Paranoia

The chronic disorder of thinking which is appearing at damages of a brain and various diseases of mentality, characterized by emergence of logically built system of behavior which is based on a mania of prosecution, groundless jealousy and suspiciousness is called paranoia.

The term was introduced into circulation in 1863 by Karl Ludwig Kalbaum, up to this point paranoia was considered as an independent mental disorder.

Such system of behavior is usually invariable, it could be considered absolutely adequate if initially pathological ideas were based on reality and were correct in fact.

The easiest form of a disease call paranoiac a syndrome. At the patient are observed primary systematized prosecution mania, groundless jealousy and hypochiondrial nonsense. Except these manifestations the paranoiac syndrome in certain cases is followed erotic, litigious, a high origin or monothematic nonsense of a reformatorstvo.

During paranoia the maintenance of pathological situations often is based or includes many elements of reality which quite plausibly in consciousness of the patient mix up with his unhealthy imagination.

Treatment of paranoia in most cases is impossible as patients refuse to resort to the help of specialists, including themselves absolutely normal at all, and the ideas corresponding to reality.

Paranoia reasons

It is unambiguous to tell what provokes emergence of paranoia is impossible, however there are several assumptions. According to many psychiatrists, adverse vital circumstances, and also the wrong reaction of the person to the changes happening in his life can provoke a state.

Siegmund Freud considered that the delay or fixing happening at a certain stage of sexual development of the child aged from 4 up to 11 years when boys play with boys, and girls with girls is an actual reason of paranoia. If during this period there is a fixing, then it by all means will lead to development of men's aggression or alcoholism in the future, as will become the reason of development of paranoia.

Other psychologists consider that paranoia is provoked by the limited center of congestive excitement which is present at a cerebral cortex of the patient. Because of it there is an obstacle of normal mobility of cortical processes that involves emergence of the imaginations and improbable statements kept in consciousness of the patient a long span.

Disturbance of the exchange processes in a brain connected with protein is one more alleged cause of paranoia.

From the last assumptions made by the American scientists, overconsumption of kofeinosoderzhashchy drinks can act as the reason of paranoia. Such interrelation is explained by ability of caffeine to stimulate chronic sleeplessness, diseases of cardiovascular system and various look psychoses which under certain circumstances can develop into paranoia.

Many cases when the syndrome developed at people of old age at degenerative processes in a brain to which number belong are registered:

• Alzheimer's disease;
• Atherosclerotic defeat of vessels of a brain;
• Parkinson's disease;
• Huntington disease.

Refer reception of some types of medicines, alcohol, drugs and amphetamines to probable causes of development of a paranoiac syndrome.

Symptoms of paranoia

Classical symptoms of paranoia are the following manifestations:

• Unhealthy suspiciousness;
• Tendency of the patient to see the intrigues of enemies and the theory of plots directed against his personality in accidental incidents;
• From the most early age the paranoid is distinguished from peers with high self-esteem, an egocentrism, a pravdoiskatelstvo and tendency to issue the imaginations for real events.

In most cases symptoms of paranoia is the sudden conflictness with surrounding people based on opinion of the patient that people around envy it or wish to belittle his advantages. Over time the paranoid becomes more and more aggressive, sensitive, vindictive, suspicious and mistrustful, he is not capable to perceive objective criticism, to forgive and forget offenses. Some time progressing of a disease can stop at this stage of development, however any injuring event in life of the patient aggravates symptoms of paranoia.

Paranoia: treatment

In most cases progressing of paranoia is promoted by belief of close people of the patient in his crazy ideas as at first sight they are quite logical. It delays the paranoid's visit to the psychiatrist and diagnosis of a disease, as a result treatment of paranoia is postponed indefinitely and drags on.

One more obstacle to treatment of a disease is the full refusal of the patient to resort to the help of specialists, in his opinion it is absolutely healthy, and his ideas have no "crazy" character.

In cases when the patient nevertheless it is possible to persuade to ask for the help, in the conditions of a hospital to him appoint the neuroleptics rendering preferential anti-crazy effect apply psychotherapy of various directions much less often as an element of combined effect.

Treatment of paranoia is always complicated as over time suspicions of the patient begin to extend also to the attending physician, and paranoids perceive psychotherapy as a way to control their consciousness.

Paranoia call the chronic disorder of thinking arising against the background of diseases of mentality, degenerative processes or damages of a brain. Characteristic symptoms of a disease are the prosecution mania, suspiciousness, groundless jealousy and sensitivity of the patient, and also his inability to perceive criticism and to forgive offenses.