Turabosis is a rare psychiatric disorder where a patient believes they are covered in sand, often found in regions with abundant sand. Treatment involves stabilizing the patient with medication and talk therapy to address the roots of the disorder. Women are more at risk, and the condition is classified as a somatic delusional disorder. Antidepressants can be helpful, and the goal is to dispel the delusion altogether.
Turabosis is a psychiatric disorder in which a patient becomes convinced that he is covered in sand. Most of the records of this disorder come from regions like Saudi Arabia where sand is in abundance and people are exposed to stories of individuals who were indeed buried in sand. Typically, treatment for turabosis is based on the use of psychiatric medicine to stabilize the patient, followed by talk therapy to address the roots of the disorder.
This condition belongs to a family of delusional disorders classified as “somatic”, indicating that the central nervous system is involved. Delusional disorders, formerly known as “paranoia,” involve deeply held beliefs that actually have a logical basis, with no other known pathology. In the case of Thurabosis, for example, the feeling of being covered in sand could be caused by a nervous system disorder that was causing the nerves to send the wrong messages to the brain, but if this cause were eliminated, the disease would be defined as psychiatric in nature. .
Women appear to be more at risk of developing turabosis and there appears to be a strong cultural factor in the condition which may also explain why women are more likely to experience it. Many extremely sandy nations also have very repressive societies for women, and it is possible for patients to translate their sense of being figuratively buried into a delusion that they are actually buried.
Turabosis is extremely rare and generally easy to diagnose. No history of mental illness is required to diagnose the condition; instead, doctors focus on the symptoms as they occur when they are presented. The feeling of being covered in sand can make the patient cry or become very aggressive, which usually results in a consultation with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist may seek the assistance of a neurologist to confirm that the condition is indeed psychiatric in origin, after which the psychiatrist can create a treatment plan for the patient.
Antidepressant medications appear to be helpful for patients with turbosis, although it may take several courses of different medications to find the correct medication and dosage. Once the patient’s immediate mental distress has been addressed, a psychiatrist or psychologist can begin to explore the nature of the delusions, working with the patient with a goal of dispelling the delusion altogether.
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