Symptom 3: Emotional Disturbances
Delirium doesn’t just affect the cognitive realm. It spills over, impacting emotions in a significant way. This manifests as rapid, often unpredictable mood swings. Within a short timeframe, an individual might oscillate between feeling agitated, scared, or completely apathetic.
To an outsider, these shifts might seem unfounded. There’s often no apparent trigger for such drastic mood changes. But for the individual experiencing it, the emotions are as real and intense as they can get. It’s important to remember that they aren’t “overreacting”; their brain is simply not processing emotions in the typical manner.
This symptom, like many others associated with delirium, often has multifaceted origins. Physiological stressors, chemical imbalances in the brain, or even the mental stress of being in an unfamiliar environment (like a hospital) can contribute. (3)
