View source for Folie

== Folie ==

'''Folie''' (/foʊˈliː/; from French, meaning "madness") is a term used in [[psychiatry]] to describe a set of [[mental disorder]]s characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and often bizarre behavior. The term is derived from the Latin word "folium", meaning "leaf", which metaphorically refers to the "unfolding" of the mind.

=== Etymology ===

The term "folie" is derived from the French word for "madness". It is believed to have been first used in this context in the 19th century by French psychiatrists. The term is derived from the Latin word "folium", meaning "leaf". This is a metaphorical reference to the "unfolding" of the mind, as in the unfolding of a leaf.

=== Types of Folie ===

There are several types of folie, including:

* '''[[Folie à deux]]''' (or shared psychotic disorder): This is a psychiatric syndrome in which symptoms of a delusional belief, and sometimes hallucinations, are transmitted from one individual to another.
* '''[[Folie imposée]]''': This is a condition where a dominant person (known as the 'primary') initially forms a delusional belief during a psychotic episode and imposes it on another person or persons (the 'secondary').
* '''[[Folie simultanée]]''': This is when two people, usually closely associated, share the same delusions.

=== Related Terms ===

* '''[[Delusion]]''': A false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly held despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary.
* '''[[Hallucination]]''': A perception in the absence of a stimulus which has qualities of real perception.
* '''[[Psychosis]]''': A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.

== See Also ==

* [[Mental disorder]]
* [[Psychiatry]]
* [[Psychotic disorder]]

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Psychiatry]]
[[Category:Mental health]]
[[Category:Medical terminology]]

{{dictionary-stub}}