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Neurosis is a disorder in the functioning of the nervous system. The disease has a psychogenic origin. Neurosis is manifested by a variety of symptoms, including disorders in the somatic system, autonomic failures, obsessive phobias, dysthymia, obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Most often, neurosis affects people who work hard, do not get enough sleep and overwork. An emotional shock can provoke a neurosis.
Neurosis – what is it?
Neurosis is a combination of psychogenic disorders that have a reversible course, but last long enough. The symptoms of neurosis are obsessive, they can be manifested by tantrums, asthenic syndrome, and a decrease in physical and mental performance. Psychoneurosis and neurotic disorder are all synonyms for neurosis.
In adult patients, neuroses most often have an uncomplicated course. After recovery, the psyche is fully restored. This is the main difference between neurosis and psychosis. Statistical analysis indicates that about 20% of the world’s population suffers from neurosis of varying severity. Depending on the specific social group, the percentage of patients may vary.
The disorder is based on a disorder of the activity of the brain, which under normal conditions is the main adaptive mechanism of a person. As a result, the patient develops disorders in various areas: somatic and mental.
Causes of neurosis
A variety of causes can lead to neurosis. Neurosis is a consequence of certain factors or situations that have traumatized the human psyche.
If we are talking about a traumatic situation, then the impact on the psyche is long-term, chronic. An example would be conflict within a family. It is they who most often become the cause of the development of neuroses.
Experts distinguish such factors in the development of neurosis as:
Psychological factors. In this case, the features and conditions of personality development, the upbringing of a person, his relationship with society, the level of claims are implied.
Biological factors in the development of neurosis. We are talking about violations in the neurophysiological sphere, as well as malfunctions in the functioning of neurotransmitter systems. This leads to the fact that the patient increases susceptibility to destructive psychogenic influences.
As practice shows, regardless of the environment and place of residence of patients with neurosis, all of them develop the disease with the same frequency as a result of the influence of the following events:
Death or loss of a loved one.
A serious illness, both of the person himself and his close relative.
Divorce.
Parting with a loved one.
Dismissal from work.
Loss of a large amount of money, bankruptcy, etc.
Heredity does not affect the development of neurosis. It is fair to point out that the manifestation of the disease is influenced by the environment in which a person was brought up. A child who grew up in a family with neurotic parents who were prone to tantrums will copy their behavior. He unconsciously, but independently in the future will injure his psyche.
Types of neuroses
Neurosis is not a separate disease. This term includes several violations at once, which may arise as a result of the negative impact on a person of psychotraumatic causes. At the same time, he suffers from a deterioration in well-being, he has mood swings, vegetative and somatic disorders appear.
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is the most common form of neurosis. It is also called fatigue syndrome or nervous weakness. Nervous strain or prolonged stress can provoke neurasthenia.
Symptoms of a breakdown in the mechanisms of nervous defense in the form of neurasthenia can be distinguished as follows:
Excessive irritability.
Excessive excitability.
Fast fatiguability.
Inability to control their actions, low self-control.
Excessive tearfulness and resentment.
Deterioration in performance.
Fatigue, both mentally and physically.
Absent-mindedness. Lack of ability to focus.
Sleep deterioration.
Lack of appetite.
Apathy.
Lack of emotions in relation to everything that happens around.
Hysterical neurosis
This violation has negative manifestations on the part of the autonomic system. These include:
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Fainting conditions.
Tremor of the hands, trembling in the limbs.
Blepharospasm.
Deterioration of sensation in various parts of the body.
Loss of sight and hearing, which develop only in the acute phase of hysteria.
Pain in various parts of the body.
People with hysterical neurosis try with all their might to attract the attention of relatives and doctors. Their psyche is extremely unstable, characterized by a rapid change of mood. A person in a few minutes goes from strong laughter to sobs.
People who are more prone to hysterical neurosis:
Autosuggestible and easily suggestible people.
Impressive and overly sensitive people.
People with unstable mentality.
People who seek to attract the attention of others.
Hysterical neurosis has a similar clinical picture with some other diseases. Therefore, it is important to differentiate it from schizophrenia, central nervous system tumors, encephalopathy, which develops after injuries.
Neurosis obsessive
With this type of neurosis, a person has obsessive thoughts and ideas. He is haunted by phobias that he is unable to cope with. Therefore, such a neurosis is called phobic.
The main symptom of the disorder is the fear that arises from repeated unpleasant situations.
depressive neurosis
Depressive neurosis is a consequence of prolonged depression. A person suffers from insomnia, ceases to enjoy life, is always in a bad mood.
Other symptoms of the disorder include:
Failures in the work of the heart.
Dizziness.
Tearfulness.
Hypersensitivity.
Digestive disorders.
Deterioration of sexual function.
Symptoms of neurosis in adults
People with neurosis suffer from frequent mood swings, they are prone to impulsive actions that are difficult to control. This affects the quality of human life, affecting all its areas: interpersonal relationships, professional activities, self-esteem, etc.
People have reduced memory, concentration of attention suffers, he quickly gets tired. Moreover, fatigue is observed not only during mental or physical work, but also when doing your favorite activities. Distraction contributes to the emergence of many problematic situations.
The main symptoms of the disease:
Constant nervous tension.
Feeling tired.
Sleepiness during the day, insomnia at night.
Closure.
Lack of desire to communicate with other people.
Decreased or increased appetite, leading to overeating.
Deterioration of cognitive processes.
Headaches that develop suddenly and persist for a long time.
Fainting.
Sudden darkening of the eyes.
Disorientation in space.
Pain in the heart, in the muscles, in the joints, in the abdomen.
Limb tremor.
Frequent urination.
