4 types of neurotic conditions and methods of their treatment

Mental disorder or normal defensive reaction from the outside world? In the article I will talk about a neurotic and describe who he is in psychology, what symptoms and signs appear in an individual.

Why is it important to understand what character you and the people around you have? Because the style of behavior depends on this, reactions to specific situations and words may change. Perhaps you are offended by harshness or excessive feelings, while such a manifestation of feelings and emotions is characteristic of a person and cannot even be corrected. Read the article and find yourself and the people around you in the description.

Who is a neurotic

These are mature, developed individuals suffering from neuroses. They have subtle psychological deviations - they do not adapt well to reality and are more focused on their own emotional level than on rational decisions.

A characteristic feature is that they constantly experience doubts and, as a result, need support and consent from loved ones and colleagues. But often they try to make an effort to prove to themselves the possibility of leadership. So a neurotic is a person who can become a leader, but not because of his own convictions, but to prove his ability to lead a crowd and dominate others.

Another common emotional neurotic reaction is refusal of everyday household activities and communication. In essence, this is a chosen hermitage with contempt for all the benefits of civilization. This is due to the fact that this psychotype often does not recognize the rules established in society. But not all people who reject standards have a psychological deviation; sometimes this is a conscious choice.

Character traits:

• Poor health and condition: at the same time, others do not experience discomfort when they are nearby, which cannot be said about psychopaths, who in the opposite situation have an influence on others.
• Psycho-emotional instability. These are jumps in emotions and moods. But over time and growing up, such a person turns into stable pessimism. At the same time, it is rare and difficult for a neurotic to emerge from a negative state.
• Lack of confidence in one’s own endeavors and capabilities.
• Fears and mistrust - often stem from negative experiences with people or due to far-fetched experiences.
• Self-flagellation or the opposite extreme - blaming others for any problems, lack of balance.
• Egocentrism.

One is not born neurotic, one becomes one. Basically, the formation of such a personality, like any other, occurs from childhood, when the basic manners of behavior are laid down. Then each communication experience (in personal life or professional) can aggravate the condition. With age, especially when old age sets in, such people often lose control of themselves and go to extremes; it is very difficult to communicate with them. While in youth and adulthood they often mask their experiences and doubts, adapting to the norms and rules of society.

What is neuroticism associated with?

A neurotic personality has traits of asthenism and hysteria. Even with external well-being, such a person will still have internal discomfort. Remember Eeyore? Here is the most striking example of a neurotic with elements of asthenia.

Uncontrolled neuroticism fetters a person’s hands. Mistakes frighten a person so much that a neurotic person prefers to give up and do nothing. And even numerous positive experiences do not reduce fear and anxiety. The neurotic is too insecure and fixated on failure.

Neuroticism is sometimes a way of attracting attention and manipulation. The neurotic personality asks not to be disturbed, to be left alone. As a result, her problems are often solved by empathetic strangers. And then the neurotic simultaneously finds himself in the center of attention and avoids life's difficulties.

Neuroticism is often complemented by somatic disorders: headaches, arrhythmia, hypotension or hypertension. Neurotics are irritated and depressed by any sound. This is a weak personality suffering from irrational fears and anxieties.

Symptoms

Neuroticism is a personality trait, not a psychological illness, so it cannot be said to have symptoms in the medical sense. If these signs appear in a mild form, that is, accompanied by some internal discomfort and external calm, one cannot speak of a disease. It was just that a certain situation brought him out of his emotional balance.

But neurosis in severe form is already a reason to worry, since it is a disease that leads to both psychological and physical manifestations.

Even if you or your loved ones only have the first type of neuroticism, it is worth knowing the symptoms that may indicate a more serious stage:

• Studying poorly at school and university.
• It is difficult to start something new, or rather, to stop the old one. Changes are very frightening, therefore, with neuroticism, a person does not leave his unloved job or his significant other for a long time, even if he knows the need for this.
• Problems in the intimate sphere: there is no trust between lovers, so it is difficult to open up and enjoy the process.
• Feeling dizzy and experiencing pain in the temporal region.
• A person is constantly looking for diseases - this is a concern for one’s own physical and psychological health, which is unfounded.
• There are constant fears: that he will be late somewhere, that he will miss something or forget, that he will not turn off the kettle, iron, gas, or turn off the water.
• Pressure surges.
• Fatigue. Often after sleep, a neurotic does not feel well-rested.
• Increased irritability to sounds (ticking clocks) and light - blinking indicator light on a monitor or TV.
• The desire to be alone with yourself.
• Many signs of self-doubt.
• Inability to admit one's own guilt or mistakes.

