3 ms·

Delirium, so called the organic psychosis, is the common end result of every diffuse brain dysfunction, so it be chemical toxicity, inflammation, trauma or most

Delirium, so called the organic psychosis, is the common end result of every diffuse brain dysfunction, so it be chemical toxicity, inflammation, trauma or most commonly senility-dementia. It's caused because of a chemical disturbance of the brain-'soup'. Any psychotic symptom can be manifested, not only visual hallucinations. Antipsychotic therapy has massively varied results

nabla9 2y ago
It's common with alcoholics when they start having withdrawal. Easy suggestibility is common. You hold a blank paper in front of someone in delirium and ask them to read what it says and they start reading like there was something there.
w10-1 2y ago
That's true, and very helpful for family members to understand. They're also often in a suggestible state. But it's not just full-on delirium; as others have noted, in the elderly even infections can trigger wishful escapades (even as the elderly fail to mount much fever). And the question remains: how to help the person (delirious or not), particularly when drugs are not effective (and you don't want to drug them into a stupor). It seems unhelpful to agitate them by arguing with them, even if the reality principle is normally the saner option. Do you "go with it"? My take is that it does help to respond so they know you're there, and really helps to rub feet or back, because body sensation is grounding. But mostly notice how driven you feel to help, or to get involved with managing other helpers, and be very patient with that. Telling the family it's enough for them to be there is often the best thing.
cf100clunk 2y ago
The title of this discussion thread reminded me of this: ''I have a tumour that's growing in my brain stem and it's pressing on collections of neurons that make me feel elated. I'm lucky. Half an inch over and maybe I'd be depressed about it all. But actually I feel fine. And when I die, when it kills me, those same neurons are gonna fail. And in failing, they're gonna put on my own private light show and I'm gonna fade into the light until I'm all gone and everything's just whiteness and silence.'' -- Robert, a psychologist facing his end days in UK TV drama Afterlife, series 2, episode 7, 2006. I copied that passage down years ago because I hope some day if I need help remaining stoic it will be there if I am aware. If not, they can find it in my collected notes. It goes well with the late film reviewer Roger Ebert's piece, ''I do not fear death'': https://www.salon.com/2011/09/15/roger_ebert/ https://www.salon.com/2011/09/15/roger_ebert/

nabla9 2y ago

It's common with alcoholics when they start having withdrawal. Easy suggestibility is common. You hold a blank paper in front of someone in delirium and ask them to read what it says and they start reading like there was something there.

w10-1 2y ago

That's true, and very helpful for family members to understand. They're also often in a suggestible state. But it's not just full-on delirium; as others have noted, in the elderly even infections can trigger wishful escapades (even as the elderly fail to mount much fever). And the question remains: how to help the person (delirious or not), particularly when drugs are not effective (and you don't want to drug them into a stupor). It seems unhelpful to agitate them by arguing with them, even if the reality principle is normally the saner option. Do you "go with it"? My take is that it does help to respond so they know you're there, and really helps to rub feet or back, because body sensation is grounding. But mostly notice how driven you feel to help, or to get involved with managing other helpers, and be very patient with that. Telling the family it's enough for them to be there is often the best thing.

cf100clunk 2y ago

The title of this discussion thread reminded me of this: ''I have a tumour that's growing in my brain stem and it's pressing on collections of neurons that make me feel elated. I'm lucky. Half an inch over and maybe I'd be depressed about it all. But actually I feel fine. And when I die, when it kills me, those same neurons are gonna fail. And in failing, they're gonna put on my own private light show and I'm gonna fade into the light until I'm all gone and everything's just whiteness and silence.'' -- Robert, a psychologist facing his end days in UK TV drama Afterlife, series 2, episode 7, 2006. I copied that passage down years ago because I hope some day if I need help remaining stoic it will be there if I am aware. If not, they can find it in my collected notes. It goes well with the late film reviewer Roger Ebert's piece, ''I do not fear death'': https://www.salon.com/2011/09/15/roger_ebert/ https://www.salon.com/2011/09/15/roger_ebert/