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Persecutory mania is a symptom of psychopathic disorders. Treatment of stalking mania: symptoms and signs Can stalking mania go away over time?

Persecution mania is a mental dysfunction that can also be called persecutory delusion. Psychiatrists consider this disorder to be the fundamental signs of mental insanity. Psychiatry understands mania as a mental disorder caused by psychomotor agitation. It can often be accompanied by paranoia or delusional states. Psychology considers any mania as a pathological obsession with a particular phenomenon or a specific subject.

Persecution mania, what is it? In this state, one is constantly haunted by obsessive thoughts about the object of desire. An individual suffering from persecution mania is convinced that there is a threat; he is sure that someone is following him or watching him. The danger of the described condition lies in the rapid wear and tear of the body due to lack of rest and peace due to persistent thoughts. In addition, in particularly severe cases of the described disorder, people can pose a danger to the environment and to themselves. Therefore, the question: “how to get rid of persecution mania” is quite relevant to this day.

Causes of persecution mania

The disease in question is a rather complex psychological condition that has not been fully studied to this day. However, modern scientists were still able to identify a number of factors that provoke the emergence of this mental disorder. These include: excessive externality, victim position (complex), learned helplessness, defensive position of the individual.

People with an excessively high external locus of control are characterized by greater susceptibility to the formation of the described pathology than people with a predominant internal locus of control. Individuals who believe that everything in their lives is controlled by external forces (for example, fate, circumstances, other people) have an external locus of control; respectively, subjects who consider themselves responsible for success and failure in life have an internal locus of control.

Causes of persecution mania. The victim complex develops in people when they have been constantly offended and destroyed over a long period of time. Such a complex gradually develops into stable behavior and becomes a means of avoiding independent decisions. The greatest fear of such people is the fear of doing the wrong thing, making the wrong decision. People with this complex tend to blame other subjects for their own misfortunes, thereby removing the blame from themselves.

Learned helplessness usually accompanies the victim complex, although it is expressed somewhat differently. People with this type of behavior always feel helpless and powerless. They have the worldview of a victim, therefore they consider exclusively external factors as the source of personal problems. In addition, such individuals feel that they are unable to change anything or stop what is happening.

A person who takes a defensive position is always ready for self-defense at the slightest threat to himself. Such individuals can perceive even the most harmless remark directed at them as a personal insult. They constantly feel that they are being unfairly persecuted. This forces people with this behavior to take a strong defensive position.

Many researchers suggest that the origin of persecution mania is due to a certain constitution of the central nervous system. Also of no small importance is the parental upbringing of the child and the psychological trauma suffered by the child at an early age. The listed factors in a certain period, coupled with a stressful state, create fertile ground for the occurrence of the disorder in question. However, this assumption of scientists has not yet been fully confirmed.

In psychiatry, a widely accepted hypothesis is that mania is one of the signs of brain dysfunction. I. Pavlov was the first to argue this point of view, arguing that the pathological focus of excitation, localized in the brain and causing a violation of conditioned reflex activity, is the anatomical and physiological cause of the disease in question.

People may experience short-term attacks of persecution as a result of drug abuse, alcohol consumption, treatment with certain medications, Alzheimer's disease, or atherosclerosis.

Symptoms of persecution mania

Each human subject perceives reality through the prism of his own individuality. Due to various mental illnesses, some individuals may lose an adequate perception of reality. Disturbances in mental processes can cause the emergence of various phobias and manias; for example, persecution mania often goes hand in hand.

In medicine, it is customary to call the described illness the term “delusion of persecution.” Delirium is a dysfunction of mental activity, due to which erroneous ideas arise that completely take over the consciousness of the individual. Such violations cannot be corrected from the outside. In other words, it is impossible to explain to a sick person the inadequacy of his perception of reality. The ideas of people suffering from delusions of persecution are based on false premises, which in medicine are called “crooked logic.”

Persecutory mania can be an independent symptom or a manifestation of another pathology.

The state of persecutory delusion is characterized by a number of specific differences:

— adaptation disorder (the patient cannot function normally and live in society);

— inability to adjust from the outside;

- is a violation, and not a figment of a person’s imagination;

- there is inventing various facts about reality.

What is the name of persecution mania, in one word? In essence, the illness described is one that completely captures the human consciousness. Under the influence of a delusional state, a person may refuse to do usual actions, for example, refuse food, believing that it is poisoned. People who are sick may be afraid to cross the road, thinking that they are going to be run over. People suffering from persecution delusions feel that danger awaits them at every turn, that bandits are just waiting for a chance to harm or even kill them. They cannot be dissuaded from their beliefs. Therefore, doctors, answering the question: “how to behave with a patient with persecutory mania,” advise that if the slightest sign appears that allows one to suspect that a loved one has schizophrenia, persecution mania, immediately take such a person to a psychiatrist.

In the process of development of the described pathology, the delusional state takes on various forms. Patients may fear a particular aspect of life. Some people suffering from persecution mania can clearly determine the date of the beginning of the persecution and the results of sabotage, which indicates a high level of systematization of delirium.

The delusional state develops gradually; as it develops, the “source” of the threat may change. At first, the patient may be afraid only of his spouse, considering him to be the main villain, then prejudice may appear against neighbors or other people from his environment. In the sick imagination of a person in a state of delirium, more and more people become participants in a conspiracy against him. Over time, thinking becomes very detailed, patients describe imaginary attempts with detailed accuracy. The descriptions themselves are destructured; they can pay equal attention to minor points and important facts.

Subsequently, changes in the person’s personality are observed. Sick people become tense, aggressive, and wary. They do things previously unusual for them and reluctantly answer questions about the reasons and purpose of such behavior.

How to deal with someone suffering from persecution mania? First of all, there is no need to try to convince him. It is necessary to understand that the patient is unable to realize the true state of affairs. In such a situation, the only correct solution is to consult a psychiatrist.

Treatment of persecution mania

To answer the question: “how to get rid of persecution mania,” you first need to make an accurate diagnosis.

Persecutory mania can be diagnosed after a thorough study of the clinical picture of the illness and the patient’s medical history, conversations with the patient’s relatives to describe the manifestations as accurately as possible, identifying the presence of harmful addictions (especially alcohol addiction) and cerebrovascular diseases, excluding or confirming the presence of other mental pathologies, electroencephalography, computed tomography of the brain, x-ray examination.

How to treat persecution mania?

Treatment of the described pathology is usually carried out in a hospital setting. It includes drug therapy: tranquilizers, sedatives, psychotropic drugs, and in particularly severe cases - electroshock therapy. All family members participate in family therapy.

For a favorable outcome, systematic use of medications is important, otherwise the disease may have relapses.

In addition, it must be taken into account that most often the pathology in question is provoked by certain factors that must be eliminated before starting therapy.

In the case of a particularly severe course, if there is a threat of harm to others or to oneself, the patient is sent for treatment to a specialized institution. Often the disease takes a relapsing course.

If drug therapy is successful, the patient is prescribed rehabilitation procedures.

Many people are interested in how to treat persecution mania using folk remedies. Unfortunately, traditional medicine is powerless in the relapse stage. During periods of remission and for preventive purposes, you can take, after consulting with your doctor, various soothing decoctions, infusions and teas.

Good afternoon, my father is 86 years old, he feels fine for his age, but there is a problem - he is haunted by insects that bother him (bite, multiply quickly) and which he has been trying to remove with chemicals (for 4 years now). The father repeatedly turns to a dermatologist, who, naturally, sends him to a psychiatrist - and here is the father’s reaction: they don’t understand him, everyone becomes enemies. What should I do?

Good afternoon. My granddaughter is 11 years old. goes to school, 6th grade. He studies well, there are no complaints from teachers. For several years now there have been fewer girlfriends. As I observed, they talk for a couple of days, and then these girlfriends are no longer there. But Viola - her name is, she constantly says that someone is looking at her and pursuing her. For almost 2 years we went to a psychiatrist 2-3 times a week. But it doesn't seem to help. She often cries, is very vulnerable, don’t say a word against it, everything should be as Viola wants or desires. So we agree on everything. But as far as I understand, this should not continue. Something more significant treatment is needed, but what kind??? I spoke with the pediatrician, the answer: calm, patience, soothing teas, etc. But this hasn’t helped anything for 5-6 years now. how we endure and continue, give soothing teas, gain patience and calm. I, as a grandmother, see that Viola cannot be left in this condition any longer; we need to contact more competent doctors. But the question is which ones? Maybe I can find the appropriate answer here. I have Skype, I can talk on the phone, tell me how to contact you on Skype. I will be waiting for at least a little news from you. Sincerely, Viola's grandmother - Lydia. With respect to you - we. My work page:

Good afternoon, Lydia. To help your granddaughter, you need to understand the reason for what is happening to her. To do this, it will be enough to visit a practical child psychologist. The specialist will conduct a psychodiagnostic examination (for example, drawing tests), find out what is bothering the girl (what fears she has) and carry out corrective work. The work of a practical psychologist does not include drug treatment.
Communication on Skype will not give you anything; you need to visit the child with a practical psychologist in person. The specialist will gain confidence in the child and will be able to win her over. You need to understand that all children are different, so you need to accept your granddaughter for who she is. Your granddaughter (let's say) may be an introvert and is accustomed to spending time alone with internal thoughts, worries or feelings. This is not a diagnosis and cannot be treated.
Perhaps for this reason, your doctor recommended that you be calm and patient. This is very important because your anxiety will be passed on to your granddaughter and she will think that something is wrong with her.

Hello! I am going to take my mother to a psychiatrist and I would like to know for sure that she will not be admitted to a clinic and that she can really get better. My mother will be 58 years old, she was very sociable, always had many friends, one day they did nasty things to us out of envy, and we sold everything and left, after which it seemed to my mother that they were doing it to her again, that evil spirits were surrounding her, this time in another city, she She doesn’t like everything bad, she can’t find friends like this anymore, I sell everything again, we move even further, I take out a mortgage on the apartment, I have a hard time paying it off and again my mother says that they are doing something to her, they are watching her, bugging her, they want her kill. I realized that this is manic persecution, paranoia, she is absolutely normal, but something is happening to her, I already work shifts, I had to go on vacation, tell me this is for treatment? Or will I now have to be with her all the time and look for work at home. It's not schezophrenia or Alzheimer's, is it?

Hello, I don’t know what to do. My mother is 63 years old. My father died three years ago. And I don’t even know how to explain everything. She says that the neighbors turn on some kind of mechanism and she gets radiation. She doesn’t sleep at night. The radiation lasts not only during the day .but also at night..according to her, the neighbors irradiate her with some kind of low-frequency sounds that penetrate all the bones.spine.head.because she snores heavily.disturbing the neighbors.Now in the summer she moved to the dacha.to fresh air.It was good. but again the neighbors in their dachas are already turning on something. They are constantly watching her. She hasn’t gone to the doctors. She doesn’t want anything. Today she was hysterical again. Help. Please advise what to do. I’m very worried about MOMMY. BUT HOW TO HELP HER DON'T KNOW

My son is 54 years old. Diagnosis f20.0. Now he suffers from persecution mania, it seems to him that the children need to be hidden, they are in danger, he also leaves home all the time and lives in a hotel. Severe stress (loss of job, divorce, children turned away from him, no friends) brought him to this state. He was treated in a paid clinic, he felt better after discharge, but since he did not take medications after the hospital, an exacerbation occurred. He no longer wants to go to the hospital, he does not want to take medications and is very suffering from illness, has lost weight, doesn’t eat anything, doesn’t want to see me or hear me on the phone. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. I don’t know how to persuade him to see a doctor. Maybe there are some words that will help him they will convince you to go to the doctor. Thank you.

