nihilistic delusion

nihilistic delusion

[nī′hilis′tik]

Etymology: L, nihil, nothing, icus, form of, deludere, to deceive

a persistent denial of the existence of particular things or of everything, including oneself, as seen in various forms of schizophrenia. A person who has such a delusion may believe that he or she lives in a shadow or limbo world or that he or she died several years ago and that only the spirit, in a vaporous form, really exists. See also delusion.

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Cotard Delusion

A rare delusional disorder linked to depression, suicidal ideation, sleep deprivation or derealisation, in which a person believes he/she is dead or dying, doesn’t exist, is putrefying, or has lost his/her blood or internal organs
Management Tricyclic antidepressants, serotoninergics

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delusion [dĕ-loo´zhun]

a false belief that is firmly maintained in spite of incontrovertible and obvious proof to the contrary and in spite of the fact that other members of the culture do not share the belief. adj., adj delu´sional.

bizarre delusion one that is patently absurd, with no possible basis in fact.

delusion of control the delusion that one's thoughts, feelings, and actions are not one's own but are being imposed by someone else or some other external force.

depressive delusion a delusion that is congruent with a predominant depressed mood, such as a delusion of serious illness, poverty, or spousal infidelity.

erotomanic delusion a delusional conviction that some other person, usually of higher status and often famous, is in love with the individual; it is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

fragmentary d's unconnected delusions not organized around a coherent theme.

delusion of grandeur (grandiose delusion) delusional conviction of one's own importance, power, or knowledge, or that one is, or has a special relationship with, a deity or a famous person. It is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

delusion of jealousy a delusional belief that one's spouse or lover is unfaithful, based on erroneous inferences drawn from innocent events imagined to be evidence and often resulting in confrontation with the accused. It is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

mixed delusion one in which no central theme predominates. It is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

delusion of negation (nihilistic delusion) a depressive delusion that the self, part of the self, part of the body, other persons, or the whole world has ceased to exist.

paranoid d's an older term for delusion of grandeur and delusion of persecution; its use is discouraged.

delusion of persecution a delusion that one is being attacked, harassed, cheated, persecuted, or conspired against. It is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

delusion of reference a delusional conviction that ordinary events, objects, or behaviors of others have particular and unusual meanings specifically for oneself.

somatic delusion a delusion that there is some alteration in a bodily organ or its function. It is one of the subtypes of delusional disorder.

systematized d's a group of delusions organized around a common theme; typical of delusional disorders or paranoid schizophrenia.

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nihilistic delusion

Psychiatry The delusion of the nonexistence of the self, part of one's self, or of some object in external reality