How to deal with neurosis? What to do and how to get rid of a neurotic state

Category: Psychologist's advice/ February 06, 20200

The statistics are shocking: seven out of ten Russians suffer from neuroses. Psychologists associate the state of neurosis primarily with the fact that the dynamics of life itself have changed. We are always in a hurry, worrying, fighting for a place at work and in life. Neuroses are a psychological problem primarily for residents of megacities. Psychologists are ringing bells. But how to deal with this? How to get rid of neurosis and make sure that calmness triumphs and is firmly entrenched in ourselves?

Neurosis concept

Neurosis is a severe disorder of the nervous system. It is characterized by depressive-stagnation processes in the human consciousness, increased irritability and is considered a serious disease. A long stay in such a state breaks a person, forcing him to succumb to the harmful effects of problems invented by himself and the circumstances of his life caused by him.

But how to get rid of obsessive neurosis on your own? After all, the field of its influence extends to a wide range of functions of the human body, affecting its physical excitability, mental irritability, leading to performance disorders and diseases.

Causes

What are the prerequisites for the occurrence of this type of disease? Is it possible to get rid of neurosis on your own if the root of the problem lies in the complex underlying causes of its occurrence? Neurosis can occur in the following situations:

• Stress. Constantly being in a stressful state, regular scandalous situations, nervous tension and being on the “limit” - all this contributes to the development of a severe form of psychological imbalance and neurosis.
• Overwork. Heavy or prolonged physical activity, regular refusal to rest due to work and career growth, excessive desire for self-realization in the professional field and lack of time for normal sleep stimulate the development of a persistent state of increased excitability in the body, which inevitably leads to exhaustion and loss of strength.
• Obsession. It happens that situations happen in life or actions take place that are opposite to the desires and aspirations of a person. Due to disagreement with this state of affairs and complete non-acceptance of what is happening, the indignant consciousness provokes an obsession with this unpleasant moment and constantly makes itself felt in manifestations of acute neurosis.

Thus, victims of this pathology who have experienced the torment leave not the most unfavorable reviews. How to get rid of neurosis on your own? In order to answer this question, you need to know the nature of the manifestation of such an abnormal psychological state.

Reduce your stress levels

What is neurosis? The easiest way to explain it is as constant tension due to internal or external conflict, as well as severe mental or physical fatigue. This means that the answer to the question “how to treat neurosis on your own” must be by eliminating the causes.

1. Stop hanging out with unpleasant people. Even if it is a tyrannical spouse, a mother who pours out a tub of emotional slop every day, or a “loving” friend who makes offensive comments.
2. Quit a job you don't like or apply for a new position.
3. Work less if you get too tired. If you work more than you can bear, you will have to spend your earnings on doctors, bad habits and attempts to “rest”.
4. Ask loved ones for help and don’t take too much on yourself.

And so on, in accordance with the reason that led you to this state.

If you can clearly name the time when you felt the first symptoms of neurosis, then you can get to the bottom of the cause on your own, without the help of a psychologist.

Internal conflict is the most difficult reason for independent analysis. However, there is a way to reflect on the very contradiction that disrupts the harmony of the psyche. Ask yourself: “What do I want?” and write down your wildest desires on paper. And then on another sheet of paper, write down the answer to the question: “Why don’t I do this?” All real and far-fetched reasons not to act, but to continue to want, are your internal conflict. In this case, the treatment can be described in the words of Richard Branson:

To hell with all of it! Take it and do it!

Start small, and remember that following the path of fear, it is impossible to achieve success. But an unfulfilled person is always unhappy, and in the case of neurosis, he is also sick.

How neurosis manifests itself

The symptoms of the described nervous system disorder are multifaceted. Manifestations of neurosis are not only unpleasant, but also fraught with a detrimental effect on a person’s performance and normal functioning. The main criteria for their determination are the following changes in behavior and well-being:

• Sleep disturbance, insomnia, difficulty falling asleep.
• A feeling of constant tension, both moral and physical in the form of muscle stiffness.
• Increased irritability.
• Excessive sensitivity to temperature changes, sharp reaction to light, loud sounds, noises.
• Involuntary movements of the limbs - jerking the leg or fiddling with the fingers, knocking the feet on the floor, or some other unconscious urge to nervous movement.
• Excessive sweating and sudden perspiration.
• Incoherent speech, hesitations and defects in pronunciation.
• Increased sensitivity, increased vulnerability, frequent urge to cry.
• Panic fear and hysteria.
• Mania of persecution or a far-fetched premonition of something bad expected in the future.

