Delusional Parasitosis Demystified by Dematologists
by Gina Kolite in Beauty & Wellness on Jun 25, 2011
Some people inquire dermatologists and let them check their feelings of “constant creepy-crawly sensation beneath their skin,” which according to the people are due to bugs, worms, or eggs below the surface.
But in the recent and largest study in examining skin samples from patients with these kinds of symptoms, researchers say that these feelings, known to be delusional parasitosis or delusional infestations, are not real.
However, the researchers did not disvalue that the findings may not be enough “to convince” many of the patients, especially those who have experienced this. Mark Davis, M.D., and a professor of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said, “It’s almost impossible to get them to shake this belief, no matter how much evidence you produce to the contrary.” Patients often feel dismissed and neglected if doctors or specialists say that the infestations they feel are just all in their minds. Even though skin biopsies are negative, patients still believe that they are teemed with bugs, etc.
One solution is taking in antipsychotic drugs, which is the standard treatment for such cases. However, Davis said, “A lot of patients with this disorder don’t want to take these drugs because they don’t feel they have a delusional disorder.”
On a lighter mode, most of the doctors still believe that the said condition is more of psychological than physical.
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