Overvalued idea

Overvalued ideas are exaggerated beliefs that a person sustains beyond reason but are not as unbelievable and are not as persistently held as delusions. Preoccupation with a spouse's possible infidelity can be an overvalued idea if no evidence exists to arouse suspicion. Body dysmorphic disorder's obsessive preoccupation that some aspect of one's appearance is severely flawed is another example of an overvalued idea.

An overvalued idea is something between an obsession and a delusion. A delusion is a firm belief held on inadequate grounds that can not be explained by the person's religious, cultural or educational background. It is unshakeable and can not be modified with arguments or logic. For example, someone might say that their bowels are rotten, so they should not be eating, and nothing would change their belief.

Overvalued Idea compared with delusion and obsession

An overvalued idea is like a delusion, except that it is somewhat logical and influenced by understandable factors. It is somewhat logical because this would not be an overvalued idea when it is totally understandable. Secondly, it is at least partly amenable to arguments.

An obsession is an intrusive thought or impulse that enters the mind despite efforts to exclude them. Most of the time, patients consider them false and totally against their own beliefs. For example, someone might think their hands are dirty and thus repeatedly wash their hands. But notice they clean their hands to reduce the distress of their intrusive thoughts. That is, they know their hands are clean, but due to the intrusive thoughts of dirt, they want to ensure that their hands are clean again.

The belief system of a patient with anorexia nervosa is an overvalued idea. This is because these ideas are influenced by sociocultural factors. It is more common in modern societies, where an undue influence is given to body figures. Thinness has become desirable. Other factors also influence the development of such ideas.