Delusion

Delusions are fixed beliefs that do not change, even when a person is presented with conflicting evidence. Delusions are considered "bizarre" if they are clearly implausible and peers within the same culture cannot understand them. An example of a bizarre delusion is when an individual believes that his or her organs have been replaced with someone else's without leaving any wounds or scars. An example of a non-bizarre delusion is the belief that one is under police surveillance, despite a lack of evidence. Delusional disorder refers to a condition in which an individual displays one or more delusions for one month or longer. Delusional disorder is distinct from schizophrenia and cannot be diagnosed if a person meets the criteria for schizophrenia. If a person has delusional disorder, functioning is generally not impaired and behavior is not obviously odd, with the exception of the delusion. Delusions may seem believable at face value, and patients may appear normal as long as an outsider does not touch upon their delusional themes. Also, these delusions are not due to a medical condition or There are several different types of delusional disorders, and each type captures a particular theme within a person's delusions. • Erotomanic: An individual believes that a person, usually of higher social standing, is in love with him or her. • Grandiose: An individual believes that he or she has some great but unrecognized talent or insight, a special • • Persecutory: An individual ...

Share on Pinterest Westend61/Getty Images Symptoms of psychosis like hallucinations and delusions often overlap. This means it can be easy to get them mixed up. Although they’re both symptoms of psychosis and are part of an altered reality, the two symptoms have one major difference — one is sensory, and one is cognitive. Knowing the difference between the two can help differentiate symptoms and get the appropriate treatment. In this article, we’ll compare hallucinations and delusions, including what causes them and how they’re treated. Hallucinations and delusions are often grouped together when talking about various illnesses or conditions, but they’re not the same. While both of them are part of a sensory perception and a delusion is a false belief. For instance, hallucinations can involve seeing someone who isn’t there or hearing people talking when there is no one around. Delusions, on the other hand, can involve someone thinking they are a celebrity when they’re not, for example. Sometimes illnesses or medical conditions can cause hallucinations and/or delusions, or even psychosis. These illnesses can include: • • • brain tumors • certain forms of dementia, like • syphilis • HIV • some forms of epilepsy • stroke • substance use or withdrawal Knowing the underlying causes of hallucinations and/or delusions is important, since an accurate diagnosis will help guide treatment. Hallucinations can be visual, olfactory (your sense of smell), gustatory (taste), auditory, or ...

Karl Jaspers was the first to define delusions based on the criteria of certainty, incorrigibility, and impossibility or falsity of the belief. Phillip Johnson-Laird defined delusions as failure to distinguish conceptual relevance, meaning irrelevant information is accepted as relevant. The definition of “delusions” continues to evolve. • Bizarre delusions are implausible or impossible, such as being abducted by aliens. • Non-bizarre delusions could actually occur in reality, such as being cheated on, poisoned, or stalked by an ex. • Mood-congruent delusions are consistent with a depressive or manic state, such as delusions of abandonment or persecution when depressed, and delusions of superiority or fame when manic. • Mood-incongruent delusions are not affected by the particular mood state. They may include delusions of nihilism (e.g., the world is ending) and delusions of control (e.g., an external force controls your thoughts or movements). • Capgras delusion: This is the belief that a loved one like a mother or sibling has been replaced by an imposter. • Cotard delusion: This occurs in Cotard’s syndrome, and is characterized by the belief that you are dead or your body or body parts have disintegrated or no longer exist. • Delusion of control: This refers to the belief that an external entity is controlling your thoughts, behaviors, and impulses. This entity may be an individual like a manager, a group, or some undefined force. • Delusion of grandiosity: This is an exa...

• Persecution: This theme represents the most common delusion. People with these delusions believe other people are out to harm them. • Infidelity: This theme causes a person to believe that their partner is being unfaithful, even if the evidence shows they are not. Extreme jealousy often occurs with infidelity delusions. • Love: This theme is centered around the incorrect belief that someone is in love with the person who is having the delusions. Oftentimes, the person having the delusions has not even met the individual whom they believe is in love with them. Love delusions frequently include celebrities. • Religion: Delusions centered around religion can cause a person to believe they have god-like powers, or that they are God themselves. People with this type of delusion also often report that God speaks to them directly and dictates their behaviors. • Grandiose: Delusions with this theme cause people to believe they have superpowers, or that they are a celebrity or more "important" than other people. • Guilt/unworthiness: This theme causes a person to think that they are "evil" or that they have ruined their family. They often believe that they have committed an "unpardonable" sin and deserve to be punished forever. Delusions centered around guilt/unworthiness are often accompanied by low • Negation/nihilistic: This theme is centered on the belief that something or someone no longer exists. A person with these delusions might believe they are actually dead, or that pa...

