What does neurosis mean? Neurosis. Causes, symptoms and treatment of pathology. Physical signs of neurosis

Neurosis is a set of psychogenic, functional, reversible disorders that tend to last a long time. The clinical picture of neurosis is characterized by obsessive, asthenic or hysterical manifestations, as well as a temporary weakening of physical and mental performance. Neurosis is also called psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder.

The cause of neurosis in adults in most cases is conflicts (internal or external), stress, circumstances that cause psychological trauma, long-term overstrain of the emotional or intellectual spheres of the psyche.

IP Pavlov defined neurosis as a protracted, chronic disorder of higher nervous activity, provoked in the cerebral cortex by overstrain of nervous processes and exposure to external stimuli of inadequate duration and strength. At the beginning of the 20th century, the use of the clinical term “neurosis” in relation not only to humans, but also to animals led to many disputes among scientists. Basically, psychoanalytic theories present neurosis and its symptoms as a consequence of a psychological, hidden conflict.

Causes of neurosis

The occurrence of this condition depends on many physical and psychological factors. Most often, specialists in clinical practice have to deal with the following etiopathogenetic influences:

- prolonged emotional distress or mental overload. For example, a high academic load can lead to the development of neuroses in children, and in young and mature people these factors include job loss, divorce, dissatisfaction with their lives;

- inability to solve personal problems. For example, a situation with an overdue loan. Long-term psychological pressure from the bank may well lead to neurotic disorders;

- absent-mindedness that led to a negative consequence. For example, a person left an electrical appliance on and a fire occurred. In such cases, obsessive-compulsive neurosis may develop, in which a person is constantly in doubt about the fact that he forgot to do something significant;

- intoxication and diseases leading to depletion of the body. For example, neuroses can arise as a result of infectious diseases that do not go away for a long time (influenza, tuberculosis). Also, neuroses often develop in people who are addicted to drinking alcohol or tobacco;

— pathology of the development of the central nervous system, which is accompanied by an inability to perform long-term physical and mental work (congenital asthenia);

— disorders of a neurotic nature can develop for no apparent reason, acting as a consequence of the morbidity of the inner world and the patient’s self-hypnosis. This form of the disease often occurs in women with a hysteroid type of character.

Symptoms of neurosis

The clinical picture of neuroses is conventionally divided into two large groups: symptoms of a somatic and mental nature. Both are found in all types of neuropathic disorders, but each type of neurosis has its own characteristics that allow for differential diagnosis.

Symptoms of neurosis of a psychopathic nature include the following manifestations:

- lack of self-confidence, chronic anxiety, indecision, fatigue. The patient, being in this state, does not set life goals for himself, does not believe in himself, and is confident in the lack of success. Patients often develop inferiority complexes regarding the lack of communication abilities and dissatisfaction with their own appearance;

- the patient, experiencing constant fatigue, does not want to take any active steps in his studies and to advance at work, his performance is significantly reduced, and frequent sleep disturbances (drowsiness or insomnia) are noted.

In addition to the above, signs of neurosis include inadequate, which can be either overestimated or underestimated.

Symptoms of somatic neurosis include the following manifestations:

- episodic heart pain that occurs at rest or during physical activity;

- signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia, sweating, tremors of the limbs, severe anxiety, which are accompanied by hypotonic syndrome.

At moments of critical decrease in blood pressure, the patient may lose consciousness or faint.

Signs of neurosis in adults can manifest themselves in the appearance of psychalgia, which is characterized by the expression of pain without organic pathology.

Pain in such cases acts as a panic reaction of the psyche to the patient’s expectation of this. Often a person has a situation where exactly what he subconsciously cannot let out of his thoughts and what he is afraid of happens to him.

Signs of neurosis

The following signs may indicate the presence of this disorder in a person:

- emotional distress for no apparent reason;

- communication problems;

- frequent experiences of feelings, anxiety, anxious anticipation of something;

- indecision;

- instability of mood, sharp or frequent variability;

— inconsistency and uncertainty of the system of values, life preferences and desires, cynicism;

— inadequate self-esteem: overestimation or underestimation;

- tearfulness;

- high sensitivity to stress in the form of despair or;

- anxiety, vulnerability, touchiness;

- fixation on a traumatic situation;

— attempts to work quickly end in fatigue, decreased attention and thinking ability;

- a person experiences increased sensitivity to temperature changes, bright light, and loud sounds;

— sleep disorders: restless, superficial sleep that does not bring relief, drowsiness is noted in the morning;

- heart pain and headaches;

- increased fatigue, feeling tired, general decrease in performance;

— darkening in the eyes from pressure changes, dizziness;

- pain in the abdomen;

- difficulty maintaining balance, disorders of the vestibular apparatus;

- loss of appetite (malnutrition, hunger, overeating, rapid satiety when eating);

- sleep disturbances (insomnia), early awakening, difficulty falling asleep, lack of a full feeling of rest after sleep, night awakenings, nightmares;

- psychological fear of physical pain, increased concern for one’s health;

— vegetative disorders: increased sweating, palpitations, disruption of the stomach, surges in blood pressure, increased urge to urinate, cough, loose stools;

- decreased potency and libido.

Forms of neurosis

Currently, the following forms of neurosis have become widespread:

The term “cognitive therapy” means reproducing a situation that caused anxiety and anxiety in a patient in a safe environment. This allows patients to intelligently assess what happened and draw the necessary conclusions. Cognitive therapy is often carried out during a hypnotic trance.
After removing the patient from a neurotic state, a conversation is held with him regarding his future lifestyle, finding his place in the world around him and normalizing his state of health. The patient is advised to distract himself and find ways to relax from the surrounding reality, to acquire any hobby or hobby.

In cases where psychotherapy methods in the treatment of neuroses do not bring the expected result, then there is a need to carry out drug therapy.

Several groups of drugs are used for this:

- tranquilizers;

- neuroleptics;

- antidepressants;

- nootropic drugs and psychostimulants.

Tranquilizers are similar in their pharmacological effect to antipsychotics, but have a different mechanism of action, stimulating the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid. They have a pronounced sedative and relaxing effect. Prescribed in short courses for obsessive-compulsive neuroses.

Tranquilizers reduce feelings of fear, anxiety, and emotional tension. This makes the patient more accessible to psychotherapy.
Tranquilizers in large doses at first can cause a feeling of lethargy, drowsiness, mild nausea, and weakness. In the future, these phenomena disappear, and these drugs do not affect the ability to work. Since tranquilizers slow reaction time and reduce attention, they must be prescribed to transport drivers with great caution.
In medical practice, the most commonly prescribed tranquilizers are benzodiazepine derivatives - chlordiazepoxide (Librium, Elenium), Diazepam (Valium, Seduxen), Tazepam (Oxazepam), Eunoctin (Nitrazepam, Radedorm). They have anti-convulsant, anti-anxiety, vegetative-normalizing and mild hypnotic effects.

Also widely used are tranquilizers such as Andaxin (Meprotan, Meprobamate) and Trioxazin. Each drug has its own psychopharmacological characteristics.

When choosing tranquilizers, the psychotherapist takes into account not only the symptoms of the disorder, but also the patient’s individual reaction to it. For example, some patients tolerate Trioxazine well and Seduxen (Diazepam) poorly, while others do the opposite.
Doses of the drug are selected individually, starting with one tablet of Seduxen (5 mg) or Librium (10 mg). Every day the dose of the medicine is increased by 1-2 tablets and an average of 10-30 mg of Seduxen or 20-60 mg of Librium is given.

Neuroleptics (Aminazine, etc.) have an antipsychotic effect, have a hypnotic and sedative effect, eliminate hallucinations, but with long-term therapy they can cause depression. Prescribed for the hysteroid form of neurosis.

Antidepressants (Amitriptyline, etc.) have a pronounced sedative effect. Used for neuroses accompanied by fear and anxiety. Can be used parenterally or in tablet form.

Nootropic drugs (Nootropil, etc.) and psychostimulants have an exciting effect, improve the emotional state, increase mental performance, reduce the feeling of fatigue, cause a feeling of strength and vigor, and temporarily prevent the onset of sleep. Prescribed for depressive forms of neurosis.

These drugs should be prescribed with caution, since they activate the body’s “reserve” capabilities without eliminating the need for normal sleep and rest. In unstable psychopathic individuals, addiction may occur.

The physiological effect of psychostimulants is in many ways similar, in part, to the action of adrenaline and caffeine, which also have stimulating properties.

Of the stimulants, Benzedrine (Phenamine, Amphetamine) is most often used, 5-10 mg 1-2 r. per day, Sidnocarb 5-10 mg 1-2 r. in the first half of the day.

