Thought Disorders in Los Angeles
What is a Thought Disorder?
Often referred to as psychotic disorders, thought disorders can be disabling and debilitating. Men and women who suffer from these types of mental health conditions often suffer from hallucinations and delusions that interfere with their perceptions, while also distorting their patterns of thoughts and behavior. Young adults may not be able to properly move forward with their education, find gainful employment, and can disrupt normal functioning and the overall quality of life when left untreated. Treatment for thought disorders at Launch Centers is intensive, comprehensive, and individualized by highly qualified professionals, experienced in helping many of our clients achieve their independence.
Thought disorders are complex, life-disrupting forms of mental illness. They occur when patterns of thinking or perceptions are altered or distorted. This disconnect causes the individual to not only experience total distortions in their perceptions of reality but these individuals also often experience disorganized speech, self-destructive behaviors, social isolation, deep depressions, and paranoia as well. Thought disorders are complicated conditions that often result in these individuals losing touch with reality. Below are a few of the thought disorders that Launch Centers provides treatment for:
Schizophrenia – causes delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, distorted thinking, and behavior which often persists for more than 6 months and interferes with basic daily functioning.
Schizoaffective disorder – produces schizophrenic symptoms combined with the symptoms of a mood disorder – most often depression.
Schizophreniform disorder – mimics the symptoms of schizophrenia but lasts for less than 6 months. Individuals who develop schizophreniform disorder often develop full-blown schizophrenia eventually, which is why treatment is vital.
Delusional disorder – results in an individual who has fixed beliefs about themselves or the world around them that are clearly false. These delusions are often either paranoid, conspiratorial, grandiose, and/or highly unusual in nature.
Overcoming a thought disorder can be extremely challenging, however, with the right level of treatment it can be done. Multilevel treatment programs for thought disorders are often intensive and demanding but can produce successful results when managed by experienced treatment professionals. Launch Centers offers individualized, evidence-based treatment plans for men and women diagnosed with thought disorders. Our healing programs are administered by qualified mental health experts who pride themselves on their compassion and dedication to their work
Symptoms of Thought Disorders
Due to the various types of thought disorders, there are also varying symptoms that an individual may experience. In order to be accurately diagnosed, it is important for an individual to seek help from a trained professional who can prescribe the right course of treatment. Some common thought disorder symptoms include:
- Alogia – lack of speech
- Extreme delusions
- Distress
- Preservation – repetition of ideas/words
- Disorders of movement
- Diminished interaction with others
- Monotonous voice
- Low energy
- Blocking – seemingly abrupt halts in trains of thought
- Restlessness
- Poor judgment/insight
- Increased/decreased sex drive
- Euphoria
- Grandiose thinking
- Paranoia
- Reckless behavior
- Hopelessness
- Apathy/emotional flatness
- Dissociation
- Racing thoughts
- Poor concentration
- Derailment – disjointed trains of thought
- Word salad – speech that makes no sense at all
- Co-Occurring disorders such as depression
- Substance abuse
If you or a loved one is experiencing difficulty communicating, feeling extremely detached from reality, paranoid, or perceiving reality properly, then it is likely that they may be struggling with a thought disorder. At Launch Centers, our medical professionals are experts in diagnosing and treating the various types and severities of thought disorders. While some thought disorders are mildly disruptive, others may require considerable intensive treatment.
