Ganser syndrome is a syndrome that is attributed to a number of mental disorders of an artificial nature. For this disease, the patient’s manner of action is inherent, imitating the behavior of patients with mental or physical ailments. In fact, the disease of the symptoms depicted is absent.
Discovery and characterization of the phenomenon of Ganser syndrome
The full name of the person who first described this syndrome is Gansert Siegbert Joseph Maria. He is German by nationality. In 1897, he characterized this disease as a twilight disorder of consciousness.
Twilight disorder of consciousness is such a psychiatric phenomenon, which is characterized by impaired consciousness, which manifests itself in disorientation in space, but at the same time, habits, actions brought to automatism remain. This is the best way to explain the effect of stable personality affirmation in your individual perception of the environment. But at the same time, in reality, the first place in the patient’s imagination is occupied by irrational realism.
Description of Ganser Syndrome
The syndrome mainly occurs in prisoners. Usually experienced criminals are exposed to him, therefore, in medical practice, he was unofficially called "prison psychosis."
The ailment is quite rare, and its development is facilitated by acutely ending emotional pathologies and hysterical seizures with a further selective loss of memory. This phenomenon has some similarities with schizophrenia.
It is important to be able to distinguish this phenomenon from ordinary pretense. After all, a person is inherent in pretending for personal gain, but Ganser syndrome is a serious health problem, which is based on certain life difficulties.
Characteristic symptoms of the disease
The syndrome is characterized by acute course. However, the duration of the attacks is short - they last from several hours to two to three days. When the patient's consciousness clears up, his condition immediately significantly improves.
Typical symptoms of Ganser syndrome :
- Mimicry - the patient's answers do not correspond to the essence of the question. Although the question was quite clear and understandable.
- Mimic actions are actions that are carried out inappropriately to given commands (sometimes they reach absurdity and absurdity).
- Pseudo-dementia is a patient’s mental state that is very similar to dementia (dementia). However, it is caused by other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, depression or hysteria.
- Puerilism is a hysterical psychosis for which child behavior is characteristic against the background of a rejection of awareness of reality.
- A hysterical narrowing of consciousness is a violation of consciousness in which it changes to such an extent that its conscious part turns off and a limited group of emotions and ideas begins to dominate.
- Hysterical paralysis - invented health problems, a constant simulation in which the patient himself begins to believe.
At the initial stage, the disease is accompanied by increased distraction, fear, anxiety, visual hallucinations.
Causes of the disease
The syndrome has not yet been studied perfectly, therefore in medicine there is not enough information about the reasons that contribute to its occurrence and development. Among the most respected experts in their field, there is an opinion that a severe stressful situation is the provoking factor of the disease. A reinforcing factor is the desire of the individual to evade responsibility for their actions and avoid unpleasant situations.
Physical circumstances also apply:
- prolonged alcohol abuse;
- serious head bruises;
- traumatic brain injuries.
A concomitant disease in Ganser syndrome is personality disorder. Most often this is some kind of theatrical or asocial disorder.
Asocial personality disorder with a diagnosis such as Ganser syndrome, the symptoms are of the following nature: aggressive and irresponsible acts, neglect of generally accepted norms of behavior and moral principles.
A person suffering from a theatrical disorder, tries to behave in such a way as to receive an approving response from the outside. Often, such patients suffer from an obsession to become irreplaceable. To achieve this, they will behave in such a way as to attract maximum attention.
A characteristic feature of this disease is the fact that more often males suffer from this ailment. The disease begins to develop mainly at the stage of early adolescence.
Diagnosis of the disease
Confirming this diagnosis is not easy. The reason for this is not only a predisposition to the inventions of such a patient, but also the great rarity of this disease. Before you start talking about such a problem as the treatment of Ganser syndrome, a specialist needs to exclude other possible problems. They, too, could cause the manifestation of such symptoms.
In the process of diagnosing a disease such as Ganser syndrome, the syndrome is studied from the point of view of the mental and physical effects on the well-being of the person. In monitoring the patient, it is necessary to involve his close relatives. It is required that they carefully observe his behavior and record all the important points.
If physical causes are not found, then the patient will have to deal with a psychotherapist. It is a specialist in this profile that has all the necessary knowledge and skills to distinguish fictitious violations of the patient’s behavior from serious health problems.
Ganser syndrome: symptoms and treatment of the disease
The main objective during the treatment of a disease such as Ganser syndrome is to minimize the possible danger that the patient is fraught with for himself and the people around him. If it is necessary to isolate it from society, then in this case hospitalization is carried out.
The placement of the patient in the clinic is quite rare. Mostly, eliminating the stress factor that provokes the onset and development of the syndrome is enough, and over time, the signs of the disease disappear.
Treatment methods
The main methods that are used to treat Ganser syndrome:
- supporting treatment;
- making sure that there is no relapse.
The use of medications is generally not required. They take medication only if burdensome accompanying circumstances appear. For example, personality disorder, anxiety, and depression.
If the stressful situation was blocked, and its consequences were removed, then in a few days the syndrome recedes.
Ganser Syndrome Prevention
The syndrome described in this article does not have individual specific prophylaxis.
In theory, every person is in danger of getting such a disease. It is quite difficult to detect Ganser syndrome. Symptoms the diagnosis of this disease can not always correctly identify. However, timely treatment of this disorder gives each person a chance to get rid of him once and for all.
Each person chooses his own destiny, so it’s quite realistic to live in such a way that Ganser’s syndrome could not reach you. All that is required is to be honest, respect the law and take care of yourself. Also, each person should personally monitor their health and turn to professionals in time, especially in case of suspicion of something amiss. Everyone deserves to be healthy!