Psychiatry is a mental disorder: symptoms and therapies
All people are daily exposed to stressful situations for a variety of reasons. In some, the organism can withstand the rabid pace of life without serious consequences. The psyche of others is forced to experience colossal loads. Very often she can not cope with them. In this case, they talk about the development of a disease called "psychasthenia".This pathological condition, which is characterized by excessive introspection. The people exposed to him make themselves overstated by demands. They are very self-critical, they may have low self-esteem.
The main causes of the disorder
Psychiatry is rightfully recognized as a disease of the XXI century. An increasing number of people in large cities suffer from personality changes. They constantly check, recheck their actions and can not find the strength to change something radically.
The exact cause of the disorder is not known. The doctors assume that under the influence of certain factors the pathological process is born and begins to develop actively. These include:
- Stress. Almost every modern person is exposed to disturbances and experiences. The need to work hard, be successful and meet certain standards - all these are hard tests for the psyche. Without qualitative rest, the nervous system is exhausted with time. It ceases to fulfill its primary functions.
- Lack of sleep. Full rest is a guarantee of good work of the central nervous system. Chronic lack of sleep for several months can cause a decrease in immunity, disruption of the brain.
- Hypodynamia. Lack of physical activity entails many problems, including the work of the body.
- Drinking alcohol and smoking. Chronic intoxication of the nervous system leads to its pathology. Diseases of the endocrine system and the central nervous system.
- Adverse environmental conditions. Contaminated air and water, poor-quality food worsen human health.
These factors are not uncommon. Their impact can be observed in all developed countries. However, only a small percentage of people diagnosed with psychasthenia. This is due to the second component of the pathological process - the personality characteristics of the patient.
Clinical picture of
On the way to achieving the goal of psychasthenics, the lesions are most afraid of. Therefore, they do not commit rash or spontaneous acts. On the other hand, the psychasthenic type of personality is characterized by indecisiveness in decision-making, expressed pedantry. Before the beginning of any action, such people carefully plan the plan, and then follow it exactly. If any external factor violates it, they are lost and can completely retreat from it.
Most of the psychasthenics are well-read and educated people. Despite the intellectual savvy, they do not like publicity. When you need to speak to an audience, you can completely forget the information, even owning it in full. Such people are hard to make decisions. Therefore, they often seek support and help.
Symptoms of psychasthenia include selectivity in the choice of friends. The circle of communication is rather limited. They interact exclusively with people who have been tested for years. To outsiders are treated with disbelief and do not like to communicate because of fear of being misunderstood.
Punctuality and pedantry are characteristic of the disorder. These qualities often irritate others. However, they are compensated by hard work and trouble-free operation. This is what colleagues use to load psychasthenics with their problems.
Such persons are distinguished by increased care for their own health. To some extent they can be considered as hypochondriacs. Over time, this kind of suspiciousness degenerates into reactive depression.
How do psychasthenics think?
Today, in almost all medical reference books, there is detailed information on what constitutes a psychiatric disorder. A test for diagnosing personality types is often attached to its description. With its help, anyone can determine the likelihood of developing this disorder. What else is interesting?
The thinking of patients with this diagnosis is often striking in its logical nature. They are highly susceptible to doubt, so they are carefully approaching problem solving. Always compare the positive and negative sides of the question, applying an incredible amount of effort. It would seem that the logical answer is obvious and lies on the surface. However, internal insecurity does not allow him to discern.
Long-term thinking is practically not used in practice. Psychasthenics are always intelligent and highly educated people. They are afraid of criticism from the public, so they rarely appear in public. Among them there are no politicians or public figures.
On the other hand, it is not necessary to wait for rash or improvised actions. Because of the characteristics of the disease, such people represent their actions in advance.
The psychasthenic type of personality is characterized by a desire for continuous development. However, even positive dynamics does not satisfy. After reaching the appointed goal, such people begin to look again for that ideal, in comparison with which they feel worthless. This can continue throughout life.
Species of disorder
There is no official division of the disease into categories. However, in medical practice it is customary to differentiate it according to the following subspecies: anxious( evading) and anankast( obsessive-compulsive) personality disorder. Each of them has certain differences.
With anankastnom personality disorder, people have obsessive thoughts. They constantly think, whether the iron was turned off from the outlet, whether the door was closed. On the other hand, they show unprecedented friendly attitude towards their relatives. When dealing with outsiders, they prefer to behave modestly and emotionlessly. Such individuals show a tendency to different phobias. The development of the latter can occur for absolutely any reasons.
With anxious personality disorder, fear of criticism from outsiders appears. Patients with this form of diagnosis "psychasthenia" should be constantly encouraged and comforted. In no case should you criticize or blame. Otherwise, constant self-examination can develop into a real depression.
Features of disorders in children
Symptoms of psychasthenia usually appear in childhood. To be precise, at the beginning of schooling. In the junior classes there are problems with mechanical memory, which necessarily affects the ability to learn the teaching material. Such children constantly recheck the work done, so they lag behind their peers. In public speeches, they are very sensitive to the assessment of others.
