Senile (senile) psychoses is a category of mental pathologies that include disorders that arise exclusively in old age. Most often, one or another form of psychosis is diagnosed at the age of 65-75 years. It is possible to suspect the development of the disease based on the characteristic features.
Senile psychoses include four main conditions:
- a simple form of senile psychosis;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- delirious psychosis in old age;
- confabulatory form.
Each type has its own distinctive signs (symptoms).
A simple form of senile psychosis
This type of mental disorder that occurs in old people is the most common and, ultimately, leading to dementia. However, it is necessary to make a reservation that any kind of senile psychosis changes the personality, character, progresses and ends with a state of complete incapacity.
The first symptom of pathology is memory problems. Amnesia begins to develop, not caused by a head injury or drug overdose. Memory loss is accompanied by the following conditions:
- the patient becomes harsh, "callous", cruel;
- selfishness and quarrelsomeness increases;
- there is a gradual "coarsening" of the personality, the sick person literally changes before our eyes, becoming grumpy, gloomy, aggressive;
- there is a loss of interest in any business, in hobbies, in life in general;
- the main goal is to satisfy only your own needs, while the opinions and desires of the people around are not perceived or cause an extremely negative reaction from the sick person;
- the normal mode of sleep and wakefulness is gradually disrupted; the sick person is especially active in the evening and night hours, not allowing the relatives who are with him to rest normally.
Trying to reach out to a person in such a state is literally impossible. The patient completely lacks any criticism of himself and his behavior. He does not recognize the disease, denies any problems. In some cases - this is especially typical for men - sexual promiscuity appears.
As mental pathology develops, a state of disorientation arises: the patient cannot navigate not only on the street, but also at home. He is not able to say what year is in the yard, what time is on the clock, and so on. All interests are reduced only to physiological needs, while the patient gradually ceases to recognize not only family members, but even his own reflection in the mirror, unable to determine who is who in the photograph.
Alzheimer's disease
This form of senile psychosis is largely characterized by the above manifestations. However, as a rule, Alzheimer's disease does not progress as quickly as a simple form of psychosis. And, besides, this pathology can begin to develop - very slowly - at an earlier age (after 50 years).
An additional symptom that often appears in the context of this mental disorder is hallucinations. At first, they can be purely visual and short-lived. However, with the development of the disease, hallucinations become tactile and auditory, they begin to constantly haunt the sick old man.
The result of the disease is always a total disintegration of the personality.
Delirious psychosis in old age
This type of psychosis has most of the symptoms characteristic of the first two diseases. Here memory impairments also occur, interests are lost, and so on. Delirium is a key feature, however.
Delirium is a special form of mental disorder, which is characterized by illusions, hallucinations, delirium, confusion. As a rule, problems develop with attention, thinking, will, perception of oneself and the world, and the emotional background is distorted.
Psychosis in old age is characterized by:
- classic delirium - the patient is a direct participant in his hallucinations, and not just observes from the side;
- exaggerating delirium - constant incoherent mumbling; while the patient is constantly monotonously swinging, sits in one position for a long time and stubbornly removes nonexistent feathers and dust particles from himself;
- professional delirium - a person begins to perform any actions, make movements, and so on, corresponding to his professional activity in the past; so, for example, if the patient was a driver, then he can constantly "turn" a nonexistent steering wheel.
An exacerbation of the condition, as a rule, occurs shortly before death.
Confabulatory form
Confabulatory senile psychosis is primarily associated with confabulations. Against the background of them, the rest of the symptoms typical for this category of mental disorders develops.
Confabulations are false pleasant memories of something. At the same time, the patient is absolutely sure that what he thinks about or what he talks about really happened in his life.
People with this form of psychosis usually have a fairly good mood, which differs sharply from the depressive or grumpy mood typical of other types of senile psychoses. The patient, as a rule, is sweet and good-natured, very easily and willingly makes contact, likes to talk a lot and for a long time, while he does not filter his speech, there is no criticism of what he is talking about.
