About anxiety neurosis: causes, symptoms, and therapeutic measures. Symptoms and treatment of anxiety neurosis Fears and neurosis with low content

Every mental symptom that reflects a person's imperfect, poor adaptation to his social environment can be called a manifestation of a condition such as neurosis, provided that organic causes such as psychosis and psychopathy have been carefully excluded. There is no need to exclude depression in this case, since the symptoms of neurosis should contribute to the rapid diagnosis of depression as the basis for the development of neurosis. When planning treatment, decide for yourself what is more important in a particular case - fear or depression.

Reasons for fear

• Stress (excessive fatigue or lack of work, unfavorable environment, such as loud noise, endless quarrels in the family).
• Tense moments in life (a child goes to school; a person changes jobs or gets a job for the first time, leaves the familiar environment, home, gets married, marries, retires; a child appears in the family; a loved one suffers a fatal disease).
• In accordance with intrapsychic theories (for example, a feeling of fear is an excess of psychic energy and a manifestation of repressed hostility or conflict impulses). According to this theory, neurotic behavior is seen as a way to get rid of excess mental energy, and in accordance with psychoanalytic theory, it most often occurs if a given person has not passed normally through the oral, anal and genital stages of development.

The connection of neuroses with crime

From a clinical point of view, among those who have committed crimes, the most common neurotic conditions are anxiety and neurotic depression. Phobic and compulsive states are the least common.

High levels of neurotic symptoms in criminals do not at all imply a causal relationship between the symptoms and the crime. Criminal behavior and neurotic symptoms are related to the same social and personal circumstances, so that they can occur in the same person without necessarily interacting with each other. Studies of neurotic symptoms among prisoners show significantly increased levels of neurotic symptoms among individuals with personality disorders. Significant levels of substance abuse are associated with neurotic symptoms and personality disorder. Given the interaction of these disorders, it is extremely difficult to isolate the exact contribution of neurotic disorders to crime.

Neurosis and murder

Reactive neuroses (depression and/or anxiety) can be so severe that the accompanying stress can lead to an emotional outburst, ending in murder, even in the absence of a personality disorder. Courts accept chronic reactive depression and moderate depression as grounds for the defense of reduced liability.

Neurosis can have a significant effect in combination with personality disorders, for example, a neurotic depressive reaction in a person with an explosive or antisocial personality. It can disinhibit the subject in a tense situation, followed by an outburst leading to murder, either to destroy the source of the frustration or to transfer the tension to an innocent person.

Neurosis and theft

Stealing can be clearly associated with neurotic depressive states (this is illustrated by the example of shoplifting) if they are committed, presumably with the aim of drawing attention to the subject's dysfunctional state or for the purpose of calming down. This motivation is also seen in the thefts committed by unhappy and restless children. The tension associated with the neurotic state can lead to theft as a psychologically destructive act. The subject may present with a pattern of prolonged depression, although in some cases the underlying behavioral disorder may be so pronounced as to divert attention from the underlying mental condition.

Neurosis and arson

The connection between neurosis and arson is well established. This is especially true for stress conditions. Fire can act as a way of releasing tension, alleviating feelings of depression, and symbolically destroying the source of pain. In cases of arson, the known comorbidity of neurotic disorder with substance abuse and personality disorder may be particularly significant.

Neurosis and alcohol-related crimes

Alcohol can cause states of melancholy. Crime can also be preceded by depression or anxiety - in sensitive individuals, as well as alcohol binge. This combination can lead to the commission of a crime; while alcohol acts as a disinhibitor.

Neuroses and imprisonment

Imprisonment, both before trial and in connection with serving a sentence, can cause neurotic symptoms such as anxiety and depression in the offender. Therefore, it is very important to separate the symptoms that appeared after the arrest from the pre-existing disorder that is relevant to the commission of the crime. Confinement is a fearful experience that includes loss of autonomy, separation from family and friends, and exposure to the immediate stress of being in such an establishment. The Office for National Statistics study notes the four most common neurotic symptoms associated with incarceration among prisoners: anxiety, fatigue, depression, and irritability. Prisoners are significantly more likely to need medical advice than those in the general population.

There is one distinct syndrome, Ganser's syndrome, which is described as a reaction to confinement and is classified in the ICD-10 as a form of dissociative disorder (F44.8).

Ganser (1897) described three prisoners with the following features of mental disorder:

• inability to correctly answer the simplest questions, even if their answers indicated some degree of understanding of the question (V .: “How many legs does a horse have?” - O .: “Three”; V .: “And the elephant?” - O .: “ Five");
• some clouding of consciousness (disoriented in place and time, distracted, confused, slow reaction and feeling of their “absence”, as if they are somewhere in a dream);
• hysterical conversion syndromes (for example, loss of pain sensitivity throughout the body or in areas of increased pain sensitivity);
• hallucinations (visual and / or auditory);
• a temporary abrupt cessation of the disorder with the disappearance of all symptoms and a return to a state of complete lucidity, followed by a deep depression and the resumption of symptoms.

Ganzer was sure that this condition was not a simulation, but a real illness of a hysterical nature. He notes that in the cases he described, there was a previous illness (typhus and in two cases - a head injury). Since then, there has been controversy about the true nature of this condition. This syndrome rarely manifests itself in an expanded form and is observed not only in prisoners, but individual symptoms can manifest themselves in a wide variety of mental disorders. There have been various points of view on this syndrome: that it is a genuine transient psychosis or even a simulation, but perhaps the most common opinion is that it is a hysterical reaction as a result of depression. It must be distinguished from sham, pseudodementia, schizophrenia, and drug-induced conditions.

