The presence of delusions in serious clinical conditions is usually one of the main reasons for consultation that appear in medical and psychological offices. Often, these complex mental structures can pose a serious risk to the development of daily life. In this sense, many people report strange and paradoxical sensations in the body that become indescribable. Likewise, the persistence of implausible ideas that cannot be verified in reality is a worrying aspect for both suffering patients and mental health professionals. The need to help those who are suffering from these types of problems invites us to rethink concepts and produce new forms of understanding.
In this Psychology For article we will provide you with information about the 5 types of delusions and their characteristics
The delusions are firm, rigid and unbreakable beliefs on different aspects of reality that can be sustained over time. Unlike doubt, delusions have certainty as their distinctive feature, which gives them a character of incontrovertible veracity. In other words, the person who has delusions lacks deep and adequate reflection on thought, concluding in ideas that cannot be questioned by anyone.
Although there is empirical evidence that delusional ideas are not true, their unbreakable character prevents them from losing value over time. For this reason, the crucial aspect that stands out accounts for the interpretation of the facts of reality. It is not that there are no reasons to adopt a specific belief, but rather that the processing of information from reality is distorted.
Difference between delirium and hallucination
Taking as reference what was described above, it is important to establish differences with hallucinations. On the one hand, delusions are based on perception with objects, real people or situations. For example, firmly believing that you are being followed by secret agents, despite there being no real evidence to support it.
However, hallucinations can have various nuances and have as their main axis the perception without objects or people of reality. In more practical terms, these are images, smells and/or sounds that do not exist. An example of hallucinations could be hearing voices talking or commenting on things without any external source making these sounds. Here you will find more information about the Difference between delirium and hallucination.
