you should go to a specialist to be evaluated and thus obtain the diagnosis corresponding to the disturbance.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Delusional disorder: symptoms, causes and treatment , we recommend that you enter our category of Mental disorders.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.