Symptoms of anxiety neurosis (fear)

Trembling, feeling faint, chills with goosebumps, feeling like butterflies are flying in the stomach, hyperventilation syndrome (eg, accompanied by tinnitus and ringing, tendency to intermittent cramps, chest pain), headaches , excessive sweating, palpitations, poor appetite, nausea, sensation of a lump in the throat even without trying to swallow (globus hystericus), difficulty falling asleep, anxiety, excessive attention to the functions of one's own body and the bodily health of others, obsessive thoughts, compulsive (uncontrollable) physical activity. In children it is manifested by thumb sucking, nail biting, incontinence at night, perverted appetite and stammering.

The prevalence of crimes in neuroses

Prevalence figures are unknown. In a study of shoplifters, 10% of the group were classified as neurotic, but there was no control study. The Office of National Statistics reports neurosis in 59% of remand prisoners, 40% of male remand prisoners, 76% of female remand prisoners and 40% of female remand prisoners. These numbers are much higher than in the general population. Individuals suffering from neurosis also often have comorbidities with personality disorder and substance abuse. Post-traumatic stress was found in 5% of men in pre-trial detention, 3% of men serving sentences, 9% of women in pre-trial detention and 5% of women serving sentences in prison.

Treatment of neurosis of anxiety and fear

An effective way to reduce feelings of anxiety is simply to listen carefully to the patient. One of the goals of the psychotherapeutic treatment of such patients is to teach them to control the symptoms of neurosis or to be more tolerant of them if they cannot be controlled. In addition, it is necessary to improve the relationship of the patient with other people and help in resolving the most painful problems for the patient. You should seek help from social workers. In some cases, anxiolytics may be indicated, which will make the psychotherapist's work with the patient more effective.

Approximate doses: diazepam - 5 mg every 8 hours orally for no more than 6 weeks. Problems associated with benzodiazepine treatment. As the text suggests, their usefulness is very limited.

Progressive relaxation training

The patient is taught to tense and relax muscle groups in a certain order - for example, starting with the toes with a gradual involvement in the process of all the muscles of the body in an ascending manner. At the same time, the patient's attention is concentrated on the implementation of these exercises, and the feeling of anxiety (as well as muscle tone) is reduced. Deep breathing movements have a similar effect. The patient must perform these exercises quite often in order to improve. Patients can purchase appropriate cassettes of the above-mentioned exercises from the market and reuse them.

Hypnosis

This is another powerful method of treating patients with anxiety and fear neurosis. First, the psychotherapist induces a progressive state of trance, using whatever technique his fantasy suggests, and focusing the patient's attention on various bodily sensations, such as breathing. Then the patients themselves learn to induce these states of trance (the state of ambulatory automatism during hypnosis).

Medico-legal aspects of neurosis

If the crime is clearly based on neurosis, not complicated by any antisocial personality disorder, then the courts may consider recommending psychiatric treatment. This also extends to the most serious crimes, such as when a depressed young man is accused of killing his wife. If the subject's neurotic condition is complicated by a psychopathic disorder, then the court's concern for public safety or lack of empathy for the subject may result in prison sentences in serious cases. In cases where the community is out of danger (for example, shoplifting committed by a depressed person) and inpatient treatment is not required, probation with an outpatient condition is usually used.

Dissociative phenomena (including dissociative phenomena associated with post-traumatic stress disorder) may be the basis for the application of protection due to automaticity. The legal criteria for applying the automatism defense are very strict, and in dissociative states there is usually partial awareness and partial memory, making it difficult to use the automatism defense. Post-traumatic stress disorder can - in conditions of repetitive trauma, of which battered women syndrome is best known - sensitize the victim to such an extent that a relatively mild provocation can lead to violence when the traumatized person responds to weak environmental cues. , which previously indicated the threat of violence. In particular, in the United States, the use of such syndromic evidence ended with the application of defense on the basis of provocation, including in cases of homicide - as "self-defense".

Fear neurosis, as a form of neurosis, was first described by 3. Freud in 1892, manifested by a feeling of anxiety or fear of the most varied content. However, to date, in child and general psychiatry, there are conflicting points of view on the advisability of isolating this type of general neurosis. Most domestic and foreign psychiatrists distinguish anxiety neurosis as an independent form of mental illness (G. E. Sukhareva, 1959; A. M. Svyadoshch, 1971.1982; V. V. Kovalev, 1974, 1979; K. Jasper, 1946; L. Kanner, 19bb). At the same time, S. N. Dodenko (1953), G. K. Ushakov (1973) deny the independence of fear neurosis, considering it a simple, non-expanded version of obsessive-compulsive disorder or a manifestation of neurasthenic, hypochondriacal and other types of neuroses.

This question is rather complicated not only in terms of nosological independence, but also in contrast to fear in general from illness. It is known that every person throughout life, including in childhood, experiences fear as a feeling of illness, fears of various objects, phenomena and actions that can be harmful to health. This is actually a reaction to protect the body from danger, which requires an urgent decision to be made. Usually, with the disappearance of the cause of danger, the feeling of fear soon disappears. With regard to anxiety neurosis, the latter is regarded as an objectless (causeless) negatively colored emotion, accompanied by tension, a sense of immediate danger to life, and a variety of autonomic disorders.

In children, especially of early and preschool age, fear is often associated with fear. In this regard, within the framework of fear neurosis, G. E. Sukhareva (1959) singled out, as a variety, “ fright neurosis».

It has been established that the clinical manifestations of fear neurosis have some age-related features. According to A. M. Svyadoshch, in adults, fear neurosis is substandard in nature, i.e. it does not depend on any situation or ideas in the past (including the reason that caused fear, if it is established), it is unmotivated, meaningless. He seems to be "free-floating". For clarity, A. M. Svyadoshch gave a description of fears based on the stories of the patients he observed. “The state of fear does not leave me all the time. All day long I feel that feeling of vague anxiety, that fear. At the same time, I don’t know what I’m afraid of, what I’m waiting for.” It may be a feeling of vague danger, misfortune that should or may happen. Sometimes a feeling of fear covers all the actions of the patient. For example, he is afraid to pick up a knife so as not to hit someone else, he is afraid to go out onto the balcony, but he will suddenly jump out of it, he is afraid to turn on the gas stove, and he will suddenly forget to light it or turn it off, etc.