Educator, Researcher BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Learn about our Delusions are beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary. They are often associated with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression. People with delusions may believe that they are being persecuted, monitored, or controlled by external forces or that they have special abilities or powers. These beliefs can be distressing and disruptive to daily life. Treatment may include therapy and medication to manage symptoms and improve overall well-being. Delusions could result from misinterpreting events, or they may involve some level of paranoia. Delusions can be either bizarre or non-bizarre. Bizarre delusions are characterized as beliefs about something that can never happen, e.g., the belief that an individual has been abducted and cloned by aliens. Non-bizarre delusions, however, are beliefs that could be true, such as the belief that an individual is being stalked, that someone is in love with them, or they are being cheated on by a spouse. Delusional disorder is a condition that is characterized by non-bizarre delusions that involve the misinterpretation of an experience or a perception. People diagnosed with delusi...

Delusions come in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: The people affected by them can’t be convinced that something they believe isn’t true. Those unshakeable beliefs are different from person to person and affect different parts of their lives. Delusions can be a symptom of a With delusional disorder, the person has an untrue idea, experience, or memory and believes that the delusion is especially important or meaningful. Primary Types of Delusions Some researchers put delusions into five categories: Mood or atmosphere: This involves an uncanny, strange feeling that the world around you is threatening or odd. People who have this type of delusion feel tense and confused because they can’t figure out what about their environment has changed, but they’re convinced something is wrong. Perception: This type of Memory: In this case, the person’s delusion is an inaccurate recollection of something that happened in the past. Ideas: This sort of delusion involves complicated, fully formed thoughts that come out of nowhere. Awareness: With this type, people are very aware of a particular experience. They don’t hear, see, or feel it happening in the world around them -- it’s merely an intensely vivid idea. Common Themes of Delusions Each person’s personality, family background, and culture affect the delusion they have. There are a lot of different themes, but some show up more often than others: • Persecution: This is based on the idea that a person or object is try...

Recent Examples on the Web Baker’s intriguing historical novel explores how the strain of wartime living can tip the balance between sanity and delusion, and how forging friendships can be a lifeline. — Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 1 May 2023 In the end, he’s left with only paranoia of the CIA and delusions of deliverance while anchored down by the addictive despair he’s inflicted on his city. — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2023 The guidelines also advise seeking immediate help if a person is experiencing hallucinations or delusions. — Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023 The main purpose of this monstrous, though imaginary, plot was to seduce American presidents into the delusions of détente. — Tim Weiner, The New Republic, 27 Mar. 2023 Dallas police have said the May shooting was hate-motivated, pointing to delusions that the gunman reportedly had about Asian Americans. — Hojun Choi, Dallas News, 28 May 2023 Sib has hands full right now with the partner’s delusions of grandeur. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023 Some examples of delusions of reference include: tattoos, song lyrics, specific items of clothing, and social media posts. — Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 9 Mar. 2023 Plot details are still under wraps, but Folie à Deux references a delusion or mental illness shared by two people, suggesting that Joker and Harley may be up to no good together. — Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2023 See More These examples are programmatically compiled...

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Delusions are the main symptom of delusional disorder. They’re unshakable beliefs in something that isn’t true or based on reality. But that doesn’t mean they’re completely unrealistic. Delusional disorder involves delusions that aren’t bizarre, having to do with situations that could happen in real life, like being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a distance. These delusions usually involve mistaken perceptions or experiences. But in reality, the situations are either not true at all or highly exaggerated. A bizarre delusion, by contrast, is something that could never happen in real life, such as being cloned by aliens or having your thoughts broadcast on TV. A person who has such thoughts might be considered delusional with bizarre-type delusions. People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with other Although delusions might be a symptom of more common disorders, such as Types of Delusions in Delusional Disorders The types are based on the main theme of the delusion: • Erotomanic: The person believes someone is in • Grandiose: This person has an over-inflated sense of worth, power, knowledge, or identity. They could believe they have a great talent or made an important discovery. • Jealous: A person with this type believes their spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful. •...

Karl Jaspers was the first to define delusions based on the criteria of certainty, incorrigibility, and impossibility or falsity of the belief. Phillip Johnson-Laird defined delusions as failure to distinguish conceptual relevance, meaning irrelevant information is accepted as relevant. The definition of “delusions” continues to evolve. • Bizarre delusions are implausible or impossible, such as being abducted by aliens. • Non-bizarre delusions could actually occur in reality, such as being cheated on, poisoned, or stalked by an ex. • Mood-congruent delusions are consistent with a depressive or manic state, such as delusions of abandonment or persecution when depressed, and delusions of superiority or fame when manic. • Mood-incongruent delusions are not affected by the particular mood state. They may include delusions of nihilism (e.g., the world is ending) and delusions of control (e.g., an external force controls your thoughts or movements). • Capgras delusion: This is the belief that a loved one like a mother or sibling has been replaced by an imposter. • Cotard delusion: This occurs in Cotard’s syndrome, and is characterized by the belief that you are dead or your body or body parts have disintegrated or no longer exist. • Delusion of control: This refers to the belief that an external entity is controlling your thoughts, behaviors, and impulses. This entity may be an individual like a manager, a group, or some undefined force. • Delusion of grandiosity: This is an exa...