Understanding Delusional Disorder, a Rare Mental Illness

As a mental health therapist, I have rarely seen a client suffering from delusional disorder. A rather fascinating disorder, delusional disorders can be veiled under the guise of what appears to be over-exaggerated fears.

Delusional Disorder Defined

Delusional disorder is diagnosed when a person believes something quite wholeheartedly that is factually not true. However, these types of delusions are such that although they could be true, they aren't. Some examples are: believing people are trying to poison you, thinking someone is following you or believing that someone is trying to kill you. Although these situations could actually happen, a person with delusional disorder is sure they're occurring when facts exist to the contrary.

In essence, someone suffering from delusional disorder absolutely believes his delusion and no amount of presenting facts to the contrary will convince him he's wrong. Delusional disorder is a form of psychosis, which means those who receive the diagnosis might have lost the capacity to determine what is real and what is not.

Interestingly, delusional disorder sufferers become so focused on the item of their delusion that other areas of their lives are interrupted. Social lives and professional careers in people with delusional disorder are profoundly affected due to the delusions.

Symptoms of Delusional Disorder

A person with delusional disorder might seem out of sorts or cranky. She might also have hallucinations, which are seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't really there. Although delusions are a common sign of those with schizophrenia and its related disorders, those with delusional disorder have delusions as the central focus of their disease while those with schizophrenia experience delusions as just one aspect of a myriad of symptoms. Schizophrenia tends to show up earlier while delusional disorder typically occurs for the first time in midlife--from age 40 and older.

It's likely you won't come into contact with someone that has delusional disorder. But if you do, you might not even be aware they have the disorder, unless the subject of their delusions arises, according to the Psychology Today website. The disorder is rare. Women are more likely to have the disorder than men, according to WebMD.

Causes of Delusional Disorder

You might be wondering how someone develops delusional disorder. Although we can't say for sure, there is some research evidence that points to delusional disorder having some genetic components. What this means is that people who have delusional disorder are slightly more likely to have had someone in their family history that also had fairly significant mental health distress.

Psychological factors contributing to the development of delusional disorder are drug abuse and excessive stress. What this means is that people who have emotional struggles and abuse drugs or are under significant stress might more likely develop delusional disorder than those who don't experience those situations.

Organic or biological evidence indicates that some people with delusional disorder have an imbalance in neurotransmitters, the chemicals that send and receive messages to the brain. Organic or biological evidence is related to actual abnormalities in the physical structure of the body, in this case, the brain.

Treatment of People with Delusional Disorder

Thankfully, there is proper mental health treatment available for those who have delusional disorder. Individual therapy with a therapist practicing cognitive-behavioral therapy is particularly effective. Such therapies assist the client to identify and alter problematic thinking patterns that lead to the delusions.

Anti-psychotic medication, both conventional and atypical, can treat the psychotic state and therefore, reduce the delusions as well. Anti-psychotic medications are the same meds that are used for people suffering from schizophrenia.

If you believe you could be suffering from delusional disorder, don't delay. Contact your general physician, a psychiatrist, or a licensed mental health counselor right away. The earlier the disorder is diagnosed and treated, the less severe it will become. Consult the sources below for more information about delusional disorder.

Sources

Mind Disorders website.

Professional experience.

Psychology Today website.

WebMD website.