Organic mental disorders: diagnosis and treatment
Many organic mental disorders (ODDs) have the same or similar symptoms as psychiatric illnesses. The diagnosis of ODP is therefore based on the basic assumption that an organic disease directly or indirectly affects one or more functions of the brain . A number of diseases from different medical fields play a role in ODP, therefore multidisciplinary cooperation ( neurologists , psychiatrists, internists , etc.) is necessary in their diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis
Various examination methods are used in the diagnosis of ODP, e.g.:
- clinical psychiatric examination,
- neurological examination,
- neuropsychological tests,
- functional diagnostics, e.g. electroencephalography ( EEG ),
- various imaging methods , such as computed tomography ( CT ), magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) or single-photon emission computed tomography ( SPECT ),
- electrocardiography ( ECG ),
- laboratory examination .
Diagnosis processing phase
As with many other diagnoses, people with ODP must first “process” the diagnosis. Most people with newly diagnosed ODP first go through a phase of shock , followed by despair, before trying to cope with the new situation. If the brain damage lasts longer, the person may at first try to push the problem out; depending on the personality type, the sufferer can show either acceptance (acceptance of the current state, in this case the ODP diagnosis) or learned helplessness (the person falls into a state of helplessness and demotivation). Relatives of the affected person can also go through these stages of coping with the disease. Organic mental disorders (especially dementia ) often have a very bad reputation among people. However, the brain is largely capable of regeneration and in many cases effective support can be offered to those affected.
Therapy
The treatment of an organic mental disorder depends on its causes and symptoms. Depending on the underlying disease, different treatment methods can be applied, from drugs to surgery to physiotherapy , psychotherapy and other measures (e.g. rehabilitation ). At the same time, it is absolutely essential to activate the affected person, specifically, for example, to pay attention to planning and observing the structure of the day. A disabled person should have the opportunity to live as independently as possible. Counseling for family members (e.g. regarding the provision of care, perhaps also within self-help groups), who often have to deal with very challenging situations (including social-legal issues, etc.) has also proven to be effective.
It was previously thought that brain damage was completely irreversible. However, some recent studies have produced results that give us reason for mild optimism. Nervous tissue is able to regenerate to a certain extent and the brain can compensate the damage to a certain extent .
Nervous tissue is one of the four basic types of tissue. Nervous tissue is the main component of the nervous organs – the brain, spinal cord and nerves…
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Who can I contact?
The first point of contact for psychological or neurological manifestations with possible organic causes are general practitioners and psychiatrists, or neurologists. In acute cases (e.g. loss of orientation, impaired consciousness , acute delusions ), seek medical emergency or contact the emergency medical service (emergency number 155).