In addition to general tonics, for asthenic conditions, experts prescribe the following tonic drugs:

- ginseng root 0.15 g, 1 t. 3 r. Per day or 25 drops 3 r. per day 1 hour before meals;

— Schisandra tincture 20 drops 2 r. in a day;

- Eleutherococcus extract, half a teaspoon, 3 rubles. a day half an hour before meals;

— Leuzea extract 20 drops 2 r. a day before meals;

- sterculia tincture 20 drops 2-3 r. in a day;

— tincture of bait, 30 drops, 2-3 r. in a day;

- Aralia tincture 30 drops 2-3 r. in a day;

— Saparal 0.05 g, 1 t. 3 r. a day after meals;

— Pantocrine 30 drops 2-3 r. a day before meals.

To improve the quality of sleep and reduce effective tension, patients with neuroses are prescribed small doses of sleeping pills.

How to treat neurosis

For neuroses, soothing music, which affects the psycho-emotional state, is very effective in treating. Scientists have already proven that correctly selected music can influence the most important physiological reactions: heart rate, gas exchange processes, blood pressure, depth of breathing, and activity of the nervous system.
From the point of view, music can change the energy inside the individual's body, achieving harmony on all levels - emotional, physical, spiritual.

Musical works can oppositely change a person's mood. In this regard, all musical compositions are divided into activating and calming. Psychotherapists use music as a method that promotes the production of endorphins and allows the patient to experience the most desired emotions, helping in overcoming depressive states.
Music therapy was officially recognized in European countries back in the 19th century. Currently, music is used for stuttering, as well as mental, neurotic, and psychosomatic diseases. Musical rhythms and sounds have a selective effect on a person. Classic studies can relieve anxiety and tension, even out breathing, and relax muscles.

Internal conflicts and stress force people to find peace by turning to specialists, mastering effective relaxation methods to restore the nervous system. Such techniques are accompanied by special melodies that serve as a background for them and have a relaxing effect.

A new direction “meditative music” has appeared in music, including ethnic songs and folk music. The construction of such a melody occurs on repeating elements, a combination of viscous enveloping rhythms and ethnic patterns.

Prevention of neuroses

As a rule, the prognosis for neuroses is favorable, but in order to cure them completely, a lot of effort, time, and sometimes financial costs are required. Therefore, the prevention of neuroses is of great importance.

It is very important in preventing states of neurosis to normalize the work and rest schedule, have some kind of hobby, and take regular walks in the fresh air. To relieve mental stress, you need to find a suitable opportunity, which can be keeping a diary. It is necessary to accurately monitor a person’s personal condition, and if the first symptoms of psychological overload occur, you should contact a specialized specialist.

If the state of neurosis was caused by seasonal depression, then light therapy or walks on sunny days are used to prevent and treat it.

Primary prevention of neuroses includes:

— prevention of traumatic situations at home and at work;

Secondary prevention of neuroses includes:

— prevention of relapses;

- changing the attitude of patients through conversations towards traumatic situations (persuasion treatment), suggestion and; if they are detected, timely treatment;

— helping to increase brightness in the room;

— diet therapy (balanced diet, avoidance of alcoholic beverages and coffee);

- vitamin therapy, adequate sleep;

- adequate and timely treatment of other diseases: cardiovascular, endocrine, cerebral atherosclerosis, iron and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia;

- exclusion of substance abuse, alcoholism.

Good morning, girl, 21 years old. This message will be long, sorry. I need an advice.

She experienced two difficult breakups (the first was a breakup with her future groom (a proposal was made), the wedding did not take place, he cheated, they were together for a very long time, and the second was after him, she decided to give herself a chance to be in a relationship again and accepted advances from a young man, she warned in advance that my state in terms of trust is still unstable, it is easy to undermine it and we agreed on honesty and mutual respect for each other, he knew the story about the ex. Alas, he undermined trust.).
After the first breakup, I lost all the strength to get out, the next morning after that I immediately woke up in tears and with the desire to throw myself out of the window, not wanting my loved ones to lose such a loss, I called my PND (I was registered due to pressure from not very good people, I visited a psychotherapist, in order to get advice on how to cope with them and not give up.) and went to the appointment. I was admitted to a day hospital and prescribed Phenazepam, Paroxetine and Quentiax. Afterwards, I was safely released as soon as there was a positive trend; less than a year later, a condition appeared that I still experience to this day.
It appeared after the last relationship, or rather, even during it. I decided to trust again, which was extremely difficult after the betrayal, but I got the same story. This time, however, my reaction at first was not the same as after breaking up with my fiancé, I kept my emotions inside myself for three days and was silent, I felt a burning sensation in my chest, a lack of emotions except anxiety, all my limbs became icy, my sleep finally deteriorated (I suffer from chronic insomnia, which I overcame it at the day hospital), I began to fall asleep at lunchtime and wake up closer to night.
Once I lay down in the same way and felt a palpitation, an increase in panic that something was wrong with me, they gave me a drop of Valocordin, but it became easier temporarily, it even made me feel more intoxicated (I felt weak, as if I had drunk an alcoholic drink), closer to 3 At about one o'clock in the afternoon I decided to go to sleep, afraid that they wouldn't wake up again. I set several alarms for myself and turned on a cartoon so that at least something from the outside would hold my consciousness.

Then the real Hell began. My worries about the relationship grew, and I was pinned to the bed. Poor sleep for 2-4 hours a day, or even for two, palpitations, panic attacks that did not go away, eternal tears due to the fear of death and the feeling that something in the body is no longer the same as it was before, as if something was wrong other people began to work, otherwise I was terminally ill. I stopped eating and on the 2nd day of such a life (approximately) I went to the clinic, I barely crawled to it, since my condition was so bad that I thought I would either die or lose consciousness. I went to almost all the doctors, all the tests were fine, they even checked my hormones, everything was also fine, there was an ECG, there was a cardiologist, everything was fine with my heart too. A new diagnosis was made - poor conduction of the left ventricle (in the heart), ignorance of this pathology also bore fruit in terms of worries.
I began to suffer from hypochondria, I had the feeling that I was not being given the correct diagnoses, I visited various therapists to dispel my doubts, everyone said the same thing: You have no organics, the problem is mental. I visited a therapist every time I had pain in my chest, back, arms and legs; I used to have tremors in my hands, which got worse. Sometimes there was a feeling of heaviness in the left leg and arm, coldness in the extremities (I was told that it was VSD), because of the palpitations, I began to be afraid to fall asleep if I suddenly became drowsy during the day, but nevertheless, with the remnants of a sober consciousness, I understood that the body just needed rest to recover, I started to force myself to eat so that I had energy.
A fear of cardiac arrest or heart failure appeared when I began to wake up at night from respiratory arrest (I woke up abruptly and with shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, or woke up “not breathing”), chest pains were frequent, the feeling of constriction did not leave me.
The young man offered virtually no support, which discouraged me, because I believed in the words: We can handle it together, everything will be fine.
As a result, he left silently, I learned that we were not together from another person, he did not inform me that he was already free.

Then Hell continued. I was able to get back on my feet through strength and survived the daily fears of dying (or my psyche was so tired that I accepted the possibility of not waking up), it was summer and I began to walk more often in the forest with my mother, communicate more often with friends who could support me and be there for me, but sometimes I noticed thoughts that I was doing this so that they could stay with me a little longer before I die. The fresh air helped, but there was one more thing that began to bother me.
The house ceased to be something cozy, if no one walked with me, I could just leave the house and sit for hours on the fence at the entrance, just not to be within 4 walls, after every walk or such gatherings I came home very tired, like concrete walls carried on my back.
My heart was beating again, and there was a strange feeling of weightlessness in my head and body, the awareness that I was living the same life as before was lost in my thoughts, sometimes I stopped understanding where I was, my thoughts were forever shrouded in fog. I looked at some things in the house and sometimes did not understand why they were needed, and some I thought that I was seeing for the last time in my life, and the next day they seemed like something new and irreplaceable. I drank Afobazol prescribed by my therapist, something seemed to have changed after a month’s course, and I also drank teas with herbs.

