Confusion!

A psychiatrist visited a California mental institution and asked a patient, "How did you get here? What was the nature of your illness?" He got the following reply.

"Well, it all started when I got married and I guess I should never have done it. I married a widow with a grown daughter who then became my stepdaughter.

My dad came to visit us, fell in love with my lovely stepdaughter, then married her. And so my stepdaughter was now my stepmother. Soon, my wife had a son who was, of course, my daddy's brother-in-law since he is the half-brother of my stepdaughter, who is now, of course, my daddy's wife.

So, as I told you, when my stepdaughter married my daddy, she was at once my stepmother! Now, since my new son is brother to my stepmother, he also became my uncle. As you know, my wife is my step-grandmother since she is my stepmother's mother. Don't forget that my stepmother is my stepdaughter. Remember, too, that I am my wife's grandson.

But hold on just a few minutes more. You see, since I'm married to my step-grandmother, I am not only the wife's grandson and her hubby, but I am also my own grandfather. Now can you understand how I got put in this place?"

After staring blanky with a dizzy look on his face, the psychiatrist replied: "Move over!"

Confusion

Severe confusion of a degree considered pathological usually refers to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location, and personal identity), and often memory (ability to correctly recall previous events or learn new materal). Confusion as such is not synonymous with inability to focus attention, although severe inability to focus attention can cause, or greatly contribute to, confusion. Together, confusion and inability to focus attention (both of which affect judgement) are the twin symptoms of a loss or lack of normal brain function (mentation).

The milder degrees of confusion as pathological symptoms, are relative to previous function. Thus (for example) a mathematician confused about manipulation of simple fractions, may be showing pathology which would not be diagnosible in a person without training in this area. Thus, as with the case of delirium, the minor degrees of pathological confusion cannot be diagnosed without knowledge of a person's "baseline", or normal, level of mental functioning.

Confusion may result from a relatively sudden brain dysfunction (see delirium). It may also result from chronic organic brain pathologies such as dementia. In either case, confusion is usually associated with some degree of loss of ability to focus attention, but (as noted) the association is not invariable, especially for lesser degrees of impairment.

Many health problems may cause the syndromes of delirium or dementia. These syndromes may also occur together, and both of them usually include the symptom of confusion. Since mental function is extremely sensitive to health, the appearance of either a new confused state, or a new loss of ability to focus attention (delirium), may indicate that a new physical or mental illness has appeared, or that a chronic physical or mental illness has progressed (become more severe).

Confusion Possible causes

Confusion, like inability to focus attention, is a very general and nonspecific symptom of brain or mental dysfunction. In addition to many organic causes of confusion relating to a structural defect or a metabolic problem in the brain (analogous to hardware problems in a computer), there are also some psychiatric causes of confusion, which may also include a component of mental or emotional stress, mental disease, or other "programming" problems (analogous to software problems in a computer).

Causes of confusion are too many to list by specific pathology. However general categories of possible causes of mental confusion include:

Confusion Gross structural brain disorders

Head trauma (i.e., concussion, traumatic bleeding, penetrating injury, etc.) Gross structural damage from brain disease (stroke, spontaneous bleeding, tumor, etc.)

Confusion Neurological disorders

Various neurological disorders

Confusion General metabolic causes

Confusion Lack of sleep

Body temperature problems (hypothermia, heat stroke, hyperpyrexia, etc.)

Infection (sometimes independently of fever)

Nutritional deficiency

Allergic reactions and autoimmune diseases

Confusion Circulatory

Intracranial Hypertension

Confusion Lack of essential metabolic fuels nutrients etc

Hypoxia,

Hypoglycemia

Electrolyte imbalance (dehydration, water intoxication)

Confusion Toxication

Intoxication by various drugs (alcohol, anaesthetics, marijuana, etc.)

Poisons (including carbon monoxide and metabolic blockade)

Medications, including psychotropic medications

Confusion Mental illness

Mania

Depression

Schizophrenia

Confusion Psychological stressors

Distraction

Emotional shock (great fear, grief, anger, etc.)

Confusion Possible co-existing symptoms

Confusion is a symptom. It may range from mild to severe. The confused state may include also:

Jumbled or disorganized thought

Unusual, bizarre, or aggressive behavior

Difficulty in solving problems or tasks, especially those known to have been previously easy for the person

Inability to recognize family members or familiar objects, or to give approximate location of family members not present.

Illusions

Hallucinations

Paranoia

Disorientation

Inability to focus attention (see delirium)

Drowsiness

Abnormal sleeplessness and/or hyperactivity

Confusion Cures

Confusion is a symptom, like shortness of breath or pain. Like other symptoms, the cure relates to the underlying cause.