Katatymia (commonly known as wishful thinking) is a strong belief that it is / will be as we would like it to be. Such distortion of reality or the emergence of experiences, influenced by strong attitudes or emotional expectations, is a common phenomenon in he althy people. In some cases, however, catathymia can lead to a complete distortion of the image of the surrounding reality. Bright examples of this behavior can be seen in diseases such as neurosis, psychosis, and schizophrenia. Learn the causes and symptoms of catathymia.
Katatymiais a mental disorder involving a false assessment of what is around us. People with catatimia see situations as they want to see them, not as they really are. Patients lose the ability to critically evaluate certain events or things. They succumb to strong emotions that transform reality into expectations. An example of a person suffering from catatimia is a cancer that, despite having no chance of recovery, believes that it will recover quickly. Or a convict awaiting the death pen alty who is convinced that he will be released soon.
Katatymia in its advanced form completely blurs the real picture of the world. So much so that the sick person lives in his imaginary world, not reacting to what is really happening around him.
An interesting fact is that catathymic thinking is nothing wrong with children. Moreover, it is very characteristic of them and it is considered a normal stage of development. Children have a rich imagination that changes their perception of the world, e.g. belief in Santa Claus makes them believe that Santa brings them gifts for Christmas. They don't need any proof of that, and even if they catch their parents wrapping presents, they deny the thought that Santa doesn't exist.
Katatymia and wishful thinking - is it the same?
Katatymia is often called wishful thinking, but according to the psychiatrist prof. Tadeusz Bilikiewicz is a much more serious disorder. People suffering from catatimia uncritically believe in the truthfulness of their judgments and judgments, even if there are rational arguments and indications that they should be considered false. Catatymics do not recognize any reasons other than their own reasons, nor do they allow forchange your judgments. They are unable to distance themselves, they lose the ability to critically evaluate their feelings. They are deaf to the opinions of other people, they do not accept that something looks or is completely different from what they think.
Another example of catatimia is the thinking of cult members who blindly believe what they are told. Such people stop listening to people who think differently. They begin to act as they have been taught to do. Despite the fact that from the point of view of outsiders, they act irrationally. The members of the sect are deaf to counter-arguments, they do not accept any truth other than the one they accepted as their own. The image of the world in front of their eyes is falsified, but they don't want to see it.
Catatymic thinking is also believing in superstitions that have no rational explanation for their truthfulness. And yet there are people who obey them uncritically.
There is no such total uncriticalism in wishful thinking. It is because wishful thinking people can be reached with rational arguments, because despite their firm beliefs, they can keep common sense. A good example of wishful thinking is the conviction of a person participating in, for example, an SMS competition that he will win. The player believes that he is the winner because he read it in the received text message. When it turns out that he did not win anything, he rationally judges that he was fooled and what he believed turned out to be an illusion.
Wishful thinking often has a positive influence on people's behavior, for example, it is used by motivational speakers who, when giving lectures, make people believe that they can achieve success. In this case, wishful thinking is just positive thinking that can help in life.
ImportantKatatymia - is it a mental illness?
Although catatymia is a disturbance in the perception of reality, it is a very common phenomenon and usually does not mean an illness. Its gentle characters do not affect the quality of human life and its environment. You should also know that it is a completely natural (developmental) phenomenon in children up to 7 years of age.
However, it often turns out that catatymia is part of a more serious disorder or mental illness. Catatymia is sometimes part of obsessive compulsive disorder, reactive psychosis, and it can also be a symptom of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. If catathymia is part of a more serious mental illness, other disturbing symptoms specific to the disorder also arise. In the case of schizophrenia, these are usually, for example, delusions or hallucinations (e.g. voices in the head), and in the case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive thoughts,unjustified fear, etc. Usually, the disease is also referred to when these states of disturbed thinking last a long time.
Causes of katatymia
Katatymia can start very innocently. It is enough that, under the influence of emotions, one begins to form an opinion on any topic, repeating it many times and carefully consolidating its own conviction. After a while, other points of view on the problem become disregarded. Facts and rational arguments that could undermine the "truth" already believed in are not accepted.
The consequence of such thinking and the ruthless resistance to common sense create a dangerous situation in which the line between reality and imagination is blurred. The catatymic begins to perceive the world falsely, ceases to see the world as it is, makes judgments based on his own feelings, and then begins to act in a manner inconsistent with reality. Then catatimia may turn into a more serious mental illness that requires treatment.
In extreme cases, advanced disease can also create very dangerous situations that threaten the sick person or bystanders. There is a reason why catathymia is often the subject of forensic analyzes. It can be a driving force for committing many serious crimes, e.g. rape or homicide.
Catatymia treatment
To consider the treatment of catatimia, the first question to be asked is whether this is really catatimia or just wishful thinking. The latter does not pose a threat to mental he alth. He althy people have the right to create a comforting fiction if, for example, they are in a difficult situation. Everything is normal if they can nevertheless critically assess the unreal nature of these illusions.
If a person living in an illusion is unable to distinguish him from the truth, then one can speak no longer of wishful thinking, but of delusion, which is a disorder. Katatymia as an individual disease must be treated. If her character is advanced - the patient does not perceive the real reality and lives in the illusion he has created for himself - absolutely should be under the care of a psychiatrist.
The initiation and method of treatment with catatimia depends on the intensity of symptoms, the frequency and circumstances of their occurrence, and how they affect the quality of life of the person they concern, as well as their environment. Treatment can take place on an outpatient basis or in a hospital, where the patient can benefit from psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. The length of treatment and its type depend on what other symptoms appear in the diagnosed person and what diagnosis is made by the psychiatrist, because catatimia maybe one of the symptoms of more serious mental disorders.
The most important thing in treating catathymia is recognizing the problem as early as possible. The patient loses the ability to critically evaluate his experiences, and their wishful nature may remain beyond his consciousness. Usually, due to a distorted assessment of reality by the patient, the disorder is detected by his relatives. It is their role in treatment that is therefore the most important. The sooner the problem is diagnosed and treatment is started, the better the prognosis and the lower costs (losses, consequences) are borne by the patient and his environment.