 | This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. (June 2024) |
| Grandiose delusions | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Expansive delusions, delusions of grandeur |
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| A cartoon illustrating the phenomenon. People with grandiose delusions wrongly hold themselves at an extraordinarily high status in their mind. | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
Grandiose delusions (GDs), also known as delusions of grandeur or expansive delusions,[1] are a subtype of delusion characterized by the extraordinary belief that one is famous, omnipotent, wealthy, or otherwise very powerful or of a high status. Grandiose delusions often have a religious, science fictional, or supernatural theme. Examples include the extraordinary belief that one is a deity or celebrity, or that one possesses fantastical talents, accomplishments, or superpowers.[2]
While non-delusional grandiose beliefs are somewhat common—occurring in at least 10% of the general population[3]—and often[vague] positively influence a person's self-esteem, in some cases they may cause a person distress, in which case such beliefs may be clinically evaluated and diagnosed as a psychiatric disorder.
When studied as a psychiatric disorder in clinical settings, grandiose delusions have been found to commonly occur with other disorders, including in two-thirds of patients in a manic state of bipolar disorder, half of those with schizophrenia, patients with the grandiose subtype of delusional disorder, frequently as a comorbid condition in narcissistic personality disorder, and a substantial portion of those with substance abuse disorders.[vague][3][4]
The term grandiose delusion overlaps with, but is distinct from, grandiosity. Grandiosity is an attitude of extraordinary self-regard (feelings of superiority, uniqueness, importance or invulnerability), while grandiose delusion concerns specific extraordinary factual beliefs about one's fame, wealth, powers, or religious and historical relevance.
- ^ Ray Corsini (2016). The Dictionary of Psychology. Taylor & Francis. p. 985. ISBN 978-1-317-70570-3.
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Knowleswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000)