psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial p ...

, thought withdrawal is the delusional belief that thoughts have been 'taken out' of the patient's mind, and the patient has no power over this. It often accompanies

thought blocking Thought blocking is a type of thought disorder in which a person will suddenly and involuntarily fall silent, or abruptly change to another subject. When thought blocking, some people may express themselves in a manner that is not understandable t ...

. The patient may experience a break in the flow of their thoughts, believing that the missing thoughts have been withdrawn from their mind by some outside agency. This delusion is one of Schneider's first rank symptoms for

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

. Because thought withdrawal is characterized as a delusion, according to the DSM-IV TR it represents a positive symptom of schizophrenia.American Psychiatric Association (2000) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV TR) 4th edition. USA: American Psychiatric Association

References

Delusional disorders {{abnormal-psych-stub

See also

References