Hello! I have a friend (let’s call her Natalya), she has a friend, or rather an ex-girlfriend now. About 5 months ago, my Natalya quarreled with her friend because of me and in that friend we began to notice strange habits of persecution mania (she goes to a page on social networks to me and to Natalya, he counts all the gifts, checks whether we have added new friends, creates so-called fake pages to control us, constantly claims that they are trying to hack her page).
Can you tell me if this is mania or schizophrenia?
Thank you in advance

Hello
I am 17 years old, and my mother is 39 (will be 40). She has been experiencing some symptoms for over a year now, which I noticed only today, because she has always had a peculiar character...
She believes that her phone is being listened to, at first it was turned off because of an acquaintance from the government who is being listened to. she believed that she was too, because they were checking her. Then her boss started listening to the conversations, and when I came to work, they tactfully told me that everyone saw in her mental instability and signs of schizophrenia.
She also believes in the existence of an afterlife, in her uniqueness, that she opened her third eye, and then almost died.
I am very worried about her, but due to my age I cannot do anything. The youngest BRVT is even more so, he is 13. If I tell her that they are not listening to her phone and apartment, he calls it treason. She often says that I am no longer her daughter. Two years ago she threatened to commit suicide...
He doesn’t plan to go to the doctor, he starts sending him if I advise it
I'm at a dead end, what should I do? Does this look like persecution mania?

Hello. The symptoms you describe are similar to persecutory mania or persecutory delusions (a common type of delusion in schizophrenia). It is undesirable to dissuade a sick mother, since she will classify you as an agent of the “enemies”. In severe cases, when the mother poses a danger both to others and to herself, hospitalization is necessary. It is necessary to call an ambulance and talk over the phone about the threat to the mother’s life.

Save the mother by force, cunning, only to the psychiatric hospital, and quickly, and permanent, loving “nannies” who agree with this whole brand. I lost my mother, she degenerated and became completely helpless. We need to remove aggression. To loved ones, endurance and mercy. Pray for her soul. With this third eye, many people are blown away. They become possessed by demons. We must get rid of obsessive fears, fight resentment, pride, and avoid stress. This can be treated with increased love, care, and tolerance from loved ones.

My mother is 59 years old, retired for 4 years, at first she complained about her neighbors breaking her lock while she was out collecting firewood/living in a two-story house, one entrance, 8 apartments/stove heating. She changed the locks more than once, she was afraid to talk to me on the phone she is being overheard and this is in a two-room apartment!!! Six months ago she moved to the city from the village and got a job, the same song only in a different way on the phone, she also talks to me in a whisper, everyone and everywhere eavesdrops on her. Now it has been added that men are running after her and they want to do something with her. How should I deal with this situation? She started changing her phone number. The last time I told her about the doctor was a year ago, she didn’t talk to me for 2 weeks, but she called my children/her grandchildren/14 and 10 years old and complained about neighbors, etc. and talked about things that children shouldn’t know about. I don’t want to change my phone number for my children and I don’t know what to say to my mother about her nonsense, tell me what to do

Hello. I just don't know what to do. I have a sister, strange things have been happening to her for the last three years. It started with the fact that she accused me of putting classes on posts with animals (adoption, treatment and other help), she said that, supposedly, in this way men are offered women and vice versa, and supposedly all this is veiled under “pictures” » animals. I use the Internet, but I haven’t heard anything like this, although at first I really doubted it... then I realized that this was her nonsense. We didn’t pay much attention to it then. Now the situation has worsened... in her mind she intertwined all her relatives, friends, girlfriends, colleagues, crossed everyone with each other, and she remembers some details to the smallest detail, adds her story there and it turns out to be a straight detective thriller, everyone is against her, then she went in the car, the car got stuck in a snowdrift, it was all a set-up, I twisted my leg, it was also a set-up. We are being watched and soon we will all feel bad. Recently she sent me a voice message, and I didn’t hear anything there... I blocked her for now. He says to his daughter that we are enemies (we also have a sister). She sends threats and all sorts of nonsense to all her friends, even those with whom she has been friends since childhood. She has lost everyone. She lives alone, doesn’t let anyone in, only her daughter, and sometimes the girl lives in an apartment, brings food to her mother every week (her sister doesn’t work)... and the girl runs away from her all the time in tears, because she annoys her . My sister is 42 years old, still young, and doesn’t want to work. He demands food and money from the child. I don't know how to help them. The sister will not go for voluntary treatment (she does not understand her abnormal condition). He doesn’t let me get close, and he bullies his child. What to do? How can I help them?

Hello! I have a terrible problem, please tell me what to do. My son has a problem - he is constantly jealous of his wife. And after 2 months I began to see her on all porn sites and it was impossible to convince him. Stopped eating, stopped sleeping, lost weight, stared at the computer all night.

My mother also has delusions of persecution, it seems to her that people come into our apartment in our absence, specific people who bought our previous apartment. He puts tape on the door when he leaves to make sure that no one entered. At home he speaks in a whisper, thinking that there is wiretapping and cameras. She eats little, thinking that she is being poisoned. She goes to fortune tellers and believes that they want to harm her. She is constantly tense and withdrawn, I try to distract her and often communicate with her, but she is afraid to talk normally at home, thinking that she is being bugged. We installed a video peephole and it was of no use... he thinks that they are coming in anyway and have actually settled next to us in the next apartment. Many cases can be cited. It’s very difficult, I don’t know how to help, I’m worried about her... tomorrow I’m going to see a psychotherapist to consult what to do in this situation. I’m very tired of her delirium, I don’t argue anymore and just accept her versions... she dragged me into her delirium, I want to run away but how, I can’t leave her alone.

Hello! My daughter is 30 years old, she was married, she has a 7-year-old daughter. She believes that she is being persecuted by her stepfather (my husband, who raised her from the age of 6, the relationship was good, she called him daddy). It seems to her that there are demons in him, he is watching her and he has a knife. My daughter believes that he puts pills in the food to poison or infect her and me. She treats me (her mother) differently. Sometimes she considers me an enemy, sometimes she’s been infected by her husband. She left home for an apartment. She won’t let her meet her granddaughter, she teaches her to be afraid of us. She thinks that everyone around her is cattle. She won’t go to the doctor, she won’t considers himself sick. I am very afraid for my granddaughter. I live in the regional center, there are no private psychiatrists. Yes, my daughter will not go to a psychiatrist, and she will stop communicating with me altogether. I think that she needs a doctor, but this is my opinion. With other people she can to be adequate. I live in fear of not being able to help, tell me what needs to be done?

Good afternoon, my upstairs neighbor (72 years old) goes out onto the balcony and screams that I’m blowing gas under her floors, I want to poison her, in the middle of the night she can knock on the radiator on the ceiling, she can scream all day long that her apartment is being taken away from her, the police are not like she doesn’t react, they just don’t come, she has no relatives, she doesn’t let anyone into the apartment (except for the postman), there’s only one reply everywhere, that’s your problem. Tell me, can a person in such a state (for example) leave the gas open? (God forbid, of course)

My mother, 86 years old, is afraid that neighbors from above are pouring toxic substances into her apartment through heating and water supply pipes. She wants to call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the police. In response to my objections that the neighbors cannot do this, she immediately gets offended and says that I don’t believe her. She is a teacher by profession, teaching foreign languages. He will not go to see a psychologist (let alone a psychiatrist). She sensibly assesses the environment, takes care of herself, and is interested in events in the country and in the world. Lives alone. My father died when I was just born. Doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. Where should I start to help her and get rid of obsessive thoughts? Thank you.

My son experienced stress... was very worried... fell into depression... began to suffer from persecution mania... became withdrawn... we consulted a specialist... he was admitted to a hospital... this stresses him out even more - he is surrounded by patients... he feels healthy... except for fears... Did we do the right thing? ...and won’t his future life be ruined...He drives a car...he drove until the end...and very well...Will he return to his previous normal life...he’s married...no children yet...

Hello, please advise!
My brother has been suffering from persecution mania for 9 months, supposedly everyone around him works as an agent of the National Security Committee (KGB), does not admit anything, does not want to be treated, does not leave the house, is very aggressive, loses his temper at everything. We don’t know who to contact

- Thanks for the feedback.
  He doesn’t let anyone in, doesn’t recognize anyone, and we can’t get him to the right doctor. He is completely detached from us, sleeps during the day, gets up only at night to eat and watch TV, and that’s all. To start treatment, can you recommend something to calm me down?

Hello, my mother has a persecution mania, 3 weeks ago she broke up with her common-law husband, with whom she lived for five years under stress, after which she moved to live with me, after which she began to say that someone was tapping telephone numbers, and on the street her always accompanied by men. I considered her story to be at least illogical and even complete nonsense. She began to run around the neighbors, it seemed to her that she heard the neighbors talking to her pursuers on the street at night. I even found out the name of my pursuer (it is unknown how). Honestly, I’m in despair and don’t know what to do, she doesn’t think she has problems and doesn’t even want to hear about a psychologist. Is there any way to convince her that she needs specialist help?

Hello, Natalya. Your mother needs a consultation with a psychiatrist (invite her to her home), the psychologist does not provide treatment.
“Is there any way to convince her that she needs specialist help?” It is necessary to understand that the patient is unable to realize the true state of affairs and considers himself absolutely healthy. Treatment of the described pathology is usually carried out in a hospital setting.

Good afternoon Help me figure it out, we have a friend Kira, she is 41 years old (we are 4 friends, we have been friends for more than 20 years), about a year ago she began to complain that she had the feeling that someone was stalking her, tapping her phone and monitoring her. At first, we didn’t attach any importance to this and took it all as a joke, but then it became more - she accused one of us that she was the one plotting intrigues for her, telling someone something about her, and interfering in her personal life. We tried to convince her that nothing like this had ever happened before. For a while she calmed down, but then she began to avoid meeting together and answering phone calls. And now, with renewed vigor, she has already taken up arms against everyone else, that we are interfering in her personal life, she sees every person as a threat, tries to find out for what purpose we are calling her, and why some people look at her somehow. Shortly before the first signs of persecution, she went through a divorce. The marriage could not be called happy, but she has a daughter. Which we worry about. Can her condition be called a mental disorder and how can we help her understand this so that she can turn to specialists?

My grandmother (64 years old) literally developed a persecution mania in just a month; she always thinks that some women are chasing her and shocking her. We turned to a psychiatrist, after talking with her for 30 minutes, he said that most likely it was schizophrenia (without sending her for an MRI or CT scan) and forced her to leave her in a mental hospital (on Saturday). My poor grandmother! well, we went just to buy toothpaste and came back, and there we found this picture, the grandmother was hanging on the bars and begging to be let out, and the nurses were ready to inject a sedative. It turns out that as soon as we left, the doors closed behind us, the paramedics took her phone away and took her to a room where there were 10 people moaning, screaming and lying in their own shit. Imagine how shocked my grandmother was, and they didn’t even have time to formalize it yet.
Of course, we immediately took her home.
She understands that something is happening to her, that she is seeing hallucinations and even agrees to be treated, but how can she trust psychiatrists now?
Symptoms: depressed state, paranoia, visual and tactile hallucinations.
Do we suspect a stroke or a tumor? Can a 64-year-old woman develop schizophrenia with hallucinations within a month without any stress? Help me create an action plan.

Hello...My father has a persecution mania, he is 54 years old, it started somewhere around 50-52 years old, it seems to him that all people are (sort of) witches, casting spells on him, everyone is bad, yelling in the street, (greatly disgraces the family) says that people (bad) take away his energy, chase him through the streets (there were fights out of the blue with passersby). Even if he has a headache, legs, something doesn’t work out, he blames “bad” people for it (neighbors) My mother and I tried to explain to him that everything he says is nonsense! didn’t use drugs, doesn’t drink!.. There was a case.. he severely beat my mother for nothing! ) that he would beat his mother, that he was not to blame for anything.... It feels like there are 2 people in him... They lived with their mother for 17 years... now everything is heading towards divorce..