At an older age, developed analytical skills help to achieve the desired result. Such children can perfectly understand the material, logically generalize the new information. Intellectual talent makes itself felt already in adulthood.
Psychiatry in children develops slowly enough. However, caring parents may notice certain difficulties in establishing contact with classmates, especially with the opposite sex. Such children try to choose only those people who will not be able to bring suffering to them.
Diagnostic methods
Most often with suspicions of psychasthenia are the relatives of the patient or his close friends. To clarify the preliminary diagnosis, the doctor must first ask a number of clarifying questions. It is important for him to know how the symptoms of the disorder have long appeared, which served as an impetus to the exhaustion of the nervous system.
After this, they switch to instrumental diagnostic methods. Standard tests of urine and blood are prescribed to all patients, as they allow to evaluate the functioning of the body as a whole. Additionally, kidney, endocrine and metabolic processes may be required.
Instrumental diagnostics allows you to confirm specialist assumptions or clarify certain points. Among the methods used today, the following are especially relevant:
- ECG.
- ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
- ultrasound of cerebral vessels.
Psychiatry is a complex disease. His clinical picture is similar in many respects to other pathologies. Therefore, in the survey without differential diagnosis, it is rarely possible to do. It is conducted with other personal manifestations, which can accompany schizophrenia and neurasthenia.
Recommended treatment
Psychiatry is a serious disease that requires competent therapy. However, finally it can not be cured. This affliction usually accompanies a person until death. With the appropriate approach, it is possible to stop his symptoms, thereby facilitating the patient's life.
The methods of therapeutic intervention can be diverse. Most often they resort to medications and physiotherapy. In especially serious cases, you can not do without psychotherapy sessions. More details about these techniques will be described below.
Regardless of the chosen course of treatment, any physician will first advise the patient to reconsider his lifestyle. It is necessary to devote more time to rest, to plan the time of sleep correctly. It is better not to abuse physical and emotional loads. A good option is to enroll in a gym or massage. This approach allows not only to remove the accumulated stress, but also to prevent the emergence of a new one.
The use of medicines
The medicines used in the fight against the disease help to eliminate signs of anxiety, suspiciousness and mood swings. Some of them prevent the development of phobias, often persecuting patients diagnosed with "psychasthenia."Drug treatment involves the appointment of the following groups of drugs:
- Vitamins and adaptogenes. Prolonged use of them contributes to the replacement of the deficit of neurotransmitters, the restoration of the body as a whole.
- Sedatives. Treatment begins with the intake of herbal preparations. In the absence of effect, therapy is supplemented by more complex medicines.
- Sleeping pills( Donormil, Barbital, Melaxen).Medicines from this group are allowed to use only according to the doctor's prescription and under his constant control.
- Antidepressants( "Aminalon", "Sertralin", "Fluoxetine").
- Neuroleptics( "Propazin", "Azaleptin").To help these drugs have to resort to the most severe cases. Dosage and duration of treatment are determined strictly by the doctor.
For faster recovery of the nervous system, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes. They contribute to the improvement of adaptation processes, prevention of complications.
Physiotherapeutic effects
The treatment of psychasthenia can not be imagined without physiotherapy. This is a series of completely safe and effective procedures. They not only increase the effect on the body of medicines, but also support basic therapy.
- Electrostimulation. This procedure implies the influence of an electric current on certain areas of the body.
- Electrophoresis. Used for deeper penetration of medicines into the layers of the skin. As a result, the body's need for a medicine is reduced, and the duration of its therapeutic effect is increased.
- Electrosleep. Provides a calming effect. This procedure is prescribed for patients suffering from chronic fatigue and mental overloads.
The listed procedures are characterized by high efficiency. However, their help should be resorted only after consultation with the attending physician.
Psychotherapy
Various types of psychotherapy are also used to treat psychiatry. Thanks to regular sessions, the patient begins to accept herself. Gradually, he develops the skills of successful socialization. Such treatment allows you to find your place in life, and use personal characteristics for the benefit of self-improvement. A specific type of psychotherapy is selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. The best result is given by sessions, conducted simultaneously with the course of drug intervention.
Recovery prognosis
Treatment of psychasthenia is a long process. Unfortunately, it is not possible to overcome this illness forever. The proposed methods of therapeutic treatment allow only to correct its symptoms, improve the patient's worldview. Complex treatment helps to bring the psychasthenic to the level of a practically healthy person. Its absence can lead to disastrous consequences.
The disorder often grows into all kinds of obsessions. At the same time, psychasthenics begin to abandon new activities and initiatives. They live either in the past or in a fictitious future. Over time, this existence is complicated by unreasonable anxiety, anxiety. There is distrust of others, skepticism. Neurasthenia and psychasthenia are borderline states. Consequences of such violations can be sexual disorders, alcoholism, prolonged depression.