Today the diagnoses are: intercostal neuralgia (all doctors said that point and sharp pain in the muscles of the arms, legs, and back is a consequence of this), a disorder of the central nervous system/autonomic system, VSD, neurosis (a guess, but I read the article and everything agrees with my current condition).
Condition: I feel complete indifference to everything, no sexual desire, no desire to enter into a love relationship, some kind of chronic fatigue (I study at a university, I need to work because the situation in the family is difficult) and lack of desire to get ready and go somewhere. Over the course of 2.5 years of all this, I accumulated about 70% of absences from the university, that is, the entire second year was my treatment with a psychiatrist, now the third and I am not able to attend it. I was there only once at the end of September when I was able to go to bed normally and get up in the morning. There are some incentives to improve your academic situation, but there is very little opportunity. Now I can stay awake for 2 days, I don’t take sleeping pills because about three days ago I took Quentiax off course (it ended) and felt severe weakness and palpitations, as if I was dying. I felt a panic attack and tearfulness, after it I slept for 15 hours and felt even worse, I no longer want to make mistakes and ruin myself with self-medication.
There is no desire to live, all goals are lost (I am a very creative person and usually write poetry, stories, a lot can inspire me), the desire to become better (I tried to play sports, I gave up after back pain appeared due to neuralgia, it was impossible even to stand , let alone sit.), sometimes I can stare at the wall for a long time, my head feels heavy, I am prone to absent-mindedness and forgetfulness, I have become a different person than I was before. Some of the fears suddenly disappeared, some appeared, became too apathetic and indifferent to many things, constant mood swings, pain throughout the body remained and they add their lion's share to my reluctance to live, chest pain too. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that it would be better if I weren’t surrounded by people, I want to go wherever I can and be left alone (I generally react sharply to people’s attitude towards me). Creativity has always been my outlet, before there was almost a whole movie in my head that I described in a document or on paper, but now I’m trying to tune myself into a wave of inspiration and I feel emptiness, the inability to imagine or describe something. The change of thoughts is constant, then I am afraid of dying due to health problems (which there are none, as doctors say), then I wish that my end would come as soon as possible. This remains unclear to me to this day.
Forgive me if somewhere I expressed myself incomprehensibly and incorrectly, sometimes I write and I myself may not understand what I wrote chaotically, so my explanations require additional questions.
Purpose of writing: I want to understand whether I can cope with this myself without a neurosis clinic and a psychiatrist? I'm trying to surface and make more effort, but it's not enough yet. I want to try to correct the debts that I accumulated due to missed sessions, but if they prescribe drugs to me, I will also not be able to work mentally (while taking a course of drugs, I could not absorb the material due to excessive relaxation, i.e. I heard what they were saying, took notes in the notebook block, but there was nothing left in my head, attempts to reproduce my notes and try to understand what the teacher was conveying to me were deplorable, the understanding did not come and I stopped raping my brain.). The curator of my group is aware of my situation and understands my situation, but nevertheless I am slightly afraid of expulsion (mostly due to the fact that I will upset my mother, but I myself do not care about my future fate.). Will cognitive therapy and help from a psychologist help me at first?

Have a nice day. I ask you to explain that I am not going crazy with me and that there is no schizophrenia in me. After the death of my grandmother on the third day at the evening, I stood in front of the mirror and marveled at something new, but it seemed to me that nothing had changed in me, but it seemed like this appeared, I guess that day, standing in front of the mirror, I asked myself who I am. Tsei the camp was written off as I am strong about this after the funeral. I woke up and woke up, but I started to feel confused in my head. I went to the line to school there, almost losing my guilt (before which I had gone to three grandmothers and steadily lost my guilt at the funeral), they brought me to the doctor’s office with pressure. The next day, everything repeated itself and it continued like this for two weeks, but it added to the confusion in my head and the constant vomiting, as if I was dying or going crazy, with a strong heartbeat and a lump in my throat. The doctor diagnosed astheno-neurotic syndrome. After 3 weeks of treatment, a new symptom was added, and in the evening I started crying for no reason. They sent me to a psychiatric hospital until they separated neuroses and diagnosed F 48.0 and F 50.0-? . After lying there for two weeks, they wrote me off, but my head had not gotten better. It’s gradually clear that I’m in a fog and that I’m not lost, I come to my office at my work place as soon as I know what has changed, because I don’t remember all my speeches and me it seems that the stinks appeared until an hour passed and I understand that everything Because it was so bad and lost, I stared at the computer screen and squinted my eyes tightly. I have a strong fear of going crazy lest I develop schizophrenia. Please help me please

Hello, Vova. Worrying and obsessing over new diagnoses will be unnecessary in your case. You have reactive neurasthenia (F48.0), resulting from exposure to traumatic factors. You need to slowly get out of your state, think about the good, avoid stressful situations, worries, since the course of neurasthenia may be delayed due to the addition of other neurotic symptoms (individual obsessive doubts, fears, etc.).
- - Vladimir, everything will depend on your speedy desire to get well. A psychologist does not provide treatment; only a psychotherapist will help you get out of this state. Adaptol will help ease anxiety, anxiety, fear, and internal emotional tension. The drug does not reduce mental and motor activity, so it can be used during the working day.
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Hello. I am writing here with the hope of finding help for my condition. Recently, one fine day, I began to have a headache, I took Citramon, Fanigan, trivially. Then it started to bother me in the area of my heart, or in the left side of my chest. I started taking Valilol and Corvalol. I noticed that I take these medications very often. I turned to a surgeon I knew, he examined me and decided that my pain was not related to my heart, and referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist did an ECG and said that there was no pathology in the heart. Next, the surgeon gave me a back massage and said that there was probably a pinching in the area of the left shoulder blade and gave me a blockade. It all started after the blockade, or rather my condition. I started to feel dizzy when walking and lack coordination. Everything inside the body is tense, hand tremors, chills. In the evenings, as soon as the sun sets, the face becomes hot, but there is no temperature, the face under the eyes becomes red. Anxious state. It seems to me that I am sick with something incurable. I did an MRI of the brain, the result was normal, there were no pathologies. The state is sluggish. It's more stressful to be on the street. Irritability towards everything, impatience in everything. I myself am essentially suspicious. But this condition and lack of coordination ruined my usual life. I passed the tests, the result was normal. I constantly think about my condition, I can’t get distracted. My brain only thinks about my condition. Sudden movements and sounds irritate me so much that I twitch from it. Libido is impaired, there is no interest in sex at all.
Tell me please, what's wrong with me? I am very grateful in advance for your attention.

Hello! My name is Anastasia! 24 years old, two children! Since childhood, I was distinguished by high suspiciousness and empathy; after giving birth, panic attacks began! I learned to fight and perceive them normally, thanks to books and videos!
But the anxiety and neurosis remained, and over trifles, that someone would get sick all the time, I was out of balance, everything stopped making me happy, complete pessimism! ((((
I saw a psychotherapist and prescribed gidozepam and Simone, there were terrible side effects after which I simply stopped taking them! Please help me, in which direction to work, and how exactly?

Hello, Anastasia. In any case, medications are necessary (others should be selected) to maintain a normal psycho-emotional state. We recommend additional consultation and examination by an endocrinologist; perhaps hormonal imbalance is the cause of anxiety.

Hello! I’m 38, husband, two children, everything in life is good. Against the background of ordinary life, in March there was an attack (sympatho-adrenal crisis), since then it began... The attacks themselves occurred 3 times, in principle, I learned to fight them (or Corvalol, or 1/4 of Phenazepam - the doctor prescribed). But a condition that lasts for weeks completely unsettles you, prevents you from living and enjoying life, because you don’t know when it will strike: unpleasant sensations in the stomach, as if you were very frightened, your heart is pounding, your blood pressure rises a little. I became nervous, a “tight string” state. I take anaprilin, but the symptoms do not go away. The spine was treated, an osteopath and a chiropractor corrected everything. My heart is healthy, my thyroid, adrenal glands and hormones are normal... I saw a neurologist, cardiologist and psychoendocrinologist. PAND believes that I have a genetic deficiency of neurotransmitters. She suggested taking antidepressants. But outside of exacerbations, I have a great mood, a surge of energy, and it’s summer now - sun, walks, long daylight hours. There would be no reason for depression; my only experience is this incomprehensible state for no reason!
A lot of money has already been spent, but there is no result. Doctors don’t see any special problems, but how can I live?? Does this look like a neurosis (I’m very emotional, like my mother, but I haven’t suffered from depression, I’ll quickly flare up, cry and everything is ok)? Is it possible that this delayed stress manifested itself in this way (the youngest had colic for 5 months, it was very emotionally difficult to carry a baby screaming until he was blue in the face for several hours; waking up at night, his nerves were “on edge” all the time)? Which specialist should I go to? Will hypnosis help (but I don’t have a psychological trauma that causes PA)?
In general, help me get back to normal life! I'm tired…

If a doctor prescribes antidepressants, it’s for a reason. They treat not only depression but also panic attacks that you have. It's strange that the doctor didn't tell you this. And if your panic attacks go away, you shouldn’t stop taking antidepressants until you take the medication for the time prescribed by the doctor, otherwise the panic attacks may return because the effect needs to be consolidated. If the drug is not Valdoxan, before you stop drinking you need to gradually reduce the dosage to avoid withdrawal syndrome.

