Delusions Occurring in Bipolar Disorder

Delusions Occurring in Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Print Delusions Occurring in Bipolar Disorder By Marcia Purse Marcia Purse is a mental health writer and bipolar disorder advocate who brings strong research skills and personal experiences to her writing. Learn about our editorial policy Marcia Purse Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on November 13, 2014 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 09, 2020 Bipolar Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Your Rights Sanna Lindberg / Getty Images In This Article Table of Contents Expand Psychosis in Bipolar Disorder Warning Signs of Psychosis Types of Delusions Treatment Options View All A delusion is a false belief that a person firmly holds to be true, regardless of whether it actually is true or even possible. Someone whos delusional will hang on tight to such a belief even if other people are able to logically explain why its false. There is a recognized mental illness called delusional disorder in which delusions are the dominant symptom.?? In a type of bipolar disorder that includes psychosis, however, delusions are a characteristic of psychotic events. They often appear along with hallucinationsâ€"things or sounds people see or hear that arent actually there. In order to understand delusions as a symptom of bipolar disorder, it is helpful to also become familiar with psychosis. Psychosis in Bipolar Disorder In the simplest terms, psychosis is the loss of touch with reality.?? When someone is having a psychotic event, their thoughts and beliefs become distorted and are not based on whats really happening. Sometimes the delusions and hallucinations that accompany bipolar symptoms are in keeping with a persons current state of mind, in which case theyre called mood-congruent symptoms, and sometimes the opposite is the caseâ€"a persons delusion doesnt match up with their mood, which is known as mood-incongruent symptoms. Psychosis is not an illness in and of itself, but as in the case of bipolar disorder, a symptom of a mood disorder. Roughly 3% of the U.S. population will experience a psychotic episode during their lifetime, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, whether they have a mental disorder or not.?? In fact, theres an array of causes of psychoses other than psychiatric illness, including: Being sleep-deprivedDrug useHead injuryTemporal lobe epilepsyThyroid disordersBad reactions to medicationsVitamin B12 deficiencyHuntingtons disease In bipolar disorder, psychotic events usually occur during periods of mania, but they can develop while a depressive state is prominent as well. Either way, if psychotic episodes are part of your bipolar disorder, your official diagnosis will likely reflect that and you will be said to have bipolar disorder with psychotic features. If you are diagnosed this way, it doesnt mean your illness is more severe or your prognosis is bleaker than that of someone with bipolar disorder that doesnt include psychotic episodes, research shows. One study found that in bipolar disorder with psychosis there tends to be more rapid cycling between mania and depression, as well as more chronic mood disturbances such as depression and anxiety, than in bipolar disorder that doesnt have psychotic symptoms.?? Warning Signs of Psychosis Psychosis doesnt normally happen suddenly. There are often warning signs that can let you know that its coming, including:?? Suddenly losing interest in the things you used to enjoyStrong, unreasonable emotions or feeling no emotion at allExtreme changes in your sleeping patternsBeing unable to do things you normally canIsolating yourself more than normalYour grades or work performance suddenly droppingBecoming suspicious of othersSaying or doing bizarre things that dont reflect reality  Losing interest in maintaining personal hygieneHaving trouble focusing and concentratingProblems communicating, such as changing topics rapidly or speaking incoherentlyBeginning to be unable to tell whats real and whats not Types of Delusions There are many different types of delusions. These are the ones most commonly associated with mental disorders.?? Delusions of grandeur:  Believing that youre famous or publicly important or that youre a god.Delusional jealousy:  Believing that your spouse or partner is being unfaithful when they are not.Persecutory or paranoid delusions:  Suspecting that you are being followed, spied on, secretly listened to, or the like.Somatic delusions: Believing that you have a certain medical condition or physical defect.Delusions of reference:  Thinking that random events contain a special meaning for you alone.Bizarre delusions:  Believing in things that are impossible, such as thinking youre a werewolf, or your sister is an octopus, or that giant worms make subway tunnels. Treatment Options Psychosisâ€"and therefore the delusions and/or hallucinations that comprise itâ€"is treatable, especially if treatment is focused and prompt. Early intervention makes a big difference in recovery. Treatment may include antipsychotic medications and psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), supportive psychotherapy, and cognitive enhancement therapy.?? The Best Online Therapy Programs