Constant fear, like other symptoms, manifests itself to varying degrees in different people. It mainly depends on the strength of the individual. Strong people try to overcome fears and not show them. While the weak express them constantly. For this reason, neurotik often tries to attract attention, talks about his exaggerated troubles, fictitious diseases, and wants to be pitied. He doesn’t like to listen, but he himself is happy to talk about problems.

Psychologist Daria Milai

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Description

Neurosis is a functional disorder of the higher nervous system, which occurs against the background of psychotraumatic influence, and is included in the group of neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48) according to ICD-10.
Distinctive features of neurosis are a variety of emotional and physical manifestations, maintaining a critical attitude towards one’s condition and the possibility of complete disappearance of all symptoms. The main role in the development of neurosis is played by acute or chronic psychological trauma, which is divided into several categories:

• Shock . A sudden event accompanied by a significant threat to human life and health: a natural disaster, being in the territory of military operations, violent actions of other people, for example, robbery, beating or rape.
• Hidden . Psychological and emotional violence that is not obvious to others, gaslighting, being in a toxic relationship in the family or at work, forced dependence on a hostile person.
• Spicy . The duration of action of the psychotraumatic factor is limited to days or months. Possible causes of acute trauma are illness, divorce, or a severe conflict situation.
• Chronic . Continues for many years. Chronic childhood trauma includes physical punishment, inconsistent or cruel parenting, and bullying at school. Chronic psychotraumatic situations in adults are the same as with hidden trauma.

The likelihood of developing neurosis depends on the character of the person, the level of his psychological stability, and personal values. The risk of neurotic disorders increases in the presence of previous TBI, severe somatic diseases and other asthenic factors. Intrauterine conditions play a certain role: fetal hypoxia, unfavorable family conditions during the mother's pregnancy.

Neurosis is based on a breakdown of inhibition processes in the brain. Due to constant overload, connections between different departments are disrupted, and the cortex loses the ability to regulate the activity of the underlying structures. The autonomic nervous system suffers, hormonal levels change. The amount of serotonin decreases, fluctuations in the level of adrenaline and norepinephrine are observed. Depletion of adaptation mechanisms leads to disorganization of nervous activity and disruption of the body.

There are many types of neurosis with different clinical pictures. In addition, neurotic disorders often “layer” on top of one another. This makes it difficult to create a unified classification. For example, in ICD-10, neuroses are located in several different categories. For convenience, domestic experts most often use the following systematization:

• Anxiety-phobic and obsessive-compulsive neuroses: panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, isolated phobias, obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
• Hysterical neurosis : hysterical seizures, hysterical aphonia, hysterical paralysis and other psychological manifestations reflected at the level of specific bodily symptoms.
• Neurasthenia : irritable form, hypersthenic and hyposthenic weakness.
• Somatoform (psychosomatic) neuroses : hypochondriacal, somatized, undifferentiated, chronic and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

Character traits

I compiled a psychological portrait of a neurotic, and also gave several examples. Of course, any similarities with real persons are purely coincidental.

A neurasthenic person with a progressive disorder depends on what the people around him say. He is not stable - his mood can fluctuate for no apparent reason. He is more likely to notice bad events, so he often gets caught up in depressive thoughts. At such moments he does not always want to communicate or begins to tell how he suffers due to a lot of diseases and problems in life. In addition, it is different:

• uncertainty;
• attacks of fear;
• suspiciousness;
• mistrust.

They are very afraid of making mistakes, so they project possible failures in advance, blaming themselves and others for them. In personal relationships, he is very difficult because he does not accept criticism and considers every quarrel to be a manifestation of betrayal. From a neurotic lover, you can expect fits of rage, as well as causeless jealousy. You are also able to encounter pronounced egocentrism, that is, the need for constant communication and being together, even if the other member of the relationship wants to be alone.