Hello. Girl, 25 years old. I had a long period of stress, after which when I fell asleep, tremors in my chest began, as if I were being thrown out of sleep. After several such shocks, sleep came and everything was fine, it didn’t bother me too much. But then I had a severe nervous breakdown, and I didn’t sleep at all that night (I lay there, thoughts swarming in my head like hallucinations, a terrible state, but I couldn’t fall asleep). After that I started having problems sleeping. The first few days I felt like I couldn’t sleep at all, I was ready to throw myself out the window, out of horror. Then my mother tried to convince me for a long time, saying that it was okay, everything would pass. And my friends said the same thing. A week has passed. I sleep, I haven’t used sleeping pills and don’t plan to, I drink sedative collection No. 2, motherwort, Magnerot and Valoserdin before bed. Previously, all my working day I only thought about my problem, it seemed to me that I would never get out of this and would not be able to sleep normally (I am a terrible hypochondriac, I am generally afraid of diseases). I tried to contact a neurologist, but he said that he would prescribe blood pressure for me and that’s all... but damn, the problem here is different, in the head, in anxiety, and I understand that. I end up going to bed at 9:30 p.m., sleeping with earplugs and a headband, only listening to cartoons, which has only gotten worse lately, it wakes me up. Every morning I analyze my sleep and try to figure out how to improve it, and make this terrible state go away once and for all. You see, I'm not afraid that I won't fall asleep at all. I'm lying and waiting, well, when will it be, damn it. I did different techniques, contrast showers, etc. Previously, before all this, I would go to bed and just fall asleep, even at three in the morning, even at one o’clock. And today I woke up at one in the morning (I also wake up all the time), and went on to fall asleep and again these stupid hallucinations-thoughts from which only drowsiness. I’m already lying down, specially concentrating on breathing, just to get them out of my head. This lasts for almost two weeks. My life seemed to be divided into before and after. I have eliminated all external conflicts, I try to react to everything calmly. I think about my sleep problem less often. But it’s extremely difficult for me to fall asleep; the comparison comes as if I had to seep through a concrete wall. Now I have a vacation soon and I will go to my parents. Tell me, will this pass? Are these difficulties falling asleep? And how can you make your brain understand that sleep is not scary and stop getting so worked up? I beg you, help me!

Hello Anna. Considering that you have a vacation soon, you should take advantage of this correctly: stay in the fresh air as much as possible, sunbathe, swim in ponds. Active rest normalizes sleep.
- Hello again. Me again, Anna. In general, I didn’t feel much better in 2 months. At first I woke up every 1.5 hours, then it went away. Now I just wake up at night or in the morning at 4-5 o'clock and can't fall back to sleep. Sometimes out of desperation I started taking Donormil and Melaxen. I'm very tired of this, it feels like it will never end. I drank motherwort, valerian, glycine and magnesium and B vitamins - nothing helped. I have become calmer, the acute stress has passed, and now there is just some kind of despair. I'm afraid of getting depressed. Because of this fucking dream, nothing makes me happy. Help me, or is it already too late to see a psychotherapist?

V. Sinelnikov’s meditations helped me. I don't remember the name, it's on YouTube. I listened and fell asleep with headphones on. I woke up every 2 hours at night. I listened for a long time.

In fact, antidepressants treat the head and treat not only depression, but also the nerves that cause sleep problems. A doctor wouldn't just prescribe them. Most likely, your doctor wanted to prescribe you antidepressants with a hypnotic effect.

Good evening. At the end of 2017, I got sick. In January 2018, for the first time I was struck by PA, tachycardia. Then I completely collapsed and felt like I was dying. I didn't understand what was happening. I was constantly crying, thinking in my head that something was wrong with my brain. And then a nightmare began, which I began to go through in some places: doctors, tests, ultrasounds, endless conversations that something was wrong, I could not correctly and clearly explain what was happening to me. The doctors didn't understand either. I was constantly shaking, I was losing weight, my hair began to fall out, my heart was constantly beating wildly, even at rest; I couldn’t sleep or eat. I stopped perceiving and feeling the world correctly. It seemed to me that I had lost the feelings that I had before. Everything around me became wrong... It was my brain that began to perceive everything incorrectly. This is still the case today. I'm afraid of him because I invent some kind of disease in my brain. I'm scared. Really scary. I went through agorophobia without leaving the house for almost 3 months. Then I forced myself to go to my parents, I thought it would become easier, but no. It hit me even more. At the moment, nothing has changed, I have overcome some of my fears, such as agorophobia, but everything else is still beyond my control. Sometimes I am afraid that something is really wrong with me and that I am seriously ill, although the test results are good. I'm tired of being alienated. Tell me, is this neurosis or something else? Thanks for the answer.

Hello. My name is Katerina. I'm 23. I work with children at school. For 7 years I have been trying to get used to the idea that I will never have a chance to work in my profession (Main). Disease of the musculoskeletal system (knees, and then back). At the age of 16, doctors stated that I would not be an artist-dancer, but it was not advisable to become a choreographer either. She left the profession (she was studying at a choreographic school at that moment) and completely changed her activities. For a year I lay at home in the dark with breaks for my unloved studies. Then I realized that this was no longer possible. I was looking for interests, hobbies. But the choreography haunted me. They invited me to work. She worked. At least a few hours a week in this area. She cried and agreed to take the groups again. I decided to change everything and moved to another city. Changed profession. 2 educational institutions for honors diploma. It didn't get any easier. I was invited to join a dance project as a teacher at a summer camp. I set the numbers, and in the evening, with tears and a cigarette, I try to pull myself together and live another day. Throughout this time I tried to close these doors for myself forever. But no way. There is less and less meaning in this existence. I had surgery on my knee. 2 times. Doctors do not console, “If you want to walk at 40, stop.” The spine is crumbling. You try to live with physical pain. It turns out. I'm almost used to it. There is no goal. I also don’t know why I wake up in the morning. Nightmares at night. The state that I haven’t slept and would rather not go to bed, because I wake up in tears and sometimes from my own scream. I closed myself off from everyone, pretending that everything was fine. A year ago, it got to the point where 3 was lying down and couldn’t get up. I didn't have the strength to go to the restroom. Little by little I forced myself to continue living. I don't talk about this with my friends. Do not understand. Closed. I pretend that everything is fine. Any situation that is uncomfortable brings tears to your eyes. Irritated by everything. And one question, will it always be like this? No strength. I go to work and realize that all this is pointless. This mortgage, work, vacation. And then children, family. And all this is for nothing. The joy is long gone. About 3 years ago. I didn't ask for help. I don't know who. Please tell me. It's embarrassing to talk about this to anyone. I’m young, what problems can I have? (That’s what they once said.) Then the thought arose that maybe I had imagined everything for myself? Or is this really a problem and already the beginning of some kind of illness?
Thank you.

Karina, don't give up! You are young, you need to move on with your life, I’m not a doctor, my joints also hurt, I take various supplements, sometimes the pain bothers me, but I don’t give up. Good luck, health, strength, patience.

So this is... You have a direct route to a psychotherapist, I myself go probably once a year, being a cheerful, kind, smart young man, we communicate 4 hours per hour a week and everything falls into place. Therefore, my advice is only to see a psychologist or psychotherapist; in 2 months you won’t recognize yourself. I noticed a lot of people are “driven”, either they are not handsome, they are sick, or they come up with something else for themselves. but the problem is in the “sick” head.. Good luck to you

Karina, I went through all this. You need a qualified doctor who will put your back and knees back in place. All these problems are 99% from the back. I had panic attacks all the time. I hid in a corner and waited for my end to come. You could say I was put on my feet by a neurologist... who had deep knowledge in the field of acupuncture and manual therapy. Good luck to you.

Hello. 3 weeks ago I miraculously saved my two-year-old daughter, she almost drowned in the cesspool of her husband’s parents. Now it seems to me that this is a dream, I’m afraid to wake up and it will turn out that I didn’t save her. A constant feeling of anxiety and fear. I'm going crazy?

Good afternoon, my name is Alina, I suffer from heart disease, or rather a year ago I was put on an artificial heart pacemaker. According to the doctors, everything is fine with me, my heart began to work as it should, and after the operation I began to feel constant feelings of anxiety. Sometimes the wave just passes, my hands begin to tremble, my heart beats furiously, cold sweat passes and I feel like I’m going to faint or die. At the time of such attacks, I was checked by doctors who said that everything was fine with my heart and recommended that I see a neurologist. After a consultation with a neurologist, they diagnosed a pinched cervical spine, underwent a course of massage and various therapies, including medications, for a while it became better, but the attacks began to recur, I still have panic attacks very often in public transport and all the time it’s like my head is in some kind of dope, mild intoxication, I don’t drink alcohol. The feeling of joy also comes very rarely. Husband, child, I want to enjoy life, but sometimes I’m just consumed by melancholy because of this state and a constant feeling of fatigue, a mad desire to go into deep sleep. So I started to think maybe this neurosis is catching up with me after all.

Alina, good afternoon. You wrote everything just like I did, word for word. I've been struggling with this for 4 years now and nothing has happened. I really don't know what to do anymore. These fears... and there is no desire to live.

