Psychosis in older people. Senile psychosis: the path from decreased intelligence to delirium and dementia
Old age is a difficult period in a person’s life, when not only his physiological functions, but also major changes psyche.
A person’s social circle narrows, health deteriorates, and cognitive abilities weaken.
It is during this period that people are most susceptible to developing mental illness, a large group of which are senile psychoses.
What is fairy tale therapy for older people? Find out about this from ours.
Personality characteristics of older people
According to WHO classification, old age begins in people after 60 years of age, this age period is divided into: old age(60-70, senile (70-90) and long-lived age (after 90 years).
Major mental problems elderly:
- Narrowing your social circle. The man does not go to work, the children live independently and rarely visit him, many of his friends have already died.
- Shortage. In an elderly person, attention, perception. According to one theory, this occurs due to a decrease in the capabilities of external perception, according to another, due to a lack of use of the intellect. That is, functions die out as unnecessary.
Main Question— how the person himself relates to this period and the changes taking place. Here his personal experiences, health and social status play a role.
If a person is in demand in society, then it is much easier to survive all the problems. Also, a healthy, cheerful person will not feel old.
The psychological problems of an elderly person are a reflection of social attitudes in old age. It may be positive and negative.
At positive At first glance, it appears to be guardianship over the elderly, respect for their life experience and wisdom. Negative is expressed in a disdainful attitude towards the elderly, the perception of their experience as unnecessary and superfluous.
Psychologists identify the following types of people's attitudes towards their old age:
- Regression, or a return to childhood behavior patterns. Old people demand increased attention, show touchiness and capriciousness.
- Apathy. Old people stop communicating with others, become isolated, withdraw into themselves, and show passivity.
- The desire to join public life , despite age and illness.
Thus, old man will behave in old age in accordance with his life lived, attitudes, acquired values.
Senile mental illness
As you age, your likelihood of developing mental illness increases. Psychiatrists say that 15% of old people acquire various mental illnesses. Characteristic of old age the following types diseases:
Psychoses
In medicine, psychosis is understood as a severe mental disorder in which behavioral and mental reactions do not correspond to the real state of affairs.
Senile (senile) psychoses first appear after age 65.
They make up approximately 20% of all cases of mental illness.
Doctors call natural aging of the body the main cause of senile psychosis.
Provoking factors are:
- To belong to female . Among the sick, women make up the majority.
- Heredity. Most often, psychosis is diagnosed in people whose relatives suffered from mental disorders.
- . Some diseases provoke and aggravate the course of mental illness.
WHO developed in 1958 classification of psychoses, based on the syndromic principle. The following types are distinguished:
- . This includes mania and.
- Paraphrenia. The main manifestations are delusions and hallucinations.
- State of confusion. The disorder is based on confusion.
- Somatogenic psychoses. Evolve in the background somatic diseases, occur in an acute form.
Symptoms
The clinical picture depends on the type of disease, as well as on the severity of the stage.
Symptoms of the development of acute psychosis:
- violation of orientation in space;
- motor excitation;
- anxiety;
- hallucinatory states;
- the emergence of delusional ideas.
Acute psychosis lasts from several days to a month. It directly depends on the severity of the somatic disease.
Postoperative psychosis refers to acute disorders mental disorders that arise within a week after surgical intervention. The signs are:
- delusions, hallucinations;
- violation of orientation in space and time;
- confusion;
- motor excitement.
This state can last continuously or be combined with periods of enlightenment.
- lethargy, apathy;
- a feeling of meaninglessness of existence;
- anxiety;
- suicidal feelings.
It lasts quite a long time, while the patient retains all cognitive functions.
- delirium directed towards loved ones;
- constant expectation of trickery from others. It seems to the patient that they want to poison him, kill him, rob him, etc.;
- restriction of communication due to fear of being offended.
However, the patient retains self-care and socialization skills.
Hallucinosis. In this state, the patient experiences various hallucinations: verbal, visual, tactile. He hears voices, sees non-existent characters, feels touches.
The patient may communicate with these characters or try to get rid of them, for example, by building barricades, washing and cleaning his home.
