How do you call patients that are disconnected from reality?

[sallyhasanidea]

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[gyngyn]

Describe what you experienced without giving a diagnosis.

 

[trickydick]

I have used "delusional" to describe patients like that. Like a patient in a hospice that always wants me to help pack his stuff because he thinks he is leaving tomorrow but will likely never leave. That term is frequently used in the WAMC sub-forum as well to describe many medschool hopefuls.

But I could see how that term could be offensive or improper to use in an application or something similarly formal. I am mostly just interested in seeing what others have to say about this.

 

[Catalystik]

What is the proper term to desribe patients that are disconnected from reality? Or is disconnected from reality a good way to describe them?

I'm talking about patients that have . . .

If this is for an application essay, you aren't expected to know medical terminology. And every adcomm reading the essay won't know what those terms mean, so gyngyn is right, just describe what you witnessed in lay terms and more readers will understand what you want to convey.

 

[sallyhasanidea]

PLEASE DON'T QUOTE THIS POST

Describe what you experienced without giving a diagnosis.

 

[gyngyn]

It sounds fine.

 

[sallyhasanidea]

If this is for an application essay, you aren't expected to know medical terminology. And every adcomm reading the essay won't know what those terms mean, so gyngyn is right, just describe what you witnessed in lay terms and more readers will understand what you want to convey.

So do you think I should say something along the lines of: Or is the description unnecessary

 

[Catalystik]

So do you think I should say something along the lines of: . . . . Or is the description unnecessary

I think that the example makes it more interesting to read, so I'd keep it.

 

[sallyhasanidea]

I think that the example makes it more interesting to read, so I'd keep it.

Thanks. Do you think you could delete what you quoted from me?

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks. Do you think you could delete what you quoted from me?

I've removed the details that are identifiable. Is that sufficient?

 

[sallyhasanidea]

I've removed the details that are identifiable. Is that sufficient?

Yes thank you!

 

[DingoPingo]

I think a medical book about dementia used the term 'delusional' although personally I might write "someone who has delusions" as delusional also has a colloquial connotation of stupidity; but in a medical context it should be pretty clear