Hello. A family I know is dysfunctional: severe poverty, frequent internal conflicts in which children are actively drawn into. The eldest boy, 12 years old, systematically rudely argues with his mother, during quarrels with her he often falls into protracted hysterics, alternately sobs, then aggressively insults his mother, almost throwing up his hands. At the same time, he may not be embarrassed by the presence of strangers. The mother herself complains that on special occasions her son breaks things or grabs sharp objects and threatens to cut everyone. Just the other day, for the sixth time, he was taken by ambulance to a psychoneurological dispensary, and on the day of hospitalization, on the contrary, at first he was unusually calm, in the next argument he even gave in to his mother, and then suddenly, according to his mother, he himself began to ask to call an ambulance ", saying that he needed the pills they used to treat him there. Otherwise, he said, he will start “smashing everything” and beating up his family. He is currently undergoing treatment at the dispensary again. The mother says that upon leaving the dispensary she always behaves calmly at first, becomes affectionate and affectionate towards her, and then again the behavior becomes worse until the next hospitalization.
But the most important thing is that with other people, outside the family, he behaves absolutely adequately, there are no special oddities in his behavior. With the exception of the occasional minor excitement that appears, although it lasts a long time until one is truly tired, but even at this moment the behavior does not go beyond the scope of ordinary mischief and retains complete clarity of judgment and perception. It calms down if you just hug and hold tightly for a couple of minutes. It is also noticeable that when there is a conversation on topics that concern him, his shoulders begin to twitch, but he still behaves in the same balanced way, trying not to show that he is excited or upset. More than once we walked with this boy in nature: he also behaves absolutely normally, listens, is careful where necessary, only on the way back he begins to delay his return in every possible way under various pretexts. In general, attacks of hysteria and aggression occur only at home (sometimes at school) and are mainly directed at his mother. When we talked about this, he claims that his mother is exaggerating, and in general, he says that he holds a grudge against her. However, it is not just that he is systematically placed in a neuropsychiatric dispensary. On the day of his last hospitalization, he came to my work and was calm; It seemed to me that he was somewhat depressed, and I also noticed that he didn’t particularly want to go home that day. But he still left when the time came, without much protest.
The mother says that she herself does not know what diagnosis he is given at the dispensary. Either they refer to medical confidentiality, or something else. But what kind of secret can there be for the child’s legal representative? Due to the fact that he has already been admitted to a psychoneurological dispensary several times, his mother is trying to register him as disabled, but she is refused, saying that there are no grounds.
Please tell me what kind of neuropsychic disorder he might have? The situation in the family is such that it is not surprising that the child is hysterical and scandalous, but is it because of this that they are placed in a neuropsychiatric hospital? In other places he behaves quite normally. He is registered with the juvenile affairs inspectorate, but for a long time he has not been noticed for any violations, except for returning home late. Sorry for the verbosity.

Hello Zakir. Children aged 4-14 years entering a psychiatric hospital are admitted to children's departments. If there is no adolescent department or ward in the hospital, adolescents are admitted to the adult department.
The placement is carried out only by a psychiatrist. If the person subject to hospitalization has not reached the age of sixteen or, due to his mental state, is not capable of free will, consent to hospitalization must be obtained from his relatives. Patients who, due to their mental state, pose an immediate danger to themselves or others and are in need of compulsory treatment, may be hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital without their consent and without prior notification and consent of their relatives. If the applicant does not have indications for hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital, the doctor on duty refuses admission.
Patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital as an emergency hospitalization are subject, within 48 hours from the moment of admission, excluding general weekends and holidays, to examination by a commission of psychiatrists, which considers the validity of hospitalization and the need for compulsory treatment.
It is impossible to answer your question about the diagnosis. The clinical diagnosis in the medical history is made by the attending physician after conducting all the necessary studies and obtaining objective anamnesis data. The formulation of the diagnosis is given in accordance with the current statistical classification of the disease. Without the consent of the citizen, information cannot be transferred to anyone (except in cases specifically established by law). To provide information (including relatives, written permission is required). An exception is only for actually dying patients, and then if the patient has not prohibited it.

Hello. Girl, 17 years old. Frequent mood swings, it happens that I cry several times a day. I've been in this state for about a year. I have very low self-esteem, but at the same time very high. I have neither mental nor physical strength to do anything, I get tired very quickly. My sleep is bad, I have difficulty falling asleep, and in the morning it’s like I haven’t slept. I don’t feel safe; sometimes I can’t decide to take some action for a long time. It’s impossible to get out of this state on your own; all your energy is spent on motivation. Palms often sweat and heart rate increases. The stomach and intestines react especially strongly to all this, + problems with the thyroid gland (GOI). I'm guessing it could be neurosis. Please answer and help with advice: what is the best thing to do and which specialist to contact.

Hello. I am 28 years old. From time to time I fall into a sad state, but not often. A year ago, I gradually became “sad” for no apparent reason. I live alone. No friends. Only work colleagues. I don't drink, I don't smoke. Lost interest in work and training. I did everything through force. Frequent headaches, aching pain in the area of the heart (checked the heart - everything is fine). I slept poorly and woke up very early. Feelings of guilt, then self-hatred, thoughts of suicide, a knife heated to red, burned my hand. This happened before, but not for so long. It is very embarrassing to talk about this with someone (they will then know that I am a freak). Almost back to normal now. How can I help myself the next time it hits me again? Who to contact?

I am 42 years old. Lately I have been having poor sleep and during the day I feel anxious and concerned about my physical health. At the slightest discomfort, I fear for my life and fear death. On top of that, I read all sorts of articles on the Internet about cancer and this aggravated the situation. I weigh myself often to make sure I’m not losing weight (weight loss is often a sign of cancer). The weight is normal, there is an appetite, and the ability to work, too, but there is a feeling as if the head was transplanted from someone else’s shoulder, there are headaches, feelings of compression of the head, at times involuntary muscle movements in different parts of the body, loud noises and bright daylight irritate. It's hard to focus your vision. Plus, my libido has dropped noticeably, although I have a loving wife. Tell me what the problem is and how to overcome it. Thank you!

- The description of depressive neurosis fits my description 99%. PA is only one of the heads of this “hydra” and it is precisely what should be treated, and I’m afraid psychoanalysis is not enough, and afabazole only relieves attacks, but does not cure, it does not move the disease to a milder level. Previously, alcohol helped me, but now the body’s reaction is the opposite, I drank a glass and had an attack, right as soon as the alcohol began to enter the blood. Breathing exercises easily relieve attacks, but again they do not cure. I would like to have a more radical impact on the disease!
  - Ivan, with proper treatment, depressive neurosis goes away quite quickly and without leaving a trace. The vast majority of patients with panic attacks show signs of depression.
    Psychoanalytic theory interprets the occurrence of a panic attack as a “suppressed” internal conflict, which finds outlet in bodily manifestations. Panic attacks can be a manifestation of some illness or the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, in your case it is necessary to find the cause and only after excluding all possible somatic pathologies is a cure possible.
    To cope with an attack on your own, you are doing the right thing when you regulate your breathing, you can also distract yourself and take a sedative.
    Effective treatment of depressive neurosis is possible only with an integrated approach using medications, psychological assistance, physical therapy and physiotherapy.
    Persuasion treatment is widespread, which consists of logical processing of a traumatic situation in order to change a person’s attitude towards it. Often psychologists use the process of self-hypnosis - the patient pronouncing certain phrases that form a new view on a particular situation, which at the subconscious level changes the mood. Antidepressants are the basis of drug treatment. Physiotherapeutic methods include: electrosleep, general massage, massage of the cervical-collar area, water procedures, darsonvalization, reflexology. Exercise or just regular exercise helps reduce the symptoms of neurosis.
    