Paraphrenia. Fantastic confabulations come first. The patient talks about his connections with famous personalities, ascribes to himself non-existent merits. Delusions of grandeur and high spirits are also characteristic.
Diagnostics
What to do? A consultation is required to make a diagnosis. psychiatrist and neurologist.
The psychiatrist conducts special diagnostic tests and prescribes tests. The basis for diagnosis are:
- Stability occurrence of symptoms. They occur with a certain frequency and do not differ in variety.
Psychoses are not characterized by severe mental disorders; they increase gradually as the disease progresses.
Treatment
Treatment of senile psychoses combines medicinal and psychotherapeutic methods. The choice depends on the severity of the condition, the type of disorder, and the presence of somatic diseases. Patients are discharged the following groups drugs:
The doctor selects a combination of drugs according to the type of psychosis.
It is also necessary to treat a somatic disease in parallel, if it appears cause of the disorder.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapeutic sessions are an excellent remedy for the correction of psychosis in the elderly. In combination with drug therapy they give positive results.
Doctors mainly use group classes. Old people, studying in groups, acquire new circle communication with common interests. A person can begin to talk openly about his problems and fears, thereby getting rid of them.
Most effective methods psychotherapy:
Senile psychoses- this is a problem not only for the patient himself, but also for his relatives. With timely and correct treatment, the prognosis for senile psychosis is favorable. Even with severe symptoms stable remission can be achieved. Chronic psychoses, especially those associated with depression, are less responsive to treatment.
The patient's relatives need to be patient, show care and attention. Mental disorder is a consequence of the aging of the body, so no person is immune from it.
– a group of psychotic conditions that occur in people over 60 years of age and are not accompanied by rapid development profound dementia. They vary in etiology and symptoms and can be acute or chronic. Manifested by confusion, disturbances resembling the clinical picture of schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder. Paranoid, hallucinatory and hallucinatory-delusional states are possible. Diagnosed by a psychiatrist based on anamnesis, interviews with the patient and his relatives. Treatment includes antipsychotics, tranquilizers, nootropics, and therapy for concomitant somatic pathologies.
Treatment of senile psychoses
The basis of treatment is drug therapy. Patients are prescribed antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives. When selecting a drug and determining the dosage, take into account age change reactions to the effects of medications and an increase in the likelihood of side effects. The treatment program must be supplemented with nootropics. At the same time, they treat somatic diseases, correct the general condition of the patient, and provide careful care.
Prognosis and prevention
Forecast at timely therapy acute senile psychosis favorable, with late start treatment and severe symptoms the outcome is the formation of a psychoorganic syndrome. Chronic forms of senile disorders psychotic level are considered as prognostically unfavorable in terms of recovery. Remission during treatment is sometimes observed in Bonnet hallucinosis, senile depression, with other disorders it is possible to reduce the intensity of the manifestations of the disease. Specific prevention absent. To non-specific preventive measures includes maintaining mental hygiene, avoiding stress, timely treatment somatic diseases and early contact with a psychiatrist when signs of mental disorders appear.
Description:
Unfortunately, a cure for senile dementia has not been found. Psychology, as a science, still studies the senile. When treating senial psychosis, it is carried out symptomatic therapy. In cases of confusion and anxiety, antipsychotics with a sedative effect (tisercin, sonapax) are prescribed in small dosages. If the patient has . Then small doses of antidepressants are prescribed along with sedatives (pirazidol, amitriptyline). For anxiety and loss of sleep, tranquilizers and antipsychotics with hypnotic properties (phenazepam, chloroprothixene, radedorm) are prescribed. Patient care is also important.
Symptoms:
The initial symptoms of senile psychosis represent an increasing change in personality. This includes stinginess, egocentrism, and coarsening. The individuality of the patient’s character is lost. At the same time, the patient’s level of judgment decreases, he is not able to acquire new knowledge and skills, memory gradually fades (first recently acquired, and then experience acquired throughout life), false memories arise, and speech becomes laconic. Only basic physical needs remain. Against the background of dementia, psychotic states alternate: anxious or angry depression, material damage, jealousy. Patients' consciousness becomes confused when combined with somatic diseases.
