Thought withdrawal Health Dictionary

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Thought Withdrawal: From 1 Different Sources

a symptom of psychosis in which patients believe that their own thoughts are being taken out of their head by an outside force. This is a *Schneiderian first-rank symptom, highly indicative of schizophrenia.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Thought Disorders

Thought is a mental activity by which people reason, solve problems, form judgements and communicate with each other by speech, writing and behaviour. Disturbances of thought are re?ected in how a person communicates: the normal logic of thought is broken up and a person may randomly move from one subject to another. SCHIZOPHRENIA is a mental illness characterised by thought disorder. Confusion, DEMENTIA, DEPRESSION and MANIA are other conditions in which thought disorders may be a marked feature. (See also MENTAL ILLNESS.)... thought disorders

Withdrawal Bleeding

Loss of blood from the UTERUS via the VAGINA occurring when the women’s level of oestrogen hormones (OESTROGENS), PROGESTERONE hormone or PROGESTOGEN drugs falls quickly. The withdrawal bleeding that happens at the end of each month’s cycle of combined oral contraceptive pills (see CONTRACEPTION) imitates the woman’s menstrual period (see MENSTRUATION) but is normally briefer and less in amount.... withdrawal bleeding

Withdrawal Symptoms

Unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that occur when a person stops using a drug or substance on which he or she is dependent (see DEPENDENCE). The symptoms include tremors, sweating, and vomiting which are reversed if further doses are given. Alcohol and hard drugs, such as morphine, heroin, and cocaine, are among the substances that induce dependence, and therefore withdrawal symptoms, when stopped. Amphetamines and nicotine are other examples.... withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal

The process of retreating from society and from relationships with others; usually indicated by aloofness, lack of interest in social activities, preoccupation with one’s own concerns, and difficulty in communicating.

The term is also applied to the psychological and physical symptoms that develop on discontinuing use of a substance on which a person is dependent (see withdrawal syndrome).... withdrawal

Contraception, Withdrawal Method Of

See coitus interruptus.... contraception, withdrawal method of

Thought

The mental activity that enables humans to reason, form judgments, and solve problems. The essential features of thought include the substitution of symbols (in the form of words, numbers, or images) for objects, the formation of symbols into ideas, and the arrangement of ideas into a certain order in the mind.

(See also thought disorders.)... thought

Withdrawal Method

See coitus interruptus.... withdrawal method

Withdrawal Syndrome

Unpleasant mental and physical symptoms experienced when a person stops using a drug on which he or she is dependent (see drug dependence). Withdrawal syndrome most commonly occurs in those with alcohol dependence or dependence on opioids, in smokers, and in people addicted to tranquillizers, amfetamines, cocaine, marijuana, and caffeine.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms start 6–8 hours after cessation of intake and may last up to 7 days. They include trembling of the hands, nausea, vomiting, sweating, cramps, anxiety, and, sometimes, seizures. (See also confusion, delirium tremens, and hallucinations.)

Opioid withdrawal symptoms start after 8–12 hours and may last for 7–10 days. Symptoms include restlessness, sweating, runny eyes and nose, yawning, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, dilated pupils, loss of appetite, irritability, weakness, tremor, and depression.

Withdrawal symptoms from barbiturate drugs and meprobamate start after 12–24 hours, beginning with tremor, anxiety, restlessness, and weakness, sometimes followed by delirium, hallucinations, and, occasionally, seizures. A period of prolonged sleep occurs 3–8 days after onset. Withdrawal from benzodiazepine drugs may begin much more slowly and can be life-threatening.

Withdrawal symptoms from nicotine develop gradually over 24–48 hours and include irritability, concentration problems, frustration, headaches, and anxiety. Discontinuation of cocaine or amfetamines results in extreme tiredness, lethargy, and dizziness. Cocaine withdrawal may also lead to tremor, severe depression, and sweating.

Withdrawal symptoms from marijuana include tremor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, irritability, and sleep problems. Caffeine withdrawal may lead to tiredness, headaches, and irritability.

Severe withdrawal syndromes require medical treatment.

Symptoms may be suppressed by giving the patient small quantities of the drug he or she had been taking.

More commonly, a substitute drug is given, such as methadone for opioid drugs or diazepam for alcohol.

The dose of the drug is then gradually reduced.... withdrawal syndrome

Formal Thought Disorder

thought disturbance characterized by disconnected thinking, manifested by disturbed speech in which the patient’s train of thought cannot be followed. Formal thought disorder was first described by the German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider and later elaborated on by various authors. Looking for evidence of formal thought disorder is part of every *mental state examination. It includes *loosening of associations, omissions, and *knight’s-move thinking.... formal thought disorder

Thought Alienation

a symptom of psychosis in which patients feel that their own thoughts are in some way no longer within their control. It includes *thought insertion, *thought withdrawal, and *thought broadcast. Any form of thought alienation is a *Schneiderian first-rank symptom, highly indicative of schizophrenia.... thought alienation

Thought Block

a sudden halting of the flow of thought, usually manifested as an interruption to speech lasting for a few seconds or more; when speech resumes, it is often on an unrelated subject. Thought block is a common symptom in severe mental illness but may also arise in the context of *psychosis, severe anxiety, or depression.... thought block

Thought Broadcast

a symptom of psychosis in which the patient feels that his or her thoughts are being distributed into other people’s thoughts. It must be differentiated from a mere idea that others can read one’s mind, which is common. Thought broadcast requires the conviction of an active transmission of thoughts. This is a *Schneiderian first-rank symptom, highly indicative of schizophrenia.... thought broadcast

Thought Echo

(echo de la pensée) a symptom of psychosis in which the patient has a hallucination of hearing aloud his or her own thoughts a short time after thinking them. Similar to the experience of thought echo is that of Gedankenlautwerden, in which the patients hear their own thoughts aloud at the time they think them. The latter was an original *Schneiderian first-rank symptom, but has been left out of most translations of Schneider’s work into English.... thought echo

Thought Insertion

a symptom of psychosis in which the patient feels that thoughts are inserted into his or her own head by an outside force or agency. This is a *Schneiderian first-rank symptom, highly indicative of schizophrenia.... thought insertion

Thought-stopping

n. a technique of *behaviour therapy used in the treatment of obsessional thoughts. Attention is voluntarily withdrawn from these thoughts and focused on some other vivid image or engrossing activity.... thought-stopping

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