Good day! My brother has a persecution mania! Before that, he used drugs, like many young people drink alcohol, lived as he wanted, did not care about anyone (especially his parents). The last time he used drugs, he had a persecution attack! He ran for 12 hours and shouted that there were COPS all around, they were going to take him now! And since then it has progressed. He lives in the village, accuses his neighbors of being ambushed, he is being hounded, he no longer leaves the gate, he rarely leaves the house, everything is bugged and monitored. He accuses his father of being an agent of COPS, there is an ambush in the forest, they run around the yard and the forest and watch him . They are waiting for him to come out of the gate so they can grab him and put him in jail for drug trafficking. He curses at his mother, hits his father for complicity with the cops. He won’t let anyone live. Terrible selfishness is manifesting itself! He shouts that all the real estate belongs to him, the vegetables are his. Mother hates father, swears! We don’t argue with him anymore because aggression immediately flows. Their father abandoned them because of this, and their mother is ready to leave everything and run away too! The neighbors are afraid. My brother doesn’t consider himself sick and won’t go to the hospital or let anyone into the house. How can his illness and life end, to what state can the patient bring himself?

Hello, Konstantin. In your case, you and your mother need to go in person to a good psychotherapist who knows hypnosis techniques and consult with him.

Good day, dear readers. Today you will learn what is called in one word a condition in which there are obsessive ideas and thoughts regarding possible persecution. You will learn what manifestations characterize such a phenomenon. Find out why mania develops. You will become aware of possible treatment options, as well as diagnostics.

General information

Delusion or persecution mania is a severe psychological state, in a word, paranoia. Signs that characterize the patient are the perception of reality in the wrong form, the inability to lead the usual way of life, the appearance of manic ideas that completely control the person’s consciousness. If someone tries to explain to a patient that everything is made up, is only in his head, the result of his imagination, he will run into misunderstanding. The replacement of reality with fictitious events is typical, deviations in adaptation to the normal process of life are observed, a person is not able to lead an ordinary life, work, communicate with other people, panic attacks are increasingly occurring, which indicate the presence of a serious mental pathology, and not the wild imagination of the individual.

Possible reasons

Most often, this condition occurs in a person who is unable to critically evaluate himself, who believes that anyone is to blame for his problems, but not himself. More episodes were recorded in women due to the presence of a more excitable and vulnerable nervous system. Intense experiences can lead to the appearance of obsessive thoughts, which provoke a state of mania.

The main factors influencing the development of persecutory delusions include:

attempts to control your life;
availability;
state of helplessness;
the result of constant attacks from the outside, when a person is often criticized and insulted.

Experts cannot determine exactly what influences the development of the disease. But still, there are reasons that can provoke this condition.

Genetic predisposition.
Prolonged anxiety and stress can provoke the development of paranoid thoughts and obsessions. It seems to a person that every situation in life is dangerous.
Frequent psychoses. When a nervous breakdown occurs, there is excessive tension throughout the body, adequacy disappears, a person may not even remember what he did or said. After a serious emotional shock, it takes a lot of time for the body to recover.
Physical or mental abuse can cause mania to develop.
Taking certain medications incorrectly can cause hallucinations that create the feeling that someone is watching.
Senile dementia. Observed in older people, it can also provoke the development of persecutory delusions.
Trauma to the skull, brain, and abnormalities in the functioning of the brain provoke the development of mental disorders.

You need to understand that there are certain categories of people who are automatically at risk:

persons in whose family there were episodes of mania;
people who have had brain surgery or a head injury;
individuals with pathologies in the central nervous system.

Characteristic manifestations

Symptoms of mania may vary depending on certain situations and personality traits. In this case, there are certain manifestations that are characteristic of all cases:

a person experiences the feeling that he is being watched, even at the moment when he is in a secluded and safe place;
he is sure that those around him are biased towards him, and often blames them for this;
there is no trust even in close people;
having a constant fear of being caught;
predisposition to self-isolation;
isolation;
attacks of aggression;
constant voltage;
suspicion.

In one person, mania may manifest itself in a mild degree, being practically unnoticeable, while in another, the situation is different, the situation is much more complex. A person may be obsessed with conspiracy theories, will be afraid to even step outside the threshold of his home, and will board up windows and doors, because “enemies may attack him.”

Diagnostics

In order to make an accurate diagnosis, a consultation with a psychotherapist is necessary. After a thorough examination and collection of all complaints, the specialist will be able to redirect the person to certain studies that will rule out diseases that cause similar manifestations, namely:

MRI of the brain;
electroencephalography;
X-ray of the head.

Based on the diagnostic results, adequate treatment will be prescribed.

Ways to fight

As a rule, therapy is carried out in a hospital. If a person is seriously ill, electroshock therapy is used. Most often, medications are prescribed, namely tranquilizers, sedatives, psychotropic drugs, and psychotherapy, which mainly includes family and cognitive behavioral therapy.

If the condition is provoked by the use of psychotropic drugs, in particular alcohol and drugs, then it is necessary to completely eliminate their use and undergo rehabilitation.
Taking psychotropic drugs. They help get rid of anxiety, fear, restlessness, influence the normalization of sleep, and have a calming effect on the psyche. For this purpose, antidepressants and antipsychotics can be used.
If other methods have not given the desired effect, the patient's condition is extremely serious, electroconvulsive therapy can be used. This method of treatment is permissible only after the consent of the patient’s close relatives. It is necessary to understand that amnesia can be a consequence of electroconvulsive therapy.
If persecutory mania is a manifestation of schizophrenia, then insulin therapy may be prescribed. The patient is put into an induced coma and then revived with a glucose injection. This method is extremely rarely used in therapy.

Now you know how to treat persecution mania. Remember that you can prevent the development of such a condition if you follow certain recommendations, consult a psychotherapist, avoid injuries, give up bad habits, and lead an active lifestyle.

Many people often use the term "persecution delusion" when describing the actions of another person. The problem is that few people know what actually lies beneath this mental state. That's why it's important to know what it is, as well as how to recognize persecution mania and how you can get rid of it.

Definition

Persecution mania has pronounced symptoms with far-reaching consequences. It manifests itself in the fact that the patient thinks that he is being persecuted. The reason for such persecution can be anything: from hair color to personal characteristics. It is important to understand that actions perceived as persecution can be both real and arise directly in the patient’s thoughts. This must be taken into account, since such people can often behave very unpredictably, reacting painfully or aggressively to a completely harmless situation. For example, the patient may react painfully to even the simple mention of his name or laughing behind his back, because it will seem to him that they are laughing at him.

The mania of persecution has its roots very deeply in the subconscious. It has many different psychological external manifestations, ranging from a complex of learned helplessness to a victim mentality, etc. Since this disease is caused by many different psychological factors, it is almost impossible to diagnose it yourself.

What is persecution?

Before moving forward, it is important to understand what constitutes stalking. Harassment in psychology is the growing irritation caused by the mistreatment or oppression of a person for certain reasons. Usually there are religious, political or racial motives behind such persecution, but in some cases it can arise for a simple reason, such as aversion to people with blond hair. In order to learn to recognize this mania, it is important to understand the difference between true and imaginary persecution. In addition, in psychiatry such a mental state as persecutory delusion is known.

The difference between mania and delirium

Persecutory mania and delusion of persecution are not the same disease. A person with this mania does not always experience persecution. On the other hand, persecutory delusions are always initiated by a feeling of persecution from other people. Patients with such delusional ideas constantly live in fear that they are being persecuted. This is a fairly common symptom of one of the types of schizophrenia, but it is important to understand that not every patient who suffers from delusional ideas is schizophrenic.

Symptoms

Although the symptoms of this mania may vary depending on the individual or situation, there are a few symptoms that are common to almost all sufferers.

They include:

Constant feeling that a person is being watched, even when he is in a safe place;
The patient believes that people are prejudiced against him for some reason, and often blames them for this;
The patient does not trust anyone;
The patient constantly experiences the fear of being caught.

These symptoms can vary in intensity. For one, they manifest themselves in a mild degree, while another may become hostage to an entire conspiracy theory, fearing to leave his home for fear that his enemies will discover him.

Etiology

Persecutory mania is a complex psychological condition that is still not fully understood. However, modern science identifies a number of factors contributing to the development of this mental disease. Let's get to know them better.

External locus of control. People with a high external locus of control are more susceptible to developing persecutory delusions than people with a high internal locus of control. Locus of control is determined by how much control a person has over their life. People who believe that everything in their lives is controlled by external forces (fate, other people, etc.) have a high external locus of control, and those who believe that only they themselves control their lives have a higher internal locus of control;
Victim complex. A person with such a complex views himself as a victim. This is a learned behavior that develops over a long period of time when the individual is constantly humiliated and offended. This complex often becomes a way for such people to avoid making independent decisions. Most of all, such people are afraid of doing wrong. By blaming other people for their misfortunes, they relieve themselves of blame;
Learned helplessness. This behavior usually accompanies a victim complex, although it manifests itself somewhat differently. People with learned helplessness always feel like they are powerless in their lives. They have a victim mentality rather than simply seeing external causes as the source of their problems. In addition, such people feel that there is no way they can change or stop what is happening;
Defensive Personality. Such a person always quickly turns to self-defense if he feels a threat to himself. The patient may perceive even the most harmless comment in his direction as a personal insult. These people often feel that they are being persecuted, which makes them constantly defend themselves.

Therapy

Is it possible to treat persecution mania? Modern psychology claims that this mental state arises from learned behavior, so this mania can be cured. However, this is not as easy to do as it might seem. First of all, it is difficult to treat this mental disorder because the patient must first admit that he is suffering from it. However, most people are unwilling to admit their shortcomings, especially when it comes to mental health problems. Another difficulty in treating this disease is that it is very variable.

There are several treatments available today that help people overcome this mania. If persecutory delusions are part of schizophrenia or an anxiety disorder, then drug therapy will be the most effective treatment.

Another effective way is cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy. Such treatments help people recognize perceived persecution and allow them to reconsider their attitude towards their lives. If the persecution is real, then psychotherapy helps the patient find the best way out of the situation.

Sometimes persecution mania may look completely harmless, but the problem is that it does not give a person the opportunity to live a full life. Such people live in constant fear, avoiding certain people or situations, so a patient with this disease really needs the help of a psychotherapist.

Persecutive delusion of persecution (popularly known as persecution mania) - in one word called paranoia - is a psychotic disorder.

However, paranoia is a broader concept, which can also include not only persecution mania, but also delusions of grandeur and other delusional and overvalued ideas: relationships, jealousy, etc.

Today, on the site website, you will learn what delusions of persecution are, its symptoms, signs and methods of treating this “mania.”

Symptoms and signs of delusions (“mania”) of persecution

A person who suffers from persecution delusions believes that someone or something is stalking them. Moreover, his belief that they are watching him, collecting information, compromising evidence about him, and planning to do something bad to him is completely unfounded and groundless. (big brother is watching you)

The main symptoms and signs of persecutory delusions, indicating that a person needs qualified help

unreasonable distrust, even towards close people
isolation, avoidance of communication, withdrawal
baseless attacks of aggression
irrational fears and anxiety attacks
no critical self-perception
everywhere, in any place, he finds his pursuers (if there is no one, he invents them)
is confident that the number of people or organizations following him is constantly increasing

People with persecution mania consider themselves absolutely healthy, and consider their thinking and behavior to be normal and adequate.

Inappropriate behavior as a sign of persecution mania:
Because If someone suffering from delusions of persecution is absolutely sure that he is being watched with the aim of harming him, he begins to develop strategies and tactics of defensive behavior.

he can engage in queralism - complain to various authorities about alleged persecutors (“saboteurs”)
can build tactics of “dropping the tail” if he suspects that he is being spied on
he has developed his own strategy for “covering his tracks”
when fear intensifies, a person suffering from persecution mania can openly run away from the “pursuer” or show aggression - attack him (mentally or physically)

Mental illnesses and personality disorders in which persecutory delusions are possible:

Schizophrenia (in particular, paranoid schizophrenia)
Delusional disorder
Alcohol or drug poisoning
Alcoholic psychosis (paranoid) - “White Tremens”
Organic brain damage
Paranoia and paranoid disorder (mild)
In an unexpressed form (not a disease, but something similar to persecution mania) with Paranoid accentuation of character
Senile sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease

Treatment of persecution mania

Treatment of delusions (mania) of persecution is usually carried out by psychiatrists using medication methods. Treatment is on an outpatient basis using antipsychotics, mainly atypical antipsychotics. Take into account that a relapse is possible.