    Hello. Please explain how to understand whether I feel rational or irrational fear? For example, recently there was an incident that unsettled me - an old man knocked on the house, who almost accurately guessed the gender/nationality/age of the resident; when asked how he found out, he answered “the man downstairs said,” but after going around all the neighbors, no one saw anyone. And this old man wanted us to take his documents because... According to him, he has already been robbed several times, but the police do not respond to his calls. Then he started asking me about my job and who I live with. In the end he said if you’re bored, come to me and named a house, but not an apartment. I contacted the local police officer at that address; according to them, there lives in such a house an old man suffering from dementia, and there have been false calls more than once. To be honest, I didn’t fully believe their words, because when I turned to them, they were very annoyed that I was interrupting their lunch, and so I think they said “calm down and fuck off.” Since then, I have been tormented by the thought that the thieves, through the old man, checked the number of residents of the apartment and so on. For even if the old man really was sick in the head, then how he found out who exactly lived in this apartment remains unknown, because the neighbors did not see anyone. And despite the fact that there was nothing obscenely worth stealing at home, I became particularly nervous as soon as I sent this old man away - my heartbeat quickened, my body began to tremble (when I quarrel with someone I have about the same reaction) and for several nights in a row I had difficulty I could sleep - I listened to every rustle. I think I'm more scared of the possibility of being robbed than of losing anything. I began to regularly draw the curtains, peer at other people’s cars near the house, and close the windows. With windows, it’s a completely separate issue - if in the morning I forget to close them, and then I come back and see an open window, I’ll start to think that a stranger was in the house because I don’t remember exactly whether I closed them or not... no memory. And despite the fact that this anxiety goes away in the morning/day, but in the evening, at home, I again begin to ask myself the questions “was this really a trick of thieves?” and the uncertainty really hurts. I can sit stupidly thinking the same thing for an hour or two. Yes, and at work I can think about it, but in a more indifferent state. And I don’t know if this is related or not, but several years before this incident, I began to worry about wiretapping and surveillance. For example, some acquaintances stayed with us to live for a while, and the thought came to me that they could install wiretapping bugs in order to find out what we were talking about them. When I was given the phone as a gift, I again began to think that a spy application was installed on it. At work, when I was entrusted with the keys to a safe, without even asking for a copy of my passport and without employment, I began to think that the key contained a surveillance sensor. I take a roundabout route from work so that management doesn’t know where I live because I think that if something happens they might come to my house. And after the incident with the old man, I also thought about wiretapping and surveillance bugs, that perhaps the thieves had already installed them in the house and in the entrance. And I can’t understand if because of one incident my condition changed so much, can this be considered intuition or did some subconscious fears come to the surface? How do you know if this is a rational fear? By the way, as a child, I was also afraid of strangers breaking into the house - I looked at the front door and expected the worst. But as he grew up, he didn’t really bother about it, even after a real robbery incident. And I don’t care about my physical safety; I was always more worried about my parents because... Since childhood, I saw that my father was not physically ready to fight back, and it was not in his character to beat anyone or insult anyone even for a cause. And when my father died, I was worried that we were burying him alive, because I didn’t trust the doctors here. I began to communicate online with doctors about my father’s illness, and everyone agreed that patients in the same condition usually do not die so quickly, and there was a chance of saving if they had performed an operation. In addition, at the funeral his face was inexplicably swollen and no one could give me an exact explanation for this phenomenon. For these reasons, already 3 years after my father’s death, I think that perhaps he was buried alive. It seems to me that I experienced my father’s death more than calmly—I mourned him for less than noon. Then life didn’t seem to change, although when I fall into thoughts about being buried alive, and, in principle, I remember my father, I can’t restrain myself again. I feel a little guilty for what a shitty son I was - indifferent, lazy, and when in recent months my father was very ill and was not himself, in a fit of anger I told him “you are a burden to everyone. when you're already dead! later regretting his words, he never apologized. All of the above are my biggest fears and I can’t understand whether they are rational or not. In the case of my father, I will never know if I’m right or if I’m wrong, and this is what really gets me! It's better for me to know the hard truth than to suffer in ignorance. And in the case of that old man, what about just waiting, will he be robbed or not? Having read about the symptoms of neurosis, many people can guess - indecision, uncertainty, rather low self-esteem, the heart rarely hurts once or twice, when receiving a large amount of new information or against the background of worries, the back of the head may hurt. There is also sweating, I have become overly sentimental (I can tear up if someone is crying on the screen), after work I immediately fall asleep (even if I haven’t worked physically or mentally), but I thought this was due to a hormonal imbalance. How can I figure out what relates to what and, most importantly, how rational/irrational are my fears? And what can I do myself in this case?
    - Hello, Gregory. We have carefully studied your problem. The case of the old man demonstrates irrational fear. The idea that thieves are using the old man to check the number of residents of the apartment is a far-fetched, obsessive thought.
      There is no threat to you, there is no danger, and this type of fear needs to be dealt with during an in-person appointment with a psychotherapist. We strongly recommend that you contact specialists, since the problem has existed for a long time “several years before this incident, I began to worry about wiretapping and surveillance”
      It is also important to get rid of the feeling of guilt towards your deceased father, since the entrenched feeling of guilt affects your entire subsequent life. Forgive yourself and stop beating yourself up for not being the perfect son. The last thing your father would like is for you to suffer now and feel remorse because of this, let go of this situation and continue to live happily.
      We recommend that you read:
      - Thanks for the answer. But I understand correctly in the case of my father and my fear of being buried alive - this is not a consequence of feelings of guilt, is it? What’s also strange is that while reading articles on the Internet about something completely different (say, in the entertainment sector), I come across articles about real cases where doctors mistakenly mistook a living person for a dead person. I don’t specifically look for such cases, it’s as if they find me themselves, which exacerbates my fear. Or, passing by the TV at home, I hear a program talking about cooperation between hospitals and funeral agencies, and the most painful thing is why none of the specialists can answer the question about the swelling of the face of the deceased (if he had known that this would happen, he would have insisted on an autopsy)? How many times in my life have I been to other people's funerals, I have never seen the deceased look like this. This makes me feel like my suspicions are correct. And in this case, wouldn’t letting go of the situation be some kind of deception for myself? After all, this will not solve the problem of ignorance.

Among the numerous types of mental disorders, neurosis occupies one of the first places (symptoms of the disease occur in almost every second inhabitant of the planet). The pathology is characterized by hysterical, asthenic and obsessive states caused by the negative impact of external stimuli, as well as deep-seated conflicts within the individual.

Causes of neuroses

There is a lot of information on how to deal with neurosis, but first of all it is necessary to understand the causes of this disorder. There are two main factors against which the disease develops: psychogenic and intrapersonal. The first category includes situations that provoke psychological trauma. This can be either severe stress (for example, the loss of a loved one), or prolonged nervous tension associated with professional activity or an unfavorable family environment.

Neurosis often arises due to internal contradictions, which generally arise in childhood or adolescence. The root of the problem lies in upbringing errors and psychological trauma, which results in the formation of a vulnerable, indecisive and complex personality.

Stages of development of neurosis

In the first stages, neurosis is poorly expressed, which often prevents its timely detection. The initial stage is typical for childhood and is manifested by weak or moderate neurotic reactions to external stimuli. Loud crying, hysteria and whims are typical for many children, so parents rarely pay attention to the first symptoms of the disorder.

At the second stage of the disease, the person becomes increasingly susceptible to stressful situations, and a nervous reaction occurs not only to negative stimuli, but also to joyful events, after which it becomes increasingly difficult for the person to relax and return to a calm state. However, both the first and second forms are easily treatable.

If symptoms are ignored for a long time, the pathology becomes chronic. At this stage, a deep neurosis is formed, during which a radical transformation of the patient’s character and behavior occurs. Advanced forms are difficult to cure completely, and the symptoms of the disease can only be relieved with the help of medications or psychotherapeutic techniques. The danger of a chronic disorder also lies in the fact that the personality forever loses its typical qualities.

Symptoms of neurosis

The disease has many symptoms that can manifest themselves on both a psychological and physiological level. The severity of the disorder depends on many factors, but the main role is played by the lifestyle and individual characteristics of the patient’s nervous system. Due to the fact that women are more emotional, the signs of neurosis are more pronounced in them than in men. However, the general symptoms of neurotic disorder in both sexes are almost the same.

Psychological signs of neurosis

A typical sign of pathology is increased anxiety, which leads to a negative assessment of events and an inadequate perception of reality on the part of the patient. Symptoms of neurosis in women often manifest themselves in the form of constant tearfulness and irritability; men, on the contrary, withdraw more into themselves or begin to relieve stress with the help of alcoholic beverages.

The main psychological manifestations of the disorder:

emotional instability and sudden mood swings;
fixation on a negative situation;
progressive phobias and fears;
panic attacks;
guilt and low self-esteem;
presence of obsessive ideas;
inexplicable feelings of sadness, loss and longing;
difficulties in decision making;
negative thoughts about the future.

Physical signs of neurosis

Advanced forms of pathology are often accompanied by unpleasant physical manifestations. Such symptoms are not the result of individual diseases and are mainly associated with disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic system. Nevertheless, progressive and long-term neurosis can serve as an impetus for disruptions in the functioning of the entire body, which subsequently threatens the emergence of additional health problems. To avoid this, it is necessary to take care of timely treatment of a neurotic disorder at its first manifestations.

Characteristic symptoms of neurosis at the physiological level:

pain in the chest and heart;
frequent neurasthenic headaches;
decreased vision;
heart rhythm disturbances;
disturbances in the functioning of the genitourinary system;
feeling of lack of air when inhaling;
dermatological problems (the skin is very itchy, various rashes are observed);
tremor of the limbs;
increase or decrease in blood pressure;
excessive sweating;
dizziness and fainting;
sleep problems;
decreased or increased appetite;
decreased libido (in men - impotence);
heaviness and pain in the stomach.

Types of neuroses

There are social, postpartum, motor, school, cardiophobic and informational and other types of neuroses. The most common 5 types of this pathology are:

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis is a difficult form to treat, based on phobias. The disease affects suspicious, impressionable and insecure people. Chronic obsessive-compulsive neurosis is extremely dangerous because it threatens to transform into more severe mental disorders.
Neurasthenia (astheno-neurotic syndrome) is a pathology that develops against the background of chronic fatigue. Clinical manifestations: sleep disturbance, headaches, irritability, lethargy, apathy.
Anxiety disorder - patients with this type of pathology experience constant anxiety and unreasonable fears. Main symptoms: panic attacks, dry mouth, increased heart rate and sweating.
Hysteria is a type of disorder that women are more susceptible to. Typical manifestations: loud screams, violent sobs, convulsive seizures.
Hypochondriacal neurosis is characteristic of suspicious people with excessive attention to themselves and their health.

