Disorientation and confusion

The earliest manifestations of confusion and disorientation include a sharp decrease in concentration. During progression, there is a complete violation of susceptibility to the outside world, memory lapses occur, logical thinking is modified, the patient does not understand what is happening, recognizable memory and full-fledged speech are disturbed, an emotional disorder occurs. As a result, depression, silence and inactivity of a person are fixed. The psychiatrist must distinguish between these aspects and issue a presumptive diagnosis when communicating with the patient.

What is a confused state?

In this process, the ability to think at an average speed disappears, the clarity and consistency of thoughts is significantly destroyed.

Signs of violation – problems with orientation in space and impaired attention. Logical thinking disappears and memory is upset. The highest signs of the psyche change one at a time. For example, only speech recognition may suffer. Memory problems are noted, spatial orientation is disturbed. There are two types of confused consciousness, depending on the cause of the appearance – fast and slow.

Manifestations are one-time and permanent. Dementia and delirium are signs of the latter condition. The integrative function of thinking is absent at the moment of confusion. Along with the supposed change, the patient is often silent, moves little, and is depressed outwardly. Illusions and hallucinations accompany the disease. The first ones arise because the body perceives the stimulus incorrectly, while hallucinations manifest themselves independently. Each person suffers from the disease in different ways – the decisive factor is the root cause of the development of the disorder. The slowness of thinking and the inconsistency of the logical series are accentuated during the first minutes of the conversation. Even non-professionals can notice the initial symptoms.

Psychotherapists divide delirium into several classifications: hallucinatory (the ability to see non-existent information); manic (obsession with aggression); catatonic (inability to fully move); confabulatory (twisting an obvious fact).

Causes

The following causes of the phenomenon of confused consciousness are distinguished:

• traumatic (consequences of penetrating traumatic brain injury);
• in case of brain contusion (the tissues of the organ are highly sensitive);
• the occurrence of an aneurysm (an enlarged blood vessel affects neighboring tissues);
• mercury poisoning;
• an increased dose of alcohol in the blood;
• drug intoxication;
• exposure to neurotropic gas on the respiratory system;
• entry of organophosphorus compounds into the digestive system;
• poisoning with neurotoxic substances – puffer fish, mushrooms, carambola;
• hyperthermia resulting from infectious diseases;
• pain shock during a fracture, dislocation, significant blood loss;
• severe diseases – tuberculosis, encephalitis, diabetes mellitus, all types of hepatitis, acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome at the final stage of development;
• the progression of the growth of a cancerous tumor at the last stage – decay (during the process, intoxication occurs);
• coronary heart disease, all types of strokes, occurring both imperceptibly and clearly;
• myocardial infarction, with a pronounced pain syndrome and impaired blood flow;
• vegetovascular dystonia – vasodilation occurs in areas of the autonomic nervous system of the body;
• age-related diseases: senile dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, insanity of all kinds;
• bright emotional outburst;
• hypothermia;
• period without sleep for a long time;
• oxygen starvation;
• deafness 1 and 2 degrees.

symptomatology

For the primary diagnosis, it is necessary to detect the active progress of the processes:

• shallow lapses in memory (information is lost within a few minutes);
• the patient cannot recognize his relatives, as well as elementary passport data;
• there is no memory of the information field of a person;
• disorientation;
• unconditioned mood swings (aggressive mood can manifest itself even in close people);
• there is no logical chain in the pronunciation of phrases (pronunciation in speed is below the average);
• lack of control over the bladder and sphincter (constant urination and defecation process);
• normal sleep is completely disturbed.

Sometimes the cause of such manifestations is cervical osteochondrosis. The clinical picture in this case changes – pains in the cardiac and retrosternal region are added, movement is limited, there is increased sweating.

Due to internal bleeding, additional aspects appear: excessive sweating; pallor of the skin; black feces; high blood pressure; deterioration in breathing; tachycardia.

Psychological disorder, in turn, entails the presence of inadequacy in behavior, aggressive attacks, lack of normal sleep, terrorization of the immediate environment, the emergence of helplessness and the collapse of a clearly established internal model of behavior.