Occurs in patients with depression. They are not severe, but last a long time and are characterized by discontent, gloominess and hypochondriacal diseases.
Somatic diseases aggravate the course of psychosis. Women are most susceptible to this disease; the risk of the disease increases if someone in your family has had or is suffering from this type of disease. Average age The patient's age at the onset of the disease is from seventy to seventy-eight years.
Causes:
The etiology and pathogenesis of senile dementia are unknown. Women get sick more often than men. The risk of the disease in families of patients with senile dementia is higher than among the rest of the population. Concomitant somatic diseases modify and aggravate the picture of psychosis.
Treatment:
For treatment the following is prescribed:
Unfortunately, a cure for senile dementia has not been found. Psychology, as a science, is still studying senial psychosis. When treating senial psychosis, symptomatic therapy is carried out. In a state of confusion with anxiety, antipsychotics with a sedative effect (tisercin, sonapax) are prescribed in small dosages. If the patient is depressed. Then small doses of antidepressants are prescribed along with sedatives (pirazidol, amitriptyline). For anxiety and loss of sleep, tranquilizers and antipsychotics with hypnotic properties (phenazepam, chlorprothixene, radedorm) are prescribed. Patient care is also important.
It is useful to know that this group of diseases affects mental health those over 60 years old. With psychoses of this type, total dementia never develops, which cannot be said about senile dementia.
There are acute forms of psychoses that manifest themselves in old age, which make themselves felt by a state of stupefaction. There are also chronic ones, which manifest themselves in the form of hallucinatory, depressive and other conditions.
Acute forms of psychosis are most often observed.
The cause of these psychoses is most often chronic, acute diseases respiratory tract human, hypovitaminosis, heart failure, disease genitourinary system. It is possible that a mental illness associated with sleep disturbances, physical inactivity, decreased hearing or vision, or lack of adequate nutrition may occur.
It is often difficult to determine somatic disease in the elderly, as a result of which the mortality rate of this group of patients reaches 55%.
Main symptoms
Let's talk in more detail about how senile insanity manifests itself and what needs to be done if one of your loved ones gets sick with it.
At acute forms psychosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- It is difficult for the patient to navigate the environment.
- Helplessness arises when he tries to serve himself.
- Fatigue appears quickly.
- There is no previous appetite.
- There is a sleep disorder.
- The patient is in a delirious state. Statements associated with ideas of damage, fear, and confusion often predominate.
- The duration of psychosis ranges from several days to three weeks.
- Mental illness occurs either continuously or in the form of exacerbations that are repeated repeatedly.
- During a short-term recovery, the patient suffers from adynamic asthenia.
At chronic forms Psychosis exhibits the following symptoms:
- Lethargy.
- The patient often complains of a feeling of emptiness. The present has no prospects for him. Sometimes he may feel disgusted with life.
- Psychosis is accompanied by minor depressions, supported by several complaints about the state of mind.
- The patient's behavior is supported by delusional statements with accusations against him.
The disease lasts for many years. Minor memory disturbances are noted.
It is important to know that senile psychosis is diagnosed by a specialist based on the clinical picture, and treatment is carried out taking into account physical state sick person. Usually prescribed psychotropic drug. The medications are taken under the strict supervision of the attending physician.
If you suspect your loved one has any symptom related to senile insanity, but if you doubt that you are right, immediately consult a doctor for advice.
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Senile psychosis
Quite often, mental disorders are observed in older people. It's connected with natural process aging, in which the functional state brain.
Along with others mental illness Elderly people often exhibit presenile and senile psychoses. They are a consequence of the death of brain cells that can occur with age. Unfortunately, senile psychosis cannot be completely cured. But at the same time, it is not recommended to refuse treatment for senile psychosis altogether - it helps to weaken the symptoms of the disease and reduces the risk of patients causing harm to themselves and others. The likelihood of symptoms of psychosis depends on the person's age - as a rule, people aged 60 years and older are at risk.
As people get older, they develop mainly presenile psychosis, which is also called involutional psychosis.
Senile psychosis usually occurs after 65 years of age and manifests itself in the forms of depression and paranoid disorders. Its symptoms depend on the form of manifestation.
