Abnormal Thought Process

• Neologisms - words a person makes up that have meaning only for the person himself, often part of delusion. New words formation.
• Tangentiality- association disturbance in which the speaker goes off to the topic. When it happens frequently and the speaker does not return to the topic, interpersonal communication is destroyed. It is the tendency to speak about topics unrelated to the main topic of discussion. Wandering from the topic and never returning to it or providing the information asked.
• Looseness of association - connections in thought are interrupted. A disturbance of thinking in which the association of ideas and thought patterns becomes so vague, diffuse, fragmented and unfocused as to lack any logical sequences or relationship to any proceeding concepts or themes. Mostly seen in schizophrenia.
• Flight of Ideas - Constant flow of speech in which the person jumps from one topic to another in rapid succession. there is connection between some topics, although it is sometimes hard to identify. Characteristically seen in manic states of bipolar disorder.
• Thought blocking - sudden or abrupt stop in the middle of a train of thought, the person may or may not be able to continue the idea. It is a sudden cessation of a thought in the middle of a sentence.
• Circumstantiality - Before getting to the point or answering a question, the person gets caught up in countless details and explanations.
• Word Salad - mixture of words and phrases that have no meaning.
• Confabulation - filling in a memory gap with detailed fantasy believed by the teller to maintain self-esteem.
• Perseveration - involuntary repetition of the same thought, phrase or motor response to different questions or situations.