In severe cases and acute psychoses, such as in “delirium tremens”, when a person suffering from persecutory mania can harm himself or others, treatment is carried out inpatiently, compulsorily in a psychiatric clinic.

Simply persuading and convincing the patient using conventional psychotherapeutic techniques will not work, because he will perceive the psychotherapist as an “enemy,” “traitor,” or “spy from the persecutor’s camp.”

Persecution mania or delusion of persecution is a mental disorder that manifests itself in a person’s false ideas about being persecuted, trying to poison, or kill. These ideas completely capture consciousness and cannot be changed from the outside, despite the fact that they do not correspond to reality. Such ideas are based on false premises (“crooked logic”).

Delusions of persecution can accompany any mental illness or can act as an independent disorder.

Treatment for persecution mania is medication.

Causes of persecution mania

Persecution mania has been studied by scientists for a long time, but the exact reasons for its occurrence still remain unknown.

Researchers suggest that in order for persecution mania to develop, a person must have a certain constitution of the central nervous system. The upbringing of the child and the psychological trauma he suffered in childhood also play an important role. All this at a certain moment, combined with some stress disorder, creates favorable conditions for a “breakdown” into illness. But to date, these scientists’ assumptions have not been fully confirmed.

The view that delirium is one of the signs of a disorder of the brain has become widespread in psychiatry. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was the first to make this assumption. He believed that the anatomical and physiological cause of persecutory mania is a pathological focus of excitation located in the brain, which causes a disorder of conditioned reflex activity. As a result, the associations associated with it come to the fore, and all human life begins to obey the system of delirium.

Short-term attacks of persecutory mania can occur in people when taking drugs, alcohol abuse, treatment with certain medications, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

Also, persecution mania can develop against the background of schizophrenia.

Symptoms of persecution mania

The essence of persecution mania is that the patient is obsessed with the idea that someone is pursuing him (one person or a group of people), with some hostile purpose - to maim, rob or kill. In essence, delusions of persecution are paranoia that completely takes over the human consciousness. In this state, a person refuses to perform ordinary actions, for example, he does not want to eat food, thinking that it is poisoned by someone; he is afraid to cross the road, thinking that they want to run him over. The patient is sure that danger awaits him at every step, and his pursuers are waiting for the right moment to kill him or cause him other harm.

Symptoms of persecutory mania can appear in different forms. A high level of systematization of delirium is indicated when the patient talks in detail about the purpose of the persecution (for example, poisoning or robbery), accurately names the time when the persecution began, what means are used, what the consequences and results of this persecution may be. All this indicates that the symptoms of persecutory mania have been present for a long time.

The development of delusions of persecution is usually preceded by a condition called “delusional mood,” which is characterized by the patient’s idea that everything that surrounds him has a special meaning; the appearance of causeless anxiety. A person begins to see a hidden threat in everything and constantly expects something to happen to him. When anxiety grows and becomes permanent, delirium first appears, which gives the person some relief, since the situation of uncertainty is resolved in a certain way for him.

Over time, delirium develops and more and more people become suspected patients. For example, at first the patient may believe that his wife is trying to poison him. Then neighbors are included in the circle of suspects. The nature of the patient’s thinking changes towards greater thoroughness and detail.

Along with thinking disorders are personality disorders. The person becomes aggressive, suspicious, wary and tense. All this is reflected in the patient’s behavior - he begins to do things that he had not done before, and when answering questions, he seems to weigh every word.

Delusions can also be combined with so-called overvalued ideas, which are characterized by the fact that they are based on certain real facts and events, but are misinterpreted by the patient. Overvalued ideas are a borderline phenomenon, which in some cases may also be present in completely healthy people.

People suffering from persecution mania write numerous complaints to various authorities. Such people do not consider themselves sick and are not able to perceive themselves and their delirium critically.

Diagnosis of persecution mania

The state of persecutory mania or true delusion is diagnosed according to the following criteria:

Inventing by the patient any facts relating to reality;
Delirium is always a manifestation of illness;
The impossibility of correcting delusions by other people;
Violation of the patient’s adaptation and his ability to live in society.

Treatment of persecution mania

In the treatment of persecutory mania, significant importance is attached to the reasons that caused this condition. If the development of delirium is caused by taking medications, alcohol, or drugs, then they should be completely excluded.

If delusions of persecution develop against the background of schizophrenia, then the patient requires complex treatment.

Since at present the biological concept of delirium, proposed by I.P., continues to dominate. Pavlov, treatment of persecutory mania is based on the use of pharmacological methods of treating this condition.

Most often, patients with persecutory delusions caused by schizophrenia are prescribed psychotropic drugs. If the results of such therapy are positive, then rehabilitation procedures are used. In the acute form of the disorder, electroconvulsive therapy measures can be used. Serious cases of the disease require hospitalization of the patient so that he cannot harm himself or others.

The delusion of persecution is not amenable to verbal influence from the outside - dissuading the patient is considered undesirable, since he can quickly classify the dissuader as a potential “enemy”. Therefore, psychotherapeutic methods are not used in its treatment. But this does not mean that patients with this mental disorder do not need psychological and social help, because social workers and psychologists can help create favorable conditions for the adaptation of such patients in society.

Thus, persecution mania is a serious mental disorder that requires special therapy. But, despite sufficient study of this disease, methods of its treatment remain imperfect and have a low level of effectiveness.

A person lives in the society of other people. And here it is possible to develop multiple manias and delusional ideas, which in fact may have nothing to do with reality. Persecution mania (or stalking, or paranoia) is one of these ideas of a person who feels that people around him want to harm him. Symptoms increase gradually, which is why treatment is possible only at the stage at which the patient was admitted to a specialist. And here it is important to behave correctly with sick relatives.

Most of the readers of the psychiatric help site, which are considered healthy individuals, may suffer from persecution mania. In fact, the mania of persecution is already manifested in the fact that a person thinks that they are constantly talking about him, discussing him, making plans against him, looking at him, but not showing it, etc. In other words, a person imagines himself to be the center of the Universe, people are spinning around him other people who are confused by the thought of how a person lives and what he can do.

A simple example of persecution mania is a person’s thought that everyone is looking at him in transport, on the street, in a store, etc. If it seems to you that others are only looking at you and watching you, then this looks like star mania.

Remember the situations:

Someone laughed behind your back, and you immediately blush, thinking that they are laughing at you.
Your loved one spends time with friends, not with you, and it seems to you that these people are discussing you, which is why they retire and do not go out with you.
You are doing something and feel embarrassed because other people are watching you.

You are not the only person to talk about, think about, look at, etc. People have many other things to discuss and think about. Of course, it is possible that other people are talking about you too. But they don't do this all the time. Therefore, live, act, move as you see fit, and don’t think about what others will think of you. Let people think whatever they want. The most important thing is what you think and say about yourself.

It just seems to you that other people's eyes are fixed only on you. Either you demand a lot from yourself, or you have a high opinion of yourself. In fact, people spend quite a lot of time in their own thoughts. They may not laugh at you, but because they were thinking about something. They may be whispering about something of their own, and not about you. People have many other things to worry about more than watching and talking about you. Therefore, you don’t need to take someone’s grins or whispers in your presence personally. Even if people say something about you. But you won't stop it. People will think whatever they want. But you shouldn't worry about that. The most important thing is not what others think of you, but what opinion you have of yourself. Therefore, think good and pleasant things about yourself, and simply do not pay attention to the opinions of other people.

What is persecution mania?

Any mania in a person refers to pathological mental disorders. Mania of persecution is a person’s internal conviction that people around him are watching him, watching him, want to harm him, and are making insidious plans and plans. Typically, people include neighbors, relatives, work colleagues, aliens, and secret organizations among these evil pests. Because of his delusional ideas, a person becomes suspicious, withdrawn, anxious, suspicious, and inadequate in his perception of the world around him and himself.

Delusions of persecution often force the patient to contact law enforcement agencies and express their suspicions, ask for help and protection.

Paranoia does not develop immediately, but goes through three stages:

At the first stage, obvious signs of persecution mania have not yet been identified, but the person is already beginning to worry, be suspicious, withdraw into himself, and isolate himself from society.
In the second stage, symptoms intensify. A person moves even further away from society, which he does not trust, and is no longer able to contact people and adapt to the world. A person becomes demanding of others, fear is constant.
At the third stage, all the symptoms of mania are observed: suspicion, wariness, depression, aggressiveness, distrust of others, fears, attempted suicide, inadequate perception of current events. The patient performs actions that are unusual for him. A person considers himself the center of the Universe for the people around him, who only do what they think about him, talk, plot, etc. The patient isolates himself from society.

Only at the beginning does human behavior seem harmless and even funny. However, the more the disease progresses, the more isolated the patient becomes, who is likely to experience other mental disorders. It becomes more difficult for the patient’s relatives and friends, because they have to figure out how to behave with a paranoid person.

Causes of persecution mania

Experts cannot give a definite answer as to what causes persecution mania. However, hypotheses are put forward that are confirmed in some cases:

Characteristics of the central nervous system vary from person to person.
Hereditary predisposition when parents also suffer from persecution mania.
The influence of alcohol and its derivatives, which negatively affect the functioning of the brain, often increasing anxiety and fears.
Strong emotional experiences that a person has experienced, because of which he is now afraid of the people around him. Often these shocks were suffered by a person due to relationships with other people.
Consequence of a stroke.
Stress.
The influence of narcotic substances.
Brain damage due to Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.
Toxin poisoning.
Unfavorable atmosphere in the family or in the team at work.
A victim complex, in which the patient feels that everyone is hurting him, so he shifts part of his responsibility to other people. Such a patient is first offended and morally killed for a long time, which is why he stops resisting and resigns himself to his situation. The worst thing he doesn’t want to experience is to do the wrong thing, so he blames other people for all his troubles.
Defensive position of the individual. In this situation, a person is constantly ready to defend himself from any encroachment by others. Even the slightest unpleasant remark causes indignation.
Learned helplessness. It is based on a victim complex, which is accompanied by constant impotence and helplessness. A person does not try to change anything in his life, because he believes that he cannot influence anything.
External locus of control is when a person shifts responsibility for everything that happens to external factors and people. He himself has no control over his life and events. Only fate, God, other people and external factors dictate how he will live.

Symptoms of persecution mania

You can recognize persecution mania by the following symptoms:

Strange behavior observed in a person. He complains that someone is reading his letters, hacking his accounts, spying on him, watching him. All this causes him great fear and anxiety.
Disadaptation is when a person isolates himself, loses contact with other people, and isolates himself from them. He even wants to work outside the team.
Complaints about bad behavior of relatives or being persecuted by strange creatures (aliens).
A distortion of reality, which is becoming more and more fantastically saturated.
Blaming other people for your troubles. The patient argues for his failures by saying that he was interfered with by his ill-wishers, who had been planning for a long time how to harm him.
Fear of performing basic actions, for example, turning on an electrical appliance or crossing the road.
Constant readiness to repel the attack of other people.
A change in thinking due to readiness to face unpleasant events. The person constantly talks about some kind of surveillance, failures, attempts on life. Moreover, he waits every minute for this to happen to him.
Non-acceptance of criticism and evaluation of others. It seems to the patient that people act solely out of a desire to harm him.
Pathological jealousy.
Mistrust of people.
Predicting when an unpleasant event will happen and expecting it to happen.
Tension.
The number of people the patient does not trust increases as the disease progresses.

Since the patient is not aware of his situation, believing that those around him are sick and dangerous, he will never turn to a specialist for help. Moreover, even the psychotherapist poses a threat, since, according to the patient, he is in cahoots with his enemies. Thus, first, relatives need to contact a psychiatrist so that he can diagnose the disease and admit the patient to a hospital for further treatment for persecution mania.