The main cause of psychosis in the elderly is brain atrophy, but there are also specific factors that influence the development of the disease.
Causes of senile psychosis
- hormonal changes (menopause);
- somatic diseases (acute, chronic diseases respiratory system, heart and blood vessels);
- psychosomatic disorders associated with sleep and eating disorders;
- strong feelings about one’s own aging, often – senile depression.
The manifestation of psychosis in older people may indicate the development of dementia, Pick's disease or Alzheimer's disease.
Symptoms of senile psychosis
- increased anxiety and depression;
- seizures excessive suspiciousness(hypochondria);
- depressed mood, melancholy;
- the appearance of various forms of delusions, as well as hallucinations;
- lethargy or, conversely, overexcitation (agitated depression);
- attacks of confusion;
- decreased intelligence;
- increased suggestibility, stereotypical thinking.
In this case, psychosis gradually progresses and leads to complete collapse mental functions brain, that is, dementia.
Treatment of senile psychosis
As we said earlier, senile psychosis cannot be treated complete cure. Treatment of senile psychosis in older people does not have a specific method, but a properly selected complex therapeutic measures and regular care can improve the patient's condition.
The consequences of progressive senile psychosis are such that an elderly person does not accept changes in his life at all, so you should not insist on placing such a person in a hospital. In this case, the most the right decision a psychiatrist will be called to your home, especially if the patient behaves aggressively, suffers from hallucinations or delusions.
What can a psychiatrist called to your home do?
First of all, he can determine a treatment regimen and give relatives necessary recommendations related to the characteristics of care and ensuring the safety of the patient and others. Treatment of psychosis is complex and includes the prescription of medications, as well as cognitive rehabilitation, which helps strengthen memory, attention and thinking and slows the progression of the disease.
Types of senile psychosis, symptoms and help for various forms of the disease
Senile psychosis (synonyms: senile dementia, senile psychosis, senile dementia, senile dementia, senile dementia) – common name cognitive disorders in older people, accompanied by loss of skills acquired during life, decline in mental and intellectual activity, due to age-related atrophic damage to the brain parenchyma responsible for one or another type of human activity.
Regardless wide range abilities and opportunities lost by a person, the basis of senile psychosis is always memory loss, which develops against the background of a genetic predisposition to this pathology. Atrophic foci in the brain are located in certain, localized areas, which causes different manifestation symptoms of some diseases that have similar symptoms with senile dementia, but manifesting itself in more early age: Pick's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Based on this, the symptoms of senile psychosis and its treatment are often identified with these diseases.
Pick's disease
Pick's disease is much less common than other brain diseases of atrophic etiology, but is characterized by a more malignant, progressive course, which relatively quickly leads to complete disintegration of the personality. One of the synonyms for the disease is “lobar sclerosis,” which is caused by atrophic destruction of the cerebral cortex in the area of the frontal and temporal lobes.
Another characteristic sign of the disease is the age at which progressive changes are activated - years, and subsequent life expectancy does not exceed 6, less often - 8 years.
The basis of the symptoms of Pick's disease are signs of senile dementia, disturbances in speech and logic of thinking, and signs of extrapyramidal disorders often appear - uncontrolled spontaneous movements of skeletal muscles. Patients are characterized by a rude attitude towards others, foul language, and a lack of ethical behavior in society.
Alzheimer's disease
The most common disease with symptoms of senile dementia, affecting the parietal, temporal lobes of the brain and the cingulate gyrus. Alzheimer's disease is discovered, on average, at the age of 65, but science knows rare cases more early illness. The disease has a strong tendency towards population spread - by 2050, about 100 million people are expected to become ill in the world, although today there are no more than 30 million.
For initial symptoms the disease is characterized by individual differences associated with the characteristics environment man and his life experience. However, regardless of the specifics of the symptoms, they are united by a consistent disorder and loss of short-term memory, which loved ones mistakenly associate with temporary stress factors. More accurate analysis behavior, cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results can accurately diagnose a patient's Alzheimer's disease.
At subsequent stages of the disease, loss of long-term memory occurs, along with a decrease and subsequent loss of body functions, which leads to death, on average, 7-9 years after diagnosis.