Cause anxiety neurosis in childhood can be shock and subacute psychotrauma causing fear; factors of emotional deprivation(especially long separation from parents), serious illnesses of loved ones, wrong upbringing type of overprotection.

The content of fears, their external manifestations in children of different age groups, as VV Kovalev (1979) writes, are usually associated with the nature of the psychotraumatic situation. So, in the first 6 years of life, fears of animals, characters of TV shows, movies, from “terrible” fairy tales or intimidation of the child by events in order to arouse obedience predominate. Often they scare children with a doctor who will give an injection, a Baba Yaga, a policeman or a “bad guy” who will take a naughty child. And if you then have to go to the doctor, there may be a tantrum. In preschool and primary school age, there is often a fear of the dark, separation from loved ones, and loneliness. It is not uncommon to see how a child of early and preschool age does not let go of his mother, holding his hands on the hem of her skirt, and follows her everywhere. And how often do mothers hear from children of this age, especially from girls, “Mom, you won’t die?”. The reason for this may be the condition of the mother, when she was ill either from a neurosis, or from an organic disease, and she took medicine.

During puberty, the content of anxiety neuroses often concerns ideas about illness and death.

Flow anxiety neurosis can be short-term- several weeks - 2-3 months, and protracted- some years. In the case of a protracted course, periodically occurring exacerbations are possible. The long course of anxiety neurosis is often due to the peculiarities of premorbid personality development in the form of anxiety, suspiciousness, hypochondria and various types of asthenia.

In adolescence, the connection between fear neurosis and the subject of the psychotraumatic situation is gradually lost; its manifestations approach those observed in adults.

A neurosis of fear that arose in childhood can last for many years and pass into the neurotic development of the personality. It was also noted that anxiety neurosis in children and adolescents, unlike obsessive fears, is not accompanied by a recognition of their unusualness and alienness, there is also no desire to overcome them.

In foreign (Western) literature, within the framework of fear neurosis, a special form is distinguished - “ school neurosis". Its essence lies in the fact that children, especially primary school children, are afraid to attend school because of the fear of it: strictness, discipline, exactingness of teachers. In this regard, the child is looking for an excuse not to go to school, referring to illness or other reasons. This may be a categorical refusal of the child, neurotic vomiting, it is possible to leave school and even from home, the occurrence of systemic neuroses, such as urinary and fecal incontinence.

Refusal to attend school may be due not only to the unusual requirements for a child who was brought up on the principle of permissiveness, but also to the fear of separation from his mother.

In the Russian-language literature of past years, and indeed of the present, school neurosis is not singled out as a variety of fear neurosis. It is not mentioned either in the BME or in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Terms. V. V. Kovalev (1979) wrote “about the relative rarity of school fears among children in our country, which is obviously connected, firstly, with other, more favorable social conditions, and secondly, with the wide distribution in our country public preschool education of children, which helps to overcome selfish attitudes and fear of separation from parents.

Of course, this form or variety of anxiety neurosis may or may not be singled out. The point is different. Do similar states occur in our reality? There are, but quite rarely, including the type of interpersonal conflicts. After all, teachers, like students, are susceptible to various diseases, including neuroses. And if the teacher has a neurosis, and 30-40 people entered the first grade, of which 4-5 have increased neuroticism, i.e. formed a tendency to neurosis, then everything can be expected from the meeting of a neurotic with a neurotic. One will induce the other. I have seen such children, including recently there was one typical case.

A 9-year-old girl categorically refused to go to school due to the fact that the teacher (of retirement age) stubbornly does not call the child either by name or surname, but simply “chick”. I saw this girl. She is not so full for such a nickname, although “not completely thin.” It is strange that the parents of the child could not find justice for this teacher. The girl was transferred to another school, and everything fell into place.

Content

Inexplicable fear, tension, anxiety for no reason periodically occur in many people. An explanation for unreasonable anxiety can be chronic fatigue, constant stress, previous or progressive diseases. At the same time, a person feels that he is in danger, but he does not understand what is happening to him.

Why anxiety appears in the soul for no reason

Feelings of anxiety and danger are not always pathological mental states. Every adult has at least once experienced nervous excitement and anxiety in a situation where it is not possible to cope with a problem that has arisen or in anticipation of a difficult conversation. Once these issues are resolved, the anxiety goes away. But pathological causeless fear appears regardless of external stimuli, it is not caused by real problems, but arises on its own.

An anxious state of mind for no reason overwhelms when a person gives freedom to his own imagination: it, as a rule, paints the most terrible pictures. At these moments, a person feels helpless, emotionally and physically exhausted, in connection with this, health may be shaken, and the individual will fall ill. Depending on the symptoms (signs), there are several mental pathologies that are characterized by increased anxiety.

Panic attack

An attack of a panic attack, as a rule, overtakes a person in a crowded place (public transport, institution building, large store). There are no visible reasons for the occurrence of this condition, since at this moment nothing threatens the life or health of a person. The average age of those suffering from anxiety for no reason is 20-30 years. Statistics show that women are more likely to experience unreasonable panic.

A possible cause of unreasonable anxiety, according to doctors, may be a person’s prolonged exposure to a situation of a psycho-traumatic nature, but single severe stressful situations are not excluded. A great influence on the predisposition to panic attacks has a heredity, a person's temperament, his personality traits and the balance of hormones. In addition, anxiety and fear for no reason often manifest themselves against the background of diseases of the internal organs of a person. Features of the feeling of panic:

1. Spontaneous panic. Occurs suddenly, without auxiliary circumstances.
2. situational panic. Appears against the background of experiences due to the onset of a traumatic situation or as a result of a person’s expectation of some kind of problem.
3. Conditional Panic. It manifests itself under the influence of a biological or chemical stimulant (alcohol, hormonal imbalance).