First, you need to differentiate the disease from other conditions, for example, alcohol or drug intoxication. Then the patient is admitted to a hospital for further medical treatment with tranquilizers, sedatives and psychotropic drugs, psychotherapy (often family therapy, when all family members participate in consultations), shock therapy in severe cases.

Medicines must be taken constantly, otherwise a relapse is possible. It is also necessary to identify the factors due to which the disease developed in order to eliminate them. Otherwise, treatment will be powerless if the patient continues to be in contact with unfavorable conditions.

If the patient can cause harm to himself or others, then he is placed in a specialized institution. The relatives themselves will not be able to help the patient. When communicating with a paranoid person, you should not argue with him or refute what he believes in, but simply seek help from a specialist. As for folk remedies, they are absent. The disease cannot be cured on its own, but it will progress.

Bottom line

All people are partially afflicted with persecution mania. It seems to many that those around them have nothing better to do than look at them, follow, discuss and plan various dirty tricks. In fact, people have so many problems and worries that they don’t even have time to realize that their eyes are looking somewhere and their ears are hearing something.

A healthy person needs to realize the busyness of the people around him who do not care about him. A sick person needs to be treated with the help of a psychiatrist. There is nothing that relatives and friends can do here except insist on treating the patient, who will naturally think that they want to harm him again.

Most often, most paranoid people consider their relatives, neighbors, work colleagues, secret organizations, and aliens to be pests.

A person with persecution mania becomes withdrawn, suspicious, overly anxious, and unable to adequately assess himself and the environment.

Patients with this type of mental disorder can contact law enforcement agencies in order to warn about their fears, concerns, anxieties and save their lives. Most often, anxiety is excessive and not supported by objective data.

Persecutory delusions are one of the most common forms of mental disorders. Psychiatrist Vladimir Bekhterev diagnosed Joseph Stalin with a severe form of paranoia, talking about the spread of persecution mania among people in power.

Provoking causes: hypotheses and theories

The exact reasons that provoke the development of persecution mania are unknown. To date, only hypotheses have been put forward about the influence of various factors on the human psyche:

hereditary predisposition to mental illness;
features of the organization of the central nervous system;
suffered psycho-emotional traumas - as in most works of psychiatrists it is noted that people who have experienced violence and excessive fear suffer from paranoid delusions;
poisoning with alcohol and its surrogates, which has a negative effect on the human brain and psyche (depending on a person’s psychotype, alcohol to one degree or another increases anxiety and creates mental disorders);
taking narcotic drugs;
poisoning with neurotoxic drugs;
the presence of a victim complex - in this case, the patient feels like a victim and tries to shift some of the responsibility from himself and blame others for his failures;
stress;
brain damage by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease;
consequences of stroke;
unfavorable psycho-emotional atmosphere in the family and at work.

Paranoid people - how they feel and how they look from the outside

Persecutory mania can be identified thanks to characteristic clinical symptoms and signs of delusional ideas. Strange behavior is noted, the patient begins to complain of excessive anxiety. It seems to him that he is constantly being watched, his letters are being opened, his accounts on social networks are being hacked.

Most often, persecution mania is diagnosed in older people who have experienced various brain lesions (stroke, head injury, hemorrhage).

An elderly man feels that his relatives want him dead. The patient may also complain that unreal creatures (vampires, werewolves, aliens) may be following him.

The patient correlates any failures in his life with the activities of ill-wishers who continuously monitor him and cause harm.

Anxiety is at first episodic in nature, but later becomes permanent and causes a person to constantly experience stress and torment others with his anxiety and worry. There is the inventing of various facts about actually occurring events and their distortion.

A person is in constant readiness to repel imaginary attacks from imaginary enemies. Sick people may be afraid to perform various everyday activities, for example, crossing the road, turning on electrical appliances, etc.

Delusions of persecution are characterized by constant anxiety, expressed in constant anticipation of negative tragic events (bankruptcy, serious illness, death). There may be a change in thinking that becomes more thorough. All details and details of surveillance and attempts on the patient’s life are described. However, the stories do not have a clear structure; minor points are emphasized.

Most often, paranoid delusions are accompanied by overvalued ideas that completely take over the person. There is the formation of erroneous ideas that displace human consciousness.

Any form of criticism is not accepted at all; it seems to the patient that all the words and actions of those around him are aimed at harming him.

There are also difficulties with adaptation in the social environment. Interaction between people becomes difficult.

Stages of development and immersion in your fictional world

Persecution mania develops gradually in three stages, each of which has its own symptoms and signs:

The first stage is characterized by the presence of primary signs of the development of paranoia. Closedness, excessive worry, and increased levels of anxiety begin to appear.
In the second stage, symptoms increase. Behavior becomes more restless, the person is unable to interact with others and adapt to society. Fear becomes a constant companion, and open complaints against others begin.
At the third stage, uncontrollable signs of aggression begin and severe depression develops. A special category of patients may attempt suicide due to fears and depression. Behavior becomes suspicious and wary. There is a lack of trust in the people around you. There may be a misinterpretation of current events. The patient does unusual things that are completely inconsistent with everyday habits. It should be especially emphasized that all the thoughts of an individual are concentrated on his exceptional personality and the particularity of his significance for society. Also characteristic is the desire for self-isolation, aimed at limiting the influence of the environment.

At the initial stage of development, persecution mania looks quite harmless, but already during this period the disorder prevents a person from living a full life. Living in constant fear and tension, the patient provokes the development of other mental and somatic diseases. It is especially difficult for relatives and other people who surround such a person.

How to behave to others?

First of all, it is necessary to help a sick person understand his problem and convince him to see a psychotherapist. It is very important to find a specialist who will find an approach to such a patient. The success of treatment and the emotional state of the patient largely depend on the level of trust in psychotherapists and psychiatrists.

You should also monitor the intake and dosage of medications prescribed by your doctor.

It is necessary to be patient and try to provide a favorable psycho-emotional atmosphere. There is no need to show excessive anxiety and negative reactions; all these actions encourage retaliatory attacks of aggression.

Relatives of a patient diagnosed with persecution mania should put themselves in the patient’s shoes, so if a person believes that some secret organization wants to kill him, then there is no need to convince him of the opposite.

Diagnostic methods and therapy

Diagnosis and treatment of persecutory mania is carried out by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Most often, the patient is hospitalized in a neuropsychiatric hospital.

The patient's thinking is carefully examined, a detailed medical history is collected, and the provoking factors of the disease are identified.

It is also necessary to carefully interview relatives in order to identify the characteristics of the course of delusional disorder. A number of laboratory and instrumental studies are carried out:

Treatment is carried out with various groups of drugs. The most commonly used tranquilizers are Nozepam, Spitomin, Atarax and others.

The use of antipsychotics that can suppress delusions of various origins is indicated: Haloperidol, Droperidol, Ariprizole.

Antidepressants have a positive effect on mood and the general mental state of the body: Carbamazepine, Amizol, Amirol, Brintellix and numerous others.

Mood stabilizers are prescribed for significant mood swings and help stabilize it: Zeptol, Actineural.

The most commonly used additional agents are sedatives: extracts of valerian, motherwort, Glycine, Validol.

Monotherapy with psychotherapeutic agents does not have a significant effect. After completing inpatient treatment, interaction with social service workers is necessary.

The consequences of persecution mania are quite serious. This condition is lifelong and requires constant monitoring and daily activities to stabilize the patient's condition.

This section was created to take care of those who need a qualified specialist, without disturbing the usual rhythm of their own lives.

Persecution mania

Persecutory mania is a mental dysfunction that can also be called persecutory delusion. Psychiatrists consider this disorder to be the fundamental signs of mental insanity. Psychiatry understands mania as a mental disorder caused by psychomotor agitation. It can often be accompanied by paranoia or delusional states. Psychology considers any mania as a pathological obsession with a particular phenomenon or a specific subject.

Persecution mania, what is it? In this state, the individual is constantly haunted by obsessive thoughts about the object of desire. An individual suffering from persecution mania is convinced that there is a threat; he is sure that someone is following him or watching him. The danger of the described condition lies in the rapid wear and tear of the body due to lack of rest and peace due to persistent thoughts. In addition, in particularly severe cases of the described disorder, people can pose a danger to the environment and to themselves. Therefore, the question: “how to get rid of persecution mania” is quite relevant to this day.

Causes of persecution mania

The disease in question is a rather complex psychological condition that has not been fully studied to this day. However, modern scientists were still able to identify a number of factors that provoke the emergence of this mental disorder. These include: excessive external locus of control, victim position (complex), learned helplessness, defensive position of the individual.

People may experience short-term attacks of persecutory delusions as a result of drug abuse, alcohol consumption, treatment with certain medications, Alzheimer's disease, or atherosclerosis.

Symptoms of persecution mania

Persecutory mania can be an independent symptom or a manifestation of another pathology.

The state of persecutory delusion is characterized by a number of specific differences:

Adaptation disorder (the patient cannot function normally and live in society);

Inability to adjust from the outside;

Is a violation, and not a figment of human imagination;

There is inventing various facts about reality.

What is the name of persecution mania, in one word? At its core, the illness described is paranoia, which completely captures the human consciousness. Under the influence of a delusional state, a person may refuse to do usual actions, for example, refuse food, believing that it is poisoned. People who are sick may be afraid to cross the road, thinking that they are going to be run over. People suffering from persecution delusions feel that danger awaits them at every turn, that bandits are just waiting for a chance to harm or even kill them. They cannot be dissuaded from their beliefs. Therefore, doctors, answering the question: “how to behave with a patient with persecutory mania,” advise that if the slightest sign appears that allows one to suspect that a loved one has schizophrenia, persecution mania, immediately take such a person to a psychiatrist.

So, the main symptoms of persecution mania are: obsessive thoughts about threats to life and persecution, pathological jealousy, mistrust, aggressiveness, anxiety.

Treatment of persecution mania

To answer the question: “how to get rid of persecution mania,” you first need to make an accurate diagnosis.

Persecutory mania can be diagnosed after a thorough study of the clinical picture of the disease and the patient’s medical history, conversations with the patient’s relatives to describe the manifestations as accurately as possible, identify the presence of harmful addictions (especially drug and alcohol addiction) and cerebrovascular diseases, exclude or confirm the presence of other mental pathologies, conducting electroencephalography, computed tomography of the brain, x-ray examination.

How to treat persecution mania?

Treatment of the described pathology is usually carried out in a hospital setting. It includes drug therapy: tranquilizers, sedatives, psychotropic drugs, psychotherapy (family cognitive-behavioral) and in particularly severe cases - electroconvulsive therapy. All family members participate in family therapy.

For a favorable outcome, systematic use of medications is important, otherwise the disease may have relapses.

In addition, it must be taken into account that most often the pathology in question is provoked by certain factors that must be eliminated before starting therapy.

If drug therapy is successful, the patient is prescribed rehabilitation procedures.

Megalomania

Anthropophobia

Manias. Delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur, hypochondria. Causes, symptoms, diagnosis of mental disorders and treatment.

The site provides reference information. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is possible under the supervision of a conscientious doctor.

Increased mood. Often this is causeless unbridled fun, euphoria. Periodically it is replaced by anger, aggression, and bitterness.
Acceleration of the thought process. Thoughts come frequently, and the intervals between them become shorter. A person seems to jump from one thought to another. Accelerated thinking entails speech excitement (shouting, incoherent speech). People with mania tend to be verbose, willing to communicate about the subject of their desire, but due to racing thoughts and high distractibility, it becomes difficult to understand them.
Physical activity – physical disinhibition and high physical activity. In many patients, it is aimed at obtaining pleasure, which is associated with mania. Psychomotor activity may range from some fussiness to extreme agitation and disruptive behavior. Over time, a person may experience aimless thrashing, fussiness, and fast, poorly coordinated movements.
Lack of a critical attitude towards one's condition. A person considers his behavior to be completely normal even in the presence of significant deviations.

As a rule, mania has an acute onset. The person himself or his loved ones can accurately determine the day when the disorder appeared. If mood swings, physical and speech activity have always been present in a person’s character, then they are properties of his personality, and not manifestations of the disease.

