It causesdisorganized thinkingand leads to people expressing themselves in unusual ways when speaking or writing.
Formal thought disorder is also known as disorganized speech.
It is marked by disruption to the structure or form of thought.
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It is one of the key symptoms ofschizophreniaandpsychoticdisorders.
Because these symptoms can be observed, they can be used to help assess the severity of psychosis.
Thinking requires the ability to organize thoughts mentally and then express them in an understandable way.
A thought disorder can create problems with any or all of these areas.
Signs of a thought disorder include incoherent, illogical, or pressured speech.
Other symptoms can include hallucinations, paranoia, and lack of expression.
Types of thought disorders may include alogia, echolalia, and word salad.
This is because such symptoms can also occur temporarily when people are over-stressed or over-tired.
Such symptoms are associated with conditions such as schizophrenia,schizoaffective disorder, and psychosis.
How Are Thought Disorders Identified?
A diagnosis usually involves asking people open-ended questions and assessing their verbal responses.
Language abnormalities are common in everyday speech and often result fromstressandlack of sleep.
Diagnosing a thought disorder involves observing and evaluating a person’s verbal responses to questions.
What Causes a Thought Disorder?
The exact causes of thought disorders are not known.
Disorganized thought can be seen in a number of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia.
However, in each case, there is a disruption to the organization and expression of ideas and thoughts.
Some treatment strategies that may be used are discussed below.
Such medications may include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers.
They can evaluate your symptoms and make a diagnosis.
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