Symptoms and course of senile psychosis
Senile dementia, as mentioned above, can be separate disease or be one of the symptoms or stages of other diseases occurring in an earlier age period. The disease occurs in older patients and is caused by several forms:
- The simple form is characterized by a sharpening of the boundaries of individual character traits: thriftiness turns into greed, perseverance into stubbornness and harmfulness, accuracy into excessive scrupulosity and pedantry, pedagogical inclinations into despotism, and some, especially humane, traits can completely disappear from personal behavior. Cardinal change personal characteristics on the opposite symbolizes more severe course simple form of senile dementia.
Patients are characterized by fixation on their own person, a tendency to egocentrism and callousness, overeating, excessive monitoring of their physiological needs, development of indifference to loved ones, lack of tact and similar changes.
In addition, characteristic signs for a simple form of senile dementia are: rejection of everything new, irritation over trifles, turning into aggression and malice, childish capriciousness. Patients are often prone to wandering, chronic alcoholism, collecting garbage and absolutely useless things. There is often a delusion of material or financial damage on the part of people who are closest to the patient;
Increased sleepiness in daytime and excessive activity at night combined with awkward behavior is one of characteristic features in this period of illness;
Senile dementia must be differentiated from vascular dementia, postoperative psychosis in the elderly and other types of dementia, where memory impairment occurs due to any external etiological factors.
Help with senile psychosis
It is worth noting that atrophic lesions nerve cells are an irreversible and stable process, therefore there are no cure methods for senile dementia. All medications and psychotherapy are aimed at supporting the patient and providing some relief from the symptoms of the disease.
Psychosocial intervention in the patient’s life makes some positive adjustments during the course of the disease:
- Behavioral intervention aims to focus the patient's attention on the incorrectness and illogicality of his behavior and possible complications Consequently;
- Emotional intervention - treatment with memories and simulation of presence. Psychotherapy is based on the influence of positive subjective memories that evoke a positive mood in the patient, which helps reduce anxiety levels and stabilize behavior;
- Cognitive intervention is based on forced orientation of the patient in time and space, as well as stimulation of cognitive abilities - games that require mental load, solution theoretical problems and puzzles;
- Stimulating intervention with art therapy, listening to music, contact with pets.
Caring for patients with senile dementia, especially last stages course is very difficult work emotionally and physically, which is aggravated by the consistent loss of self-care skills in the patient. But, in spite of everything, it is necessary to create such a favorable emotional environment for the patient that will not provoke an increase in the symptoms of the disease.
Senile psychosis: the path from decreased intelligence to delirium and dementia
Senile psychosis is a group of diseases of a mental nature that usually develop in people aged about 60 years.
These disorders are characterized by a loss to varying degrees intellectual abilities, skills acquired throughout life, decreased mental activity.
The symptoms of this group of diseases are of a psychotic type, which is important; a person’s intelligence can be completely preserved. Very often the disease occurs in the form of depression or delusional disorder.
Less commonly, the problem can manifest itself as anxiety, speech impairment, and confusion. Thus, partial clouding of consciousness occurs as a result of disorders in the activity of the central nervous system (CNS).
IN medical practice There are two types of development of senile psychosis:
- acute senile syndrome, characterized by clouding of consciousness, maladjustment in society and loss of personality;
- chronic senile psychosis, which manifests itself in the form of depression, hallucinations, the state can be paraphrenic, hallucinatory-paranoid.
Causes of the disease
The etiology and pathogenesis of senile psychosis have not yet been well studied. According to statistics, women are more susceptible to this problem than men. The risk of developing the disease increases if there are already precedents of senile psychosis in the family, that is hereditary factor plays a big role.
The main reasons for the development of the disease are:
- gradual age-related death of groups of cells;
- degenerative processes in the brain;
- Various infectious diseases can affect the development of the disease;
- somatic pathologies;
- traumatic brain injuries;
- traumatic circumstances.
Pathogenesis can also be affected by:
- physical inactivity;
- sleep disorders;
- malnutrition (incorrect diet);
- problems with hearing and vision.
