Delusions

UnrealityThe following page includes discussions of unreality, including delusions, hallucinations, derealization, and depersonalization. If you are uncomfortable or get triggered by this topic, it is recommended to not read this page.

**A Delusion** is a false belief. The false belief is not accounted for by the individual's culture, religious background, or their level of intelligence.

The key feature of a delusion is the degree to which the individual firmly believes this thought regardless of the evidence against it. A delusion is not the same as an overvalued idea, which is an unreasonable idea that an individual holds, but is affected by the individual's level of doubt to its truthfulness. An individual with a delusion is absolutely convinced that the delusion is real.

The category of delusions is not homogeneous. Some delusions have highly implausible content, others can have plausible contents and can even be true. A delusion can be that the individual believes they are an uncomprehended genuins or that a spouse is unfaithful. A delusion can also include the belief that the individual in the mirror is not of oneself (mirrored-self misidentification) or that someone has been replaced by an imposter (Capgras syndrome).

### Delusions vs Hallucinations

Delusions and hallucinations can be symptoms of the same mental health disorder and they both alter an individual's perception of reality.

Hallucinations are very similar to delusions, but instead of centering on misbeliefs, they involve sensory misperceptions. An individual will feel, see, taste, hear or smell something that isn't there.

## Types of Delusions

There are different types of delusions, based on the underlying theme, including: persecution, infidelity, love, religion, grandiose, guilt/unworthiness, and negation/nihilistic.

### Persecutory Delusions

Persecutory delusions are the most common type of delusion. An individuals believes that someone or something is out to get them. This can include another individual, a machine, or an entire institution or organization.

Persecutory delusions are considered to be an extreme form of paranoia. Other symptoms that often occur with these delusions include:

* Anxiety
* Difficulty Sleeping
* Depression
* Negative thoughts about oneself.

### Erotomanic Delusions

Erotomanic delusions are when an individual believes that another or several individuals are in love with them. Individuals with these delusions often believe that their crush is sending them secret messages. These delusions can lead to stalking behaviors, which can be in person or virtually.

### Grandiose Delusions

Grandiose delusions are the belief that one is superior to other individuals. Grandiose delusions are common in individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Examples of grandiose delusions include:

* Having special powers
* Being famous
* Being very wealthy
* Thinking of oneself as "God" or to have spiritual powers
* Believing that one can cure terminal diseases

### Jealous Delusions

Jealous delusions are when an individual believes that their partner is unfaithful. The individual may constantly look for evidence that their belief is true.

Jealous delusions often cause extreme behaviors, such as searching bedding, underwear, and their partner's body for evidence of infidelity. This is different from the typical jealousy that someone may experience.

### Somatic Delusions

Somatic delusions focus on the physical body. An individual with these delusions falsely believe that something is wrong with their body.

These delusions can be about illnesses or conditions that occur in real life, such as having cancer, or they can be bizarre, such as bones twisting around each other, missing internal organs, or veins running in the wrong direction.

This is commonly linked to somatic symptom disorder.

### Mixed or Unspecified Delusions

Mixed delusions mean that the individual has multiple types of delusions, but none are more common than another.

Unspecified delusions don't neatly fit into a specific category.

## Conditions That Include Delusions

Delusions can be a condition on its own or could be a symptom of another disorder.

Clinical delusions are usually a symptom of psychiatric disorders, such as dementia and schizophrenia, they also characterize delusional disorder. They can also be associated with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Other conditions that may cause delusions include:

* Alzheimer's disease
* Brain injury
* Parkinson's disease
* Mood disorders
* Substance Abuse
* Drug-Induced psychosis
* Psychotic disorders

## References

Kiran, Chandra, and Suprakash Chaudhury. “Understanding delusions.” *Industrial psychiatry journal* vol. 18,1 (2009): 3-18. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.57851

Bortolotti, Lisa, "Delusion", *The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy* (Summer 2022 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

https://batonrougebehavioral.com/delusions-vs-hallucinations/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/types-of-delusions-5094129