The following are the most common symptoms of a panic attack:

• tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
• a feeling of anxiety in the chest (bursting, pain inside the sternum);
• "lump in the throat";
• increased blood pressure;
• development ;
• lack of air;
• fear of death;
• hot/cold flushes;
• nausea, vomiting;
• dizziness;
• derealization;
• impaired vision or hearing, coordination;
• loss of consciousness;
• spontaneous urination.

anxiety neurosis

This is a disorder of the psyche and nervous system, the main symptom of which is anxiety. With the development of anxiety neurosis, physiological symptoms are diagnosed that are associated with a malfunction of the autonomic system. Periodically there is an increase in anxiety, sometimes accompanied by panic attacks. An anxiety disorder, as a rule, develops as a result of prolonged mental overload or one severe stress. The disease has the following symptoms:

• feeling of anxiety for no reason (a person is worried about trifles);
• fear;
• depression;
• sleep disorders;
• hypochondria;
• migraine;
• dizziness;
• nausea, digestive problems.

An anxiety syndrome does not always manifest itself as an independent disease; it often accompanies depression, phobic neurosis, and schizophrenia. This mental illness quickly develops into a chronic form, and the symptoms become permanent. Periodically, a person experiences exacerbations, in which panic attacks, irritability, tearfulness appear. A constant feeling of anxiety can turn into other forms of disorders - hypochondria, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

hangover anxiety

When drinking alcohol, intoxication of the body occurs, all organs begin to fight this condition. First, the nervous system takes over - at this time intoxication sets in, which is characterized by mood swings. After that, a hangover syndrome begins, in which all systems of the human body fight alcohol. Hangover anxiety symptoms include:

• dizziness;
• frequent change of emotions;
• nausea, abdominal discomfort;
• hallucinations;
• jumps in blood pressure;
• arrhythmia;
• alternation of heat and cold;
• causeless fear;
• despair;
• memory losses.

Depression

This disease can manifest itself in a person of any age and social group. As a rule, depression develops after some traumatic situation or stress. Mental illness can be triggered by the severe experience of failure. Emotional upheavals can lead to a depressive disorder: the death of a loved one, divorce, a serious illness. Sometimes depression appears for no reason. Scientists believe that in such cases, the causative agent is neurochemical processes - a failure of the metabolic process of hormones that affect the emotional state of a person.

Manifestations of depression can be different. The disease can be suspected with the following symptoms:

• frequent feeling of anxiety for no apparent reason;
• unwillingness to do the usual work (apathy);
• sadness;
• chronic fatigue;
• decrease in self-esteem;
• indifference to other people;
• difficulty concentrating;
• unwillingness to communicate;
• difficulty in making decisions.

How to get rid of worry and anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety and fear from time to time. If at the same time it becomes difficult for you to overcome these conditions or they differ in duration, which interferes with work or personal life, you should contact a specialist. Signs that you should not delay going to the doctor:

• you sometimes have panic attacks for no reason;
• you feel an inexplicable fear;
• during anxiety, he catches his breath, jumps up pressure, dizziness appears.

With medication for fear and anxiety

A doctor for the treatment of anxiety, getting rid of a feeling of fear that occurs for no reason, may prescribe a course of drug therapy. However, taking drugs is most effective when combined with psychotherapy. It is not advisable to treat anxiety and fear exclusively with drugs. Compared to people using mixed therapy, patients who only take pills are more likely to relapse.

The initial stage of mental illness is usually treated with mild antidepressants. If the doctor notices a positive effect, then maintenance therapy is prescribed lasting from six months to 12 months. Types of drugs, doses and time of admission (in the morning or at night) are prescribed exclusively for each patient individually. In severe cases of the disease, pills for anxiety and fear are not suitable, so the patient is placed in a hospital where antipsychotics, antidepressants and insulin are injected.

Among the drugs that have a tranquilizing effect, but are dispensed in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription, include:

1. « ». Take 1 tablet three times a day, the duration of the course of treatment for causeless anxiety is prescribed by a doctor.
2. « ». 2 tablets are taken daily. The course is 2-3 weeks.
3. « » . Drink as prescribed by a doctor, 1-2 tablets three times a day. The duration of treatment is determined depending on the patient's condition and the clinical picture.
4. "Persen". The drug is taken 2-3 times a day, 2-3 tablets. Treatment of causeless anxiety, feelings of panic, anxiety, fear lasts no more than 6-8 weeks.

Through psychotherapy for anxiety disorders

An effective way to treat unreasonable anxiety and panic attacks is cognitive-behavioral therapy. It aims to transform unwanted behavior. As a rule, it is possible to cure a mental disorder in 5-20 sessions with a specialist. The doctor, after conducting diagnostic tests and passing tests by the patient, helps a person to remove negative thought patterns, irrational beliefs that fuel the emerging feeling of anxiety.

The cognitive method of psychotherapy focuses on the patient's cognition and thinking, and not just on his behavior. In therapy, a person struggles with their fears in a controlled, safe environment. Through repeated immersion in a situation that causes fear in the patient, he gains more and more control over what is happening. A direct look at the problem (fear) does not cause damage, on the contrary, feelings of anxiety and anxiety are gradually leveled.

Features of treatment

Feelings of anxiety are perfectly treatable. The same applies to fear for no reason, and it is possible to achieve positive results in a short time. Among the most effective techniques that can relieve anxiety disorders are: hypnosis, sequential desensitization, confrontation, behavioral therapy, physical rehabilitation. The specialist chooses the choice of treatment based on the type and severity of the mental disorder.

generalized anxiety disorder

If in phobias fear is associated with a specific object, then anxiety in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) captures all aspects of life. It is not as strong as during panic attacks, but is longer, and therefore more painful and more difficult to endure. This mental disorder is treated in several ways:

1. . This technique is considered the most effective for the treatment of causeless feelings of anxiety in GAD.
2. Exposure and prevention of reactions. The method is based on the principle of living anxiety, that is, a person completely succumbs to fear without trying to overcome it. For example, the patient tends to get nervous when someone from the family is delayed, imagining the worst that could happen (a loved one had an accident, he was overtaken by a heart attack). Instead of worrying, the patient should give in to panic, experience fear to the fullest. Over time, the symptom will become less intense or disappear altogether.