Clinical picture
If senile psychosis occurs as depression, this condition is characterized by delusional ideas, increased anxiety, general depression of mood, suicidal tendencies, and “self-destruction.”
Psychoses are characterized by disorders involving jealousy, persecution and self-harm. Thus, the main “victims” of a suffering old man can be relatives and friends, neighbors, people around him, as they can be accused of theft, causing damage to their property, etc.
Acute senile psychosis occurs quite often; its symptoms manifest themselves mainly in people undergoing treatment for somatic and mental disorders. It is in the process of complications of these diseases that the impetus for the development of psychoses appears.
Symptoms of acute psychosis include:
- confusion;
- motor excitement;
- fussiness;
- lack of coordinated actions;
- delusional disorders;
- hallucinations (verbal, visual, tactile);
- unreasonable fears;
- anxiety.
This type of disease progression can be observed over several weeks, or can occur continuously as repeated relapses.
The development of acute psychosis can be determined by the presence of certain symptoms:
- loss of appetite;
- sleep disturbance;
- disorientation in space, which is episodic in nature;
- severe fatigue;
- helplessness;
- problems with self-care.
Further stupefaction is accompanied by amnesia. The clinical picture is fragmentary. Patients may experience physical activity, and different shapes clouding of consciousness (amentia, delirium, stunning), which occur both individually and in combination.
Chronic senile psychosis is observed mainly in elderly women. In mild forms the following may occur:
During the course of the disease, symptoms may appear unreasonable feeling guilt, hypochondria, anxiety. This disease occurs with a minor manifestation of mental disorder, which over time suppresses the functions of the body.
Such sluggish depression in some cases can lead to suicide. Psychosis can develop over 10 years, with only minor memory impairment present.
Diagnostic criteria
On early stages It is almost impossible to determine the presence of the disease, since it has a lot of symptoms similar to other pathologies: of cardio-vascular system, tumors and other problems.
The reason for the diagnosis is a progressive impoverishment of the psyche, leading over several years to irreversible dementia.
A visit to the doctor is mandatory if the patient has a number of factors: disorders for more than six months, leading to disturbances in social, professional, and daily activities. At the same time, the person has a completely clear consciousness, there are no mental disorders that could lead to a decrease in intelligence.
Differentiated diagnosis
Differential diagnosis helps to distinguish senile syndrome from diseases with similar symptoms, for example, schizophrenia.
Dementia is often accompanied by depressive disorders (pseudo-dementia), so differentiating the disease is quite difficult.
Set of measures
After clinical picture was studied and delivered accurate diagnosis, you can begin treating the patient. With the permission of the patient's relatives, he is placed in a medical facility.
The main goal of treatment is to stop the progression of the disease, symptomatic treatment and alleviation of these characteristic symptoms.
In case of depression, a specialist may prescribe psychotropic drugs, such as Melipramine, Pyrazidol, Azafen. In some cases, drugs can be combined at a certain dose. For all other types of senile psychosis, Propazine, Sonapax, and Haloperidol are prescribed.
In each specific case, the patient is prescribed an individually selected drug and additionally medicines that correct associated symptoms.
Typically, the acute form of senile psychosis responds more successfully to treatment. A protracted disease can only be muffled medicines, but it is impossible to completely get rid of it.
What should relatives and friends do?
For supporting mental state a patient diagnosed with senile psychosis, his family and friends must understand the current situation with understanding and understand that this process is inevitable and incurable. This disease is objective and does not depend at all on the patient himself.
In severe cases of senile psychosis, patients require special care, which is best organized in medical institution. If the patient is inactive, bedsores may appear, which can significantly worsen the health condition.
Patients who are characterized by untidiness require special care. So, relatives or medical staff(depending on the location of the patient) are required to wipe him with camphor alcohol, wash him regularly, change bed linen and prevent sleeping on a wet bed. Cleansing enemas should also be regular.
What to expect?
The most favorable prognosis is given to patients with an acute form of the disease, especially if medical care They turned in time, and consciousness was not in a state of darkness for long.
The chronic form does not entail anything good and the prognosis in this case is not comforting: the disease develops from one to ten years and the later this process begins, the better, since ultimately the disease ends with cachexia, problems with making movements and even constructing phrases and pronunciation of words.
