Hallucinations are the perception of a nonexistent object or event and sensory experiences that are not caused by stimulation of the relevant sensory organs. The word “hallucination” comes from Latin and means “to wander mentally.” In layman’s terms, hallucinations involve hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, or even tasting things that are not real. Auditory hallucinations, which … Read more
Bipolar psychosis is the loss of contact with reality in which the person cannot distinguish between real and imagined. Symptoms include delusions (believing something that is not real) and/or hallucinations (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, or tasting something that is not real).1 Psychosis usually accompanies episodes of extreme mania in people with bipolar I disorder (the … Read more
What Is Bruxism? Bruxism is a repetitive movement disorder in which a person routinely grinds, clenches, or gnashes their teeth using the jaw muscles.1 Bruxism can involve all the teeth or only the front teeth and can also include symptoms ranging from headaches or facial pain to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Certain medications increase the … Read more
Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality, typically including delusions (false ideas about what is taking place or who you are) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there). It impacts the way that the brain processes information. When experiencing psychosis, people may hear, see, feel, or believe things that are not real.1 Psychosis is a symptom associated … Read more
Clang associations are groupings of words, usually rhyming words, that are based on similar-sounding sounds, even though the words themselves don’t have any logical reason to be grouped together.1 A person who is speaking this way may be showing signs of psychosis in bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. In bipolar disorder, clang associations generally appear in psychotic episodes … Read more
We tend to think of bipolar disorder as a disease characterized by alternating bouts of depression and mania. While it is true that some people with the disorder will experience a distinctive pendulum swing in moods, with clear highs and lows, more often than not the clinical picture will not be so obvious. Overview In many cases, the depressive episodes … Read more
In people with bipolar disorder, mania and hypomania can comprise various symptoms, from reckless spending to sexual promiscuity. In addition, some more subtle symptoms may also occur, such as the belief held by some patients that everything occurring around them is related somehow to them when in fact it isn’t.1 This symptom is known as ideas of reference. An extension of … Read more
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that causes symptoms of uncontrolled facial movements, such as repetitive tongue movements, chewing or sucking motions, and involuntarily making faces. It may also involve movements of the limbs or torso.1 Tardive dyskinesia is caused by the long-term use of neuroleptic drugs as well as other drugs that increase … Read more
A delusion is a false belief that a person firmly holds to be true, regardless of whether it is actually true or even possible. Someone who is delusional will hold on tight to such a belief even if other people are able to logically explain why it’s false. There is a recognized mental illness called delusional disorder … Read more
Rapid cycling is a form of bipolar disorder characterized by frequent mood swings. It is diagnosed when a person with bipolar disorder experiences four or more mood episodes within a twelve-month period. An episode may consist of depression, mania, or hypomania. To be formally diagnosed, these episodes need to be demarcated by either a period of remission or switch to … Read more