Increased sweating, which happens against a background of increased nervousness.
Deterioration of sexual function.
Problems with self-perception. A person may have overestimated or underestimated self-esteem.
Violation of priorities.
Contradictory views.
The main characteristics of patients with neurosis:
Mood swings.
Uncertainty in one’s own actions and in oneself.
Violent emotional reaction to stress.
Resentment and vulnerability.
Increased irritability.
Tearfulness.
Increased self-criticism.
Suspicion.
Anxiety.
The presence of unmotivated fears.
Distortion of the value system.
Fixation on the problem.
Increased mental fatigue.
Confusion, memory loss.
Increased sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights and other stimuli.
Trouble sleeping.
Symptoms of neurosis in women and men
In women, neurosis has certain characteristics. Most often, in representatives of the weaker half of humanity, the disease develops according to the asthenic type. A woman becomes irritable, her mental and physical performance worsens, problems appear in the genital area.
Men are diagnosed with such types of neuroses as:
Depressive neurosis. It is this type of disorder that occurs in men more often than others. Various external problems can provoke the disease, for example, the inability to realize oneself in the professional sphere, the inability to adapt to the changes taking place in life.
Male neurasthenia. The disease manifests itself due to emotional overstrain, or against the background of physical overwork. Mostly workaholics suffer from male neurasthenia.
Women and men can develop menopausal neurosis, which starts in the age period from 45 to 55 years. Its symptoms: increased irritability, lack of emotional stability, worsening sleep, disruption of internal organs, lack of stamina.
Stages of development of neurosis
If neurosis is treated, then all the changes that it causes can be eliminated. The disease leads to organic damage to the brain. Quite often neurosises have a long course. In many ways, this depends on the individual characteristics of a person, as well as on how developed his adaptive mechanisms are, which allow him to adapt to stressful situations. Of no small importance is the character of a person, the degree of formation of psychological protection.
Neurosis has three stages. Each of them has a set of symptoms:
First stage. The disease is just beginning to develop. A person has increased irritability and excessive excitability.
Hypersthenic or an intermediate stage. In humans, the excitability of the peripheral nervous system increases.
hyposthenic or final stage. The patient has a depressed mood all the time, drowsiness increases, he is apathetic, does not show interest in life. This is due to the strong inhibition of the processes of the nervous system.
If the neurosis is not treated, then the disease will necessarily affect the behavior of the person. The patient begins to understand that something is not right with him. Neurotic personality development occurs after 6 months – 2 years from the first symptoms of the disease (if it is not treated).
Diagnosis of neurosis
You can cope with neurosis if you turn to a specialist. Psychologists and psychotherapists are engaged in the identification and treatment of the disease. It is logical that the main method of treatment is psychotherapy.
Diagnosis of neurosis is a difficult task that confronts the doctor. The symptoms of the disorder are diverse, and this applies to both men and women. It is difficult to diagnose the behavioral characteristics of people, the diversity of characters. It is important to distinguish neurosis from other disorders of the psychological sphere. It is difficult to understand this issue on your own, the patient needs the help of a doctor.
Color technique that allows you to identify neurosis:
For the study, the entire color spectrum is used. If a person suffers from neurosis, then he opts for purple, gray, black and brown. And this choice is repeated all the time.
Hysterical neurosis can be suspected when the patient chooses 2 colors – purple and red. This clearly indicates that the patient’s self-esteem is extremely low.
Positive test results indicate a psychopathic personality. It allows you to identify chronic fatigue, anxiety, lack of self-confidence. People suffering from neuroses do not set themselves goals that are calculated for the distant future, they are not aimed at their successful achievement. Another sign of neurosis is dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance, the presence of serious complexes. It is difficult for patients to establish contact with other people.
Treatment of neurosis
There are many approaches and methods for treating neuroses. However, they all come down to 2 areas: taking medications and psychotherapeutic effects. Medicines are prescribed only if the disease has a severe course. In other situations, it will be possible to cope with the disease by methods of psychotherapy.
Medical correction
People with neuroses often refuse to work on themselves. They do not seek to change their lives, so drug correction has become a part of the traditional treatment regimen for neuroses. However, you need to understand that taking medications will not eliminate the cause of the violation. They make it possible only to drown out the main manifestations of neurosis. This is especially true in the acute period of experiencing any traumatic situation.
These drugs are prescribed with caution, as they use the reserve capacity of the body. If a person has a tendency to psychopathy, then he may develop addiction.
If the patient has problems with sleep, then they are prescribed sleeping pills in small quantities, which help relieve stress.
Psychotherapy in the treatment of neurosis
The basis of the treatment of neurosis is psychotherapy. These techniques allow the patient to create a correct picture of the world, teach him to evaluate himself as a person, and make it possible to establish the cause-and-effect relationships of certain events.
Recommendations:
To reduce aggression and irritability, you need to turn away from the color red.
It is desirable to exclude black and dark blue colors in clothes. It is better if a person is surrounded by light and warm tones.
In order to reduce psycho-emotional stress, you need to look at shades of green and blue. It is these colors that should be preferred when choosing wallpaper.
Prognosis in neurosis
The prognosis largely depends on how long the patient has a neurosis. The sooner treatment is started, the better. As a rule, competent organization of medical care allows you to fully cope with the violation.
Prevention
Neurosis lends itself well to correction, but the disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, it is necessary to follow such medical recommendations for its prevention, such as:
It is necessary to direct efforts to bring your emotional background back to normal.
You should eliminate from your life those factors that irritate a person, or reconsider your attitude towards them.
It is important to take enough time to rest. You can’t overstress.
You should eat right, sleep at least 8 hours a day, often go outside, play sports.