This book describes Delusion Disorder, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases
Delusion disorder is a psychotic disorder, where a person has trouble identifying reality.
Delusion disorder indicates a disorder in which a person exhibits one or more delusions for one month or longer.
Delusion disorder is different from schizophrenia and cannot be diagnosed if a person meets the criteria for schizophrenia.
If a person has delusional disorder, his functioning is normally not impaired and his behavior is not evidently odd, with the exception of the delusion.
A delusion is a false conviction that is based on a wrong interpretation of reality.
Delusions, like all psychotic symptoms, can happen as an element of different psychiatric disorders.
The term delusional disorder is given when delusions are the most important symptom.
A person with this illness keeps a false belief firmly, despite clear presence or proof to the contrary.
Delusions may include circumstances that could happen in reality even though they are not likely (e.g., the family next door planning to kill you).
They may be indicated as "bizarre" (e.g., feeling regulated by an outside force or having thoughts inserted into the head).
A religious or cultural belief that is received by other members of the community is not a delusion.
Delusions are fixed beliefs that do not change even if a person has been given conflicting evidence.
Delusions are indicated "bizarre" if they are clearly not plausible and people within the same culture cannot comprehend them.
A type of a bizarre delusion is when a person believes that his or her organs have been replaced with someone else's without leaving any wounds or scars.
A type of a non-bizarre delusion is the belief that a person is under police supervision, despite a lack of evidence, being followed, poisoned, infected, loved at a distance, or deceived by one’s spouse or lover
Delusions may seem credible at face value, and patients may seem normal as long as an outsider does not intrude upon their delusional themes.
Also, these delusions are not caused by a medical disorder or substance abuse.
There are several forms of delusions: persecutory, erotic, grandiose, jealous or somatic (that is, delusions about the body).
People with delusional disorder normally do not have hallucinations or a major disorder with mood.
Dissimilar to people with schizophrenia, they are not likely to have major problems with day-to-day functioning.
As with many other psychotic disorders, the precise cause of delusional disorder is not known.
While the cause is not known, some studies indicate that people form delusions as a way to deal with extreme stress or deal with a history of trauma.
Delusional disorder is relatively infrequent, has a later age of start as compared to schizophrenia and does not show gender preponderance.
The patients are also comparatively stable.
Many biological disorders like substance use, medical disorders, and neurological disorders can produce delusions.
Delusional disorder affects the limbic system and basal ganglia in those with intact cortical functioning.
Hypersensitive persons and ego defense mechanisms like reaction production, projection and denial are some psychodynamic theories for delusional disorder.
Social isolation, envy, distrust, suspicion, and low self-esteem are some of the risk factors which when becoming non-tolerable cause a person seeking an explanation to thus form a delusion as a solution.
The treatment involves psychotherapy by forming trust and building a therapeutic alliance and antipsychotic medicines.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Delusion Disorder
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Schizophrenia
Chapter 8 Hypochondriasis
Epilogue
