As humans, we sometimes overestimate the impact we have on our surrounding environments. When random events occur, we may assume something we did or thought was the reason. These thoughts, known as ideas of reference, are relatively common. At times, however, ideas of reference can negatively impact how we view the world and live our lives.
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Ideas of reference are false beliefs that random or irrelevant occurrences in the world directly relate to oneself. When someone believes their thoughts, actions, or presence caused something to occur, irrational thoughts are considered ideas of reference. Most people have these thoughts from time to time. For example, someone walking into an unfamiliar situation like a party might think everyone is looking at him. Most people could shake a nagging idea of reference by rationally thinking about the situation. Say someone is walking through a crowded shopping area and hears two people laughing. At first, that person may think those people are laughing at them. It may make them feel self-conscious or even a little anxious, but we'll dig deeper into that throughout the article.
How Cognitive Biases Can Distort Reality
A cognitive bias is an error in thinking that occurs while people process and interpret information from the world around them. Since there are limitations to the brain's attention and processing, the brain often seeks shortcuts to become more efficient. However, this "efficiency" can affect the objectiveness and rationality of thoughts. Although some of these shortcuts can be accurate, others can lead to errors distorting your thoughts. Here are some common cognitive biases:
Confirmation Bias: This bias can lead people to favor information that aligns with their existing beliefs while discounting evidence that doesn't conform.
Availability Heuristic: Your brain tends to create mental shortcuts known as heuristics to be more efficient. Sometimes these shortcuts work, while other times they create a bias. By placing greater value on thoughts entering your mind quickly, you may dismiss more probable answers or explanations.
Halo Effect: Your overall impression of a person can influence your opinion of all their characteristics. This may especially apply to your perception of the person's physical appearance and how it relates to their other qualities.
Self-Serving Bias: This bias often entails blaming external forces when bad things happen and giving yourself credit when good things occur.
Attentional Bias: Similar to confirmation bias, this involves paying attention to some things while simultaneously ignoring others. For example, if you're looking for a home, you may love the renovated kitchen of a home but ignore the lack of closet space.
Anchoring Bias: This bias involves a tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information you learn. For example, if a friend tells you something negative about a person, you see this person as negative despite their actions and characteristics.
Misinformation Bias: This involves a memory being influenced by post-event information. For instance, if you enjoyed a restaurant, but your friends talked about their negative experiences, it may affect your memory of the restaurant.
Optimism Bias: This bias suggests you are more likely to succeed and less likely to fail than others around you.
As seen above, there are many ways we shape and distort our thoughts to conform to what we want to believe. We all have cognitive biases and ideas of reference passing through our normal daily thoughts. It’s not a reason to judge oneself, but recognizing these biases may be an opportunity for growth.
When Can Ideas Of Reference Become Harmful?
Ideas of reference are often fleeting and may be easily released from consciousness. However, for some people, ideas of reference may be more pervasive. Those who experience mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or dementia may have more difficulty realizing some events have nothing to do with them. Ideas of reference can be more common in those experiencing personality disorders and other mental illnesses. Also, ideas of reference may be a precursor to another more serious type of thought pattern called delusions of reference. A delusion is a false belief, but the person having it believes it to be true. The person may hold firmly to the belief despite evidence that it is not true or rational.
The Three Criteria For A Delusion
Karl Jaspers gives three criteria for a delusion. They are as follows:
Certainty: The person is sure the delusion is real.
Incorrigibility: The person cannot be persuaded the delusion is false even with concrete evidence.
Impossibility: The delusion is not capable of being true.
If these thoughts remain for over a month and involve events that could happen, such as getting sick from germs or being followed, the person could be diagnosed with a delusional disorder. The main difference between delusions of reference and delusional disorder is that delusions of reference are not real, while delusions in delusional disorder could be realistic.
Delusions of reference are one of several types of delusions. Others include delusion of control, delusional guilt or sin, and somatic delusions.
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Examples Of Ideas Of Reference
Ideas of reference could take on many forms. Some could be relatively harmless, while others may significantly impact the way a person lives. If an event occurs, big or small, it could be turned into an idea of reference. Here are some examples:
Bob believes every time a certain song plays on the radio, his long-lost lover is thinking about him.
Ken walks past a group of teens while walking through the mall food court. He hears them laugh a few seconds after he passes. He is convinced they were laughing at him.
Nancy thinks her favorite television show is broadcasting secrets about her with subliminal messages. She records and rewatches the program several times, trying to pinpoint when her secrets are being revealed.
Ben believes aliens can hear his thoughts every time he walks outside on a cloudless day. For that reason, Ben stays indoors unless there are clouds in the sky.
