Why?

Different psychiatrists and therapists have told me that something I think is a delusion.  I KNOW (people have told me, I have read it, etc.) that millions of other people have the same thought, although not to the extent that I think it and how it affects my life.  Could you tell me why it is a delusion for me to think it and not for the other people who think it?  How is this different than a severe phobia that someone might have that totally affects his/her life and the fear to a lesser degree for everyday people?  

Thank you.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The issue about a delusion is not how many people believe it, but whether or not the assertion is grounded in reality. A severe phobia is a kind of delusion...a person believes there is an imminent danger when there is no danger.  NOw the problem is a matter of degree...if you don't leave your house because of a phobia about being attacked, there is some kernel of truth...you can get attacked.  But how probable is it in a particular situation.

The way we understand phobias, and similarly delusions, is that the added probability assessment of danger or of facticity is supplied by an inner reality fear or assertion.  The two, inner and outer, are joined to produced an unwarranted conviction.

The best thing to do is explore the inner reasons, for those are another kind of reality.  Separate the outer and inner.  Then you can make your best assessment of whether what you are thinking is a delusion or a fact.