It is not always possible to get rid of neurosis on your own, as a painful condition and deterioration of mental balance, without outside help. Therefore, people should seek help from psychologists.

Address nutritional deficiencies

Dietary supplements and changes in diet are not necessary to overcome the disease, but they can help manage it. Increased sensitivity to stress can cause deficiencies in various types of minerals. When you eliminate them, you will quickly notice that you are calmer and function better.

Magnesium and potassium

In the case of neuroses, as well as other anxiety disorders, the level of minerals such as magnesium and potassium is of great importance. Of course, you can supplement them with tablets, but the best source of these ingredients, which, by the way, is very tasty, is chocolate . Nuts are also good in this case . It's worth considering a vitamin D3 supplement. It turns out that its level affects well-being, and its deficiency affects the functioning of the nervous system.

Alcohol and coffee

During times of frequently recurring anxiety or neurotic thoughts, it is worth giving up coffee and alcohol altogether. He often follows them, thinking that they will help calm his nerves, but the opposite is true. They have an irritating effect on the nervous system and, in cases of neurosis, may even cause symptoms to worsen rather than calm them.

Effect on the nervous system and mental state

A disorder in the form of neurosis is not such a harmless condition. Its impact on the human body causes significant damage, manifested in mental imbalance, emotional stress, and various pathologies. This mode of existence prevents a person from living, working, enjoying little things and pleasant moments. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this disorder in a timely manner and try to get rid of it yourself or with the help of specialists, if nothing works out without outside help.

Consequences of neurosis

Speaking about the consequences of the described pathology, it is necessary to note two main crisis moments to which neurosis leads. Firstly, the advanced degree of regularly experienced stressful situations, severe overwork, functional tension and emotional instability slowly but surely lead to further loss of ability to work, since not a single adequate person can work normally under conditions of a powerful stressful state.

Secondly, such an imbalance and pathogenicity of mental health lead to increased conflict, more frequent scandals and quarrels with family and friends, and also disrupt the microclimate of the environment of a person suffering from such a disorder. But how to get rid of obsessive neurosis on your own?

No bad habits

Almost always, neurosis goes hand in hand with various kinds of addictions. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, shopping, computer games – the list goes on for a long time. And each of these “hobbies” has one goal - to reduce internal tension, which is already becoming unbearable. But, oddly enough, it is precisely because of abuse that the fight against the disease lasts endlessly.

How does the psyche mechanism operate in this case? It's simple: a person has a problem - unpleasant sensations and symptoms. In an attempt to rest and relax, a person resorts, for example, to cigarettes and coffee. Both the first and the second have an exciting effect on the psyche, disturbing the already precarious balance. In addition, as long as there is at least some way out, a neurotic person is unlikely to go to a psychotherapist or think about “how to overcome neurosis.”

But such “self-medication” is harmful self-deception. Intoxication worsens the general condition, and the symptoms of neurosis multiply and bloom in full bloom. So take action and quit bad habits:

1. Coffee in the morning and throughout the day.
2. Cigarettes, including light ones and “just one after lunch.”
3. Alcohol in any form, including beer on Fridays.
4. Computer games that cause nausea and fatigue, especially at night.
5. Binge-watching series.

It is also useful to limit the consumption of black tea, which is known for its tonic effect, but can cause anxiety in a person in a state of neurosis. At least for the duration of treatment, switch to chicory, chamomile or mint infusion, fireweed tea, hibiscus and other drinks that do not affect the psyche.

Treatment of neuroses

In order to eliminate neurosis as a disease, a person is offered some stages of treatment for this unpleasant ailment:

• Hypnosis - putting a victim of a nervous disorder into a trance state allows you to look deep into the recesses of her consciousness and pull out the root cause of the fears and concerns that lead to nervousness and symptoms of the described pathological health condition.
• Autotraining is work with a psychologist and independent attitudes aimed at developing in a person a strong conviction that there is no threat that causes him to panic. This helps to remove the patient from a state of stress and eliminate the neurosis that accompanies stress. For example, if you have an obsessive fear of losing your job, you can give yourself the mindset that you are a very valuable specialist (you are reliable, efficient, diligent, and so on), as well as the mindset that you can find a much better job.
• Therapeutic baths - the relaxing properties of water and the miraculous aromas of lavender, mint and other groups of plants, when used systematically, help a person regain calm, balance, and restore the usual rhythm of life. They are used in combination with other medical procedures.

What to do during an attack?

In a person in a state of neurosis, one symptom often clings to another, and an intense “winding up” of the state occurs due to fear and anxious thoughts. To calm down, many take tincture of motherwort or valerian, but these remedies are not at all so strong that they act instantly. At this moment, what matters most is the ritual itself: pour water into a glass, add the required number of drops, feel the smell and taste of the tincture. That is, we are dealing with the placebo effect, or the anchor of calm.