Panic attacks and excitement

Treatment of anxiety that occurs without fear causes can be carried out by taking medications - tranquilizers. With their help, symptoms are quickly eliminated, including sleep disturbance, mood swings. However, these drugs have an impressive list of side effects. There is another group of drugs for mental disorders such as feelings of unreasonable anxiety and panic. These funds are not potent, they are based on medicinal herbs: chamomile, motherwort, birch leaves, valerian.

Drug therapy is not advanced, since psychotherapy is recognized as more effective in combating anxiety. At the appointment with a specialist, the patient finds out what exactly is happening to him, because of which the problems began (causes of fear, anxiety, panic). After that, the doctor selects suitable methods of treating a mental disorder. As a rule, therapy includes drugs that eliminate the symptoms of panic attacks, anxiety (pills) and a course of psychotherapeutic treatment.

Video: how to deal with unexplained anxiety and anxiety

Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Fears and phobias do not allow you to fully live and function, take away mental resources to deal with them. Therefore, the treatment of fears is the most important task of psychology and psychiatry. In order to defeat them, it is necessary to study the phenomena associated with them: anxiety, panic, phobia.

What is fear?

Fear is an emotion associated with a specific or abstract danger, as well as a human condition due to a number of mental and psychological reasons.

If fear prevents you from adequately assessing the environment and acting rationally, causes overwhelming horror, increased pressure, and disorientation, this condition is called panic.

Phobia - a persistent fear of a specific object, irrational and obsessive, associated with the fear of being unable to control something, anxiety at the thought of a frightening object, the presence of physiological manifestations (heartbeat, etc.)

Fears arise on the basis of mental trauma, and for the first time after it are considered a natural phenomenon. But if they continue to bother you for years, this is a good reason to consult a specialist.

Symptoms

This form of the state, as fear neurosis, manifests itself as a change in behavior and processes in the body. A person is constantly exposed to emotional stress, gets tired quickly, sleeps poorly, worries about various things, finds it difficult to choose priorities, their roles in society. Anxiety neurosis borders on such states as a feeling of unreality of what is happening, a strange sense of self.

The main symptoms of a phobia:

• inability to control fear;
• obsessive, haunting fear;
• dizziness, shortness of breath;
• cardiopalmus;
• sweating, nausea;
• sensation of "coma in the throat";
• a feeling of heat or chills in the body;
• shiver; numbness, tingling;
• inability to move;
• pain in the chest, in the abdomen;
• frequent urination;
• fear of going crazy;
• fear of death.

The reasons

According to one version, phobias arise as a subconscious reaction to put up a defense against an irresistible craving for something. This also includes the obsessive fear of killing another, which is transformed into a neurosis.

Mental disorders can be accompanied by high anxiety, which leads to the formation of phobias. They are associated with phobic and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Stress occurs in a healthy person as a reaction to prolonged emotional stress, misunderstanding in the family or in a team, unrequited love, and so on. With the loss of the ability to cope with fears, a person’s anxiety finds its embodiment in fear-fantasies from childhood.

Intense events relating to a change of residence, the loss of a loved one, the birth of a child, provoke anxiety and stress. Hereditary predisposition to anxiety, combined with frequent stressful situations, reinforces the prerequisite for anxiety neurosis.

The cause of fear lies in the conflict of desires with goals and possibilities. There is a constant pathological excitation. Prolonged stressful impact of a characteristic situation on the psyche leads to chronic conditions.

Medical treatment

A person suffering from anxiety neuroses, panic attacks, should acquire drugs that block the characteristic manifestations: Validol, Glycised, Corvalol, medicines based on motherwort and valerian.

The drugs of the last century for the treatment of fears were "Sodium Bromide" and "Potassium Bromide"; modern remedies are tranquilizers and antidepressants.

Tranquilizers, for example, "Phenazepam", "Sibazon", eliminate emotional stress, are used as a sedative and hypnotic. These drugs have an antiphobic effect, reduce muscle tone, stop insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, nausea, dizziness, sweating, and fever.

Antidepressants act to reduce feelings of melancholy, apathy, increase mood, activity, improve sleep and appetite. They are like this:

• Tricyclic: "Imipramine", "Amitriptyline", the introduction of which begins with a small dose, and the result of their use is observed after two weeks.
• Selective serotonin inhibitors: Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine. Minimum side effects and high results.
• Benzodiazepines: Lorazepam, Alprazolam, Diazepam. They have a short course of therapy.
• Beta blockers, such as propranolol. Used immediately before an alarm situation.
• Herbal preparations: with St. John's wort in the composition, other herbs, the use of which requires preparation and imposes some restrictions (prohibition of drinking alcohol, visiting beaches).

Any medication for the treatment of anxiety and fear requires consultation with a specialist and the official prescription of drugs after diagnosis.

Help Options

Depending on the severity of the phobia and the ability to control it, one can talk about methods of treating fear neurosis.

Options for overcoming fears:

• overcoming fear on your own, trying with the help of awareness and willpower to transform your fear and become free from it;
• seeking help from specialists who will prescribe medication and correct behavior.

Talking to a professional can help you figure out how to deal with your fear without resorting to psychoactive drugs. Their task is to concentrate on the analysis and determination of the causes of phobias, the interpretation of the meaning of fear. The treatment of constant fear prompts one to immerse oneself in the most unpleasant emotions that have been repressed and repressed.

