Delusions

Question 1

There are specific forms of delusions that are sometimes part of ___ or ____, but

Answer 1

schizo; mania; more often are found to be single delusions (delusional disorder)

Question 2

Delusion Disorder:

Answer 2

1. People with CRYSTALLIZED often single delusion
2. Don’t have hallucinations or thought disorder like schizo
3. Often can have normal lives
4. Delusions CANNOT be substance induced, medical condition driven, or be part of any other mental disorder

Question 3

Capgras delusions:

Answer 3

Delusion where patient feels like someone has been replaced by an imposter (looks like my mom, but NOT actually my mom: think coma, brain injury)

Question 4

Fregoli Delusion:

Answer 4

Patient holds a delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise (think lesion in right temporal lobe; it’s the same person SHAPE-SHIFTING and paranoid this person is following you)

Question 5

Vampirism and lycanthropy:

Answer 5

delusions that one is a vampire and werewolf, respectively

Question 6

Psychopathic cannibalism:

Answer 6

Antisocial personality, psychopathy, sociopathy WITH delusions

Question 7

Folie a Deux/Shared Delusion Disorder/Zombiesm

Answer 7

Syndrome where symptoms of a DELUSIONAL belief are transmitted from one individual to another;

same syndrome shared by more than two people could be folie a trois, folie a quatre, folie en famille, or folie a plusieurs

Question 8

Folie imposee has; folie simultanee has

Answer 8

the delusion; delusion incorporated into his/her life

Question 9

Cotard’s Delusion:

Answer 9

Delusion that one is dead, doesn’t exist, missing organs (walking corpse syndrome, can starve to death)

Question 10

Krokodil is a

Answer 10

heroin-like drug that rots flesh and bone

Question 11

Morgellons/delusional parasitosis

Answer 11

Somatic/paranoid delusion;

patient thinks they’re infested, can see and often see or feel parasites in or on them

Question 12

Erotomania:

Answer 12

type of delusion in which affected person believes another person, usually a stranger, high-status, or famous person, is in love with him/her;
can occur during PSYCHOSIS (schizo, delusional disorder, bipolar mania);
stalking here is DELUSIONAL; the advances are usually unwanted and denial of affection is seen by patient as just concealing forbidden love

Question 13

Treatment:

Answer 13

PSYCHOTIC conditions: assumption is there there’s too much MESOLIMBIC DA activity (similar to schizo);
antipsychotics are usually NOT effective;
psychotherapy can help patients cope, lower anxiety, agitation;
Ultimately: be non-judgmental, non-incredulous, non-challenging, empathic, facilitate communication