MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'delusions'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:14:58 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130753&cid=t_211272_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-york-times-reports-on-very-atypical-case-of-schizophrenia%2F2011.08.14 Benedict Carey is a New York Times mental health reporter.  In last Sunday’s Times, he wrote about Joe Holt, a man with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  Mr. Holt was dealt a particularly tough deck of cards: in addition to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he had a horrible and traumatic childhood with much loss, placement in a facility where he was physically abused, and periods of homelessness as a teenager.  He now has a stable marriage, has adopted children and keeps numerous foster children, and holds two jobs, one as a computer consultant and another as a therapist (if I read that correctly).  He struggles with his emotional life, but my take on this was that this is one extremely resilient man who has waged a successful battle against many demons and his story is inspirational. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130753 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5130753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975941&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F28%2Fmarsha-linehan-what-is-dialectical-behavioral-therapy-dbt%2F Last week the New York Times ran a fascinating piece on Marsha Linehan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington and the original developer of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a modification of standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but including elements of acceptance and mindfulness. Her work has been designed specifically for people who harm themselves, for those diagnosed with borderline personality (BPT), and those who suffer from pervasive suicidal thoughts and/or attempts. For the first time in her life, the mental health expert disclosed her own story (that we also discussed on the blog yesterday), which involved hospitalization at the age of 17 that lasted longer than two years. Benedict Carey, author of the interview with Linehan, writes: No one knows h... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975941 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:45:03 +0100 4975941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828885&cid=t_211272_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmorgellons-when-people-mistakenly-believe-they-have-parasites%2F2011.05.16 I saw a patient recently for parasites. I get a sinking feeling when I see that diagnosis on the schedule, as it rarely means a real parasite.  The great Pacific NW is mostly parasite free, so either it is a traveler or someone with delusions of parasitism. The latter comes in two forms: the classic form and Morgellons. Neither are likely to lead to a meaningful patient-doctor interaction, since it usually means conflict between my assessment of the problem and the patients assessment of the problem.  There is rarely a middle ground upon which to meet. The most memorable case of delusions of parasitism I have seen was a patient who  I saw in clinic who, while we talked, ate a raw garlic clove about every minute. “Why the garlic?” I asked. “To keep the parasites at bay,” he told ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828885 Mon, 16 May 2011 13:00:07 +0100 4828885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744919&cid=t_211272_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fnew-podcast-delirium-vs-dementia-vs.html Click below on play bar to listenPodcast Powered By PodbeanHere is a new podcast on Delirium, Dementia and Delusion. Some of the major differences and considerations. If you have quesitons please email me or comment below. The podcast is in lecture format, and there is too much to cover for one podcast, but some major features and genreal informaiton are discussed. These issues seem to come up frequently on the blog in search engine queries, so I hope this podcast is helpful. (Source: Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers) Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744919 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:19:00 +0100 4744919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734207&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F20%2Fstages-of-change-and-motivation%2F In my tutoring for SAT preparation, I have come across themes and variations on the essay questions. One of the most common SAT essay questions is the topic of change and motivation. In one phrasing or another, the SAT asks if we believe that change can come from external sources or if true change comes only from within. Change, motivation, perception of reality — they are all cousins. At my husband’s work as a milieu therapist at a psychiatric hospital, he evaluates patients on their “stage of change” in order to gauge their insight into their condition. The vast majority of the people he runs into are in “pre-contemplation;” they don’t know why they’re in the hospital at all. They create wild confabulations about how the tortured cat deserved it, how they were framed,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734207 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:43:11 +0100 4734207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999256&cid=t_211272_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fdifferences-between-delirium-depression.html Lots of D's to differentiate. Alzheimer's disease is one form or type of dementia. The most common form or type of dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive ability. A global generic term. There are many other causes of dementia besides the most common Alzheimer's disease. Lewy body dementia, Vascular dementia, traumatic brain injury induced, to name a couple.The different forms of dementia may look slightly different in their clinical symptoms and presentation and progression.Dementia is a chronic problem it is typically slow and often progressive. Delirium is way different. A delirium is an acute confusional state, or an encephalopathy. It generally comes in pretty quickly, hence the term "acute". There is always a cause for delirium. It may be a metabolic problem, eg. not enough oxyge... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999256 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:38:00 +0100 3999256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3339622&cid=t_211272_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fschizophrenia%2F Pathophysiology 1) group of disorders marked by disturbances in thought patterns, speech, behavior, and perception 2) subtypes – paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, and residual 3) cause is unknown, but major risk factors are genetic susceptibility, early developmental insults, in utero viral influenza exposure, and winter birth (possibly related to influenza exposure) Signs and Symptoms Positive symptoms – 1) disorganized thought 2) delusions 3) hallucinations Negative symptoms – 4) social withdrawal 5) loss of functioning 6) flat affect 7) anhedonia Histology/Gross Pathology 1) enlarged third and lateral ventricles 2) cortical atrophy 3) decreased size of hippocampus, amygdala, right prefrontal cortex Associated Conditions 1) birth complications 2) Rh factor incompatibil... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3339622 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:56:09 +0100 3339622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416281&cid=t_211272_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fwhat-are-antipsychotics.html Antipsychotics are a group of medications used to treat a whole host of disorders and symptomatology. Generally speaking they are terribly misunderstood, dreaded and the subject of much hatred and controversy. They stir up a lot more emotion than say an anti-hypertensive to treat high blood pressure or an oral hypoglycemic to treat type II diabetes. They are also responsible for saving many lives. They are also responsible for helping many chronically mentally ill people live and function outside of a state mental facility.they have been around for a long time, the original developed in the early 1950's and that was Thorazine. A whole host of medications followed, the so-called typical antipsychotics or first generation antipsychotics. more common ones still frequently used (but not as muc... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimer's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416281 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:33:00 +0100 3416281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416285&cid=t_211272_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fis-alzheimers-mental-illness.html This is more of a political question in many ways than a scientific one. When we speak of a psychiatric disorder we often use the term "functional" as opposed to "medical". Functional essentially means without an organic cause.We know that AD has a specific course, with specific and non-specific signs and symptoms. It has demonstrated changes in the brain at a microscopic cellular level as well as a macroscopic level when it is advanced. The gross brain of a victim with advanced stages of AD looks different than the gross brain of a person without the disease.In many psychiatric disorders you can not find the physical changes in the brain. That does not mean they do not exist, it is just that science has not caught up in certain psychiatric disorders. For a long time when AD was first beco... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimer's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416285 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:10:00 +0100 3416285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3270999&cid=t_211272_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fbipolar-disease%2F Pathophysiology 1) psychiatric disorder marked by unpredictable swings in mood from mania to depression 2) variants exist where there are repeated manic episodes without the intervening depressive episodes and vice versa 3) rapid cycling variant – four or more episodes of mania or depression per year Signs and Symptoms Manic phase – 1) increased psychomotor activity 2) decreased need for sleep 3) excessive social extroversion 4) impulsive actions 5) irritability 6) grandiose delusions 7) paranoia Depressive phase – loss of interest in life or surroundings 9) decreased libido 10) significant weight gain or loss 11) feelings of fatigue and tiredness 12) sleep disturbances 13) feelings of hopelessness and intense sadness Characteristic Test Findings Radiology – abnor... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3270999 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:24:06 +0100 3270999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182221&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F18%2F13-myths-of-schizophrenia%2F Schizophrenia is one of those mental disorders that many people seem to confuse with something else, such as multiple personality disorder. It’s a very simple yet very terrifying condition, characterized by usually having a combination of hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations can involve any of your five senses, but in schizophrenia, usually involves seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there (like hearing other people’s voices inside your head telling you to do something you don’t want to). Delusions are a false belief in something, such as the CIA is out to get you. Many of us hear voices in our heads, but usually it’s our own voice acting as our conscious (”You really shouldn’t eat that second piece of cake!”). That’s n... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182221 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:31:17 +0100 3182221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159783&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34730&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fcan-we-make-you-crazy.html In today's NY Times Magazine, Ethan Watters discusses cultural influences in the etiology and expression of mental illnesses in his article entitled "The Americanization of Mental Illness." Watters is not a big a big proponent of the idea that psychiatric disorders are brain-based diseases, and he points to ways that Western ideas have changed the incidence and thinking in other parts of the world. Watters writes:Western mental-health practitioners often prefer to believe that the 844 pages of the DSM-IV prior to the inclusion of culture-bound syndromes describe real disorders of the mind, illnesses with symptomatology and outcomes relatively unaffected by shifting cultural beliefs. And, it logically follows, if these disorders are unaffected by culture, then they are surely universal to h... Shrink Rap blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159783 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:02:00 +0100 3159783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075556&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34730&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fdisplacement.html is a defense mechanism that occurs when one refocuses an emotion, like anxiety or anger, onto a benign, less-threatening object than the object it is intended for. Kicking the dog is the classic example, with the assumption that it's safer to kick the dog than it is to kick the boss.Moving is, for me, both an exciting event and a stressful one. Invariably, I deal with it by focusing my energies on worrying about something that is a bit ridiculous. When I finished med school and was leaving my life as a student to become an intern, I worried about finding enough boxes to pack in. When I finished my internship and was getting ready to move out of state and begin residency training in psychiatry, my husband pre-empted my obsession: he went out and bought boxes. (Who buys boxes?) I worried, i... Shrink Rap blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075556 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:06:00 +0100 3075556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3029849&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34730&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fmy-three-shrinks-podcast-47-genital.html [46] . . . [47] . . . [48] . . . [All]Happy Thanksgiving!!!As a big thank you to our readers (and listeners), we three shrinks got our act together and edited one of our most recently recorded podcasts and got it out there, finally. I did the editing and posting this time instead of Roy, which means that it will be less polished, more crackle-and-pop filled and less balanced volumetrically (if that's a word) than usual. So be it. After leaping over a high Garage Band learning curve I figured that was enough of a time investment to begin with and I'd figure out the more polished aspects later. But enough about the process. On to the podcast.For podcast 47 we started out with a discussion of gender bias in civil commitment when we discussed the book (which none of us have read) entitled Mad,... Shrink Rap blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3029849 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:15:00 +0100 3029849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467789&cid=t_211272_99_f&fid=39134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fanepi.