In our age of overabundance of information, stress and crazy speeds, the problem of mental health, or more precisely, ill-health, is becoming almost the most important.
As you know, mental health, the same “healthy spirit” that ancient healers loved to talk about, is an integral component of health in general. Alas, the features of modern life make us extremely vulnerable to various mental disorders. And the disease does not distinguish whether the person in front of it is young or old, man or woman.
In terms of prevalence, mental health disorders are now among the leaders after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. According to WHO, more than 560 million people on the planet already suffer from various mental illnesses. And almost every second person is in danger of contracting a mental illness during their lifetime.
Very often, serious psychoneurological diseases such as neurosis and psychosis .
1 Diagnosis and treatment of neurosis
2 Diagnosis and treatment of neurosis
3 Diagnosis and treatment of neurosis
What lies behind the terms neurosis and psychosis?
We are so used to throwing around the words “hysterical”, “neurasthenic”, “psychopath” that we often forget that we use medical terms as curses or even ridicule. Meanwhile, there is nothing funny in these words.
Neurosis
Neurosis can be briefly described as follows:
- This is nervous exhaustion, a long-term chronic disorder that can develop in a person against the background of stress or a traumatic event.
- The personality of a patient suffering from neurosis usually does not undergo major changes. The person maintains a critical attitude towards the disease; he can control his behavior.
- As a rule, neurosis is manifested by vegetative, somatic and affective disorders.
- This is a reversible (curable) disease.
The most common types of this disease are:
- neurasthenia (asthenic neurosis, fatigue syndrome);
- hysteria (hysterical neurosis);
- various phobias (fears, panic attacks) and obsessive states (obsessive neurosis).
One of the main reasons for the formation of neurosis is stress in the broadest sense of the word, be it a childhood trauma, an unfavorable climate in the family, a crisis at work, nervous strain, interpersonal conflict or emotional shock.
According to medical statistics, the state of neurosis is familiar firsthand to 10-20% of the population of our planet, and approximately 5% of the world's inhabitants suffer from various types of psychosis.
Psychosis
Speaking about psychosis, it is necessary to note the following:
- This is a mental disorder characterized by inappropriate human behavior and an atypical reaction to events and phenomena.
- It manifests itself as mental disorders, in particular, disturbances in the perception of reality (hallucinations, delusions).
- It develops unnoticed by the patient and may be a consequence of pathologies of the endocrine and nervous systems.
- Capable of completely changing the patient's personality.
- This is a difficult to cure disease.
Psychoses according to their origin are usually divided into:
- Endogenous , that is, associated with internal causes (somatic diseases, hereditary mental disorders, age);
- Exoorganic , caused by external factors (infections, intoxication, etc.) or associated directly with a violation of the structure of the brain (trauma, hemorrhage, neoplasms, etc.).
The first group includes:
- affective insanity;
- senile (senile);
- affective;
- schizophrenic;
- epileptic;
- symptomatic psychosis, etc.
The exogenous group includes:
- reactive acute psychosis;
- intoxication;
- infectious;
- alcoholic psychosis, etc.
1 Biofeedback therapy in the treatment and diagnosis of psychosis
2 Biofeedback therapy in the treatment and diagnosis of psychosis
3 Biofeedback therapy in the treatment and diagnosis of psychosis
Symptoms of psychotic disorder
Symptoms are varied, individual in nature, and may change over time. Main signs: delusions and hallucinations. The latter represent extraordinary sensory sensations that are incomparable with reality. For example:
- vision of images, paintings;
- hearing voices;
- sensation of touch;
- sensation of smells, tastes.
Hallucinations can be tactile, auditory, olfactory, visual, or somatic. An image appears in thinking without an external stimulus. A person can be in a world of dreams and unfulfilled fantasies. A deceptive perception of reality can be observed when:
- severe fatigue;
- taking psychoactive substances;
- neurological diseases;
- schizophrenia.
This mental disorder is also characterized by delusional ideas. A person insists on his point of view, despite the fact that there is clear evidence and logical explanations for his wrongness. The patient may feel as if someone is constantly following him. These could be the intelligence services of various states, as well as mythical creatures and aliens. In other cases, the patient feels that his husband/wife is constantly cheating on him. Some patients may experience delusions of grandeur. They are simply convinced that they are able to perform various miracles, that they are prophets. Others consider themselves descendants of a noble family. Delusion can also manifest itself in relation to one’s sexuality. It seems to the patient that all strangers fall in love with him at first sight. Unrealistic ideas may appear due to:
- infection with an incurable disease;
- the imminent end of the world;
- creation of a perpetual motion machine;
- carrying out ridiculous social reforms;
- parasite infestation.
You should also consult a doctor if you notice the following symptoms:
- slurred speech;
- illogical thinking;
- inappropriate behavior;
- indifference to appearance;
- excessive irritability;
- tendency to harm one's health;
- lack of plans for the future;
- inhibition of actions and thoughts;
- apathy towards everything that happens;
- depressive moods.
Relatives can call a doctor to your home. Don't wait for the situation to get worse. It is possible to change the life of a loved one for the better. Don't be afraid to tell a specialist about your problem. We are ready to listen right now, provide confidentiality, and provide effective assistance.
Signs of psychosis and neurosis
Symptoms of psychosis
Recognizing warning signs is sometimes not easy, but you should pay close attention to any changes that appear in the character and habits of a loved one.
Characteristic symptoms of psychosis are:
- decreased performance or febrile activity;
- mood swings;
- irritability, suspicion;
- desire for self-isolation;
- unexplained change of interests;
- sleep disturbances, decreased appetite;
- careless attitude towards one's appearance;
- increased vulnerability and other atypical reactions to events and phenomena;
- impaired coordination of movements;
- incoherent speech;
- hallucinations, delusions.