The same anchor can be some thought, a wise saying, soothing music, a thing pleasant to the touch. Some people calm down by twirling a rough stone from the sea in their hands, while others are helped by reciting an affirmation to themselves. Look for your “anchor” and use it at the moment of anxiety, fear, or an incipient panic attack.

Often we fight with our states, thoughts and feelings, instead of living them and letting them go. Perhaps it will help you to allow yourself to feel fear, guilt, shame, and bring them within yourself to the point of absurdity, and then free yourself from them.

If you have a feeling of insufficient breathing, and you want to breathe often and deeply, but this only intensifies the feeling that you are suffocating, know that this is pulmonary hyperventilation syndrome. Dealing with it is quite simple: you need to breathe into a paper or plastic bag, or even just into folded palms. Carbon dioxide has a calming effect, which reduces the concentration of oxygen in the blood. Often just knowing how to deal with neurosis helps reduce general anxiety, because a neurotic person is very afraid of his attacks.

Methods for getting rid of neuroses

The psychological approach to solving the described problem of nervous disorder is based on two basic methods of combating this pathology.

The first is the elimination of the conflict that causes neurosis. Any disorder of the nervous system is associated with a conflict that occurred sometime in the life of the victim. It can either be rooted in deep childhood, or arise on the basis of a person’s current life due to a combination of unfavorable circumstances for him. The key direction of the technique is psychotherapy aimed at showing the person suffering from neurosis the cause-and-effect relationship between the conflict and his incorrect, acute and violent reaction to this conflict. When a person understands the error of his attitude towards the problem, then the malaise will be eliminated.

The second technique is the treatment of symptoms of neurosis. Purposeful and systematic work with the psychogenic factors of the emerging illness, their careful elimination, as well as sanatorium-resort treatment will help get rid of the abnormal health condition.

Home psychotherapy

There are several ways to cope with neurosis yourself through psychotherapeutic techniques. This approach is considered more effective than taking medications, as it helps eliminate the impact of the causative factor.

The following psychotherapeutic techniques are used in the treatment of neuroses at home:

1. Relaxation. To relax, you need to be as comfortable as possible, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. After this, you need to visualize a picture that evokes pleasant memories or impressions. You should relax for a few minutes every day until the symptoms of neurosis disappear.
2. Autogenous therapy. The effectiveness of the method is based on self-hypnosis. To restore the nervous system, you need to take a comfortable position, take a deep breath and exhale, imagining that the problems go away along with the air.
3. Play therapy. Used in the treatment of neuroses in children. This method allows you to identify the true fears of a child. Once the factor that provokes the neurosis has been identified, you should begin to work with it using the repression method.

The latter involves correction of the behavior of a sick person, during which negative attitudes are replaced by positive ones.

Neuroses can also be treated with music and color therapy. Moreover, the patient takes both active and passive participation in this.

In the first case, the patient is invited to play musical instruments, in the second - to listen to soothing and simple works (preference is given to classical music).

Color therapy is an innovative and effective approach to treating mental disorders. Properly selected interior shades help cope with aggressive behavior, depression and agitation. In particular, getting rid of red and lilac items and replacing them with blue and purple items can calm the patient's nervous system.

Neurosis and tension

The main areas that accompany feelings of nervousness are tension, panic and fear. To defeat neurosis as a disease, you need to start fighting each of these components.

If the root cause of a nervous system disorder is a regular stressful condition caused by excessive work capacity and work overwork, you should reconsider your work schedule and daily routine. Increased brain activity, a variety of analytical processes occurring when performing a work task, as well as increased attention, persistent concentration and forced mental activity contribute to the occurrence of nervous tension.

To eliminate such complications, you need to give yourself the opportunity to rest, go outside more often, take a walk before bed, after work, and distract yourself from everyday worries with the help of theater and television. If you cannot get rid of neurosis on your own, the advice of a psychologist, as a specialist in the field of a person’s psycho-emotional state, will help you get out of depressive stress stagnation.

Features of nutrition for neuroses

To successfully recover from neurotic conditions, you need to eat right. This problem is especially pressing in big cities. Persons prone to neurotic conditions are advised to give up chocolate, coffee and energy drinks or reduce their volume. Patients with mental disorders should not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages.

The diet of people with neuroses should be divided and varied. The diet should include fresh vegetables and fruits, which saturate the body with vitamins and beneficial microelements. Patients should drink up to two liters of fluid per day.