Intensive therapy may contain methods such as special exercises for desensitization (reduction of manifestation), behavior correction based on the technique of neurolinguistic programming.

There is not always the means and the opportunity to entrust the problem to a qualified specialist, so patients resort to the following methods and techniques:

• Accept fear as an ally: in response to the alarm sent from within, begin to interact with the images that arise in the imagination. Come up with an "embodiment" of your fear in the form of a drawing, a sculpted figure, transform it into a humorous image or object that will help you rethink your emotions.
• Listen to your condition, if an attempt to take a step towards a phobia begins to inspire - this is a sign that there is a chance to overcome fear; if such thoughts cause panic, this is a reason to make every effort to protect yourself from possible threats.

The main obstacle to liberation from fears is the fear of being afraid. The goal of therapy is to actively manage your life and do something meaningful for yourself.

Help of a psychologist, psychotherapist

The purpose of behavioral therapy is to teach a person to properly relate to anxieties, fears, panic, physical discomfort. Psychologists recommend auto-training, relaxation, and positive concentration techniques.

Through cognitive psychotherapy, it becomes possible to identify errors in thinking, to correct the way of thinking in the right direction.

Anxiety neurosis, which is complicated by phobias, requires hypnotic intervention. In this case, the impact is directed to the subconscious of a person. The session returns the patient to a state of trust and security in relation to the world. In the absence of the expected effect, medications are prescribed.

With a mild course of neurosis, the main task is to establish a trusting contact between the doctor and the patient.

Stages of treatment of fears by a psychotherapist:

• clarification of the circumstances that led to the neurosis;
• search for ways of healing with the help of psychotherapy methods.

Methods of psychotherapy:

• Belief. It is necessary to change the patient's attitude to the situation, after which the phobias lose their significance and weaken.
• Direct suggestion - influence on consciousness with the help of words and emotions.
• Indirect influence - the introduction of an auxiliary stimulus that will be associated with recovery in the mind of the patient.
• Self-hypnosis allows you to activate the thoughts and emotions necessary for treatment.
• Auto-training is muscle relaxation, during which control over the state of health is restored.

Additional methods - gymnastics, massage, hardening - will enhance the effectiveness of the main course of treatment of fears.

Self release

The first advice is to stop fighting obsessive thoughts, to accept the fact that they arise. The more violent the resistance to them, the more stress they cause. It is necessary to develop a correct attitude to thought: if it arises, this is a natural phenomenon, as a result of the work of a part of the brain. As experts have proven, obsessions have nothing to do with intuition.

In order to treat persistent anxiety and fear, it is necessary to understand their causes. The primary task is to realize the moment of a person's true fear: to die, to be disgraced and the like, in order to resolve the internal conflict. The next step is to start working on phobias by including yourself in frightening situations. This means stepping out into obsessive thoughts, encouraging yourself to do things that lead to feelings of fear. "Treatment" in this way will allow the forced method to experience strong emotions in order to subsequently rethink and get rid of them.

Keeping a diary of feelings will reveal the essence of feelings and desires, help you live consciously. It is important to describe in detail the situation that caused fear and discomfort. This process of familiarization with oneself, values, needs will be useful for those suffering from neurosis. It is recommended to write down, speak, share your thoughts with others. Embodied in words, the thought will seem harmless.

At the next stages, it is necessary to change obsessive thoughts with rational ones, draw up a plan of action that will be performed if trouble occurs. Willingness will reduce fear.

Since panic attacks are fear, as a reaction to a non-existent situation, it is necessary to instill awareness in yourself, to encourage yourself to "return" at a crucial moment. And this is where meditation and relaxation become good helpers. Over time, you will be able to face your phobias.

On the way to the treatment of panic fears, it is necessary to eliminate destructive factors: harmful food, nicotine and alcohol abuse, being alone in a closed room for days on end.

In addition to everything, you need to start eradicating negative information from your life: stop being interested in bad news, do not watch horror films, TV shows that cause disturbing thoughts, do not communicate with those who tend to discuss negative topics. When fear arises, one should concentrate on realizing that the cause of fear is absent.

Breathing exercises

Panic attack - a kind of way to protect the nervous system. After the reaction of fear, a person spares himself more, behaves carefully in situations fraught with stress and overload.

Breathing exercises will help to alleviate the condition in the process of an attack of fear: inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Each phase has a duration of 4 seconds. Such gymnastics, during which you need to relax, is repeated up to 15 times every day.

As a result of exercise, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood rises, breathing slows down, heartbeat slows down, the respiratory center in the brain functions at a different pace of activity, muscles relax, attention switches to current events from panic images.

Childhood anxiety neurosis

The main causes of childhood anxiety neurosis are conflicts in the family, peer group, sometimes physical trauma, illness or severe fright.

Parents should be alert for the following symptoms:

• constant anxiety;
• obsessive fear;
• emotional depression;
• chronic fatigue;
• frequent hysterical crying for no apparent reason;
• tics, stuttering.

Treatments for persistent feelings of anxiety and fear in children rarely include drug therapy. Most often, this is a way to resolve internal conflicts of influence on the psyche with the help of creativity: drawing, modeling, writing. Art therapy is safe and effective, promotes self-expression and self-knowledge. When a child portrays his fears, this leads to their disappearance from his life.

Family therapy is the training of family members in productive interaction with each other. Psychotherapists are convinced that the sources of neurosis are in relationships with loved ones, and anxiety and fear can be cured by removing the cause.

How to distinguish neurosis from psychosis

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor needs to have a conversation with the patient in order to exclude psychosis, the symptoms of which are very similar to the signs of neurosis.

With psychosis, a person is not aware of the fact of a disease that suppresses the personality, and is to a small extent treatable, and in the case of neurosis, he understands what is happening with a mental disorder: he is critical of himself, does not lose touch with the real world. It is important to have a complete examination.

