What Is Disordered Thinking And How Can It Affect You?

Disordered thinking can significantly impact your life. While many of us refer to being "scatterbrained" or “losing our train of thought” at some point or another, disordered thinking is something else entirely. This type of thinking may interfere with different aspects of your life, including work and relationships, making it important to understand.

What is disordered thinking?

Disordered thinking, or thought disorder, means that you have an impaired ability to communicate coherently either through written or spoken language. Individuals experiencing this disorder tend to have difficulty organizing and expressing their thoughts. This disorder may present at varying levels of severity.  

There are three different aspects to thinking: thinking independently, putting your thoughts together, and then cohesively delivering those thoughts. However, when there is a thought disorder, one of these three steps is interrupted. An individual with a thought disorder may struggle with thinking in general. They might have difficulty putting the thoughts together to create a cohesive train of thought, or they may have difficulty expressing those thoughts through written or spoken language. This is not the same as an individual struggling with a second language, where they may not know the right words for what they want to say.

Symptoms of disordered thinking

Some symptoms that occur from disordered thinking include illogical thinking, tangentiality, circumstantiality, incoherence, improper use of semantic aspects of speech, difficulty understanding the context for speech, and more. Individuals who struggle with disordered thinking may express themselves in ways that don't make sense to others. They may make comments that don't fit into the context of the discussion, for example. 

Hallucinations

Individuals with a thought disorder might hear or see things that aren't there, and they may have difficulty interacting with other people because of these visual and auditory hallucinations. Someone experiencing a thought disorder might have difficulty separating fact from fiction, and their hallucinations may seem real to them. Some individuals may take action based on what hallucinations they're experiencing, like reacting to things that aren't there in reality.

Delusions

The term "delusion" is often used interchangeably with “hallucination”, but they're not the same. A delusion is a thought or belief that an individual holds and believes completely. However, these beliefs are false, and yet, even with strong evidence to prove them wrong, the individual will still cling to the belief. Individuals may experience common delusions such as believing they are exceedingly important or are being followed. People may also have delusions about being famous or about being poisoned, and they may believe them with both sincerity and certainty.

Paranoia

Along the same lines of delusion, paranoia is also common with individuals who have disordered thinking. This can cause the person to feel like someone is always out to get them, and they might approach life with fear and suspicion. They could struggle to form friendships or relationships of any kind because they may assume others have negative intentions. These individuals may become angry and hostile. They may develop intense suspicions and complex ideas about what someone else is plotting to do to them, even when there’s no real threat.  

Derailment

We think of derailment as something veering off of the tracks, and for someone with a thought disorder, this might be an accurate description. Someone with this type of disorder may struggle to stay on topic during conversations. They might use words that don't relate to what they're saying, or they might jump from one point of view to another. They could switch from one topic to the next with very little if any, transition. Their thought process has difficulty staying the course, so to speak.

Co-diagnoses with disordered thinking

Disordered thinking can be a symptom of other mental health conditions and may be diagnosed as a part of those other conditions. For example, in adults, disordered thinking often presents as a feature of schizophrenia. However, in children, disordered thinking may be a symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, complex partial seizures, childhood absence epilepsy, or high-functioning autism. Any of these conditions can be serious if left untreated. Thus, it can be crucial to recognize disordered thinking and provide proper mental health support.

Where disordered thinking comes from

As with most mental health issues, genetics, biology, and environment, each seems to play a role in developing this issue and the conditions that often occur. Research has indicated that some biological and genetic factors may help predict who may experience it, but further research is needed.

Treatment of disordered thinking

Generally, therapy and medication are used in conjunction to treat most of the conditions associated with disordered thinking. Therapy may address the different behaviors and emotional aspects of the thoughts individuals are experiencing. Since thought disorders can greatly impact relationships, it can be important to address these aspects as well.

Medications can be another effective treatment and can include mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medications. These may help the individual combat some of the paranoia, frustration, or anger they may be experiencing. They can also help with delusions and hallucinations. By addressing all these symptoms, medication may help the individual get more out of any talk therapy they receive.

Getting professional help

If you are struggling with disordered thinking, consider seeking professional help to manage the condition. In your area, you can research mental health professionals with experience treating disordered thinking and associated conditions. You may find that online mental health counseling is helpful. 

There may be some barriers to traditional therapy for people who experience disordered thinking. You could be embarrassed about your communication challenges, for instance, or experience feelings of paranoia when you leave your house. In these circumstances, online therapy may be a better fit for you. With this form of therapy, you might feel more at ease discussing your symptoms, and you can access sessions from the comfort of your home. 

The legitimacy and effectiveness of internet-based therapy have been proven time and again. In a comprehensive meta-analysis of studies, researchers found no significant differences between outcomes experienced by individuals who sought therapy online versus in person. The review followed nearly 10,000 cases spanning various populations and mental health conditions. 

Takeaway

Thought disorders can make everyday life challenging. These conditions can be treated, and managed, though. With Regain, you have the means to talk to licensed counselors, the ability to message your therapist at any time, and the opportunity to attend appointments from the comfort of your own home. You don’t have to confront disordered thinking alone—reach out today.