Forms of mania. There are 3 forms of manic episodes depending on the severity of mental changes.

Hypomania (mild degree of mania). Changes last more than 4 days:

joyful, elevated mood, occasionally giving way to irritability;
increased talkativeness, superficial judgments;
increased sociability, desire to make contact;
increased distractibility;
increasing efficiency and productivity, experiencing inspiration;
increased appetite and sexual desire.

Mania without psychotic symptoms (simple mania) changes lasting more than 7 days:

elevated mood, sometimes giving way to irritability and suspicion;
feeling of “jumping thoughts”, a large number of plans;
difficulty concentrating, absent-mindedness;
behavior that goes beyond socially accepted norms, recklessness and looseness that were not previously characteristic;
committing inappropriate actions, craving for adventure, risk. People take on unaffordable projects, spend more than they earn;
high self-esteem, confidence in self-love;
low need for sleep and rest;
heightened perception of: colors, sounds, smells;
motor restlessness, increased physical activity, feeling of energy.

Mania with psychotic symptoms. Requires hospital treatment.

delusions (grandeur, persecution or erotic, etc.);
hallucinations, usually “voices” addressing the patient, less often visions, smells;
frequent mood swings from euphoria to anger or despair;
disturbance of consciousness (oneiric manic state) – disturbance of orientation in time and space, hallucinations intertwined with reality;
superficial thinking - fixation on trifles and inability to highlight the main thing;
speech is accelerated and difficult to understand due to rapid changes of thoughts;
mental and physical stress lead to attacks of anger;
during periods of excitement, a person becomes unavailable for communication.

Mania can progress from mild to severe, but more often the disorder has a cyclical course - after an exacerbation (episode of mania), a phase of attenuation of symptoms begins.

Prevalence of mania. 1% of the world's population has experienced at least one episode of mania. According to some reports, this number reaches 7%. The number of patients among men and women is approximately the same. Most patients are between 25 and 40 years old.

Persecution mania

Reasons

Brain damage:

Injuries;
Encephalitis, brain infections;

Poisoning:

Alcohol;
Drugs – cocaine, marijuana;
Substances with a psychostimulant effect - amphetamines, opiates, corticosteroids, levodopa, bromocriptine.

Mental illnesses:

Schizophrenia;
Neuroses;
Psychoses with paranoid syndrome;

Organic changes in the brain associated with vascular dysfunction:

Senile changes;
Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic predisposition. Congenital features of the structure and functioning of the nervous system, which are accompanied by the appearance of foci of excitation. Signs of persecutory delusions in parents are highly likely to be passed on to their children. In addition, people whose parents suffered from any mental illness may suffer from persecution mania.
Unfavorable psychological environment, stress, especially experienced attacks, attempts on life and property.

Some character traits can contribute to the development of persecution mania:

Suspicion;
Anxiety;
Mistrust;
Vigilance.

Psychiatrists view persecutory mania as a result of an imbalance in the brain, when excitation processes predominate in the cortex. Overstimulation of certain brain centers causes repeated thoughts of danger and delusions of persecution. In this case, the inhibition processes are disrupted, which leads to the loss of certain brain functions - a decrease in critical thinking and the ability to make associations.

Symptoms

Persistent obsessions of persecution that do not disappear with changes in the situation. A person does not feel safe anywhere. The patient is convinced that his ill-wishers are following him everywhere.
Misinterpretation of intentions. Facial expressions, intonation, phrases, gestures, actions of others (one or many) are interpreted as manifestations of intentions directed against the patient.
Search for ill-wishers. In the patient’s imagination, the pursuers may include: family members, neighbors, colleagues, strangers, intelligence officers of other states, police, criminal groups, and the government. In the severe stage (delusions of persecution in schizophrenia), fictional characters appear as ill-wishers: aliens, demons, vampires.
A person can clearly indicate the motives of ill-wishers - envy, revenge, jealousy.
Self-isolation in an attempt to hide from pursuers. A person is trying to hide, to find a safe place. Doesn't leave the house, refuses to communicate, doesn't answer calls, disguises himself. Avoids communicating with people who, in his opinion, may wish him harm.
Collecting facts and evidence that you are right. A person pays close attention to those around him, looking for enemies in them. Monitors their actions and facial expressions.
Night sleep disturbances. During mania, the need for sleep decreases. A person can sleep 2-3 hours a day and feel full of energy.
Depressed state, depression, irritability caused by fear for one’s safety. They can push a person into conflicts with others or into irrational actions - leaving for another city without warning anyone, selling a home.
Motor agitation often accompanies persecutory delusions. During the period of disorder, a person becomes restless, active, and sometimes the activity is of a confused nature (darting around the room).

Which doctor should I contact?

Diagnostics

2. Conversations with loved ones and relatives help to identify behavior patterns that are invisible to the patient himself. For example, when did the first signs of mania appear, were they preceded by stress and trauma, and what changed in behavior.

3. Psychological testing is used to collect additional information about the mental characteristics of the patient. By analyzing the test results, the doctor gets an idea of the patient’s thinking, memory, attention, and emotional characteristics.

A manic episode is diagnosed if the described symptoms of mania (fear of persecution, increased mental and physical activity, mood swings) continue for more than 7 days in a row. With repeated episodes of mania, the disease is considered bipolar affective disorder.

Instrumental studies to study the characteristics of the brain and identify its pathologies that could cause similar symptoms:

Electroencephalography is a measurement of the electrical activity of the brain to assess its functioning, the balance of excitation and inhibition processes.
MRI or CT scan of the brain - to identify pathologies of cerebral vessels and tumors.

Treatment

Psychotherapy for persecution mania

Psychotherapy can be effective for mild forms of the disorder caused by psychological trauma (assault, robbery). In other cases, combined treatment by a psychiatrist with the use of medications is required.

Behavioral psychotherapy

The basis of behavioral (cognitive) psychotherapy is the adoption of new correct and healthy behavior patterns in situations in which a person feels stress caused by thoughts of persecution.

The main condition for successful psychotherapy is the recognition of a mental disorder. A person must understand that he is safe, and obsessive thoughts about ill-wishers are the result of illness. They are just a trace left by excitement that occurs in different parts of the brain.

Once a person has learned to recognize persecutory thoughts, they are taught to change their behavior. For example, if the patient thought that he noticed surveillance in a public place, then he should not hide, but continue his route.

The duration of behavioral psychotherapy is 15 sessions or more until significant progress is achieved. Frequency 1-2 times a week. In most cases, in parallel with psychotherapy, the psychiatrist prescribes treatment with antipsychotics.

Family therapy

The specialist explains to the patient and his family members the nature of the development of the disorder and the characteristics of the course of persecution mania. During the classes, they teach how to interact correctly with the patient so as not to provoke an attack of anger and aggression. Psychological information allows you to create a calm, friendly environment around the patient, which promotes recovery.

Classes are held once a week, a course of 5-10 sessions.

In severe cases, in the presence of delusions and hallucinations, when a person poses a danger to himself and others or is unable to care for himself, treatment in a psychiatric hospital may be required.

Megalomania

Megalomania (delusions of grandeur) can be a separate disease or be one of the symptoms of other psychiatric or neurological diseases.

Reasons

Inflated self-esteem caused by the peculiarities of upbringing, when parents abused praise.
Toxic brain damage:

Alcohol;
Drugs;
Medicines.

Infectious brain damage:

Syphilis;
Tuberculous meningitis.

Pathologies of blood vessels supplying the brain:

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
Multiple sclerosis.

Brain injuries leading to disruption of its functioning.
Stressful situations and psychological trauma, especially suffered in childhood.
Hereditary predisposition. A significant proportion of patients had parents suffering from mental disorders. Features of brain functioning are embedded in genes and are inherited.

Mental illnesses:

Paranoia;
Manic-depressive syndrome;
Schizophrenia;
Bipolar affective disorder;
Affective psychosis.

Thoughts of greatness and exclusivity are the result of the appearance of foci of excitation in different parts of the cerebral cortex. The more intense the electrical potentials circulate, the more often and more persistently obsessions appear and the more strongly they change a person’s behavior.

Symptoms

Delusion of origin - the patient considers himself a descendant of a noble family or the heir of a famous person.
Delusion of falling in love - the patient, without any reason, becomes confident that he has become the object of adoration of a famous artist, politician or person of high social status.
Delirium of invention - the patient is sure that he has invented or can create an invention that will change the life of mankind, eliminate wars and hunger.
Delusion of wealth - a person lives with the idea that he owns huge sums and treasures, while spending much more than he can afford.
Delirium of reformism - the patient seeks to radically change the existing order in the state and the world.
Religious nonsense - a person considers himself a prophet, a messenger of God, the founder of a new religion. In a number of cases, he manages to convince others that he is right and gather followers.
Manichaean delirium - the patient is sure that the forces of good and evil are fighting for his soul, and the result of the decisive battle will be a catastrophe on a universal scale.

Symptoms of megalomania:

Thoughts about one’s own uniqueness and greatness, which can take one of the forms described above.
Narcissism, constant admiration for one’s qualities and merits.
Elevated mood, increased activity, which alternate with periods of depression and passivity. As mania progresses, mood changes occur more frequently.
Increased speech and motor activity, which intensifies even more when discussing the topic of mania.
Need for recognition. In any case, the patient demonstrates his own uniqueness and demands recognition and admiration. If he does not receive due attention, he becomes sullen or aggressive.
A sharply negative attitude towards criticism. Remarks and refutations that relate to the subject of mania are ignored, completely denied, or met with a fit of anger.
Loss of faith in one's own uniqueness leads to depression and can lead to a suicide attempt.
Increased appetite, increased libido and insomnia are the result of stimulation of the nervous system.

Diagnostics

2. Conversation with close people who can describe the characteristics of the patient’s behavior that go beyond generally accepted norms, when the symptoms of the disorder appeared and what provoked them.

3. Experimental psychological examination or psychological testing, which includes:

Research on memory, thinking and attention;
Research of the emotional sphere;
Research into personality structure.

The studies take the form of tests and allow us to study the dynamics of mental processes, which are activated during mania. This is evidenced by increased distractibility, absent-mindedness, an abundance of superficial associations, and a lack of self-criticism.

A megalomania episode is diagnosed if symptoms of the disorder are present for more than 7 days.

Instrumental studies necessary to identify organic brain lesions:

An electroencephalogram is a study of the electrical activity of the brain, which helps determine how pronounced the excitation processes in the cerebral cortex are that cause mania.
CT or MRI to identify cerebrovascular accidents, traumatic brain injuries and organic brain lesions.

Which doctor should I contact?

Treatment

If the harm of grandeur is a symptom of another mental illness, then treatment of the underlying illness (psychosis, schizophrenia) eliminates the manifestations of mania.

Psychotherapy for delusions of grandeur

Megalomania is difficult to treat with psychotherapeutic methods, so they are only secondary.

A behavioral approach together with taking medications can reduce the manifestations of the disease to a minimum.

At the initial stage, a person is taught to recognize and accept his disorder. Then they move on to identifying pathological thoughts and correcting them. For example, the wording “I am a great mathematician” is replaced with “I like mathematics and am working on ...”

A person is instilled with generally accepted models of behavior that allow him to return to normal life: not to react with aggression to criticism, not to tell strangers about his successes and achievements.

The course of treatment includes 10 or more weekly sessions.

Family therapy

Work with the patient and his family members, which allows them to communicate effectively. Thanks to these activities, relationships with loved ones improve, which has a positive effect on the outcome of treatment.

To achieve results you need at least 5 lessons.

Treatment in a psychoneurological hospital is necessary if a person does not understand the severity of his condition and refuses to take medications and visit a psychiatrist.