Diagnosis of neuroses

Diagnosis of pathology begins with studying the factors that could lead to its development. First of all, the specialist pays attention to the patient’s heredity, his physical health, as well as the circumstances preceding the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. A significant role is also given to the dynamics of the manifestations of neurosis: the frequency and strength of symptoms, their dependence on life circumstances and seasonal fluctuations are examined. The diagnosis of neurotic disorder is made only in the following cases:

in the absence of physical pathologies that could lead to similar symptoms;
if the disease is long-term and the symptoms are regular;
if the patient can adequately assess his own reactions;
if there is no suspicion of more complex types of mental disorders.

Treatment of neurosis

There are many techniques used to treat the disorder, but there are no general schemes that would help all patients equally effectively. Only a thorough study of the medical history and making a correct diagnosis will allow a specialist to understand whether neurosis can be cured completely and what are the chances that after some time the disease will not manifest itself again.

Methods for treating neurotic disorder:

Medication. Medicines of chemical and herbal origin are used (tranquilizers, antidepressants, nootropics, anxiolytics, vitamins and minerals, sedatives). The method helps to alleviate physical and psychological symptoms, but medications cannot eliminate the cause of the disease. With the help of pharmaceuticals, neuralgia is treated, which is often a consequence of long-term neurosis.
Hypnotherapy allows a specialist to study the patient’s subconscious and identify the true cause of the disorder, and then instill in the patient positive attitudes that will contribute to healing.
Psychotherapy is a technique that helps the patient remember, realize and work through all the factors that led to the development of the disease.

In most cases, an integrated approach gives good results, but the prognosis for a complete or partial cure depends only on how long the disease lasts.

Prevention of neuroses

Prevention of neurotic disorders should begin in childhood, since improper upbringing of a child is the main reason for the development of this pathology. Thus, children from an early age should learn to overcome difficulties on their own, have endurance, perseverance and patience.

An atmosphere of excessive permissiveness or, conversely, strictness provokes in the child the development of suspiciousness, uncertainty, anxiety and other initial symptoms of the disease. Therefore, parents should always remember the dangers of neurosis and prevent its initial manifestations.

A favorable environment in the family and team, proper and regular nutrition, proper rest, giving up bad habits, moderate exercise and control of emotions will help to minimize the risk of a severe neurotic disorder. Advanced neurosis can be prevented if you monitor your emotional state, and at the first alarming symptoms, immediately seek help from a specialized specialist.

Neurosis makes it difficult to adapt to the conditions of the living environment and distorts the perception of events. Efficiency decreases, the desire to enjoy life disappears, but a critical attitude towards one’s condition remains. As a rule, women are more susceptible to m; they are more emotional and sensitive. The course of neuroses is long-term; it does not lead to the patient’s disability, but often disrupts the full existence of the patient himself and his loved ones.

Types and symptoms of neuroses

There are three main types of neurosis - neurasthenia, obsessive-compulsive neurosis and hysterical neurosis.

Neurasthenia ranks first in prevalence; it is a neurosis of exhaustion or mental weakness. Characteristic manifestations are a combination of increased fatigue and irritability. Patients are prone to tearfulness, emotional instability, rapid mood swings, depression,. Often concerned about shortness of breath, pericardial pain, instability of blood pressure, sweating, dizziness, tinnitus, headaches, decreased. You feel weak, anxious, restless, attention, memory and learning are impaired, and you are tormented by a feeling of dissatisfaction with life. Sleep problems appear - difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, lack of vigor in the morning.

Obsession syndrome. Counting, thoughts, movements (tics, blinking, blinking), doubts, and the desire to double-check everything several times can be obsessive. Manifestations intensify with emotional stress. Obsessions are accompanied by anxiety, internal tension, restlessness, and anticipation of vague and unmotivated troubles. Sometimes hypochondriacal syndrome appears, that is, inadequate attention to one’s health, attribution. Often emotional disorders manifest themselves as depressive syndrome, when appetite disturbances, problems with sleep and potency come to the fore.

Hysterical neurosis. Vegetative manifestations of hysteria manifest themselves in the form of spasms, persistent nausea, vomiting, and fainting. Characteristic movement disorders are tremors, tremor in the limbs, blepharospasm. Sensory disorders are expressed by sensory disturbances in various parts of the body, pain, and hysterical deafness and blindness may develop. Patients strive to attract the attention of loved ones and doctors to their condition; they have extremely unstable emotions, abruptly, they easily move from sobbing to wild laughter.

All neuroses are characterized by a whole complex of somatic manifestations of psychogenic origin; as a result, patients are often treated by cardiologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons and other doctors to no avail. Very often, neuroses are hidden behind diagnoses of neurocirculatory dystonia, vegetative-vascular dystonia, migraine, and vestibulopathy.

Causes of neuroses and their treatment

The main causes of neuroses are chronic mental overload, prolonged stress, inability to rest, alcohol abuse,
diseases debilitating the body.

Neuroses can be successfully treated if diagnosed in a timely manner. Therapy includes medications that improve blood supply to the brain and vitamins. For depressive symptoms, taking anti-anxiety antidepressants is effective. When the cause of neurosis is an obsession with anxious thoughts, psychotherapy becomes a mandatory component of treatment. Patients are taught relaxation techniques so that the person himself can further regulate his condition in alarming situations. In some cases, taking tranquilizers to normalize sleep and reduce anxiety is justified.

Have you ever caught yourself, for example, in the morning some line from a song has become “attached” to you, and you constantly hum it in your mind? Or for some reason do you feel an extreme need to remember the name of the film actor who flashed on the screen? Have you ever been tormented throughout the whole working day by the anxiety: “Horror! It seems the water in the bathroom is not turned off!”?

The same or similar thoughts literally take some people captive, causing them a lot of trouble. In medicine, this condition has its own name - obsessive-compulsive disorder, or neurosis.

We will talk further in the article about what neurosis is and how to deal with it.

Causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis

Researchers associate the appearance of this disease with genetic predisposition. The explanation is that compulsive behavior may have provided some benefits to our distant ancestors. For example, caution, cleanliness and constant readiness to meet the enemy allowed people to survive, leaving in their genes a tendency towards this mental trait.

Scientists have proven that in people with the above diagnosis, when taking anamnesis, as a rule, relatives are found who have similar conditions. This applies primarily to those patients whose neurosis appeared in childhood. However, in modern world medicine there is no clear answer to the question of why some people develop the named neurosis.

What can cause this condition? We'll talk about this a little later, but for now let's name who is at risk.

Who is most likely to experience neurosis?

Psychiatrists believe that this disease most often develops in individuals of a certain psycho-emotional make-up. As a rule, these are shy and indecisive people, capable of performing any significant actions only in their fantasies.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis, the causes of which we are considering, develops against the background of the fact that they diligently avoid the realities of life that require making a strong-willed decision or taking serious actions, since such things are simply beyond their strength. As a result, people with this type of character gradually “withdraw into themselves,” becoming fixated on their own experiences and sensations, which over time crowd out all other interests and turn into painful obsessive thoughts.

Neurosis: what are obsessions

Obsessive thoughts or ideas are, in other words, obsessions. They, as mentioned above, appear against the will of the patient and do not respond to his attempts to get rid of the constant feeling of anxiety or absurd, but ineradicable thoughts. This could be, for example, thoughts about why the spotted bird is gray, or where exactly the oncoming passer-by was going.

The patient, as a rule, is aware of their uselessness and meaninglessness, but cannot help himself. Such thoughts do not leave him even for a minute - in fact, this is where obsessive-compulsive neurosis is expressed. The symptoms and treatment of this disease have long been the subject of study by medical specialists. Later we will discuss what the doctors came to.

Degrees of manifestation of obsessions

In medicine, it is customary to distinguish the degrees of obsessions by brightness and clarity. That is, a person with relatively vague obsessive thoughts may constantly feel unreasonable tension, anxiety, or confusion, which gives rise to a general belief that there is nothing good in life.

And more vivid obsessions lead to the fact that obsessive-compulsive neurosis (what it is, we hope it has become clearer to you) develops, for example, into the belief that higher powers are determined to harm not only the bearer of these thoughts, but also his loved ones.

Some patients may even experience sexual obsession, imagining sexual relations or only affection with strangers, and sometimes close people (relatives), children or even animals. This can cause the patient to fear and doubt his own “normality”, sexual orientation, self-criticism and even self-hatred.

Signs of neurosis

So, we have almost figured out what neurosis is. Both its symptoms and methods of treatment, of course, are of interest to modern people, which, however, is not surprising, because the current rhythm of life provokes the appearance of many, including neurological ailments and pathologies. Who knows, maybe some manifestations of the disease are already taking place and need to be dealt with. And is there a way to avoid this condition? Firstly, you should pay attention to the fact that such patients are always well aware of the far-fetchedness and unreality of their ideas, but at the same time they feel an urgent need to act exactly this way and not otherwise.

