Megalomania: what is it and how to get rid of it?

People who are arrogant and arrogant are often said to have star fever, but this rarely relates to megalomania (megalomania). You should not confuse a badly-bred snob (even if he is a world star) with a true megalomaniac, since megalomania is a serious disease.

Megalomania, megalomania or delusions of grandeur have been known to mankind for a long time. The disease got its name from a combination of ancient Greek words μεγάλως - “majestically” and μανα - “passion, madness”. And also this mental illness is called megalomanic delusions.. This mental disorder is a special type of self-awareness and behavior in which the patient inadequately perceives himself, significantly exaggerating its importance, achievements, popularity, abilities and power.

Very often on the Internet you can find the term "delusions of grandeur" in relation to arrogant pop stars, cinema. This use of diagnosis is wrong - in psychiatry it is considered to be megalomanes of people who do not simply consider themselves the Most High or at worst the ruler of the entire planet, but also are in the internal state, regarded as a classic manic nonsense.

This megaloman does not necessarily have to occupy the lowest steps on the social scale. Often these are people who have really achieved a lot and are important people. Experts believe that classical megalomania was observed in Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin. Such a mental disorder was Mathematician John Nash he was offered an honorable place in the academy, appreciating his considerable personal contribution to the development of exact science, but he refused, citing the fact that he was to become the emperor of Antarctica.

The delusional state of grandeur suffered in its psychiatric understanding Alexander the Great. Signs of classic megalomania demonstrated by the artist Salvador Dali. Among contemporaries, signs of delusions of grandeur are found in the rapper Kanye west, he even wrote his own bible, which begins with the words “At the beginning, Kanye created the sky and the earth's crust”, and released the album Yeezus, in which he openly calls himself God. A musician Jay zi quite seriously, he says that his presence at some events is “a great blessing on his part”.

The delusion of greatness is classified in modern psychiatry as a group of mental disorders in which several types of pathology are included.

• Mania of special origin - This is nonsense, in which the patient is piously convinced that he belongs to a famous family, for example, to the Bourbon or Romanov dynasty. He can see himself as a scion of famous actors, musicians, kings, scientists. With such a disorder, a person can bring a lot of reasons to his convictions, and the facts of the biography of the famous “ancestor”, which indicate that there is no connection between them, are stubbornly left to them.
• Wealth mania - A delusional state in which a person is sure that he is fabulously rich.The size of the state can be plausible (a person claims to have a couple of million dollars in a bank account), and completely illogical - “I am the owner of all the world's gold reserves.”
• Invention mania - the patient is sure that he has made a grand discovery, for example, he knows the formula of the elixir of eternal youth or a cure for cancer. The patient is offended at the world, because “ungrateful humanity” does not understand what great prospects it rejects, rejecting its invention.
• Love mania - a person seriously believes that he is the object of passion of a famous artist or politician. He claims that he has an intimate relationship with a famous person, and the arguments that the patient has never met the President of Venezuela or the world-class opera diva, have not the slightest action.
• Reformation mania - Megaloman is sure that he knows how to organize affairs in the country, in the world, he knows an effective model of economic, military and other reforms, insisting on a revolution.
• Antagonistic delirium - Megaloman considers himself the center of the earth, a key figure in the struggle of opposites - good and evil, darkness and light. With such a disorder, a person usually considers himself elected, able to influence the outcome of the battle of opposites.
• Mania of altruism or messianism - the sick person considers himself the savior of mankind, he, by his own conviction, is a prophet, a great healer, a miracle worker, a son of God, a person with a direct connection with the cosmos.

In the psychology of megalomans, the delusional component prevails, which suggests that mental disorder is persistent, prone to relapse and chronic progression.

There is no separate diagnosis with such a name and delirium of greatness is considered by specialists as a symptom of other mental disorders. Most often megalomania occurs in paranoid mental changes, in manic syndrome, in progressive paralysis and schizophrenia, at certain stages of bipolar mental disorder. Manifestations of megalomania are not an independent disorder, but a sign of another disorder.