Jennifer thinks everybody is staring and judging the food choices she makes while at the grocery store. Because of this, she only shops late at night when there aren't many people out shopping.
Mike believes he needs to sit in a certain position on a specific part of the couch for his favorite sports team to win. He becomes anxious when someone else is sitting there during the game.
Melissa finds a penny facing "heads up" on the ground. She is convinced it is a sign she will win the lottery. She hurries to a convenience store to purchase several tickets.
As seen in the examples above, ideas of reference can vary. Some might only be brief, passing thoughts, while others can drastically change a person's behavior.
Causes And Factors For Ideas/Delusions Of Reference
Everybody has an idea of reference from time to time. Some of us may even have deeply held beliefs or superstitions that could be very close to a delusion of reference. Some factors may increase the intensity and frequency of ideas of reference and delusions in a person.
Bipolar disorder: Those with bipolar disorder may experience ideas of reference and delusions more frequently than an average person does. Their ideas of reference may be congruent with their current depressive, manic, or hypomanic state.
Brain injury: Individuals with brain injuries, especially to the frontal lobe and right hemisphere of the brain, may be more prone to delusions. This could be due to the resulting cognitive impairment or the other areas of the brain overcompensating for the damaged region.
Schizotypal personality disorder(STPD): Ideas of reference can be common among those struggling with STPD. They may have cognitive or perceptual distortions as well as difficulties establishing and maintaining close relationships.
Schizophrenia: Delusions can be common for those with schizophrenia. One of the most common types of schizophrenia involves paranoia, or the belief the world or others are plotting against them.
Psychosis: Those with organic psychosis (nondrug-induced) may be likely to experience ideas of reference and delusions. This could be the result of dysfunctional brain chemicals due to genetic abnormalities.
Stress: Studies have shown the negative impacts of chronic stress on one's body and mental state. Chronic stress can alter the brain and make someone more susceptible to deluded thinking.
Dementia:Those whohave dementiaoften have a hard time basing their thoughts on reality. Confusion and memory loss often contribute to a person's ideas of reference and delusions.
Treatment For Ideas Of Reference And Delusions
When ideas of reference and subsequent delusions negatively impact a person's life, they may be treated by a mental health professional. If that person has been diagnosed with a mental illness like schizophrenia, personality disorder, or bipolar disorder, doctors or psychiatrists may prescribe antipsychotic medications to help manage symptoms. Antipsychotics work byblocking dopamine receptors. This inhibits dopaminergic activity to help decrease delusions. Antidepressants and other mood-stabilizing drugs may be prescribed to help lessen symptoms so that a person can function more efficiently.
Seeking Professional Help
If you are experiencing ideas or delusions of reference or have been diagnosed with a mental illness, you may benefit from talking to a licensed counselor, such as those at BetterHelp. If the cost or inconvenience of a traditional therapy setting has kept you from seeking help, you might consider online counseling, which research has shown to be just as effective as in-person therapy.Also, online therapy tends to be more affordable than in-person therapy without insurance. With BetterHelp, you can contact your therapist via phone, videoconference, or in-app messaging.
Psychotherapy may be recommended in conjunction with medications to help individuals experiencing ideas of reference. Typical talk therapies, such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), may help those with pervasive ideas of reference to restructure their thought processes and distinguish reality from irrationality. During psychotherapy, you may learn various coping strategies and ways to alter your behavior patterns when ideas of the reference surface.
Read below for some reviews of BetterHelp counselors from people experiencing concerns related to ideas of reference.
Counselor Reviews
"I have been dealing with quite a slew of issues, but after working with Mackenzie, I feel significantly more able to go forward in my life with effective strategies that match my abilities and goals. Mackenzie guided me toward establishing healthier boundaries, being more self-reflective, relying on both emotions and logic when confronting issues, and finding concrete ways to alleviate stress and anger at issues outside of my control. She is an incredibly skilled and valuable resource."
"Jessica is always there for me. Through my anxiety, sadness, and happiness. She helps me to focus on the positive rather than reflect on what I can't control."
Takeaway
Ideas of reference can lead to misinterpretations throughout your everyday life. However, you don’t have to face them alone. With BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist experienced at helping people address their ideas of reference. Take the first step today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is An Example Of A Delusion Of Reference?
Delusions of reference happen when a person thinks that certain things are referring to them. For example, someone may feel that song lyrics are about their life and pertain to them. They may feel like things in their life have a personal meaning, even when they do not. Such a belief may be harmful and can sometimes lead to someone being diagnosed with mental illness.
How Do You Treat An Idea Of Reference?
Ideas of reference may be addressed with the help of a licensed therapist. A therapist may help people identify and change some of these beliefs. If an individual experiences delusions due to a mental health condition, they may benefit from medication in addition to therapy.
