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Signs &symptoms of Mental Illness
Signs &symptoms of Mental Illness
MENTAL ILLNESS
Disorder of thought
Disorder of memory
Disorder of mood
Disorder of perception
Disorder of affect
Disorder of motor
activity
Disorder of perception
-False sensory perception in the absence of
external stimulus-Hallucination
-It may affect any of 5 senses
1.
Contd
2. Visual H- [sight], {delirium}
-see things that are not present
3. Tactile H- [touch], {alcoholism}
delirium
-feels insects crawling on the
skin, people touching her
4. Olfactory H- [smell]
-smells something that is not
present
5. Gustatory H [taste]
-tasted something that is not
present
Disorder of perception
Illusion:
An abnormal perception caused by a sensory
misinterpretation of actual stimulus.
e.g. shadows is perceived as ghost
e.g. rope is perceived as snake
( illusion are more common when there is a
reduced level of consciousness, for example in
delirium)
Thinking
Normal human thinking has FOUR charecteristic:
1. Content: what is being thought about.
2.
3.
4.
Disorder of thought
1.
Circumstantiality:
-The patient takes too long to reach goal. He gives too
many unnecessary details but never loses track of the
topic in hand.
Thought blocking:
-An unpleasant experience of having ones flow of
thought is suddenly stopped.
Contd
Flight of ideas:
Characterized by accelerated flow of thoughts
associated with pressure of speech and ideas shift from
one topic to another rapidly.
Derailment:
Slow and progressive digression from original topic.
Incoherence:
Lacks cohesiveness and grammar-meaningless
sentence.
Contd
Tangentiality:
Here reply to a question starts with an irrelevant answer not
related to a question and patient gives the right or relevant
reply at some point and then again moves on to something
unrelated.
Neologism:
Invention of new words.
Perseveration:
Repitition of same word to different question.
Empty speech:
Speech gives no information though speech is normal.
Disorder of content
(Delusions)
A
Contd
Unworthiness
Contd
Persecutory-
Disorders of Possession
Thought
Contd
Obsession:
-Repetitive, persistent ideas, impulses or
images present in mind against his will.
Compulsion:
-An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of
the rationality of the motivation.
-Repetitive, persistent thoughts-activities
done (hand washing repeatedly)
Disorders of affect
Affect
-the external expression of such a feeling
Appropriate affect
-same as the situation of speech/ idea
Inappropriate affect
-crying while reporting feelings of joys
Labile affect
-rapid change in feeling
Blunted affect
-no feeling/ response to external situation (severe reduction)
Flat affect
-lack of emotional response to pleasant external stimuli
Contd
Depression-
sadness
Anxiety- feeling of apprehension without a
cause.
Apathy- dull emotional state (dont care about
surroundings)
Ambivalence-two opposite emotions toward
same person, object or situation.
Hyper activity
-increased motor
activity
Stereotypy
-repeated movements
(no significance)
Contd
Mannerism
Contd
Psychomotor agitation
-restlessness associated with irritability (patient
walk up & down, cant stand still)
Psychomotor retardation
-very slow motor activity (speech
slow, monotonous, sit motionless)
Catatonic (stupor)
-markedly reduced movements
Contd
Posturing
-adoption of unusual bodily postures for an unusually
long time
Waxy flexibility
-patients limbs can be placed in any position, remains
in that position untill asked to change
Echopraxia
-imitation of interviewers movements
Echolalia
-imitation of interviewers speech
Negativism
-automatic resistance to all request (asked to show
tongue, tightly clenching jaw)
Memory disorders
Amnesia:
-a total or partial loss of memory following
physical injury, disease, drug, or psychological
trauma.
Anterograde amnesia:
-loss of memory due to any cause.
e.g. brain trauma.
Retrograde amnesia:
-loss of memory for a period of time prior to any
cause.
Contd
Confabulation
- filling memory gaps with
fantasy story
Dj vu
- the experience of
thinking that a new
situation had occurred
before.
Other Terminologies
Abuse:
Contd
Addiction:
-a maladaptive, compulsive dependence on a
substance (alcohol, other drugs) or behavior
(gambling,spending)
Agnosia:
-loss of comprehension of auditory, visual or
other sensation, although senses are intact.
Anhedonia:
-loss of pleasure and interest in activities
previously enjoyed in life.
Contd
Empathy:
-projecting sensivity and
understanding of
anothers feeling.
Insight:
-the ability tp perceive
oneself realistically and to
understand oneself and
the motives behind ones
behavior.
Contd
Psychosis:
-inability to recognize reality, bizarre behaviors or inability
to deal with lifes demand.
Neurosis:
-group of disorders where the disturbance of mental
functions is mild.
Anorexia nervosa:
-eating disorder
characterized by
excessive dieting and by
exercising.
Bulimia nervosa:
-an obsession with
thinness and a
compulsive cycle of
bingeing (eating much)
and purging (vomit back).