Symptoms of neurosis
It is quite difficult for a non-specialist to identify a nervous disorder. And yet the clinic of neurosis has characteristic features.
Neurosis may be indicated by:
- decreased cognitive abilities;
- depressed mood, tearfulness;
- self-doubt, low self-esteem;
- irritability, dissatisfaction;
- frequent changes of mood;
- obsessive thoughts;
- fixation on bad news and events;
- unmotivated anxiety states;
- poor appetite, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract;/li>
- cardiovascular symptoms;
- insomnia and other sleep disorders;
- violations in the sexual sphere;
- increased sensitivity to noise, light, vibrations, etc.
1 Diagnosis and treatment of neurasthenia
2 Diagnosis and treatment of neurasthenia
3 Diagnosis and treatment of neurasthenia
Children's fears and facial tics are also symptoms of neurosis.
Very often in everyday life people confuse the concepts of “neurosis” and “neurasthenia”. Let us repeat once again: neurasthenia is a type of neurosis, one of its most common forms.
Characteristic symptoms of neurasthenia are:
- decreased intellectual abilities;
- dizziness, headaches (the so-called neurasthenic helmet);
- increased fatigue;
- sleep disorders;
- disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract;
- chest pain;
- mood swings;
- low self-esteem;
- decreased potency and libido.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is carried out by psychiatrists. This is an important step before treating the disorder, since the symptoms of many mental disorders are similar to each other. To exclude or confirm organic lesions, MRI of the head, radiography, and electroencephalography are prescribed. The diagnosis is made according to the criteria of the ICD disorder according to the categorical division of symptoms.
An episode of a mood disorder is considered to be a condition in which the mood disorder is expressed to a certain degree and for a certain time: depression - 2 weeks; mania – 1 week. According to researchers FK Goodwin, KR Jamison (in 1990), 65-70% of initially established psychiatric diagnoses are erroneous - other diseases are easily confused with bipolar disorder. The consequence is the prescription of incorrect drug treatment, aggravation of the course of MDP.
The diagnosis of manic stage is established if the person being examined has at least three of the following symptoms:
- delusions of grandeur;
- excessively low need for sleep;
- previously unusual incoherence of speech;
- uncontrolled flow of ideas;
- previously unusual distractibility;
- psychomotor stimulation;
- interest in activities with increased risk to life or health;
- problems in labor, educational, social functioning of the individual.
The psychiatrist determines the severity of the disorder: mild, moderate or severe with psychotic symptoms. According to research by authors RM Hirschfield et al., (2003), G. Perugi (2010), affective disorder is more often confused with depression (60%), anxiety disorder (26%), schizophrenia (18%), personality disorders (17%) , addiction to psychoactive substances (14%).
To establish the correct diagnosis, pay attention to the following points:
- with bipolar disorder, there is an unstable mental response to treatment with antidepressant drugs;
- in case of bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety are initially not combined with the use of psychoactive substances;
- psychotic symptoms develop at a previously normal level of social adaptation;
- family history is likely to include mood disorders or other mental pathologies.
The complexity of diagnosis is based on the fact that the symptom complex of bipolar disorder in its depressive phase is in many ways similar to clinical depression. Differences between bipolar depression and its other types: appetite disorder of the hyperphagia type, the presence of hypersomnia, mild psychotic manifestations. Bipolar disorder is also differentiated from classical depression by the fact that manifestations are noticeable in childhood and develop faster.
Treatment of neuroses and psychoses
Only a neurologist (psychoneurologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist) who has undergone appropriate training and has sufficient practical experience in helping patients with neurological and mental disorders can conduct a competent diagnosis of the disease, identify its causes and offer adequate treatment.
Treatment of psychoses and neuroses (including treatment of neurasthenia) is, as a rule, a whole complex of measures that includes many stages.
So, a combination of the following methods helps to achieve a good result:
- drug therapy;
- phytotherapy;
- psychotherapy;
- hardware treatment;
- water procedures;
- reflexology;
- special gymnastics;
- therapeutic diet, etc.
A positive attitude, the right environment, a normal family environment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a work and rest schedule, and eliminating “stress-forming” factors (even changing your place of work or area of residence) are extremely important for recovery.
Acute polymorphic psychotic disorder with symptoms of schizophrenia
Psychotic and affective symptoms are stable. There are no sudden changes in behavior or mood. The onset of the disease is within two weeks after the occurrence of the provoking factor. Symptoms are typical for schizophrenia:
- depressive moods;
- echo of thoughts;
- expression of inappropriate emotions;
- various kinds of hallucinations;
- persecution mania.
To diagnose this disorder, it is important to conduct a thorough examination of the patient. It is necessary to exclude the fact of schizophrenia, schizoaffective psychosis or bipolar disorder, the presence of traumatic brain injuries, the influence of toxic, psychoactive substances on the body. The following diagnostic methods are mandatory:
- general blood analysis;
- electroencephalography;
- interviewing the patient;
- survey of relatives;
- Neurotest;
- Neurophysiological test system.
Why you should visit a MedicCity neurologist
If you experience psychological discomfort and tension, feel trapped, and cannot relax even in your sleep, do not delay visiting a doctor. Delicately and professionally, our specialist will help you understand the causes of your condition and give all the necessary recommendations. Don't be left alone with your troubles!
We provide assistance for various neurological diseases, as well as disorders in the functioning of other organs and systems of the body. If necessary, you can get advice from another specialist - doctors from over 30 specialties conduct appointments at the clinic every day.
