Characteropathy may be manifested by a sudden change in the character of a loved one - a tendency to lie, significant irritability or emotional lability. This problem is caused by some damage to the nervous system and may have a negative impact not only on the life of the patient with characteropathy, but also on the lives of people in his immediate vicinity. What to do in case of Characteropathy - are there any effective treatments for it?
Characteropathy (organic personality disorder)can develop in anyone, regardless of gender or age. The exact prevalence of characteropathy is unknown, largely because not all patients who experience this problem end up in a he althcare professional.
Characteropathy: causes
In order to be able to conclude that the problems experienced by the patient are precisely the characteropathy, it is necessary to find some additional deviations in the patient. We are talking about some organic damage to the nervous system. These can be caused by various diseases, e.g. epilepsy, meningitis or brain cancer, but also the harmful effects of psychoactive substances used by the patient, e.g. alcohol or drugs.
Other possible causes of organic personality disorders include complications after neurosurgical procedures, head injuries or diseases in which the nervous tissue gradually degenerates, such as, for example, Alzheimer's disease.
Characteropathy: symptoms
The course of Characteropathy can vary greatly between individuals who experience these disorders. It is characteristic of organic personality disorders that they appear in connection with the above-mentioned damage to the nervous system, and that they are not associated with any disturbance of consciousness.
It should be emphasized that people with characteropathy do not meet the criteria for diagnosing classic personality disorders. It is also typical of characteropathy that its symptoms appear in a person who has not previously presented with characterological abnormalities.
Worth knowingPossible symptoms of Characteropathy include:
- irritability,
- emotional instability,
- tend to lie frequently,
- reduced persistence in pursuing different goals,
- disorders in contacts with other people (which can take the form of both exceptional striving for social contacts and resolutely avoiding them and isolating oneself from other people),
- loss of inhibitions,
- paranoid behavior,
- reduction (or even complete inhibition) of the control of one's own behavior,
- aggression,
- selfishness,
- indifference,
- capriciousness,
- weakening of emotional relationships with other people,
- disregard of social customs and norms,
- suspicious of other people.
In the course of characteropathy, not only psychological disorders can appear, but also somatic problems. Patients (especially in a situation where alcohol abuse has led to the characteropathy) may struggle with e.g. sleep disorders, a sense of chronic fatigue or impaired concentration and attention.
The problems of characteropathy may, for some people, be associated with the phenomena that occur in the course of psychopathy. However, they are definitely separate entities - in the case of characteropathy, it is possible to determine their cause (in the form of some organic defect), while the causes of the occurrence of psychopathy have not been really determined to this day.
Characteropathy: treatment
Treating Characteropathy can be difficult mainly because people with it may not even be aware of their problem. It is not uncommon for the patient's environment to seek help for him, because it is the people of the closest environment who find it most burdensome to deal with the symptoms of characteropathy in their loved ones. The therapy of characteropathy is also difficult due to the fact that the brain injuries suffered by the patient are unlikely to be reversed.
In the treatment of these disorders, however, attempts are made to implement various interactions - the choice of specific ones depends on what the symptoms of characteropathy prevail in the patient. In the case of aggressive behavior or significant emotional lability, mood stabilizers (mood stabilizers) can be used, sometimes it is also possible to achieve benefits by administering antipsychotic drugs (neuroleptics) to patients. It is also important to conduct psychotherapy in people with characteropathy: some specialists even express the view that the best results in treating characteropathy can be achieved by administering drugs to patients in conjunction with implementing measures for them.psychotherapeutic.