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I will give examples of who neurotics are and show the characteristic features of a neurotic personality:

• A very attractive girl constantly finds flaws in herself and believes that any manifestations of interest shown are insincere ridicule or manipulation in order to gain benefit or take advantage of a weakness.
• An adult man with experience working in one place is constantly in fear that today he will make a mistake, break the machine, or get hurt. Despite extensive experience and a lot of commendable certificates.
• An office clerk who hates his job. He is afraid to quit because he believes that he will not find a better place. Constant dissatisfaction manifests itself in passive aggression.

Classification

Let's look at the most common types of neurotic disorders:

1. Phobias are a condition characterized by intense, uncontrollable and often unreasonable fear. It extends to future situations, objects, animals, people.
2. Anxiety disorder is characterized by the presence of an increased, constant feeling of worry or anxiety that is not related to the actual situation.
3. Panic attack refers to a special form of anxiety neurotic disorders. A person cannot explain the reason for the sudden paralyzing feeling of danger.
4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by the presence of thoughts, movements, and feelings. They arise regardless of the desires and will of a person, and it is impossible to stop this condition on your own.
5. Hysteria is accompanied by bouts of demonstrative emotional behavior. Hysterical neurosis can occur in children, women, and men.
6. Somatoform form of neurosis. When characterizing neurotic disorders of this type, the main manifestation is the patient’s constant complaints of poor health despite good physical health.
7. Neurasthenia - accompanied by severe irritability, physical weakness, and lack of strength for normal existence.

Any of these forms of neurosis requires consultation with a specialist, as it complicates life not only for the person himself, but also for those around him.

Types

It is interesting that, depending on temperament, characteristics of upbringing and external environment, as well as on the inner strength of the individual, everyone finds their own way to deal with anxious moods.

What does subordinate neurotic mean?

This is a person who needs the patronage and protection of a stronger person - a parent, friend, spouse. Usually she is inclined to search for someone close in spirit, but at the same time she believes that the chosen “patron” is morally stronger. Usually this is a soft personality who strives to communicate, loves to share experiences, and is self-centered.

Aggressive

He does not want to interact with people, he is used to either fighting with them or leading them. Therefore, this type often produces a leader who goes forward, does not see his own mistakes, has a complex character, and is not used to losing. But a neurotic cannot achieve success and calmly rest on his laurels - he will be afraid until the very end, he may be haunted by various fears - for the company, for life, for wealth, for safety.

This is usually achieved by setting bans on emotions, on everything except aggression. The latter can manifest itself not only when achieving goals, but also in personal relationships. External calm is always feigned; there is always a risk of breakdown.

Separated

Tries to withdraw into his own world and does not strive to maintain contact. Prefers remote work or maximum distance from management, does not have contact with customers and clients. It formalizes all relationships, even personal and family, subordinating everything to labels - you need to kiss your daughter before bed, you need to congratulate your mother by calling, it is customary to send a bouquet of flowers to your wife on her birthday - if such a relationship has been created. Typically, marriage is not the destiny of isolated, neurotic people; they prefer to remain alone.

It is interesting that as soon as a person achieves independence, he simply does not know what to do with it in the future. A person is left with himself and his problems. When he has talent, he can successfully develop it, but not show it to everyone.

Causes

A person faces numerous stressful situations every day, but not everyone develops neurosis. The following people are at risk for neurotic mental disorders:

• conservatives - those who find it difficult to accept new things;
• emotionally sensitive, vulnerable;
• dependent and unsure of their own abilities;
• pessimists prone to long-term depressive experiences;
• workaholics who cannot rest;
• having personality disorders;
• intolerant of heavy loads (asthenic type);
• having increased anxiety.

The causes of neurotic disorders are often associated with genetic predisposition. But only personal character traits (character accentuations) or heredity cannot lead to neurosis. Long-term exposure to external factors that are subjectively traumatic for a particular individual is necessary. For example, it could be an unloved or stressful job, a conflictual family situation, mental fatigue, or chronic lack of sleep.