Symptoms of neurosis: mental discomfort, irritability, anger, mood swings, experiences for no good reason, chronic fatigue, fatigue. Psychosis is characterized by delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, confused speech, obsession with past events, limiting oneself from society.

Consequences of panic attacks

The consequences of neuroses are such that a person is able to become a hermit because of them, to lose his family, his job. Independent ways to get rid of panic attacks should be used in a complex way. Therapy can take up to three months.

The most likely consequences of phobias:

• their number will increase;
• the likelihood of physical harm to yourself and others;
• constant panic can exacerbate chronic diseases;
• frequent, severe, uncontrollable panic attacks can lead to suicide.

Fighting the fear of death

Treatment of feelings of anxiety and fear begins with looking at it philosophically and spending resources on life's affairs, leaving useless thoughts about death.

It is good to direct thoughts towards the future, to think about what will happen after the embodiment of fears. If this is the death of loved ones, for some time the condition will be unbearable, and then life will continue, but it will change. It is impossible to experience the same emotions for too long. Faith in God gives hope for eternity. The state of believers is distinguished by calmness in terms of such issues.

It is necessary to live a full life, and death is only an indication of such a need. Years are given to make dreams come true, to receive joy, to achieve victories. You can make it easier to achieve your goal by breaking it down into steps. The more satisfied a person is with his life, the less his fear of death.

You have to allow yourself to be afraid sometimes. The more often this happens, the weaker the emotion becomes, and eventually it will disappear.

Successful treatment of anxiety and fear is replaced by certainty in the present, peace of mind about the future, and then death seems to be something far away.

What to do relatives

Anxiety neurosis disturbs the tranquility of the sufferer and his close associates. A possible reaction of family members is a wall of misunderstanding and a surge of emotions, since it is not easy to constantly put yourself in the place of a sick person.

He needs attention and help in the form of reassurance. But this does not mean that you need to agree with his worldview and play along with his fears. Participation implies moral support, assurance that all difficulties will be overcome by joint forces.

Independent attempts of the patient with anxiety neurosis do not help him to return a balanced state, despite the awareness of what is happening. In difficult cases, the disease exhausts the neurotic, attracting thoughts of suicide. The patient should be advised to treat fears and phobias with the help of a psychotherapist, a neuropathologist.

Anxiety neurosis belongs to the group of reversible psychological disorders caused by exhaustion of the nervous system. It is characterized by a strong exacerbation of anxiety on the basis of long-term experiences or once severe stress. Hence the second name of this disease is fear neurosis or anxiety neurosis.

Feelings of anxiety, experiences are clear signs of anxiety neurosis

Anxiety neurosis is characterized by:

• A pronounced, uncontrollable, unreasonable feeling of fear and anxiety (the patient is afraid of what is not there, or significantly exaggerates the potential danger). Attacks in such cases last no more than 20 minutes, may be accompanied by trembling and general weakness.
• Loss of orientation in space and time.
• Loss of energy and rapid fatigue.
• Sudden and frequent mood swings.
• Excessive concern about your own health.
• High susceptibility to bright light, sounds.
• "Floating" headache and dizziness;
• Rapid heartbeat;
• The appearance of shortness of breath and a feeling of oxygen starvation;
• Disorders of the stool, nausea;
• Disorders of the stomach;
• Increased sweating.

These symptoms may appear together or alternate. Some of them are also characteristic of other diseases not associated with mental disorders. For example, some different vegetative manifestations of fear are possible if the patient takes medications prescribed for refusing narcotic drugs. Also, if a person is sick with hyperthyroidism (a syndrome caused by hyperthyroidism) or diseases of the cardiovascular system.

It is important to have a medical examination before starting any treatment

Therefore, medications and other treatments for anxiety neurosis should be prescribed by a specialist on the basis of a medical history and a complete medical examination.

Fact: according to statistics, women suffer from this disease 2 times more often than men, which is associated with changes in hormonal levels. At the same time, the predominant age group of patients is persons from 18 to 40 years old.

How does the patient's behavior change?

Unexplained sudden attacks of anxiety are negatively reflected in the social, family, personal life of a person, reduce the productivity of his work. Chronic depression, possible aggression towards others, apathy, fatigue are the first signs of the disease.

In the initial stages of the disease, the patient himself notices them, but may not attach serious importance, attributing such behavior to previous stressful situations or fatigue (both physical and mental). For example, fear of an interview, fear of not finding a common language with a new team, an upcoming performance, an exam, or passing a project put psychological pressure on a person. He attributes his excessive irritability and anxiety to preparations for important events.

The behavior of a person with anxiety neurosis often becomes unpredictable

In the absence of a predisposition to the development of neurosis, such a reaction passes after the accomplishment of these events. In some cases, on the contrary, it is aggravated: fatigue associated with psychological overstrain is added to irritability and bouts of fear. In addition, the patient often begins to "lose" scenes of the implementation of his performance (or other important situation). In the imagination, he changes dialogues and his own actions, trying to choose the best option for himself.

While the patient's imagination is occupied, in reality his behavior becomes inadequate and is accompanied by inhibition of reaction, sudden irritability and other characteristic symptoms of anxiety neurosis.

What to do relatives

Anxiety neurosis interferes with life not only for the patient himself, but also for his close circle, since attacks of fear can manifest themselves at any time and in any place. For example, a sick person may call relatives in the middle of the night and report their suspicions about some kind of danger, which, as it seems to them, will happen soon. During such a sudden awakening (and even for an unreasonable reason), it is difficult to restrain emotions, a person suffering from anxiety neurosis can easily run into a wall of misunderstanding and an increased tone of voice.

Surrounding should show their care and affection to the patient

Meanwhile, this is precisely what cannot be allowed. In any such situation, people around should reckon with the very fact of the disease, and in relation to the patient, show exceptional calmness and attention. This does not mean that you need to play along with the patient, agreeing with his fears. But it does require moral support. The patient needs to be reassured, explained that nothing terrible will happen (everything is under control), that if there is some kind of difficult situation, then you will overcome it together.

