Neurosis - what is it and what are its signs?

In terms of severity, the clinical manifestations of fear neurosis differ little from other neurotic syndromes, but its characteristic feature is a clear dependence of the intensity of symptoms on a specific situation. Unlike generalized anxiety disorder, in which a person constantly experiences internal tension and unreasonable anxiety, with obsessive fear neurosis, phobias are formed - an irrational fear of an object (it can be animals, insects, inanimate objects) or a situation. Many people suffering from this version of a neurotic disorder have to almost completely rebuild their lives in order to avoid the object of the phobia, while they are well aware that their fears are completely illogical, but cannot cope with their emotions. Doctors at the Leto Mental Health Center focus on psychotherapy when correcting the syndrome, and in most cases this is enough to overcome the irrational feeling of fear; only sometimes a short course of drug treatment is prescribed to quickly relieve acute symptoms.

Etiology

The proverb “we all come from childhood” very accurately characterizes the causes of the disorder. At an early age, fear is a completely normal physiological reaction of a child to changes in his usual environment. As a rule, most children's fears disappear by primary school, at most by adolescence, and only relatively rarely persist into adulthood.

According to experts, this phenomenon is a consequence of either a severe stressful situation or an incorrect reaction of parents to a child’s fear. If the father or mother manages to correctly compensate for the excessive emotional reaction, the consequences can usually be avoided. Otherwise, the child “gets fixated” on his experiences, and often the situation itself, which became the root cause of fear neurosis, is gradually forgotten, and it can only be restored during a hypnotherapy session.

In addition, phobic neuroses also have a serious genetic basis. According to statistics, almost every fifth patient at our clinic has one of their close relatives suffering from a similar disease.

Causes and pathogenesis of neurotic conditions

As mentioned above, the cause of the development of the disorder is an intrapersonal conflict caused by the influence of macro (environmental factors) or micro factors (internal experiences and predisposition of a person). Often, factors can influence complexly.

Classical psychiatry divides the factors that are prerequisites for the occurrence of neuroses into three groups:

1. Exogenous factor (traumatic circumstances) . By these we mean a difficult life situation, job loss, divorce, loss of a loved one, abusive relationships, moving, and so on.
2. Endogenous factor (disturbances in the functioning of neurotransmitters).
3. Somatogenic factor (various somatic diseases) . Somatic diseases of various human organs and systems. Prolonged illness, intoxication of the body, hormonal disorders, and so on.

The development of the disease and its course depend on the interaction of two phenomena: the functional state of the central nervous system and the strength, as well as the duration of external influences affecting it. The causes of chronic neurotic disorder (when a person always feels bad) can be very different, and only a qualified specialist can identify them. In clinical psychology, it is customary to look for the causes of deviations in childhood. For example, factors such as an anxious family, children's attitudes, narcissistic parents, the need to constantly meet given standards - all this can determine the development of internal conflict, and, accordingly, mental illness. Temporary neurotic states are more often associated with situational stress factors: dismissal, bankruptcy, divorce, loss of a loved one, moving to another city, and so on. Sometimes, to neutralize a traumatic situation, you just need to change the environment, immerse yourself in your comfort zone and remove from your life those moments that cause irritation. But if the main reason is internal conflict, then a change in atmosphere is only a temporary measure.

The main forms of obsessive fear neurosis

Phobias can be simple (also called specific or isolated) and complex. Examples of simple ones are fear of insects and animals (spiders, snakes, etc.), certain situations (heights, being in a tight, enclosed space, darkness, etc.). Another group of phobias is much more complex both in symptoms and content. It includes fear of open, crowded spaces (agoraphobia), and condemnation of one’s actions, behavior, and words from others (social phobia). The hypochondriacal form of anxiety neurosis is very common, which is characterized by the fear of falling ill with some incurable, severe pathology.

Social phobia

It occurs almost equally in both men and women and manifests at any age. Anxiety appears in situations where a person is being observed and his actions may be criticized. Anxiety is accompanied by:

• heavy sweating;
• hot flash, redness of the face and neck;
• shortness of breath;
• rapid heartbeat;
• frequent urge to urinate;
• slight trembling of hands.

Because of this, the patient strives with all his might to avoid such circumstances, and if he nevertheless encounters them, he does not enter into conversation with other people, tries to take a place in the corner in order to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Anxiety is felt even at the prospect of getting into such a situation. Therefore, the patient usually refuses to speak at lessons, seminars, attend various trainings, and meetings. This does not have the best effect on learning (a teenager may know the material perfectly well, but is not able to answer the teacher’s question and, accordingly, receives a bad grade), and career growth.

Often, at some stage of social phobia, a person tries to cope with his emotions on his own, but usually “self-medication” comes down to excessive drinking and drug use.

Agoraphobia

Anxiety occurs when a person is in a crowd or a place from which he cannot quickly and quietly leave (for example, public transport, a theater, a shopping center, etc.). In severe cases, the patient is afraid to even leave the house. In addition to a state of general anxiety, agoraphobia is characterized by the following symptoms:

• depressive thoughts;
• pessimism;
• apathy, sad state;
• physical inactivity, reluctance to do anything.