What Are The Ideas Of Reference In Schizotypal Personality Disorder?
When it comes to schizotypal personality disorder, ideas and delusions of reference may lead someone to think that things happening have a meaning that pertains specifically to them. For instance, they may feel that a news article or television news segment is trying to tell them something or is of personal significance. When someone is affected by delusional thinking, they may also have a psychotic disorder that needs to be addressed by a mental health professional.
What Is A Referential Delusion?
A referential delusion is another way of saying delusion of reference. This refers to a delusion in which a person feels that things that they experience have meaning specifically for them. For example, they may read social media posts and think that a person is trying to tell them a secret message. If you try to show someone evidence to the contrary related to their delusions, delusions may still exist for them.
What Are The Four Types Of Delusions?
The four types of delusions are persecutory delusions, delusions of grandeur, delusional jealousy, and delusions of love. Delusions of persecution occur when someone feels that a person or organization is out to get them. A delusion of grandeur refers to when someone feels they are more important or special than they are. They may think that they are a great musician or artist when they don’t have extraordinary talent. Delusional jealousy happens when a person thinks their spouse or partner is cheating on them, whether this is true or not. They may obsessively search for evidence of this. A delusion of love refers to when a person is convinced that someone they are thinking about is in love with them. This can lead to them forming a fixation on this person, even if this individual doesn’t know them or like them.
What Is An Example Of A Flight Of Ideas?
A flight of ideas happens when someone is talks quickly and jumps around when it comes to subjects in a way that doesn’t seem coherent. For instance, a person may talk about their life and then start talking about dogs or cheeseburgers. This may happen because they are experiencing a mental illness, such as schizophrenia, or a thought disorder, which is when a person’s thoughts do not make sense to others.
What Are Overvalued Ideas?
Overvalued ideas are ideas that a person may obsess about and value over all other ideas that they have. These ideas are not thought to be caused by psychotic disorders, and they may come true at times as well. On the other hand, if someone expresses an overvalued idea and is presented with evidence to the contrary, they may still have a hard time changing their mind about it.
What Are Influence Ideas?
Influence ideas can be a symptom of a psychotic disorder. This condition is often characterized by someone believing their thoughts are being heard and their body is being controlled. They may think they are not even in charge of their movement. This is a type of delusional thinking that can be addressed by a health care professional.
What Are Ideas Of Reference In Mental Health?
Ideas or delusions of reference are beliefs that certain things that seem mundane or normal are special messages for them. For example, people may see secret messages on license plates or feel personal significance with a news article. This is a type of delusional thinking that could indicate a person is experiencing a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. Delusions are usually considered to be positive symptoms of schizophrenia, which means these things have been added to a person’s life or mental state. Ideas and delusions can be common personality traits for people with personality disorders.
What Are Schizotypal People Like?
People who have schizotypal personalities often like to stay away from other people. They may not be able to make sense when they are talking and may not exhibit the proper emotions for a certain situation. Other personality traits may include thinking unconventionally and having ideas that are different from those of people they know.
What Is Schizotypal Disorder?
Schizotypal disorder is a type of personality disorder in which people may experience paranoid thoughts about whether or not people are loyal to them. They may have no close friends, have strange mannerisms, ramble when they talk, and show little emotion. They can also believe in things that most people do not believe in. Schizotypal disorder is different from schizophrenia in that people with schizophrenia may have delusions or hallucinations, including auditory hallucinations, which are not usually seen in schizotypal disorder.
What Is Schizotypal Thinking?
Schizotypal thinking generally consists of believing things that most people do not, such as superpowers. People with this condition may also experience difficulty with relationships and may be considered eccentric in the way they dress or behave.
What Are The Five Types Of Hallucinations?
The five types of hallucinations are visual, auditory, taste, olfactory, and tactile hallucinations. These are named for the five senses and refer to hallucinations you can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel, respectively. A person may experience hallucinations for several reasons, recreational substances or psychotic disorders.
What Is The Most Common Type Of Delusion?
The most common type of delusion is a persecutory delusion, which occurs when someone thinks that a person or company is out to get them. They may feel like they are being followed or that there is a plot against them. This delusion can be dangerous, especially if a person experiencing it decides to act in response to their feelings. At times, people with delusions may be experiencing paranoid personality disorder, which is a mental condition that often involves being suspicious of other people. They might think they are in danger at all times.
Can Delusions Go Away?
Delusions can go away on their own, but in some instances, delusions, especially persecutory delusions, may need treatment to go away. If a person experiences delusions because of a mental health condition, they will likely require proper treatment before they will subside. Delusional belief may affect people for many years, but it may also go away without warning. This may depend on the cause, personality traits, and mental health of the person experiencing delusions.