Experts believe that if you start preventing senile psychosis at the age of 35, then in the future a person will be able to avoid a similar disease:
This section was created to take care of those who need qualified specialist without disturbing the usual rhythm of your own life.
Senile psychosis is a collective term that includes a group of mental disorders that occur in people over 60 years of age. It is accompanied by confusion and conditions such as schizophrenia, and also in books they write that senile psychosis and senile dementia are one and the same thing. But this assumption is wrong. Senile psychosis provokes dementia, but it will not be complete. In addition, the main signs of the disease resemble Although the mind often remains normal.
Causes
The main reason why senile psychosis appears is the gradual destruction of brain cells. But the reason does not lie only in old age, since not everyone experiences it. Sometimes genetics are involved. It was noticed that if there were cases of a similar disease in your family, then it is quite possible that you will also have it.
Senile psychosis has 2 forms. The first is acute, the second is chronic. How are they characterized? The acute form is accompanied by clouding of the mind, and the chronic form is accompanied by paranoid, depressive, hallucinatory and paraphrenic psychoses. No matter how old you are, treatment is mandatory for everyone.
Causes of senile psychoses
Let's look at them in more detail than mentioned above. So, the reasons disease-causing old age, the following:
- Diseases of the respiratory system.
- Insufficient intake of vitamins.
- Heart failure.
- Diseases of the genitourinary area.
- Surgical interventions.
- Sleep problems.
- Physical inactivity.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Problems with vision or hearing.
Now let's look at what senile dementia is (symptoms, treatment). How long do people live with this disease? We will answer this question in more detail below.
General symptoms of senile psychoses
- Slow course of the disease.
- Weakening of memory abilities.
- Distorted perception of reality.
- A sharp change in character.
- Sleep problems.
- Anxiety.
Symptoms of acute forms of psychosis
- Unconcentrated attention and difficulty in spatial orientation.
- Difficulty taking care of yourself.
- Fast fatiguability.
- Sleep is disturbed, state of anxiety.
- Lack of appetite.
- Feelings of helplessness, confusion and fear.
The patient's condition is accompanied by delirium and constant anticipation of trouble. All psychoses can occur continuously or have periods of lucidity. The duration of the disease is approximately 4 weeks, this was written above.
Symptoms of chronic forms
- Depression.
- Feelings of uselessness.
- Mild depression.
- Self-recrimination.
In different cases, symptoms can be combined in different ways. Because of this, it is very difficult to recognize this pathology.
Acute forms of senile psychosis
They arise against the background of somatic diseases, which is why they are called physical diseases. Anything can cause a disorder, from a lack of vitamins and microelements to problems with hearing and visual apparatus.
Since the health of older people is compromised, they often try not to go to the hospital, and illnesses are diagnosed late. And this results in problems in the treatment of dementia. All of the above once again shows how important it is to promptly diagnose diseases of old people and treat them. Otherwise, irreparable harm may be caused to them.
The acute form develops suddenly, but sometimes it is preceded by a prodrome of 1 to 3 days.
At this time, a person experiences a feeling of weakness and problems maintaining personal hygiene, confusion and hallucinations occur. Then the attack occurs
During the latter, a person experiences chaotic movements and anxiety, and confused thinking. Delusions and thoughts appear that they want to take his life, take away his property, etc. Sometimes hallucinations and delusions arise, but they are few and constant. In some cases, when senile psychosis occurs, the symptoms of existing body diseases worsen.
Psychosis lasts about 3-4 weeks. Its course is either continuous or with remissions. It can only be treated in a hospital.
Chronic forms of senile psychosis
What is chronic psychosis? We will now look at the symptoms and signs of the disease. Depressive states is one of the first symptoms of the disease.
Occurs mainly in women. If the degree of the disease is mild, then the following are observed: weakness, lack of desire to do anything, a feeling of meaninglessness, uselessness. If the patient's condition is serious, then anxiety appears, deep depression, delirium of self-flagellation, agitation. The duration of the disease is 13-18 years. The memory is practically preserved.