Hypochondria

Reasons

Psychological trauma caused by a serious illness. Especially if the disease occurred at an early age.
Peculiarities of upbringing when anxious parents show overprotection and excessive concern for the child’s health.
Congenital features of the autonomic nervous system that cause increased sensitivity.
Features of character and temperament. Hypochondriacs have a heightened instinct of self-preservation. They feel neutral signals coming from different organs and pay excessive attention to them, perceiving them as pain. The development of hypochondria is promoted by:

Suspiciousness;
Anxiety;
Suggestibility;
Impressionability.

Mental disorders that are accompanied by increased attention to one’s health:

Neurosis;
Depression;
Early form of schizophrenia.

Overwork, stress and chronic traumatic situations, which increase the vulnerability of the psyche, contribute to the development of hypochondria.

Hypochondria is a “vicious circle”. Worries about one’s health fix a person’s attention on bodily sensations and signals from organs. Strong experiences disrupt the regulation of organ function by the nervous and hormonal systems. These changes cause new unusual sensations (accelerated heartbeat, tingling), which are perceived by the person as confirmation of the disease, which further aggravates the mental state.

Symptoms of hypochondria

They independently diagnose themselves based on information received from friends or the media. They actively collect information about their disease.
They actively seek help from doctors, talking in detail about their feelings and “attributing” symptoms that do not exist. They lead the doctor to make the “necessary” diagnosis, naming the corresponding symptoms drawn from the literature.
They self-medicate, practice traditional methods, take medications at their own discretion or on the advice of friends.
The content of thoughts and conversations revolves around the topic of health. People pay special attention to medical articles and programs.
Confidence in the presence of a diagnosis changes from “possibly” to “definitely exists.” Thus, hypochondria has a cyclical course.
The “diagnosis” can vary within one organ: peptic ulcer, chronic colitis, intestinal polyps, intestinal cancer. Occasionally, pain changes its location: appendicitis, stomach ulcer.
They complain of pain in various organs. They can really feel them, or attribute them to confirm the diagnosis. The most common targets are the cardiovascular system and digestive organs.
The condition of the body is constantly checked. In search of a tumor, they constantly examine and palpate the area where discomfort occurs, which can aggravate the condition.
Avoid activities that they believe may lead to progression of the disease. For example, physical activity, hypothermia.
They are looking for reassurance that they do not have any illness. They contact doctors of various specialties, undergo tests, and undergo various instrumental examinations (ECG, ultrasound, gastroscopy). They ask their friends if they look sick. Such reassurances reduce anxiety somewhat, but this effect does not last long. This shows similarities with obsessive-compulsive syndrome.
Real diseases receive less attention than fictional ones.

Types of hypochondria

Hypochondria, as a manifestation of phobia (fear of getting infected or getting sick) is a type of obsessive doubt.

A person constantly doubts whether he has contracted any disease (flu, tuberculosis, AIDS) or whether he has developed cancer. At the same time, the person realizes that he does not have such a disease, and the risk of its occurrence is extremely small.
Obsessive thoughts about your health constantly arise, which force you to consult a doctor.
If the diagnosis is not confirmed, then the person calms down, but over time, obsessive doubts may arise again, regarding this or another disease.

This condition is classified as neurosis-like and is a mild form of hypochondria.

Hypochondria as part of depression.

Against the background of depression, a person has thoughts that he has developed a serious illness.
Concerns about your own health worsen your mental health.
There are disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the functioning of internal organs, which leads to unpleasant sensations in the area of these organs.
Conviction of a serious condition is enhanced by changes caused by anxiety: redness of the facial skin, palpitations, shortness of breath.
After leaving the state of depression, the pain goes away, and fears about the disease disappear without a trace.

This type of depressive hypochondria is also highly treatable.

Senestopathic hypochondria develops against the background of unpleasant painful sensations in the body that are not associated with a real illness.

Concerns about one's own health develop against the background of mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system - psychopathy, neurosis, schizophrenia, concussion.
Disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system cause unpleasant sensations - chest pain, abdominal pain, pressure in the head, chills, tingling on the skin, disturbances in appetite and sleep. They cause the development of health concerns. Pain appears first, followed by fear of illness.
Fear and apprehension cause deterioration of mental state. A feeling of doom and fear of death develops.

Senestopathic hypochondria tends to progress and is considered a severe form of the disease. Requires treatment of the underlying nervous system disease.

Hallucinatory-paranoid hypochondria is a severe form of the disease and requires treatment by a psychiatrist.

Which doctor should I contact?

Diagnosis of the disorder

When diagnosing hypochondria, it is important to conduct a thorough medical examination to rule out real health problems. Depending on the patient’s complaints, he is referred to:

radiography;
computed tomography;
blood, urine, stool tests.

If the examination results are normal, the person is referred to psychotherapy.

According to the international classification ICD-10, to make a diagnosis of hypochondria, two conditions must be met:

Firm belief in the presence of one or more serious diseases that cause the appearance of one or more symptoms (pain, shortness of breath). This realization is a constant concern. A person cannot be convinced by negative test results or repeated studies.
Refusal to agree with the opinion of doctors of various specialties who claim that the sensations perceived by a person as symptoms are not associated with diseases or developmental abnormalities.

With hypochondriacal mania, 3 or more manic symptoms are additionally diagnosed:

increased activity;
accelerated flow of thoughts;
delirium, the basis of which is disease and anomalies;
inappropriate behavior;
impaired concentration;
sleep disorders;
inflated self-esteem.

If these symptoms are absent, then the person has hypochondria, not hypochondriacal mania.

Treatment of hypochondria

Psychotherapy for hypochondria

Psychotherapy is the main method of treating hypochondria. It is aimed at making the patient understand the fallacy of his fears and change his attitude towards his health. A specialist helps you understand the reasons for your concerns about your health. Most often this is loneliness or lack of attention from loved ones.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

To treat hypochondria, the “imaginary representation” method is successfully used, which allows you to significantly reduce the frequency of obsessive thoughts about the disease and treat them calmly, without trying to control them. The very unsuccessful attempts to get rid of thoughts about the disease cause anxiety and worsen the patient’s condition.

Short stories are written based on obsessions and fears. For example, about contracting AIDS or developing cancer. These stories are recorded on a voice recorder so that a person can listen to them later, immersing himself in the situation. Over time, addiction sets in, and the fear of getting sick decreases.

In exposure and response prevention treatment, a person is asked to do something they are trying to avoid. Stay in public places if you are afraid of getting viral infections, travel on public transport if you are afraid of germs, perform moderate physical activity if you are afraid of a heart attack.

The course of treatment for hypochondria consists of sessions 1-2 times a week. Classes can be individual or group (up to 5 people).

Hypnotherapy

At the preparatory stage, the therapist identifies negative thoughts associated with an imaginary illness. On their basis, a text of hypnotic suggestion is compiled, which is subsequently used in sessions to change the patient’s attitudes and worldview.

To treat hypochondria, up to 14 sessions are required with a frequency of 1-2 per week.

Drug treatment of hypochondria

Drug treatment is aimed at improving the interaction between the central and autonomic nervous systems. Its goal is to reduce anxiety and eliminate discomfort in the body caused by stimulation of the nervous system.

Self-help methods for hypochondria

Do not watch medical programs, do not read literature. Additional information gives rise to new experiences.
Do not watch advertisements for medications and treatment methods.
Use self-hypnosis. Before going to bed, repeat verbal formulas for 3-5 minutes: “I am healthy. All my organs are working perfectly.”

The term "persecution mania" is not a nosological unit. From a scientific point of view, this phenomenon is called "delusion of persecution." In the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), there is no separate nosological form, which means that delirium should not be considered a separate pathology. Delirium is a syndrome that manifests itself in a wide variety of mental diseases. Among all forms, persecutory delusions are the most common.

Etiology

It should be understood that it is impossible to objectively identify a specific etiological factor causing the development of delusions of persecution. Today, psychiatrists are putting forward theories that can explain how various factors influence the development of mania:

hereditary predisposition to mental illnesses;
unfavorable psycho-emotional atmosphere at home and/or at work;
individual characteristics of the central nervous system;
a history of psycho-emotional trauma (episodes of violence, mentally ill people in the immediate environment);
chronic alcohol and drug intoxication;
organic diseases, for example, an oncological process affecting the brain;
extreme or chronic stressful situations;
previous ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke of the brain.

What do patients with persecution mania feel?

Very often, persecution mania is observed in people of mature age and old people with the presence of organic brain damage (tumor process, traumatic brain injury, etc.).

The presence of persecutory delusions in a person can be noticed by people close to him. The appearance of unusual behavior for the patient and negative statements directed at a particular subject are noted. The man accuses the national security services of total control over his personal life. In the realities of today, patients with delusions of persecution are overly fearful for their information security: it seems to them that their correspondence is being read and can be used for personal gain in order to cause harm to the patient.

For older people, the main phobia is the fear of death at the hands of loved ones: the patient thinks that his relatives want to get rid of him in order to take possession of his property. Another patient may suspect beings from the outside world are following him, and he develops a disturbance in his worldview.

The famous writer Ernest Hemingway suffered from persecution delusions, but immediately after his death it turned out that American intelligence agencies had actually been following him for quite a long time.

Delusions of persecution can make a person distrustful, anxious and aggressive. There are often cases when such people change from one type of public transport to another, because they constantly feel the presence of ill-wishers watching them. In this regard, patients’ quality of life sharply decreases, which they are unlikely to tell a psychiatrist about, since growing anxiety and distrust of other people can lead a person to self-isolation. Patients quite often visit police stations and write complaints to various authorities and authorities. Not receiving the expected response, they almost completely close themselves off from the outside world.

Main symptoms: increasing anxiety, mistrust, tendency to isolation.

A characteristic feature is the lack of clear structuring of the narrative. When describing the details of the “surveillance”, patients place emphasis on minor points, leaving out the main ones. Their stories are devoid of logical and chronological guidelines.

Paranoid delusions are accompanied by ideas of an overvalued nature. It becomes impossible to dissuade such patients - paranoid ideas displace common sense, forcing a person to rank his friends, relatives and even a psychiatrist among the ranks of ill-wishers.

Stages of development of persecution mania

This pathological syndrome develops over several successive stages.

Stage	Description
First stage	It is characterized by the appearance of initial paranoid signs: isolation and distrust of others, anxiety.
Second stage	The clinical picture is getting worse. The patient becomes more anxious, gradually losing the ability to interact with the world.
Third stage	The patient shows pronounced aggression towards those whom he considers his ill-wishers. The general mental state is extremely deteriorating: severe depression may develop, the patient is bothered by obsessive thoughts of suicide. Wariness towards others and anxiety reach a critical level, forcing a person to completely isolate himself from civilized society.

At the initial stages of the development of a pathological condition, a person’s behavior looks harmless and rarely attracts the close influence of relatives, especially if the patient is aged. As the disease grows, it provokes increased signs of paranoia, preventing the patient from integrating into society. Isolated from the outside world, the patient becomes incapable of living a full life.

What can relatives do?

To help a person return to normal life, it is necessary to recognize the problem and seek help from a psychiatrist.

Often such patients treat both their family and their attending physician with great distrust, considering them to be “involved” in a conspiracy with their persecutors. In no case should you behave aggressively with the patient or play along: the delusional sequence that the person adheres to will be destroyed, and he will mistake the person playing along for a spy sent by ill-wishers to lull vigilance.

When a person shows the first signs of persecutory mania, he should immediately seek help from an experienced psychiatrist.

After prescribing treatment, you should strictly monitor the implementation of all recommendations, including monitoring the intake of medications. To create a favorable atmosphere in the house, you should work hard: to rid the patient of any suspicion, not to bother him, but also not to avoid contact, try to remain neutral, and in no case play along.

Diagnosis and treatment

If a person is suspected of having persecutory delusions, the following diagnostic methods are performed.

