Confabulousness

Confabulosis (from Latin confabulor - to talk, from com- - together + fabulor - to talk, chat, tell + -oz(is)) is a fictional mental disorder characterized by a pathological tendency to empty chatter and meaningless conversations.

People suffering from confabulosis experience an irresistible desire to constantly conduct empty, worthless conversations on abstract topics that do not carry any semantic load. They can talk for hours on abstract, neutral topics, without showing interest in the content of the conversation and without trying to derive any benefit from it.

It is believed that confabulosis is a kind of “verbal tic” that helps people suffering from it cope with anxiety and internal tension. However, the uncontrollable craving for idle talk significantly impedes their normal social functioning and interaction with others.

The causes of confabulosis are not completely clear. It is assumed that both psychological factors (anxiety, desire to escape reality) and abnormalities of brain activity can play a certain role in its development.

Effective treatments for this disorder have not yet been developed. It is possible to use psychotherapy and medication to correct related problems (depression, anxiety disorders). However, in general, the prognosis for confabulosis remains unfavorable.

Confabulosis is a psychopathological memory disorder in which fictitious events that seem to have already happened come to the fore. The circumstances of these imaginary experiences are associated in memory with real events, which can lead to confusion and errors in the story. At the same time, the patient, at the level of self-awareness, realizes the unreality of the events described and does not think about such a mistake.

Elderly men are more often susceptible to confabulosis - 75% of all cases of the disease. Women suffer from false memory less often than men; according to statistical estimates, the incidence among women is 25%.

Konfabulyo