paranoia

Delusional Disorder (Paranoia) pp. 496-501Delusional disorder is more commonly recognized by its name of long time use, paranoia. The definition used in the book for this disorder is impaired contact with reality but without the bizarreness, fragmentation, and severe personality disorganization characteristic of schizophrenia. We look at the two different categories related to paranoia, delusional disorder, and shared psychotic disorder. As stated above, delusional disorder is defined as paranoia, and shared psychotic disorder is when two or more people usually of the same family develop persistent, interlocking delusional ideas. Delusional disorder is difficult for clinicians to diagnose because of term is not exact in it’s meaning and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The term paranoia is felt to be too readily used in cases where it is simply a disagreement on an issue, not a delusional thought or perception. The book uses the example of Hitler and the Nazi movement against Jews, a lot of people do not believe that it ever happened, but facts show otherwise and the thought is held sincerely by many people, regardless of the evidence. In everyday thought, people may experience paranoia, but to be psychotic and diagnosed as such, it must specified in categories meriting the term “delusional”. These categories are as follows: Persecutory type, Jealous type, Erotomanic type, Somatic type, Grandiose type, and Mixed. The person falling into the category labeled persecutory have delusions that they themselves or someone they are close to is being stalked, being spied on, or the subject of false rumors regarding immoral behavior or illegal action. The jealous type is pretty self explanatory, one believes that their significant other is unfaithful. Those with the type erotomanic feel that someone of higher social status, such as a movie star, loves them and wants a sexual relationship with them. Somatic type include...