What is a Thought Disorder?
A thought disorder is a disruption in the normal functioning of cognitive processes that affect the coherence and organization of thoughts, leading to abnormal speech and writing patterns.
In other words, thought disorders affect how you organize your thoughts and process them into words, sentences, and meaningful statements. This can affect your ability to express yourself, as well as your perception of reality. People with thought disorders have a hard time conveying their emotions or thinking in a coherent way.
Thought disorders are often a symptom of a psychotic disorder (such as schizophrenia) but can also occur as part of a mood disorder, or due to a neurological health problem (such as a tumor or dementia), or even lack of sleep.
How are Thought Disorders Recognized?
Speech is a key indicator for a thought disorder. Remember: thought disorders are characterized by disorganized and incoherent communication skills, so watch for suddenly derailing conversations, word salads, nonsense words that have no established meaning, tangential responses (close but unrelated to the topic or question), and clang associations (ordering words based on rhythm or rhyming rather than grammar).
Psychiatrists use multiple tests to identify a potential thought disorder, including the infamous Rorschach inkblot test. There is also a Thought Disorder Index (TDI), which serves as an assessment to score the likelihood of a thought disorder based on a transcribed conversation between the client and a mental health professional.
Thought disorders can be the result of psychosis or insomnia and can be present during manic or depressive episodes. There are many different types of thought disorders organized by a specific speech habit or pattern. Common thought disorders include echolalia (repeating heard words and sounds rather than formulating a unique response), and alogia (uncharacteristically short responses, speaking as little as possible).
Occasionally, misspeaking, jumbling your words, misremembering definitions, or even speaking nonsensically can be normal, especially if you are stressed or tired. It’s even more common for bilingual people to formulate sentences that might seem nonsensical because they are mixing grammatical rules or directly translating idioms without thinking. But if irregular speech patterns and incoherence become normal, then it might be worth visiting a mental health professional.
How are Thought Disorders Treated?
Thought disorders can have psychological and neurological causes. When there is no clear cause, the severity of a thought disorder can sometimes be reduced by antipsychotic medication, antidepressants, and talk therapy.
Sometimes, thought disorders can reveal a psychotic disorder or a mood disorder, serving as a symptom of a different condition. Treating the co-occurring condition can improve the symptoms of the thought disorder, and restore normal speech.
Our management of thought disorders at Resolutions involves formulating an integrated treatment plan through the expertise of our psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals, combining experiential therapies and talk therapy with group sessions, medication management, mindfulness training, relaxation techniques, and more.
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