The reasons why a person suddenly begins to perceive himself as God or a genius are manifold, and not all the factors responsible for the occurrence of the disease have been studied. However, they are quite enough to highlight several possible sources of influence:

• heredity - a high probability of inheritance of delusional mental disorders from parents or from relatives in the second and third generation (grandmothers, grandfathers, great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers);
• severe ailments of the central nervous system, organic brain damage;
• endocrine disorders associated with changes in the balance of serotonin and dopamine;
• the presence of schizophrenia, manic syndrome, drug addiction, alcoholism (with severe toxic brain damage);
• prolonged neurosis;
• difficulties with self-esteem - overestimated self-esteem predisposes to the occurrence of delusions of grandeur.

The condition, like most other manic disorders, proceeds according to certain stages. The initial stage of megalomania is manifested by an obsessive desire to somehow stand out from the crowd, to be better.

Comprehensive perfectionism can be the basis for the development of pathology, because for a person it is very important to win, to be the best, and any failures are perceived by him very painfully. Man is constantly looking for evidence of his genius and outstanding features, he compares himself with others, finds himself with a lot of advantages and advantages.

At the middle stage, a person is sure of his “peculiarity”, doubts have no place anymore. This is accompanied by open statements, as well as changes in behavior, reactions. A person no longer listens to the opinions of others, his own opinion becomes the only true for him.

It is at this stage in a state of extreme excitement that the patient can prove that he is a descendant of the Japanese emperor or Caesar himself in his current reincarnation. Often at this stage aggression is manifested, if the statements do not meet with due respect, if the surrounding people do not deliberately perceive and do not give the patient the degree of respect that he thinks he deserves.

In the third stage, the symptoms of delusions begin to disappear - the person is disappointed. He was not accepted, did not understand, the world is hostile to him, it causes depression, a sense of his own uselessness, which can cause voluntary isolation, aggravation of addictions (the patient begins to drink, use psychoactive substances).

The megalomania refers psychiatrists to qualitative disorders of thinking, and this means that the “error” occurs at the stage of logical processing of information. The convictions of a person, his self-conceit, bordering on madness, reality does not correspond, but it is impossible to convince a person already at the initial stage of megalomania - he believes, he is convinced.

At the peak of the disorder, the patient produces all his actions and thoughts from the perspective of who he considers himself to be - the king, ruler, president, the greatest scientist, and self-criticism is completely absent. This is not pride, not a crazy mood in a mild form, but a real lack of self-control.

In people with delusions of grandeur, the internal focus is always focused on themselves - they are sure that they are superior to others in some characteristic or in general. How it will behave megaloman, difficult to say in advance. Much depends on how interesting his personal experience is, what education he received, what memories he will perceive as his own.

In the end, much depends on who the patient will identify with - with the cruel emperor Nero or with the great lover Casanova. In the first case will prevail aggressive behavior, mandative tone, the promise of inhuman torture and punishment for disobedience, sometimes - physical cruelty. In the second case, the person begins to behave like avid ladies manwithout passing by any woman, not to let go of compliments, do not try to touch.

It is clear that the behavior becomes inadequate, the reasoning of a person is not amenable to normal logic. But in each case it becomes important for the patient to “draw into the game” of those around him. They should be admired, they should be loved, respected, valued, bowed before them. Worst of all, when megalohans begin to demand that they be served by their loved ones to fulfill their dirtiest whims and demands.

For men and women with the diagnosis “delusions of grandeur” instability of moods is an important manifestation - they are in joyful euphoria, then for no apparent reason they are plunged into depression and anxiety. Early stages of the disease are characterized by excessively high self-esteem.

