Delusions of grandeur: what it is, symptoms and what is behind it

From the point of view of psychology, “delusions of grandeur” is the irrational belief of power, influence, or special abilities, they have no real basis. The person who suffers from it may believe that they have been chosen to fulfill a key mission for humanity, that they are related to an important person or, in the most extreme cases, they may have the delusion of being the incarnation of some kind of divinity.

The term has become so popular that it is frequent to hear it (in the media, novels or songs) referring to someone who brags too much about their personal achievements or their conquests, when in reality, these are simple displays of pride or vanity. However, this psychological disorder should not be trivialized as it can be very harmful for the person who suffers from it and for those around them.

What is delusion of grandeur

In psychology, a delusion is a false belief, persistent and immovable that stands despite contrary evidence. Delusions can be present in various psychological or neurological disorders. These are the Specific characteristics of “delusions of grandeur”:

Belief of being special

This people they are convinced that they are unique beings, people with a special status, with great power. Also they can believe that they are chosen beingsHe’s on some kind of important mission.

There may be another version of the delusion of grandeur in which the person is believed to be related to a famous person or in a position of power.

Rigidity

These delusional ideas are very resistant to change, despite reality showing them that they are wrong. In fact, trying to convince them of their mistake can further reinforce their idea that they are specialbut misunderstood, and that the world is against them.

Exaggerated and dangerous optimism

Being convinced by the fantasy that they are special or that they have a higher mission, these people can venture into potentially dangerous situations. For example, they may invest family savings in crazy projects without any preparation, or they may drive at high speeds convinced that nothing is going to happen to them.

Delusions of grandeur in psychiatric disorders

Although they can be presented separately, it is also common for delusions of grandeur to be associated with serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Evaluation by expert professionals is necessary to clarify the diagnosis and treatment.

Delusions of grandeur: causes

delusions of grandeur It is a complex psychological disorder and its origin is usually multifactorial. These are some of the possible causes that can combine to cause it:

As an escape mechanism

In people who have lived in very dysfunctional families, with high levels of aggression and violence, fantasize that he is a different and special person, it may be a way of not being aware of the harsh reality they have suffered.

make up for insecurities

People who drag low self-esteem and lack of control over their lives, due to lack of support in their childhoods, they can create an artificial role in which they convince themselves that they are important and powerful. In this way they can feel (artificially) the tranquility or confidence that they could not achieve naturally with the support of their elders.

psychiatric disorder

In the most serious cases, delusions of grandeur are one of the symptoms of disorders such as bipolarity or schizophrenia. It can also occur in people with advanced Alzheimer’s.

Delusions of grandeur: therapy

Due to reluctance to acknowledge your problem, it is very difficult for a person with delusions of grandeur to seek psychological or psychiatric help. It is useless for others to try to convince the person to seek psychological help. Furthermore, this can be counterproductive. This step must be something personal that comes from an internal motivation. Only then will they be involved in your therapy and your healing.

In my query, yes I have known several people with delusions of grandeur who sought therapy. They were encouraged to take this step after suffering a severe crisis (accident or illness) that pushed them to “open their eyes” to their delirium. It often happens that, when the inexorable reality prevails, it can cause a shock so strong that it manages to bring down the fantasy castle that they built in the past.

When this happens, yes we can work to come to terms with the traumatic past, heal blocked emotions and focus on the future with a much more realistic and balanced vision.