Delusional Disorder , also known as Paranoid Psychosis, is a psychotic disorder. This disorder manifests itself with the presence of delusional ideations and thoughts, unconnected to reality, and without the presence of other underlying psychopathology.

Delusional Disorder: what is it?

But, what are the signs and signals that we can appreciate in a person suffering from Delirious Disorder? The diagnosis of this disorder should be made by a mental health professional, and will be guided by several diagnostic criteria:

  • Delusional ideas should be presented for more than one month
  • The delirium must not be the result of the abuse of toxic substances, drugs or other pathologies

Signs and Symptoms

How do people with Delusional Disorder behave? The picture of paranoid psychosis often shows that people who suffer from it are totally convinced of things that are not real . For example, they may believe that they are famous sportsmen or successful singers, and from there think that people are chasing them and harassing them in the street, or have paranoia thinking that there are people who want to harm them in some way.

This psychiatric affectation is usually included within the group of psychopathologies in which a single delirious idea is manifested, or a series of delirious ideas that are closely linked to each other and that remain through time, being difficult to treat and persisting, on many occasions, until the end of the life of the affected individual.

What kind of delusions do these people suffer from?

What exactly goes through these people’s minds? Delusional ideas can vary greatly from one subject to another. They are usually paranoid thoughts related to delusions of grandeur, hypochondria or persecution and harassment .

In other cases, Delusional Disorder may manifest itself with recurrent, unrealistic thoughts about the partner’s infidelity, or the belief that others think the subject is homosexual, for example.

Causes

Delusional Disorder can debut at any time in life. In cases where delirium refers to deformities of some part of the body, it usually appears in early adulthood.

The content of the delusional thoughts and the age of onset can be quite directly linked to some experiences and occurrences that can affect your psychological stability. It has been described that sometimes paranoid ideas of persecution are more frequent in individuals belonging to historically disadvantaged ethnic minorities . Beyond the behaviours and attitudes linked to the delusional ideation, these patients do not usually have any effect on their empathy, on their communication skills or in general on any other important aspect.

Characteristics of Paranoid Psychosis

As we have mentioned, people suffering from Delusional Disorder suffer from recurrent and unrealistic ideas, thoughts and beliefs . Despite this, sometimes these delusions do not directly affect their daily routine.

  • In most cases, work and social life may not be negatively influenced by the psychopathological picture, unless the delusional ideas appear in those contexts. However, it is noteworthy that patients with this disorder often present an irascible and, in some extremes, aggressive mood.
  • As for their way of being, they tend to be reserved and elusive, and do not talk openly about their affectation.
  • They may present unconnected ideas, but to them all their thought patterns seem logical and grounded.

Most common types of delusional ideas

Mental health professionals describe up to four large groups of delusions according to their main characteristics . These are described below.

1. Persecutory delusions

It’s the most common type of delusion. The person who suffers it lives thinking that he is the victim of a conspiracy , and that he is spied on and followed in the street, constantly.

2. Delusions of grandeur

This kind of delirium makes the affected person convinced that he is someone important, a celebrity. For example, they may think that they are exceptionally talented or that they were once well-known sportsmen, singers or thinkers.

3. Somatic Delusions

It is a group of delusions that affect the perception of one’s body . The most common are: the belief that they smell bad, thinking that a part of the body is growing uncontrollably, and so on.

4. Erotomaniacal delusions

It is about the unreal and time-honoured belief that someone loves them madly . It is more frequent in women, and they believe they receive letters, hidden messages or signs from their “lover”, who is usually an important person for them (a teacher, a famous footballer, a singer, an actor…). They may even get in touch with the man they are thinking of through phone calls, messages, gifts, and through epistolary correspondence.

5. Jealousy delusions

You repeatedly think that your partner is with other people . This belief that their partner is unfaithful to them is based on erroneous conjectures that are based on delusion. It can pose a danger since this belief, in some cases, motivates physical aggression.

Treatments and therapies

We’ve talked about the characteristics of Delusional Disorder, but: is it possible for these people to heal, or at least improve their psychological normality?

There are a series of psychological treatments that help to control the symptoms, decreasing their impact and recurrence and allowing the patient to think and structure his or her perception of reality in a non-pathological way.

The clinical psychologist can contribute greatly to the recovery of the person affected by Delusional Disorder. Through the therapeutic sessions, and in a progressive way, the psychologist can guide the patient to explain his/her thoughts and delusions, explore these contents and emotions and, slowly, manage to identify the errors in his/her thought patterns.

One of the most accepted therapeutic currents is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on achieving changes in delusional beliefs and their psychological, emotional and behavioral effects. It is a good idea to encourage people who suffer from this disorder to go to a trusted psychologist or psychiatrist, who can guide and direct them to significantly improve their quality of life.

Bibliographic references:

  • Belloch, A.; Sandín, B. and Ramos, F. (2006). Manual of Psychopathology. (2 Vol). Madrid; McGrawHill.
  • López-Ibor Aliño, Juan J. & Valdés Miyar, Manuel (dir.). (2002). DSM-IV-TR. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Revised text . Barcelona: Editorial Masson.
  • Salavert, J. and others. (2003). Delusional disorder. Reviewing aspects of paranoia. Benito Menni Complejo Asistencial en Salud Mental Barcelona. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis_San/publication/237358989_El_trastorno_delirante_Revisando_los_aspectos_de_la_paranoia/links/00b7d51e7953bbcccd000000/El-trastorno-delirante-Revisando-los-aspectos-de-la-paranoia.pdf