psychiatric disorders
Delusional Disorder
Symptoms and Signs of Delusional Disorder
Delusional disorder may arise from a preexisting Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD) . In such people, a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others and their motives begin in early adulthood and extend throughout life. Early symptoms may include the feeling of being exploited, preoccupation with the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends, a tendency to read threatening meanings into benign remarks or events, persistent bearing of grudges, and a readiness to respond to perceived slights. Severalsubtypes of delusional disorderare recognized: Erotomanic:Patients believe that another person is in love with them. Efforts to contact the object of the delusion through telephone calls, letters, surveillance, or stalking are common. People with this subtype may have conflicts with the law related to this behavior. Grandiose:Patients believe they have a great talent or have made an important discovery. Jealous:Patients believe that their spouse or lover is unfaithful. This belief is based on incorrect inferences supported by dubious evidence. They may resort to physical assault. Persecutory:Patients believe that they are being plotted against, spied on, maligned, or harassed. They may repeatedly attempt to obtain justice through appeals to courts and other government agencies and may resort to violence in retaliation for the imagined persecution. Somatic:The delusion relates to a bodily function; eg, patients believe they have a physical deformity, odor, or parasite. Patients' behavior is not obviously bizarre or odd, and apart from the possible consequences of their delusions (eg, social isolation or stigmatization, marital or work difficulties), patients' functioning is not markedly impaired. 