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fdelusions-of-parasitosis.html Imagine, for a moment, that you have a crawling sensation on your arm. You scratch at the itch, and it seems to go away. A short time later it returns, and you find yourself scratching at it again. You examine your arm for the cause and find what look like small insect bites.The next day, your arm is itching again. This time you cannot find relief, and your back begins itching as well. The itch distracts you throughout your day, and towards the end of the evening you ask a friend to look at your back. She says it is a bit red, but otherwise she doesn’t see anything. That night as you try to sleep, you feel something crawling across your skin. You turn on the light, but find nothing.In the morning you find that you have scratched so much that whelps have scabbed over. Bits of white debris... The Epidemiologist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467789 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:15:00 +0100 3467789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380773&cid=t_211272_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fthe-twelve-days-of-stds%2F Remember Healthbolt’s review ‘Seductive Delusions’, a book by Dr Jill Grimes about how ordinary people can easily and unknowingly get STD’s. With April being the CDC’s  (Center for Disease Control) STD Awareness Month, Jill was looking for a way to promote risks of STDs to teenagers in particular. She came up with the idea of a video that could be posted on YouTube. After all, what better way of reaching teenagers these days than YouTube and social media networks. The result - a quirky video about the ‘12 Days of STD’s’ in which Jill and a few teenagers sing about STD’s to a famous Christmas tune. Check it out… Here’s the facts behind the lyrics (reprinted with permission from Jill Grimes) Day 1- “Anyone can catch an STD” Fact: People of all races,... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380773 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:34:41 +0100 2380773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067393&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2F27%2Flocked-away-for-years-nobody-cares%2F What if someone you loved had a mental disorder that nobody knew how to treat? The disorder causes your loved one to act out against others, because they see hallucinations or believe delusions about others trying to harm them. Sometimes, the delusions might cause them to act out, sometimes even harming other people. Medical and psychological science don’t yet have all the answers. Sadly, we cannot treat, much less cure, everyone with every concern. But medicine and science have come a long way from the 1950s, when all we did was handcuff people to chairs or strap them into beds in order to deal with unruly or violent behavior. Or has it? According to a story last week reported by the Associated Press in The Washington Post, there are dozens of cases of people reportedly being ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067393 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:22:31 +0100 2067393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2129066&cid=t_211272_140_f&fid=35457&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBattling-schizophrenia%2F%7E3%2FuClfxfM8xhE%2F By Sheldon Pilsworth Among the different types of schizophrenia that have been diagnosed by science, certain variants (in particular paranoid schizophrenia) tend to result in symptoms of delusions among patients. To look at common delusions in schizophrenia, it is critical to firstly define delusions. Typically, delusions are untrue beliefs held by the individual patient that are irrational, despite evidence to the contrary or not at all in-line with that particular patient’s normal cultural base. Common delusions in schizophrenia among paranoia patients involve false persecution or the irrational belief that other people are out to cheat, conspire against, plot, discriminate against, victimize, harass, spy on or poison them. They might believe that this is being directed at them or ... Battling-Schizophrenia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2129066 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:04:33 +0100 2129066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947130&cid=t_211272_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2F10%2Fcultural-content-of-schizophrenic-delusions%2F People who have schizophrenia often experience delusions, false beliefs about some aspect of the world. While we may all carry around an occasional false belief (”rush hour traffic won’t be so bad today”), someone with schizophrenia has false beliefs that seriously impact their ability to function in their life. “My boss is out to kill me,” is going to make holding down a regular job a challenge. What you may not know is that a lot of people with schizophrenia carry around a similar set of false beliefs. Furthermore, these beliefs can change over time as a result of sociopolitical and cultural changes within society. A recent study (Skodlar, et al., 2008) of 120 records of initial admissions of people with schizophrenia to a psychiatric hospital describes ho... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947130 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:13:46 +0100 1947130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349694&cid=t_211272_140_f&fid=35457&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBattling-schizophrenia%2F%7E3%2F263950603%2F By Sheldon Pilsworth Among the different types of schizophrenia that have been diagnosed by science, certain variants (in particular paranoid schizophrenia) tend to result in symptoms of delusions among patients. To look at common delusions in schizophrenia, it is critical to firstly define delusions. Typically, delusions are untrue beliefs held by the individual patient that are irrational, despite evidence to the contrary or not at all in-line with that particular patient’s normal cultural base. Common delusions in schizophrenia among paranoia patients involve false persecution or the irrational belief that other people are out to cheat, conspire against, plot, discriminate against, victimize, harass, spy on or poison them. They might believe that this is being directed at them or ... Battling-Schizophrenia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349694 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:13:55 +0100 1349694