If the patient has the above changes, then you should immediately contact the local psychiatrist. Then a conversation is held, but not in private, but in the presence of a relative. In addition, blood donation is prescribed for a general and biochemical analysis of blood and urine. An electrocardiogram, ultrasound examination of internal organs, dopplerography of all key vessels, magnetic resonance imaging if necessary, oral consultation of specialists is done.

What is disorientation?

It is classified as a mental disorder and can be a factor in a certain change in the functioning of the central nervous system. It is divided into short-term and long-term, depending on a number of factors. The patient is not able to describe himself as a person, there is no temporal and spatial orientation. Not to be confused with childhood social disorientation, which is a temporary age-related process. The phenomenon is divided into two types: allopsychic, autopsychic. In the first case, there is an inability to determine the location, as well as the separation of time intervals. In the second case, it is impossible to give the name, surname, patronymic, date of birth, place of residence. For diagnostics, correctly selected questions are asked, clarity is established. If it is confused, an urgent consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary. For placement in a psychiatric hospital, the patient’s voluntary consent to medical care is required. Violation in consciousness makes it impossible to objectively assess the situation, hospitalization is carried out according to the estimated state at the time of treatment. Direct relatives and family members can help speed up legal issues.

The course of development

For the correct establishment of the primary diagnosis, it is necessary to note the causes of the anomaly. The key factors are the following:

• psychological disturbances leading to a serious disorder in consciousness;
• stress, overexertion due to nervousness;
• exceeding the norm per mille of alcohol in the blood;
• drug intoxication;
• medications: tranquilizers, antidepressants, sedatives;
• prolonged exposure to increased background radiation;
• the period of withdrawal from anesthesia;
• progressive depression;
• Alzheimer’s disease;
• senile pseudosclerosis;
• vascular dystonia;
• schizophrenia;
• hypoglycemia;
• senile dementia;
• lack of water resources in the body;
• insufficient work of the kidneys;
• epileptic disease;
• malignant brain tumor;
• benign brain tumor;
• hyperthermia;
• encephalitis tick infection.

Disorientation can be observed during a high power impact and in a volumetric emotional outburst. With this development, fainting often occurs. A one-time case is not a consequence of the occurrence of pathological processes. However, for reinsurance, consultation with a psychiatrist is necessary.

Medical classification

Disorientation is classified according to radiation, occupational, spatial and social symptoms. Psychiatry singles out the term “autopsychic disorientation” – the lack of perception of personal factors (the inability to reproduce the last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth, that is, identification data). With this phenomenon, the surrounding world changes in the individual, orientation in it is completely absent. A double perception of the world is noted, a real and imaginary environment is created, alternately visited by the psychological inner world. The full picture emerges after a proper examination by a doctor.

Symptomatology of the disease

Changes that help establish the diagnosis are pronounced dizziness, mood swings, disturbed sleep, problems with remembering facts, inability to identify a person, internal psychological anxiety without outside provocation.

Spatial symptoms stand out: a sharp change in mood – an apathetic state changes to an aggressively tuned one.

Help in this situation can only be in a specialized institution that works with psychologically unbalanced people.

Separately, social disorientation is singled out, which cannot be attributed to a mental disorder. Its specificity: slurred age, long-term addiction to society, anxiety in an unusual situation.

Vegetovascular dystonia provokes worsening of symptoms – vomiting, active progressive dizziness, tinnitus, complete or partial hearing loss, pain in the head, jumping blood pressure are observed.

The diagnostic complex implies an initial consultation with a psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. The doctor performs manipulations with the patient, a complete physical examination with questions to help establish the correctness of the diagnosis. In terms of physical manipulations, there is blood sampling for biochemistry and general clinical analysis. A test is performed to detect drugs in the body. Mandatory coagulogram and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. In parallel, the patient is sent to specialized tests to identify his psychological level.

Benefits of diagnostics

Timely detection of violations contributes to a quick recovery, the absence of consequences and progress towards a complete change in the state for the better. Due to the fact that the signs of this disorder are very often accompanied by similar disorders, sane people will not postpone visiting a psychotherapist in order to alleviate the fate of their loved ones who find themselves in a difficult situation.