Method	Description
Conversation directly with the patient	The psychiatrist, as carefully as possible, in order to prevent mistrust, interviews the patient. He finds out what exactly is bothering him and is interested in other complaints. Carefully collects the patient's life history, paying special attention to the presence of mental illnesses in close relatives. Determines the nature of persecutory delusions and its stage
Conversation with family	Necessary to verify the information received from the patient. The doctor clarifies the points of interest to him, finds out when relatives began to notice changes in the behavior of their loved one, whether there were traumatic episodes in the past, etc.
Psychological tests	A variety of tests are used by the doctor to clarify the patient’s mental state and collect data on the state of the patient’s higher nervous activity (memory, thought processes, etc.). A manic episode is diagnosed if the clinical picture continues for more than seven days continuously.
Instrumental methods	Aimed at determining the cause of the disease (organic pathology of the brain, etc.): · Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method used to measure the electrical activity of the brain in order to diagnose its functioning. Encephalography method (EEG) · Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) – methods of obtaining layer-by-layer images of the organ or tissue being examined, aimed at accurately identifying the cause that can cause such symptoms. Computed tomography (CT) method. The dotted line and marker indicate a tumor that may cause persecutory delusions

Treatment of patients with persecutory mania is based on the complex use of psychotherapeutic and medicinal methods:

Method

Description

Psychotherapeutic

Prescribed for the first and second stages of mental disorder.

If the patient has first-degree persecutory delusions, it is possible to use exclusively psychotherapeutic techniques without medications.

The method of cognitive psychotherapy is based on conversations with the patient, instilling in him a healthy model of behavior in stressful situations. The patient needs to realize and admit that he has a mental disorder. It is necessary to convince the person that he is under protection, and the obsessive thoughts that torment him are a manifestation of the disease.

Realizing that thoughts of persecution are wrong, the patient accepts a new pattern of behavior. For example, he does not change from one metro line to another if it seems to him that pursuers are traveling in the same carriage with him.

Family psychotherapy is aimed at creating a favorable mental atmosphere around the patient, explaining to the family the nature of the pathology, and teaching how to properly interact with the patient.

Medication

Typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs are used (haloperidol, chlorpromazine, carbidine, etc.).

The attending physician selects the specific drug and its dosage strictly individually.

A mental disorder in which a person believes that they are being watched and want to harm him is called persecutory delusion (Latin persecutio - persecution). It is much better known as persecution mania. The patient is convinced that he is being terrorized by someone alone or by a whole group of people with evil intentions - colleagues, neighbors, some secret organization, unfamiliar subjects, animals and even inanimate objects. The “suspects” mock him, want to rob him, kill him, or do something else bad.

For example: a person suffering from delusions of persecution comes to the cinema, there are people around, whispering, accidentally glance at him, laugh, look at the screen. And it seems to the patient that the spectators sitting in the hall are planning something bad against him and are agreeing on how to do it. The individual’s psyche is on edge, he cannot stand it and leaves the cinema without watching the film to the end.

The most famous patient with persecution mania is the great philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau. After writing the book “Emil, or about education,” in which he proposed replacing repressive methods of education with encouragement and affection, he had serious conflicts with the church and state. Suspicious from birth, Jean-Jacques began to assume conspiracies against himself everywhere, because he believed that his acquaintances and friends were plotting evil. So, while wandering, one day he was visiting the castle, and at that time one of the servants died there. Russo demanded that the man be autopsied, confident that he was suspected of poisoning the man.

The first to describe delusions of persecution was the French psychiatrist Ernest Charles Lasegue in 1852. Physiologist Ivan Pavlov believed that its appearance is associated with such a chronic pathology as deviations in the functioning of the brain. This mental illness is considered one of the most severe and is considered in psychiatry as a manifestation of chronic psychosis - paranoia.

This disorder occurs in old age and accompanies a person until the end of his life, with alternating periods of remission and exacerbation.

The patient looks from the outside as a completely normal person, and he is aware of his actions. But he perceives reality inadequately and invents some facts. Rich imagination has nothing to do with it in this case. An individual’s “crooked logic” cannot be corrected from the outside - he does not listen to any arguments.

Paranoia develops: the patient is afraid to eat food (what if it is poisoned), cross the road (criminals in a car might hit you), etc. He seems to live in his own world, his thoughts are anxious, but his mind is quite clear. Such a person diligently hides the “gnawing” fear inside himself, but tormented by fears and obsessive thoughts, he strives in every possible way to avoid a seemingly dangerous situation and protect himself.

Pursuant delusions can be an independent disorder or a symptom of any mental disorder, among which schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease occupy the first places.

Persecutory mania, according to WHO, is diagnosed in 44 million older people worldwide. The majority of patients live in the USA (5.3 million pensioners aged 75 to 80) and Western Europe.

Reasons

Psychiatrists have not come to a consensus on the causes of the development of this mental disorder. Some of them blame dysfunction of the brain, or rather, those parts of the brain that are responsible for human conditioned reflex activity. Others are inclined to the peculiarities of the central nervous system of patients, leading to deviations in the form of mental illness.

Currently, factors contributing to the development of persecution mania have been identified:

Victim complex. A person develops such a complex due to constant insults and humiliations. This has been happening for a long time. The individual is afraid of doing something wrong, avoids making independent decisions, and blames anyone but himself for his misfortunes.
A high external locus of control, that is, a person is confident that his life is completely controlled by someone else, providence, or any external force. People with an internal locus of control determine their own destiny and are rarely susceptible to developing delusions of persecution.
A defensive personality perceives the most harmless words and actions towards them as an insult or threat, which makes them immediately defend themselves.
Learned helplessness is a feeling of powerlessness that accompanies a victim complex. Such people no longer believe that external causes are to blame for all their problems - they have developed a victim mentality, a feeling that they are unable to stop or change what is happening.

The cause of persecution mania may be:

Symptoms

As already mentioned, a person suffering from persecutory delusions can live with his problem alone for years. He perfectly understands the falsity of his thoughts and carefully controls his own behavior. None of those around him have any idea about the borderline mental state of such an individual, since everything seems to be fine with him in his personal life and work.

But this happens extremely rarely. Typically, persecution mania manifests itself with the following symptoms:

suspicion;
excessive jealousy;
thoughts about a threat to life;
suspiciousness;
strangeness of actions;
aggressiveness;
anxiety and panic attacks;
insomnia;
mental disorder;
litigiousness;
isolation;
distrust;
suicide attempts.

The patient is characterized by a constant feeling of persecution and threat. The obsessive state and anxiety are increasing. A delusional mood turns into a mania of persecution, and this is defined as follows: a person can name exactly when and how they began to be persecuted, describe the nuances of the “attempt” and what results it gave.

All this develops gradually, and the source of the threat may change: first it comes from a loved one, then it expands to neighbors and other people, and then it acquires “universal proportions.” That is, literally everyone around them is part of the conspiracy.

A person changes personally: he becomes suspicious, aggressive, always tense, commits actions unusual for him and cannot explain for what purposes.

The disease develops in stages:

Stage I. Anxiety appears and the patient withdraws into himself.

Stage II. A person cannot communicate with relatives, go to work, and becomes an antisocial person.

Stage III. The condition becomes severe: boundless fear, depression, attacks of insanity. The patient tries to harm someone or attempt suicide.

The mental state of a patient with persecutory mania in severe cases is very dangerous both for him and for those around him, therefore requiring the intervention of specialists and even hospitalization.

Diagnosis of persecution mania

Having noticed signs of this disorder in a loved one, you should not even try to convince him: the patient is so convinced of the general hostility towards him that any evidence will be “in the air.” Therefore, you should not waste time on empty shaking of air, but it is better to immediately consult a doctor for psychiatric help. You cannot miss precious days: strengthening delusional ideas in the patient’s mind only aggravates the situation.

Only a psychiatrist can accurately determine persecution mania by conducting psychological and instrumental procedures.

The doctor will carefully examine the patient’s symptoms and medical history and communicate with his relatives. Particular attention is paid to the presence of a genetic predisposition to diseases of the brain and mental health, bad habits. It is important to find out the nature of the delirium and how the patient himself relates to his problem.

Testing is used as additional information to determine the patient’s current state of mind: characteristics of his emotional sphere, memory, mental activity, etc.

Instrumental studies imply:

CT or MRI of the brain (will reveal a tumor or vascular pathology);
electroencephalography - it will allow you to assess the functioning of the brain by the degree of its activity.

Treatment

It is immediately worth noting that, despite the thorough study of persecutory delusions, the method of treating it has not been thoroughly worked out. That is, there is no single effective way to get rid of it.

Drug therapy is used in more severe cases. It involves the prescription of psychotropic drugs that relieve fears, relieve anxiety, and improve sleep.

Antipsychotics reduce the level of arousal in the brain, eliminate thoughts of persecution, and suppress delusions.
Anticonvulsants suppress areas of excitation in the brain.
Antipsychotics calm, normalize the psyche, and inhibit excitement.
Antidepressants improve your mood.
Tranquilizers and mood stabilizers relieve anxiety and stabilize the condition.

Nowadays they mainly use the latest drugs with minor side effects, such as: Etaperazine, Tizercin, Triphasin, etc. The dose and medication are prescribed to each patient strictly individually.

If the above methods are ineffective, ECT is performed - electroconvulsive therapy: electrodes are connected to the brain through which an electric current is passed. This is done only with the consent of the patient or his relatives, as there is a risk of memory loss.

There is another method of treatment, quite controversial. Schizophrenics with persecutory delusions are given insulin injections. The dose of the drug is increased so that the patient gradually falls into a coma. When this happened, he was injected with glucose to get out of this state. This option is used extremely rarely, because there is a risk of patient death. In addition, many specialists are skeptical about insulin therapy as a cure.

For mild forms of the disorder, psychotherapy is indicated, the success of which depends on the patient’s recognition of their illness. He must realize that it is she who causes obsessive thoughts - the consequences of excitation of different parts of the brain. In fact, the patient is completely safe, and no one threatens him.

Cognitive psychotherapy aims to help the patient learn the correct model of action in a situation in which he experienced thoughts of persecution. He is taught to change his behavior. For example, an individual felt that he was being followed, but instead of running away and hiding, he needed to calmly continue doing his business.

As a rule, progress occurs after fifteen sessions with a frequency of one to two times a week.

Family therapy is also needed. In classes held once a week, the cause of the disease and its features are explained to the patient and his family members. Relatives receive skills to interact with the patient, what to do to avoid an attack of aggression, and how to create a friendly environment in the family. Course – 10 sessions.

Neuroleptics are usually prescribed in parallel with psychotherapy.

Persecution mania cannot be completely cured, but by taking timely measures, you can stop this mental disorder and live a normal life.

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Persecutory mania is a symptom of psychopathic disorders. Treatment of stalking mania: symptoms and signs Can stalking mania go away over time?

Causes of persecution mania

Symptoms of persecution mania

Treatment of persecution mania

General information

Possible reasons

Characteristic manifestations

Diagnostics

Ways to fight

Definition

What is persecution?

The difference between mania and delirium

Symptoms

Etiology

Therapy

Symptoms and signs of delusions (“mania”) of persecution

Treatment of persecution mania

Causes of persecution mania

Symptoms of persecution mania

Diagnosis of persecution mania

Treatment of persecution mania

What is persecution mania?

Causes of persecution mania

Symptoms of persecution mania

Bottom line

Provoking causes: hypotheses and theories

Paranoid people - how they feel and how they look from the outside

Stages of development and immersion in your fictional world

How to behave to others?

Diagnostic methods and therapy

Persecution mania

Causes of persecution mania

Symptoms of persecution mania

Treatment of persecution mania

Megalomania

Anthropophobia

Categories

Manias. Delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur, hypochondria. Causes, symptoms, diagnosis of mental disorders and treatment.

Persecution mania

Reasons

Symptoms

Which doctor should I contact?

Diagnostics

Treatment

Megalomania

Reasons

Symptoms

Diagnostics

Which doctor should I contact?

Treatment

Hypochondria

Reasons

Symptoms of hypochondria

Types of hypochondria

Which doctor should I contact?

Diagnosis of the disorder

Treatment of hypochondria

Etiology

What do patients with persecution mania feel?

Stages of development of persecution mania

What can relatives do?

Diagnosis and treatment

Reasons

Symptoms

Diagnosis of persecution mania

Treatment