Having met many people in my
lifetime and having dealt with a good percentage of them, as well as having had
personal relationships with some ... on occasion a delusional person crosses my
path. I think the most frustrating element of this type of person is it
is impossible to have an amenable discussion or a meeting of the minds with
him/her. Impossible. Below are some descriptions of delusional disorder taken
from WebMD.com.
"Delusional disorder, previously called paranoid disorder, is a type of
serious mental illness involving a specific kind of psychosis. Psychosis is the
inability to tell what is real from what is imagined. The main feature of
delusional disorder is the presence of delusions -- unshakable beliefs in
something untrue. People with delusional disorder experience non-bizarre
delusions, which involve situations that could occur in real life, such as
being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a
distance. These delusions usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions
or experiences. In reality, however, the situations are either not true at all
or highly exaggerated."
One of my previous neighbors, in
her late forties and living with her mother, was delusional in the sense that
she believed a film star was going to marry her, she was actually planning on
it, said they were engaged. (I've had two friends like this.) When I asked her
if she'd heard that the actor had just married someone else, she said he did it
for publicity and it was a front. Now, I knew there was no way that hunk would
have had any interest in my neighbor, just not possible, and I won't go into
the reasons here. Just believe me, it was not possible. She was delusional, big
time. This is called:
Erotomanic Type: delusions
that another person, usually of higher status, is in love with the
individual
Another quote from WebMD ...
"People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and
function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do
not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with
other psychotic disorders, who also might have delusions as a symptom of their
disorder. In some cases, however, people with delusional disorder might become
so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted."
One other type of delusional
persons I've known are those that don't see things as they really are, feel
they are being mistreated, creating their own reality and nothing can dissuade
them. Exaggeration is a huge part of their dialog. They'll even take what
is said or done and twist it, putting their own slant on it, and then pass that
on to others. Very perplexing to say the least, but nothing you can change
or address. They also pick and choose what to remember. They can't tell
what is real or imagined. This is called:
Persecutory Type: delusions
that the person is being malevolently treated in some way
One person I knew would make a
statement about something that you wouldn't necessarily agree with and didn't
care to comment on, and if you didn't say anything she would keep talking and
would interpret your silence as if you were in agreement. My friends and
I knew the person did this to everybody, we all knew it. So if she said so and
so told her this or that, which was her habit, we knew better. She was
delusional.
I also knew a gal who believed evil
witches were after her. Black crows signified their presence, even black SUVs
passing by the house carried witches. Oh boy! That was quite an
experience ... she was a roommate, and very paranoid and delusional in
several ways.
Then there are those who believe
they have serious medical problems and exaggerate every time a minor illness
strikes. We've all known this type of delusional disorder existing in at
least one of our friends or family members. I've known quite a few. This
is called:
Somatic Type: delusions that
the person has some physical defect or general medical condition
Sad to say . . . a
delusional disorder is harmful to the one owning it AND to those who are on the
other side of it. No one wins. As an onlooker or recipient, you have no defense
from a delusional person's attack, especially if he/she isn't being treated.
But realizing that the person has this disorder and separating yourself from
it's effects, if you can, is the best recourse for you. Not easy
sometimes, and not very pleasant to end contact, but in most cases, necessary
in my book.
