Persecutory delusions
Encyclopedia
Persecutory delusions are a delusion
al condition in which the affected person believes they are being persecuted
. Specifically, they have been defined as containing two central elements:
According to the DSM-IV-TR, persecutory delusions are the most common form of delusions in schizophrenia
, where the person believes "he or she is being tormented, followed, tricked, spied on, or ridiculed." In the DSM-IV-TR, persecutory delusions are the main feature of the persecutory type of delusional disorder
. When the focus is to remedy some injustice by legal action, they are sometimes called "querulous paranoia".
In cases where reporters of stalking
behavior have been judged to be making false reports, a majority of them were judged (by the same people) to be delusional.
If the delusion results in imprisonment or involuntary commitment
, the person may feel justified in their belief.
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
al condition in which the affected person believes they are being persecuted
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
. Specifically, they have been defined as containing two central elements:
- The individual thinks that harm is occurring, or is going to occur.
- The individual thinks that the persecutor has the intention to cause harm.
According to the DSM-IV-TR, persecutory delusions are the most common form of delusions in schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, where the person believes "he or she is being tormented, followed, tricked, spied on, or ridiculed." In the DSM-IV-TR, persecutory delusions are the main feature of the persecutory type of delusional disorder
Delusional disorder
Delusional disorder is an uncommon psychiatric condition in which patients present with circumscribed symptoms of non-bizarre delusions, but with the absence of prominent hallucinations and no thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect...
. When the focus is to remedy some injustice by legal action, they are sometimes called "querulous paranoia".
In cases where reporters of stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
behavior have been judged to be making false reports, a majority of them were judged (by the same people) to be delusional.
If the delusion results in imprisonment or involuntary commitment
Involuntary commitment
Involuntary commitment or civil commitment is a legal process through which an individual with symptoms of severe mental illness is court-ordered into treatment in a hospital or in the community ....
, the person may feel justified in their belief.
See also
- Grandiose delusionsGrandiose delusionsGrandiose delusion or delusions of grandeur is principally a subtype of delusional disorder that can occur as a wide range of mental illness, including in two thirds of those in manic state of bipolar disorder, half those with schizophrenia and a substantial portion of those with substance abuse...
- ParanoiaParanoiaParanoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
- QuerulantQuerulantA querulant is a person who obsessively feels wronged, particularly about minor causes of action. In particular the term is used for those who repeatedly petition authorities or pursue legal actions based on manifestly unfounded grounds...
- Black HelicoptersBlack HelicopterBlack Helicopter is a United States Boston, Massachusetts based hard rock band on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! independent record label. The band performed at North East Sticks Together in 2005 and 2006....