Which Mental Health Disorder is Associated With Agnosia?
Agnosia occurs when the brain’s sensory-processing areas are damaged. It can happen due to strokes, tumors, head injuries, infections, dementia, hypoxia and toxins like carbon monoxide poisoning.
Diagnosis takes a combination of a physical exam, questions about your history, sensory testing and diagnostic imaging and other tests. It can also involve an interprofessional team.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts that cause intense anxiety and distress. Often, these thoughts are illogical or irrational.
They can include thoughts of being contaminated with germs, a persistent fear of getting sick or having recurring, disturbing images that won’t go away. These obsessive thoughts are difficult to control, and may be accompanied by compulsive behaviors that are out of step with reality.
There is no known cure for OCD, but treatment can help manage symptoms. A combination of psychotherapy, medication and exposure and response prevention therapy can reduce obsessions and compulsions.
A person who has agnosia cannot recognize their own body, people and objects as they exist in the physical world. This can happen in one or more of the five senses, including sight, hearing, taste and touch.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as a war or assault. These events usually cause the body to respond with a fight-or-flight response that causes a pounding heart, elevated blood pressure and muscle tightness.
But once the danger has passed, the nervous system returns to its normal state of balance. People with PTSD have difficulty getting back to this state of relaxation, and they often experience symptoms that don’t go away or worsen over time.
Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks or nightmares that re-live the traumatic event, numbness or feelings of detachment, and negative changes in thoughts and emotions. These symptoms can affect how a person functions and interacts with others, leading to a lack of enjoyment in daily activities.
PTSD is most commonly treated with talking therapy, medication or a combination of both. Talking therapies may use methods such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) or cognitive processing therapy to help patients process the trauma they experienced.
Depression
Depression can have a lot of different symptoms, from feeling hopeless to a loss of interest in the things you once loved. It can also include feelings of irritability, anger, unexplained aches and pains and changes in energy, focus and sleeping patterns.
People who have depression may also be more likely to suffer from anxiety. Both disorders can have similar symptoms, including a sense of sadness or worthlessness and thoughts of self-loathing.
In addition, both depression and anxiety are associated with problems with recognizing objects, people and situations. This is called agnosia.
Agnosia is usually caused by an injury or damage to specific parts of the brain that process sensory information, such as vision or hearing. If this underlying cause is treated, the disorder’s symptoms often resolve over time.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal response to fear or danger, and it can usually be triggered by a specific situation. It causes your body to release hormones that help you fight off the threat. Once the threatening situation is over, the anxiety should subside.
But in some people, their anxiety can continue long after the threat has passed. This can make it harder to deal with life.
It may also cause you to avoid certain situations or people. It can also be linked to certain health conditions, including heart disease, obesity and depression.
Anxiety disorders can be treated with different treatments. They can include stress management techniques, a medication and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