The clinical picture of the disease, as a rule, is limited to the presence of obsessive symptoms, while the volume of consciousness and the degree of critical attitude of the patient remain normal. These signs of neurosis are usually accompanied by the inability to concentrate, fatigue, increased irritability and sleep disturbances.

The listed symptoms manifest themselves with varying intensity, but in the patient’s mood, nevertheless, there is a clear shade of hopelessness and an acute sense of personal inferiority.

Experts consider 3 types of disease:

A one-time attack that can last a week or several years.
Relapses, including periods of complete absence of signs of the disease.
Continuous course of the disease, accompanied by an increase in its symptoms.

Neurosis: what are compulsions

Intrusive thoughts, doubts and memories are, by the way, quite rare symptoms, as are obsessive movements or actions.

The most common type of such actions are rituals called compulsions. It is with their help that the patient tries to alleviate his condition and avoid that frightening event, the thought of which causes endless worries.

So, a person, in order to free himself from the constant fear of contracting any infection, comes up with a ritual in the form of washing his hands with a certain number of soaps. At the same time, he counts loudly, and when he gets lost, he starts all over again. Or, to get rid of the obsessive thought about the unlocked front door, before leaving the house, he pulls the door handle a set number of times.

By the way, often such rituals are completely absurd in nature, manifesting themselves in the form of hair pulling, nail biting, arranging objects in a strict order, etc.

Why rituals become a trap for a patient with neurosis

Obsessive actions are designed to instill confidence in a patient suffering from exhausting doubts, although, as a rule, they fail to cope with this task. After all, if you remember what neurosis is and its symptoms, it becomes clear that compulsions, while giving a false sense of control over what is happening, cannot get rid of obsession (obsessive thoughts).

Instead, they lead the patient into a kind of trap. Trying to get relief, a person complicates the ritual, and since doubts remain, he adds more and more details to it, gradually turning both his life and the lives of those around him into a similarity.

How does neurosis manifest in children?

Almost a third of patients claim that the pathology we are considering appeared in them at an early age.

By the way, it is reversible. It does not distort the perception of the world, and parents often do not pay attention to these deviations, believing that with age everything will go away on its own.

As a rule, in young patients the disease manifests itself in the form of obsessive movements. This may be a wrinkling of the forehead, a tic, twitching of the shoulders, hemming, sniffing, coughing, etc. The listed symptoms are often accompanied by a feeling of fear, for example, in front of a closed or empty room. Children are afraid of getting dirty, pricking themselves, hitting themselves, etc.

How children develop obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents can be triggered by family upbringing. If, for example, a child can be both punished and rewarded for the same actions (it all depends on the parents’ mood), then he is simply not able to develop a certain stereotype of behavior. And unpredictability often becomes a stimulus for a constant feeling of anxiety and uncertainty about the correctness of one’s actions, requiring a way out.

An attempt to predict the reaction of parents often forces the child to come up with rituals and look for his own way of protection.

The same problem can occur in families where parents divorce or someone is seriously ill. This often leads to a depressing atmosphere in the house. The child, as a rule, is not told about what is happening, but he senses something is wrong, and this worries him, frightens him and ultimately forces him to seek salvation in compulsions.

Features of the treatment of neuroses in children and adolescents

There are certain difficulties in treating children diagnosed with neurosis. It is clear that this condition requires almost the same treatment for both children and adults, but the age of the child often creates additional problems.

Most children are unable to identify and articulate their fears. They cannot explain what makes them perform certain rituals. In many cases, they refuse to admit that their fears are exaggerated and irrational. Moreover, they believe that all their anxious thoughts will come true if they tell someone about them.

Getting rid of neurosis using exposure psychotherapy

The first question that arises in patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder is: how to get rid of it? Reviews from relatives and patients themselves talk about different ways to combat this disease. Quite often people praise the method of exposure psychotherapy.

It implies the possibility of reducing the patient’s fears in the event of frequent and (note!) correct immersion in a painful situation. For example, if a patient is tormented by fear of infection, he is asked to hold on to the handrails of a common staircase and not wash his hands afterwards. And to get rid of anxious doubts about whether the door is locked, leave the house without checking it.

It is very difficult for a patient to do such things. But they allow patients to understand and make sure that the terrible consequences that they are anxiously awaiting do not occur: a fatal disease from microbes does not immediately knock them off their feet, and the door remains locked even without repeated checks. Anxiety, which initially grows somewhat, is eventually overcome and passes, but this method requires mandatory supervision by a specialist, as does the classical treatment of neurosis.

Therapy methods

The neuroses described are diseases that, for the most part, require complex treatment.

To effectively get rid of an illness, specialists most often use a combination of medications with this. This allows, by reducing anxiety with the help of medications, to maximize the impact of psychotherapy. This is especially true for patients in whom the use of the exposure method causes too high a level of anxiety.

By the way, it should be remembered that there are no specific obsessive states. And the use of sedatives alone can lead to side effects and the return of anxiety immediately after stopping such treatment.

In complex therapy, experts give preference to tranquilizers that have a strong overall effect: “Napoton”, “Elenium”, “Relanium”, “Seduxen” or “Siabazon”, etc. Since neurosis, unlike neurasthenia, involves taking high doses medications, they are preferably administered intravenously.

But tablets (Frontin, Alprazolam, Zoldak, Neurol, etc.) have proven themselves to be quite effective.

The term neurosis, the state of neurosis, covers a number of very common mental disorders that are functional and have a direct tendency to be protracted. Neurosis is actually a slightly outdated diagnosis, which is currently used quite rarely in medicine. Diseases that were once included in the group of neuroses are now included in the group of neurotic disorders (Neuroses, depression, fears).

Disorders that are classified as neurosis, states of neurosis or neurotic disorders include three main groups of disorders - obsessive-compulsive neurosis, hysteria, neurasthenia.

Disorders that are considered neuroses or neurotic disorders include a wide range of emotional and physical symptoms or manifestations. Anxiety and fear are common symptoms of many diseases in this group.

Main symptoms of neurosis

The main symptoms of neurosis can be divided into mental and somatic.

Mental symptoms of neuroses:

Emotional stress, which often manifests itself in the form of obsessive thoughts and obsessive actions that arise for no apparent reason.
Complexity about one’s role in society, sharply low or high self-esteem.
Sharp mood swings depending on trivial reasons, severe irritability in response to weak stimuli.
Sharply increased sensitivity to fluctuations in ambient temperature, loud sound and bright light.
Acute reaction and unpreparedness for stress. At the same time, neuroses are characterized by isolation and fixation in response to stressful situations, and not aggression or tearfulness.
Tendency to constant worries and anxieties for any, no matter how insignificant, reason. At the same time, the particular importance of early treatment of neuroses in the event of the appearance of these symptoms was noted.
Symptoms of fatigue and chronic fatigue. Characteristic in this case is only a slight decrease in fatigue even after prolonged sleep and rest. This is what may indicate problems in the neuropsychic or immune spheres of the human body.
Inconsistency and uncertainty in the priorities of a person’s life, incorrect emphasis on priorities and preferences are also symptoms of neuroses.

Dmitry Roaldovich Sosnovsky

Psychiatrist-narcologist

Total medical experience is 33 years, of which 18 years in the field of psychotherapy and narcology. Author of many articles on psychotherapeutic topics

Somatic symptoms of neuroses:

Discrepancy between fatigue and amount of work performed. Even small in magnitude and intensity physical and mental stress causes significant fatigue and a sharp decrease in performance.
Development of vegetative-vascular dystonia, the appearance of frequent dizziness.
One of the most common symptoms of neuroses is pain in the head, heart, and abdominal cavity for no apparent reason.
A sharp increase in sweating.
A noticeable decrease in potency and libido without organic symptoms of damage to the genitourinary system.
Appetite disturbances in various forms - from a sharp decrease to a significant increase.
Sleep disturbances in all known forms - from insomnia to rapid descent into deep sleep, nightmares.

Along with the description of the symptoms of neuroses that should alert the patient, it should be noted that a fairly large number of diseases may have symptoms similar to those described above.

It should be noted that treatment of neuroses should be carried out only by a qualified specialist in this field - a psychiatrist. Treatment should include a number of both medicinal and non-medicinal types of therapy, a full-fledged sanatorium-resort holiday during the rehabilitation period. Timely initiation of therapy will help not only to achieve faster and more significant results, but also to maintain normal relationships for the patient with relatives, colleagues and family.

Very important in the diagnosis and treatment of neuroses is the early establishment of a correct diagnosis and timely treatment. The specialists of the medical center “Clinic of Professor F. F. Preobrazhensky” have extensive experience in the treatment of neuroses and will help you promptly and, most importantly, correctly cure your illness.