In addition, this form of fear neurosis usually occurs with attacks of panic attacks that occur either spontaneously or if the patient is confronted with the object of his phobia. This condition is accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, interruptions in the heart rate, lack of oxygen, and loss of consciousness. A panic attack develops very quickly, without any prodromal period and lasts several minutes. Subsequently, the person is afraid of a repeat panic attack, which further aggravates the situation.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

Neurosis, as a combination of functional mental disorders, can have a long course and progress. In this aspect, the most effective method of treatment is psychotherapy. The choice of the direction of psychotherapy and the selection of methods is carried out by the doctor individually, taking into account the specifics of each specific case. To eliminate panic attacks or fears of space, for example, tools such as hypnosis, family psychotherapy, body-oriented therapy, Gestalt therapy, gradual involvement in some interesting activity are used to eliminate feelings of sadness, melancholy and loneliness, create a positive attitude and positive emotions. Social addiction is treated with cognitive therapy and behavior correction. The goal of any method is to bring the individual into the zone of awareness.

Psychotherapy methods

• Group therapy . In such classes, a collective analysis of various situations and conflicts that provoked is carried out. Each patient tells how he manages to cope with the disease. Patients are taught that the disorder is treatable.
• Individual therapy . Personal work of a doctor - psychiatrist, psychotherapist or psychologist with a patient using the techniques necessary in a particular case.
• Art therapy . This is treatment using creativity for the purpose of sublimation, aimed at the constructive use of energy resources and the transformation of negative energy into positive energy through the means of substitution. Drawing, singing, theater arts, poetry reading.
• Autogenic training . They use methods of self-hypnosis, hypnosis, and elements of neurolinguistic programming.
• Psychodrama, psychoanalysis . Based on the study of the patient’s inner world.

Hypochondriacal phobic neuroses

With this variant of the disorder, the patient pays exaggerated attention to the state of his own health. Of course, a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and moderate physical activity, regular preventive examinations have never been superfluous, but in this situation it takes on a pathological scale.

Another panic attack can cause the slightest physical discomfort. A slight increase in temperature is perceived as a symptom of severe sepsis, cough is associated with lung cancer, pallor with leukemia, etc. Often a neurosis of fear of death develops. Patients often visit doctors of various specializations, require additional tests and examinations, and sometimes even insist on diagnostic operations.

Often the patient complains of cardiac disorders, digestive disorders, pain, and stiffness in muscles and joints. But usually even the most in-depth studies do not bring any results - the cause of psychological and somatic anxiety remains unclear.

How to eat with neurosis

In the treatment of all types of neurosis, an important place is occupied by adherence to a special balanced diet. The patient’s daily diet simply needs to include foods enriched with nutrients and vitamins of certain groups.

By nutrients in this aspect we mean: fatty oils and acids, proteins and vitamins of groups C, B, E, P, as well as carotene salt, iron, folic acid, magnesium.

A balanced complex of the substances described above is found in foods such as raisins, cheese, walnuts, beets, cabbage, bananas, sorrel, lemons and others.

Regular consumption of them will direct the work of the nervous system receptors in the right direction and balance the overall emotional state. To lift your mood and improve your well-being, it makes sense to start consuming sunflower seeds, boiled chicken pulp, shrimp, and salmon fish more often. These products will compensate for the lack of vitamin B6 in the body, which is responsible for the stability of the emotional background.

Cost of services

This list does not contain all prices for services provided by our clinic. The full price list can be found on the “Prices” , or by calling: 8(969)060-93-93. Initial consultation is FREE!

Principles of treatment of fear neurosis in medicine

Almost the only way to overcome irrational anxiety is a psychological impact on a person’s consciousness and way of thinking. Typically, our doctors use methods of cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic correction.

If the patient suffers from a constant feeling of anxiety, sleep disturbances, or psychosomatic manifestations of the disorder, tranquilizers are prescribed to quickly relieve these symptoms; for signs of depression, antidepressants are indicated. The duration of treatment is always determined individually; in addition, with fear neurosis there is a high probability of relapse.

What would you prefer: living with phobias or completely freeing yourself from anxiety and worry? To schedule a consultation, you just need to call us 24/7 at 8(969)060-93-93 or fill out a special form on the website. We also provide a doctor's home call service.

Which doctor should I contact?

Depending on the stage and symptoms, different specialists are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of neurotic disorder. A team of specialists is involved in restoring the activity of the nervous system weakened by the disease: psychologists, neurologists, endocrinologists; in certain cases, the help of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is necessary. As for the harmonization of the mental state, this problem lies in the field of activity of the psychotherapist and psychiatrist. There are also related specializations, such as, for example, psychoneurologist; this specialist combines the knowledge and techniques of a psychologist and a neurologist, which allows him to work simultaneously in several areas.