Definition, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Paranoia Definition

The paranoid personality is a state of personality functioning that manifests itself permanently in an overestimation, mistrust, rigidity, a false judgment and maladjustment in his entourage.

The paranoia comes from the Greek-παρά νόος, which means “next to the mind.” In modern psychiatry, the term was used by Richard von Krafft-Ebbing before being developed by Emil Kraepelin in the late nineteenth century Germany and Serious, and Capgras Dide in France.

When it reinforces the paranoia can develop into a condition called delusional paranoid psychosis, or paranoia, which is structured around the idea of persecution, around 40 years. Alcohol consumption can promote this development.

The paranoia is opposed to paranoid delusions (typical of schizophrenia) by being more organized, better constructed, more accurate and credible. It is therefore difficult to diagnose and ambiguous.

The diagnosis of paranoia, when announced to the patient, may result in denial of any definitive psychiatric care. It is rarely reported as such to the patient during follow-up.

Paranoia (img thanks to blather.net)

How it’s work?

Paranoia is formed around a defense mechanism called projection, where, without being conscious, the patient perceives in others its own operation.

Patients have great difficulty in admitting their suffering and to dialogue with third parties that would be tied.

The discourse of paranoid, leaving little room for speakers, seems mostly coherent with relatives who do not necessarily perceive worsening disease.

Thus many seem driven by a paranoid unwavering strength usually hiding their fragile rarely expressed. The radicalization of their speech may be accompanied by an emotional isolation and prompt a search for a link directing their aggression toward people who may well become “designated persecutors.”

Paranoia Causes

Paranoid psychosis represents a form of defense of the psyche and can affect people courageous, accustomed to fight. This quality may turn into default, when their speech is no longer based on reality but on their very personal interpretation of that reality.

It grows from about 40 years and can be promoted through an alcohol (or cocaine).

s no really effective preventive method for paranoia apart from a slight ambulatory monitoring.

A prolonged outpatient care may be sufficient to halt the evolution of a paranoid personality to paranoid psychosis.

Prevention of excessive consumption of alcohol (or cocaine) may limit the downside risks.

Paranoia Symptoms

Paranoid psychosis is structured around beliefs or delusions.

Traits of megalomania translate into pride or selfishness, intolerance and even contempt, high rigidity and stubbornness.

When they get worse, these traits can evolve into delirious interpretations. The reluctance of the patient may be the result of ideas of persecution.

The speech paranoid delusional patients often have great consistency, and may apply only to some very localized experiences. They keep for a long time support and commitment of those around them (one can even speak some form of “contagion” of paranoia).

People have a tendency to authoritarianism and present ideas emerging rejection of claim of which it is subjected to by third parties and tend to feed their megalomania.

Acts of aggression on others or on himself may be the consequence of their total conviction. These people are still fragile, and likely impulsive.

While paranoia is a form of defense, it does not bring serenity and stability in the paranoid psyche. Moments of doubt, or significant life events, lead to anxiety and depressive episodes, sometimes with the belated recognition of psychological distress, which may lead the patient to consult.

There is no additional tests to be performed, other than those to be done to remove a brain tumor front,epilepsy, confusion, intoxication, or a hormonal disorder (thyroid, etc..). The family and professional context is most often quite suggestive of this disease.

Paranoia Treatment

The treatment of paranoia is difficult

This treatment is especially difficult because of the absence of suffering experienced by the patient and the pathological denial of anything by himself and his entourage.

The psychotherapeutic, firm and understanding, when it is introduced early enough, can allow the patient’s suffering to be welcomed and expressed. This can avoid the evolution of a paranoid personality to paranoid psychosis consists of the establishment of a support and long sustained. Monitoring of classical psychoanalytic couch is against inappropriate.

Hospitalization may become necessary in case of aggression resulting from a strengthening of delirium. It is best done under duress, to avoid treatment interruptions, and can be organized by a procedure at the request of the State representative (ex-involuntary hospitalization) to avoid exposing the patient’s relatives.

Antipsychotic drug treatment is often disappointing because of the inefficient process of interpretation at the center of paranoia, but it can act on the phases of anxiety and restlessness of the patient and allow a healing for the patient and his entourage.

Paranoia Transformation

The paranoid can go through anxiety or depressive episodes with suicidal risk present.

The psyche can evolve into a paranoid delusional system and loving it. The delusions are passionate and intimate experiences so full by the patient. They are based on the delusional interpretation of a central idea that may have the same status as a “cause” vital to protect the patient.

The theme of delirium may be jealousy, fear of being deceived by his spouse, with surveys and even threats of the person rival. This development can be enhanced by alcohol consumption in the long term.

Erotomania is the delusional fear of being loved by someone, it may represent some form of paranoia evolving into three phases: hope, anger, resentment and finally, where the person against whom the delirium may be the target of aggression .

It also describes the themes of claim, with a tendency that litigious patients are not always aware. Patients are then witness to an authority in their difficult life: justice (querulous processive in case of dispute), the public (idealistic passionate aggressively seeking to impose an ideology), science (inventor unknown), family (delusions of filiation) , medicine (hypochondria).

Claim of compensation for bodily injury with the medical and justice (the “pessimism”) is a perfectly normal feeling after an accident, but it can become pathological if a patient is not satisfied with the proposed remedy , or if the origin is interpreted as a trivial event an accident in his eyes: then it may be a delusion of claim in the context of a nascent paranoia.

Delirium, followed by a specialist, may lose its force and allow the patient to open up more to others, without disappearing completely.

It may also increase, with possible risk of aggression, or action arising from a delusional quest: run away, take legal action (against representatives of authority to the Head of State), or of acting out aggressive on people that the patient believes in the center of the persecution.

Paranoia Evolution

The evolution is very long, across several decades.

Despite the severity of their psychiatric disorder, most patients suffering from paranoia paradoxically are well integrated into daily life and maintain mental faculties intact, often good. They do not present problems during thinking (unlike schizophrenics). They spend mostly unnoticed and have a respect and a good tolerance of the entourage, as it also does not suffer from its pervasive delirium.

Disinsertion is against a sign of worsening delirium and may cause the patient to take desperate measures to try to get out when he can no longer bear his solitude: these events can be a clumsy attempt to bond with others .

Paranoia Specialty Concern

Psychiatry

Different stakeholders are present in the field of mental health. They differ from each other on several points, including their training and response capabilities.

The first point that distinguishes the various experts in the field is the legal framework that protects and controls the title and exercise of their profession. Only securities of psychiatrists and psychologists have official regulations.

The psychiatrist is primarily a physician specializing in psychiatry. He is trained to diagnose and treat severe mental disorders requiring, in most cases, a prescription drug. As a physician, he alone is empowered to prescribe medications. Practice consultations that are supported by Social Security.

The Geriatric Psychiatry (Psychiatry of the elderly) and Child Psychiatry (Child Psychiatry) are specialties that are part of psychiatry.