He can not listen to constructive criticism in his address, as well as the advice of others around him is an empty sound, which is also often annoying. At this stage, megalomans are active, mobile, full of energy, but at the same time they often experience strong anxiety, which cannot be explained, there are moments of incredible distraction. Already in the initial stages, physiological disorders occur - sleep becomes “ragged”, a person often wakes up, cannot fully relax at night. Increases aggressiveness, especially in men.

Universal nonsense becomes already at the peak of the disease. The patient ceases to be shy and begins to openly declare that he is the ruler of the Galaxy, the embodiment of Napoleon, God or a new superhero with superpowers, whose task is to protect all people on the planet from the unprecedented threat from space. At the same time, the patient behaves quite naturally, at ease, his euphoria and excitement prevail.

If delusional disorder of wealth or noble birth is more characteristic of men, then erotic delusions of grandeur are more common in women. Disappointment in one's own convictions (third stage of mania) is already considered as its complication, since it is during this period that a person may be in grave danger. The globally the nonsense was, the larger its scale and scope was, the stronger the depression would be at the exit.

Diagnosis megalomania engaged in a psychiatrist. It is necessary to have a family history (which of the relatives suffered from what mental illnesses, were there alcoholics, drug addicts), an assessment of the CNS work is given, for which a neurologist is attracted and a CT scan or MRI of the brain is done.

Of great importance doctor talk with the patient. It is carried out several times since the first treatment. The specialist will carefully listen to why the patient thinks that he is the Savior or Emperor of the Galaxy, usually at this stage there are no difficulties even among interns, because megalomanders willingly share their “life” history, they are happy to answer clarifying questions. And already at this stage, a specialist can understand by the nature of delirium what kind of comorbid disease a person may have - with progressive paralysis, nonsense is absurd, and with schizophrenia it is fantastic.

In order for a person to get rid of their unrealistic irrational beliefs, it is important for a doctor to take a responsible attitude to diagnostics and identify which particular underlying mental illness takes place. It is very important to begin treatment with the treatment of the main disease - schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic-depressive psychosis, and so on..

If this is not done, it will be impossible to cope with the maniacal delusions of grandeur. At the same time, when properly prescribed treatment of the main disease, signs of megalomania retreat on their own, gradually, as a matter of course.

Are used cognitive behavioral and rational approaches - these techniques allow a person to gradually understand the mistakes of his judgments, and under the strict guidance of a psychotherapist, erroneous statements are replaced with an adequate perception of themselves.

Medications also take place, but only if the doctor deems that they are necessary (as part of the treatment of the underlying disease). If the megalomaniac is excessively excited, moves too much, makes a huge amount of unnecessary movements, small doses of tranquilizers can be recommended for a short course so that drug addiction does not develop.

Where to treat a person – in a mental hospital or at home – the doctor will say since only he knows, against the background of what the main disease appeared erroneous delusional statements about his own genius, about his superiority. Mild forms of the disorder usually do not require hospitalization, but in the case of delusions of grandeur of a severe stage or in severe concomitant depression, when the patient can cause irreparable harm to himself, it is more logical to conduct treatment in a hospital with round-the-clock observation of medical personnel.

How successful the treatment will be with megalomania also depends on the basic diagnosis. In almost all cases, regardless of the underlying disease, doctors talk about the likelihood of recurrence (in about 75% of cases, crazy ideas tend to return). Therefore, are of great importance family climate, features of rehabilitation after treatment.

There are no methods of preventing delusions of grandeur, it is impossible to predict the onset of the syndrome and its development - this can affect everyone. If a person has already been treated once with delusions of grandeur, then relatives will need help to prevent a relapse. It is important that a person live in a favorable emotional climate, do not drink alcoholic beverages, narcotic substances.

When the first signs of relapse (anxiety, nervous breakdowns, inadequate allegations) appear, it is important to immediately contact a psychiatrist. Most often, the disorder manifests itself in spring and autumn, like most other mental disorders. During the off-season, the excitability of the nervous system increases.

On how to recognize a person with high self-esteem, see below.