Paranoid states
This pathology is classified as a disease of old age. Its peculiarity is the constant delirium that is poured out on one’s own relatives or neighbors. A sick person claims that they are not allowing him to live peacefully in his own apartment, they want to kick him out of it, kill him, poison him, etc. He believes that his things are being taken away from him.
If a person has a separate room, he locks himself there and does not let anyone in there. But, fortunately, with this type, a person can take care of himself independently. In a paranoid state, socialization is preserved, since the disease develops over a long period of time.
Hallucinosis
Hallucinosis is also psychosis. Its symptoms and signs vary depending on the type: verbal, tactile and visual.
With verbal hallucinosis, a person experiences verbal delirium: intimidation, sacrilege, indecent language, etc. During an attack, a person loses control over himself, confusion and chaotic movements appear. At other times, hallucinations are assessed critically by the patient himself. The age at which the disease occurs is mainly 71 years. This disease is classified into the group of “late-life psychoses.”
With visual hallucinosis, a person experiences hallucinations. At first there are few of them and they are flat, gray. After a few minutes, the visions become more numerous, they acquire color and volume. The characters of hallucinations are mainly unusual living beings, animals, and less often people. The person himself is aware of his painful condition and tries not to succumb to hallucinations. Although sometimes there are situations when the images seem so realistic that the patient still follows their lead and does what he sees in them - he can talk with their characters. Mostly people over 81 years of age are affected.
With tactile hallucinosis, there are complaints of burning and itching on the skin, as well as sensations as if from bites. The patient thinks that ticks and bugs are crawling on his skin, or he feels sand on his body or stones. Visual images are often added to the sensations: he sees ants crawling on himself, etc. A sick person wants with all his might to remove the discomfort: he rinses his hands all the time, consults a skin doctor, etc. These hallucinations are observed between the ages of 49 and 66 years.
Hallucinatory-paranoid states
With this psychosis, paranoid psychosis is also combined. The disease appears at the age of 60 and lasts about 16 years. Clinical manifestations follow the type of schizophrenia: a person hears voices, sees images, and performs incomprehensible actions. Memory saved in initial period diseases. Violations become noticeable in the later stages.
Confabulation
Typical disorders of older people, so to speak, features of old age. In this case, the patient experiences a complete personality restructuring, and real and fictitious events are confused. A person believes that he knows the president and is friends with some celebrity. From this arises
The pathology develops at the age of 71 years. Memory is not immediately impaired.
Naturally, the destruction of the psyche is considered an inevitable process in old age, and yet it causes great suffering both to the person himself and to his relatives. But no matter how difficult it is, we must try to fill the remaining years of the life of sick people with warmth and love.
How is senile psychosis treated?
Senile psychosis is a serious illness, and it is up to the doctor to decide whether the patient should be admitted to a hospital. Of course, the consent of relatives is required. Before starting treatment, the doctor carefully examines the patient to identify general state, determine the type of psychosis and severity, the presence of somatic diseases.
If a person depressive disorder, then they prescribe the type “Pyrazidol”, etc. Sometimes several drugs are combined in certain dosages. For other types of psychosis, drugs like Propazin, Sonapax, etc. are needed. For any type of psychosis, corrective drugs are prescribed, for example Cyclodol.
Treatment is always chosen with an individual approach. At the same time, correction of somatic disorders is carried out.
Treatment can be carried out both in specialized psychiatric clinics and in regular hospitals, because psychosis can occur against the background of certain diseases.
The most favorable prognosis is given for acute types of psychosis. What are the chances of recovery with chronic course? Unfortunately, the prognosis is unfavorable. All medications only slow down the course of the pathology for a while. Therefore, relatives need to be patient, calm and loyal. After all, dementia is an integral stage in the life of every person.
No one can say for sure what the life expectancy of people with senile psychoses is. But on average, doctors give such patients from 6 to 11 years, depending on the condition of the human body.
Conclusion
Well, we have figured out what senile dementia is. Symptoms and treatment (we also indicated how long people with this condition live) depend on the type of pathology and the presence of concomitant somatic diseases. Now the reader can sensibly assess what to expect from such a disease.
