Alterations in the experience of the bodily self
EIn this section we will mention two psychopathological situations. The first refers to the experience of oneself and one's environment and, secondly, to alterations in the experience of the bodily self.
Depersonalization – derealization
La depersonalization It consists of the subject's feeling of being alienated from themselves; they experience it as strange, devitalized, and unreal. They are aware of this transformation, which they often experience with anguish. This estrangement from oneself is often accompanied by the experience that, likewise, the environment is not the same (derealizationAlthough experiences of strangeness can be of different intensity, normally, both feelings are always linked, something that, ultimately, highlights the unity of the subject with the environment in which he lives. Many authors consider the depersonalization-derealization as a subtype of dissociation.Alterations in self-awareness:
anosognosia
It is characterized by extreme indifference, non-recognition, or denial of the damaged body part. Several forms of clinical expression have been described:-
- Anton-Babinski syndrome: Failure to recognize left-sided hemiplegia. They may even attribute it to someone else.
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- Gerstmann syndromeThey present a agraphia, acalculia, and digital agnosia.
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- Autotopagnosia: The patient does not recognize parts of his body or any of his limbs.
Astereognosis
Inability to recognize objects by touch without visual assistance. This is common in children. disconnection syndromes.Asomatognosia
The patient denies the existence of a body part. For some authors, this would be part of a delusion, a delusion of negation.Heautoscopy
It is the perception of oneself as a double. It is usually perceived as being to the side or in front. It differs from the deuteroscopy because, in the latter, the subject perceives himself as a different person.Partial agnosias
Recognition disorders. Although the subject perceives and recognizes stimuli, they are unable to relate them to the object. These are very similar to autotopaagosia, so we will not discuss them in detail.Prosopagnosia
Inability to recognize previously known faces. Those that appear in some schizophrenics are often called affective prosopagnosia.Phantom limb
It is the perception of the abutted limb. The most frequent is the perception of the fingers and acral parts in general. It seems to be related to the Penfield homunculus.Bibliography
Eguiluz I.; Segarra R (2013). Introduction to psychopathology. An updated view. Madrid. Pan-American Medical Publishing. pp: 11-26.
Higueras Aranda, A; López Sánchez JM; Jiménez Linares R (1980). Compendium of psychopathology. Granada. CEP. pp: 213-224.
Sarrais F (2016). Psychopathology. Pamplona. Eunsa. pp: 181-217.
Scharfetter Ch (1977). Introduction to general psychopathology. Madrid. Morata Publishing. pp: 53-66
Vallejo Ruiloba, J (2015). Introduction to psychopathology and psychiatry. Barcelona. Mason. pp: e-641-e-656.