Important. Stressful factors do not have to be debilitating, but they must be subjectively intolerable, regular and affecting a person for a long time. A short-term difficult situation rarely leads to neurosis.

Only the combined influence of hereditary and external unfavorable causes can lead to the occurrence of the disease.

How can you recognize this type of people?

We have already listed the symptoms and characteristics. To find them in yourself, you should understand the reason for frequent mood swings and self-doubt, and admit your fears. Visit my consultation and I will help you understand yourself, find internal tensions and solve them.

It is much easier to see the signs in your colleague, girlfriend, or spouse. Analyze the behavior, notice that there is no middle ground between the two extremes to which a person constantly falls.

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Neurosis in children

Neurotic habits are cultivated by parents and educators in childhood. Many agreed that the majority of psychological problems arise in childhood. How? Here's an example:

A two-year-old runs through puddles with an absolutely satisfied face. Instead of explaining that the shoes will get wet, and then the feet will become wet and cold, which is why the baby can freeze and get sick, the mother simply says in a dissatisfied voice, “Well, what are you doing.” Thus, the child does not develop cause-and-effect relationships, but only becomes aware that he is wrong. With age, he will only cultivate these traits in himself. Analyze the favorite phrases of mothers and educators: “How are you dressed!”, “What are you saying.” And if “training” is accompanied by physical punishment or loud screaming, then constant fear is added to dissatisfaction with oneself and uncertainty.

Therefore, let’s say this: the neurotic type is not a congenital “diagnosis”, but an acquired one. It does not appear at one, two, or three years, but sometimes has its first manifestations at 5-6 years. Why it is so important to behave correctly with children, I will tell you below using examples of what can happen to him in adulthood.

Attack of cardiac neurosis

Cardiac neurosis belongs to a group of organ neuroses in which disorders appear in the activity of various systems , without noticeable organic changes that explain them.

Cardiac neurosis is otherwise known as neuromuscular dystonia, neurovegetative syndrome or Da Costa syndrome. In most cases, the condition is chronic and has periodic severe and short-term severity - neurotic convulsions.

Symptoms of cardiac neurosis are not limited to cardiac symptoms. Patients experience dry mouth, choking and tightness in the throat, and faster breathing. Headache and dizziness are typical . Patients show a greater tendency to lose consciousness. “Hot flashes” and increased sweating appear (especially in the hands, feet and armpits), or vice versa – chills and a feeling of hypothermia. Symptoms include vomiting, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. Skin problems appear: the skin becomes red, dry, itchy and burning

Patients complain of disturbances in the functioning of the heart. There is an excessive acceleration of the heartbeat. Tachycardia appears - ventricular or paroxysmal. Some patients experience a feeling of heart sinking, i.e. stopping its beating.

Symptoms include chest pain, stabbing or burning. Less often, patients experience a dull pain in the forehead, which is apparently associated with sudden jumps in blood pressure .

Problems at work

The most common include:

• They do not change profession or company, even if they experience constant dissatisfaction with the place.
• Fear of being fired.
• They are afraid of making a mistake.
• Suspiciousness can lead to the point that he thinks about a conspiracy of his colleagues against him - around intrigue, gossip, prying.
• It is difficult to achieve professional success because of the fear of taking a new step.

In rare cases, neuroticism results in leadership, but a leadership position does not bring positive emotions or pride, but only the fear of losing it and the desire to do more.

Treatment of a neurotic

I recommend:

• Increase your self-esteem.
• Find your favorite activity.
• Reconsider your environment.
• Communicate more.
• Interact with nature more often.

I will describe some points.

Look at the people

There are a lot of personalities around. Some are more successful, others less. Mentally find their weaknesses, understand that they also have fears. They are no better than you.

Communicate

Don't isolate yourself. You are an interesting person with your own hobbies and interests. But don’t forget to be interested in the life of your interlocutor.

Be more in nature

Find a pleasant hobby - run in the morning, go to the pond on weekends, have picnics, or ski in the forest in winter. Constant communication with animals will also have a positive effect. If not equestrian sport, then a pet. By the way, having a dog will force you to communicate with dog lovers in a relaxed atmosphere and go outside at least 2 times a day.