With anxiety neurosis, a person is aware of the violations of his mental health. At the same time, his independent attempts to restore peace of mind do not lead to a positive result. In especially neglected cases, the disease completely "eats" the neurotic from the inside, imposing thoughts of suicide. Therefore, support and help from outside is vital for him. The patient must be persuaded to contact a specialist (neurologist, psychologist, psychotherapist).

What can cause the disorder

With a latent course, anxiety neurosis can worsen against the background of global changes in life: a change of residence, the loss of a loved one, serious illnesses. Only stress, both single and caused by long-term effects on the psyche, can provoke an anxiety neurosis.

Among the factors that are predisposing to the development of the disease, there are:

• Diseases and disorders of the endocrine system.
• Hormonal disruptions.
• Organic changes in the adrenal cortex and individual structures of the brain.
• Hereditary predisposition (the risk of the disease increases by 2 times compared with people who do not have relatives with this disorder).
• Fatigue associated with an excess of physical activity.
• Psychological factors.

Overwork is one of the most common causes of anxiety neurosis.

In itself, the feeling of anxiety does not threaten the physical health of a person, but is a somatic manifestation of a mental disorder.

How is neurosis different from psychosis?

The disease proceeds without organic damage to the brain, but needs treatment (often protracted). It is forbidden to carry it out on your own, otherwise the patient's condition can only worsen. Improper drug treatment of anxiety neurosis can lead to serious disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, deterioration of the mental state.

The course and duration of treatment for this disease is prescribed by the doctor. Consultation with a specialist is necessary already at the first symptoms, since a short period of time is enough for the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

Often, in order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is enough for a doctor to have a conversation with the patient, for example, in order to exclude psychosis that has similar symptoms. The difference between psychosis and neurosis is that with psychosis, the patient is not able to realize the fact of the disease itself, and with anxiety neurosis, as a rule, he understands that he has certain mental health problems. Therefore, it is extremely important to undergo a complete medical examination in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

Prevention

It is always easier to prevent a disease than to get rid of it later. Prevention of anxiety neurosis involves the observance of simple and well-known rules. Namely:

1. Maintaining a balance between physical activity, mental stress and rest.
2. Balanced and timely nutrition, the abundance of consumed vitamins.
3. Refusal of habits that interfere with a healthy lifestyle (in addition to smoking, drinking alcohol and psychotropic drugs, you should also limit your own pastime at the computer if it is not part of the work).
4. Sports help keep the body in good shape, distract and give emotional relief.
5. Sound and long enough sleep. To exclude any violations of it, you need to drink a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey or a glass of green tea before going to bed.
6. Having a hobby that will provide emotional pleasure.
7. Self-development and self-education.
8. Healthy communication (offline).
9. Listening to auto-training to help overcome stress.

All this requires not so much material investments as discipline and willpower.

How to treat anxiety disorder

Treatment of anxiety neurosis is carried out in a complex way, drug therapy is combined with psychotherapy sessions. Taking medications without talking to a psychiatrist will be ineffective, since medications can only lower the anxiety threshold, but if the very reason for exceeding it persists, relapses will occur. Experts in the field of psychiatry and psychology should identify the cause of excessive and sudden anxiety and help eliminate it. Only after this (or in parallel with consultations) can the patient be prescribed drug treatment.

The types of drugs, the rules and the frequency of their administration are prescribed individually depending on the stage and duration of the disease, the presence of other diseases in the patient and individual intolerance to certain components in the composition of drugs.

How to treat anxiety neurosis with medication

If the patient turned to specialists at the initial stage of anxiety neurosis, treatment will be carried out with mild antidepressants. If the situation improves, he will also be prescribed maintenance therapy, the course of which ranges from 6 months to 1 year. In particularly difficult cases, the patient needs treatment in a hospital under the constant supervision of physicians.

Among the sedative drugs acceptable for the treatment of anxiety neurosis, the combined remedy "Novo-Passit" is distinguished, in the formula of which extracts of medicinal plants and guaifenesin are present. It is released in pharmacies without a prescription. It is taken strictly according to the instructions and recommendations of the attending physician.

The use of certain drugs is allowed only with the permission of the attending physician

To increase the general tone in anxiety-depressive neurosis, "Glycine", which is a replaceable amino acid, is used.

Antidepressants are prescribed for all types of neuroses accompanied by symptoms of depression. Different preparations of this series have different effects on the patient's body and his problem, therefore they are selected by a specialist depending on the symptoms of the disease. For the treatment of anxiety-depressive neurosis, Gelarium, Deprim, Melipramin, Saroten, Cipramil and others are prescribed.

Homeopathy and multivitamin complexes, such as Duovit, Magne-B6, are prescribed as auxiliary drugs.

Psychotherapy for anxiety-depressive neurosis

Drug treatment is only an auxiliary way to fix the problem. The main role is given to psychotherapy sessions, in which, in addition to analyzing the patient's behavior, his thinking is studied and corrected. After identifying the situation that causes anxiety attacks in the patient, the psychiatrist forces the patient to plunge into it again and again. Thus, a person struggles with his illness already under the control of a specialist, and learn step by step to prevail over the problem.

The principle of experiencing anxiety in full (without trying to overcome or suppress attacks of fear) refers to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. This method consists in the fact that after each acute experience of fear, the symptoms of anxiety neurosis will appear less intensely until they disappear completely.

Psychotherapy sessions are given a special role in the treatment of anxiety neurosis.

From 5 to 20 procedures help a patient with anxiety neurosis to get rid of irrational beliefs and negative patterns of thinking that make you "wind up" yourself and provoke excessive fear.

In the treatment of anxiety neurosis, infusions of medicinal plants are also taken: chamomile, motherwort, valerian. These funds, along with medications, are considered auxiliary, since the main emphasis is on psychotherapeutic treatment.