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Delusional Disorder - Delusional Disorder Symptom, Cause, Treatment
Delusional disorder is an illness characterized by the presence of nonbizarre delusions in the absence of other mood or psychotic symptoms. Delusional disorder generally first affects people in middle or late adult life. Delusions tend to be nonbizarre and involve situations that could conceivably occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, infected, loved at a distance, or deceived by a spouse or lover. Several subtypes of delusional disorder are recognized. Delusions may seem believable at face value, and patients may appear normal as long as an outsider does not touch upon their delusional themes.
Symptom of Delusional Disorder
Delusional disorder can be subtyped into the following categories: erotomanic, grandiose, jealous, persecutory, somatic, and mixed. Symptoms include: Nonbizarre delusions for at least one month.
- Absence of obviously odd or bizarre behavior.
- Schizoaffective Disorder and Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features have been ruled out.
- Absence of evidence that an organic factor initiated and maintained this psychotic disturbance.
- Absence of prominent hallucinations of a voice for at least one week. Absence of visual hallucinations for at least one week.
- Has never met the criteria for the active phase of Schizophrenia .
- Nonbizarre delusions-delusional thoughts reflecting situations that occur in real life-with duration of one month or longer
- Other symptoms of schizophrenia have never been met, except tactile and olfactory delusions may be present if consistent with delusional themes.
- Functioning and behavior are not markedly impaired nor odd or bizarre aside from delusions.
- Duration of any mood symptoms accompanying delusional symptoms has been brief in comparison to duration of delusions.
- Disorder is not caused directly by use of substances or medical condition.
- Onset tends to be later in life. (This disorder is quite uncommon.)
Causes of Delusional Disorder
Delusional disorder is a disease which appears to run distinct from schizophrenia and mood disorders , and does not appear to be a prodrome to either of these conditions. Especially with persecutory and jealous types, marked anger and violent behavior can occur. There are a variety of associated features to the Delusional Disorder including the development of an irritable or gloomy mood as a reaction to their delusional beliefs. Here are some causes are includes
- Delusional disorder appears to be more common among people with a family history of schizophrenia. This suggests a genetic (inherited) contribution to the cause.
- The condition may evolve in people with a number of particular personality disorder diagnoses (paranoid, schizoid, and avoidant).
- The condition is more common among people who have poor hearing or sight.
- Particular ongoing stressors are associated with a higher chance of developing the condition eg, immigration or low socio-economic status.
- Alcohol and drug abuse may precipitate the condition.
- The stress-vulnerability model suggests that underlying factors such as genes, alcohol or drug abuse, and some personality disorder diagnoses together make a person more vulnerable to develop the condition. Stress then acts to trigger episodes of illness.
Treatment of Delusional Disorder
Treatment of delusional disorder involves a number of important components, each of which can be tailored to the needs of the individual and the stage of the condition. The main components are:
- Medication
- Psychosocial treatments
- Counselling
- Complementary therapies.
The mainstay of Medication aspect of treatment is antipsychotic drugs. During the early phases of drug treatment, patients may be troubled by side effects such as drowsiness, restlessness, muscle spasms, tremor, dry mouth or blurring of vision and better with one drug than another. Antipsychotic drugs are not generally used but are sometimes effective in suppressing symptoms. Hospitalization may be needed if the doctor believes the person is dangerous. A long-term treatment goal is to shift the person's focus away from the delusion to a more constructive and gratifying area, although this goal is frequently difficult to achieve.
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