The human body ages over time, and the brain is no exception. Although I immediately want to say that old age is by no means a synonym for dementia.
Many older people have a clear mind, good memory, sense of humor and optimism. Although, unfortunately, there are many who become irritable, untidy, become embittered, lose their memory and interest in life in old age.
Relatives usually at first attribute such changes to inevitable senile problems, and the patient eventually gets to the doctor in a state where being near him becomes completely unbearable. The doctor diagnoses "senile dementia" (senile dementia), and relatives say: "Insanity!"
What is this? When is such a diagnosis made, and is it possible to get rid of it? We will talk about all this in the article.
What condition of the patient is defined as insanity
The term "marasmus" in medicine refers to the state of disintegration of personality. This is one of the most severe mental disorders with the loss of the ability to contact the environment.
Insanity is provoked by atrophic processes in the brainand is the outcome of some diseases that affect the central nervous system.
How insanity develops, what this condition provokes
The cause of most diseases accompanied by brain atrophy still remains unexplored. Most often in such cases they talk about hereditary predisposition, but it is also impossible to ignore the influence of external factors. These, as a rule, include infectious and acute internal diseases.
But what mental disorders cause insanity? What are these pathologies? It must be said that they include a number of mental illnesses of the elderly, united by similar signs. This is senile dementia, and Alzheimer's disease, and Pick's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Signs of a mental disorder
And these diseases usually begin unnoticed by others and at first rather slowly. In each patient, before insanity sets in, the symptoms of a mental disorder develop on an increasing scale.
The same for these pathologies is the chronic course of the disease with a constant increase in symptoms. In addition, diseases are usually irreversible.
And one of the most striking signs is the increase in dementia from almost imperceptible manifestations to severe changes in human intelligence.
Early symptoms of impending insanity
It is very important not to allow insanity to get stronger in time. For this, it is worth paying attention to the characteristics of a person’s character. If atheir exaggeration is noticeable, that is, thrift becomes stinginess, distrust - suspiciousness, and perseverance - stubbornness along with violations of the ability to adequately analyze what is happening, generalize and other logical operations, then these are the first bells of the impending problem.
In such cases, it is important to urgently change the routine of life and even the circle of friends (as it turned out, routine is one of the causes of mental disorders). Otherwise, grumpiness, irritability, narrowing of interests will appear over time, memory disorders will begin to grow and crazy ideas will arise, which usually apply to relatives and friends. And all this leads to dementia.
Clinical picture of insanity
Ironically saying "Insanity grew stronger!" about the eccentricities of an elderly person, we usually do not think about the true meaning of this definition.
But in fact, at the stage of insanity, patients are already bedridden, they lie in one position, become absolutely helpless and lead an almost plant life. Patients in this condition often do not understand speech addressed to them, may laugh or cry for no reason. They react in the form of screams or groans only to bodily discomfort or pain.
The general condition of a person with insanity is characterized by severe physical exhaustion, the development of dystrophy of internal organs and increased bone fragility. Insanity also has characteristic external signs, such as:
- extreme weight loss;
- yellowish-pale wrinkled skin with age spots that havebrownish or dark yellow hue;
- the skin is easily injured, causing diaper rash and bedsores.
What is this condition and how is it treated
This is such an insidious insanity. That it is terrible and ugly, you already understood. Opportunities to treat this condition with medication are very small. And therefore, the most important place in such a situation is occupied by patient care and supervision. After all, as a result of disinhibition of drives and memory disorders, he becomes dangerous both for others and for himself.
It is very important at the same time to leave the patient at home, in his native walls, for as long as possible, because the need to get used to the new environment causes his condition to worsen.
As a rule, the treatment of insanity consists in the treatment of concomitant diseases. Nootropic drugs are shown to such patients only at the initial stage. Antipsychotics are prescribed in small doses only to patients with psychotic disorders or severe fussiness. A positive effect was noted with the timely treatment of vascular disorders. And to combat insomnia, small doses of drugs with a hypnotic effect (Nitrazepam, Diazepam) are used.
Don't give in to insanity
Yes, the so-called "idiocy and insanity", photos of which can be found in large numbers in the media, are just a demonstration of the eccentricity or outright stupidity of individuals, and insanity as a medical diagnosis is a very serious condition that can be avoided if you constantly train your mind and not lose interest in life. Notsuccumb to the disease, and it will definitely recede!