It is possible that by correcting lifestyle and nutrition, the neurosis will go away without external intervention. However, other methods of treating the pathological condition cannot be abandoned. In addition, before starting treatment, you need to consult a doctor on how to get out of neurosis.

Neurosis and fear

An equally serious pathology is nervousness caused by a constant feeling of fear. The reasons for its appearance can be very different. Fear is the most powerful engine of human consciousness, as well as a criterion for self-preservation. Manifested in moderation, it helps to avoid many situations that threaten health and life. However, too obsessive and groundless fears can lead to neurosis.

Nowadays, people are most afraid of losing their jobs, being left without a livelihood, or contracting a fatal disease. There are also those who are haunted by the fear that they haven’t turned off the iron, that they will definitely be robbed on the street, that they will have an accident. Automotive training and medications prescribed by a psychologist will help you cope with these phenomena.

Neurosis and panic

A panic attack also leads to disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system. A serious impact on the behavioral pattern of a stressed person provokes an exacerbation of panic. How to get rid of neurosis on your own if the surging attack of fear and storm of emotions goes off scale? In such a situation, it is worth remembering that eliminating the root cause of unpleasant sensations in the form of panic will give impetus to the subsequent elimination of nervousness in general. Also, in case of panic, you can take sedatives. The simplest and most common option is valerian tincture. In addition, there is the drug “Valerian” in tablets.

Description of the disease

How to cope with neurosis? It is impossible to get rid of the “sickness of doubt” (this is what the famous psychiatrist Jean Etienne Dominique Esquirol called this illness in the 19th century) without knowing the reasons for its occurrence.

How do you understand that a person is suffering from neurosis, because anxiety before an upcoming public performance, anticipation of an important meeting, or an iron not turned off makes almost everyone nervous? But it’s one thing if such a situation does not scroll through your head often, but only as it arises. It’s another thing if such moments lead to the fact that obsessive thoughts do not leave a person every day, and it becomes more and more difficult to get rid of them. This phenomenon indicates the beginning of neurosis, which over time turns into depression.

What provokes the development of the “disease of doubt”? There are quite a lot of such situations. For example, hard work without proper rest. Neurosis can be triggered by a change in climate or place of residence, family proceedings and financial difficulties, as well as dissatisfaction with one’s work activity and position in society. This list goes on and on. After all, each person has his own goals and priorities, without achieving which he begins to experience stress. In addition, the same events are perceived differently by people. Some will take everything to heart, while others will not attach any importance to the situation. At the same time, psychologists note that neurasthenia most often affects a person who, from birth, has a tendency to emotional and physical overload.

“The disease of doubt” sometimes occurs in those people who by nature have good endurance and strong nerves. The disease overtakes them in cases where stress factors act on a daily basis.

In medicine, it is generally accepted that obsessive-compulsive neurosis is provoked by two main groups of causes. These are biological as well as psychological factors. The first of them, according to the official, but not yet fully clarified point of view, lie in disruptions occurring in the exchange of two hormones, namely serotonin, which is responsible for the level of anxiety in a person, and norepinephrine, which ensures an adequate flow of thought.

Obsessive neurosis can be caused by genetic mutations. This happens in 50% of cases. Sometimes various illnesses provoke the appearance of anxious, painful thoughts. Among them:

• streptococcal infections;
• traumatic brain injuries;
• chronic pathologies;
• an immunological reaction that is a response to a powerful pathogen.

Psychological reasons in the form of stress or chronic fatigue are, rather, a reason for the development of neurosis. The prerequisites for the disease are in any case determined by biological factors.

What to do in case of neurosis

What to do when you feel the first signs of nervousness? How to get rid of neurosis on your own? Panic, increased hearing, fear, a sharp reaction to light, noise, temperature changes, a high degree of irritability, tension and extreme fatigue - all this can be avoided by coming to the only right decision. It is necessary to identify the root of the problem and the source of pathological fears. To achieve this on your own, you need to have willpower and an analytical mind. Basically, to get rid of neurosis, you need to contact a specialist (psychotherapist, psychologist), and based on his recommendations, do treatment at home yourself.

Daily fight against neurosis

Neurosis is an unpleasant anxiety disorder. Its appearance is usually very unpleasant, but we have good news: it really can be cured. Psychotherapy is the mainstay, pharmacological treatment is often a necessity, but you can also help yourself . But “small steps” are not without value. Although they only work temporarily and cannot replace treatment, they are mostly necessary.

It would seem that the methods listed here are only aimed at reducing tension during times of anxiety, but this also has a long-term effect. By reducing stress, you will quickly improve your condition and gain strength to realize opportunities to combat neuroses.

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