Depressive neurosis
Depressive neurosis is a neurotic disorder characterized by a decrease in mood, inactivity, inhibition of reactions. Psychologists believe that the most vulnerable to this disorder are people who tend to restrain the manifestation of anxieties and experiences. In addition, people with low self-esteem are at risk, as well as those who find it difficult to adapt to new life circumstances. A psychoneurologist is engaged in the treatment of the disease.
The content of the article:
Causes of depressive neurosis
Symptoms of depressive neurosis
Diagnosis of depressive neurosis
Treatment of depressive neurosis
Prognosis of depressive neurosis
Depressive neurosis
Causes of depressive neurosis
The most significant factors contributing to the appearance of this disorder, psychologists call the predisposition of the body and the influence of the environment. In the course of the research, a set of personal characteristics inherent in people prone to depressive neurosis was compiled. Such features include:
straightforwardness;
suppression of emotions in yourself;
increased activity;
a pronounced sense of duty and responsibility;
rigidity of mental processes;
serious attitude to all life situations;
low resistance to shocks and experiences.
In order for the disease to manifest itself, a trigger mechanism is needed. Often they find themselves in traumatic situations such as material problems, family troubles, difficulties at work. Doctors also distinguish two groups of factors that can trigger the development of the pathological process.
In the first case, the whole life of the patient is involved in the development of the disease, when it begins to seem to him that there are many problems in all its spheres.
In the second case, the disease develops due to the isolation of emotional experiences. A person constantly hides his emotions from others, which as a result leads to internal conflict.
Symptoms of depressive neurosis
The classic manifestations of depressive neurosis will be lethargy, decreased activity, slowing down of speech and thinking, depressed mood. At the very beginning of the disease, the patient usually complains of symptoms such as general weakness and low mood. Vegetative-somatic signs of the disease are also possible: palpitations, dizziness, blood pressure drops, decreased appetite. As a rule, after the appearance of all these symptoms, the patient decides to visit a therapist.
Symptoms after therapy
After undergoing a course of symptomatic therapy, patients do not always begin to feel better. Often their well-being worsens, there is a feeling of weakness, persistent hypotension develops, spastic colitis happens. The emotional state of the patient is also aggravated: he is constantly sad, his mood worsens, there are practically no positive emotions. Gradually, symptoms such as slow thinking, decreased motor activity, and poor facial expressions also appear.
In almost all cases of depressive neurosis, sleep disorders occur in patients. They manifest themselves by night awakenings and difficulty falling asleep. Immediately after waking up, patients with depressive neurosis feel very tired, weak and broken. Some are also worried about anxiety attacks, tantrums and even phobias.
If we compare depressive neurosis with depression, then its symptoms are less pronounced. This is due to the fact that patients usually retain the ability to soberly assess what is happening, do not lose self-control, do not lock themselves in. It is also important that they are not visited by suicidal thoughts. Moreover, they are quite optimistic about various life situations. That is why the treatment of depressive neurosis is much easier than the treatment of depression.
Diagnosis of depressive neurosis
In order to make a correct diagnosis, the doctor must first carefully collect an anamnesis. At the same time, special attention is paid to the identification of hereditary burden. That is, the doctor should collect as much information as possible about the somatic and mental illnesses of the patient’s relatives, about family relationships. Also, the doctor should find out in detail exactly what circumstances preceded the onset of the disease.
The diagnosis of “depressive neurosis” is made in the following cases:
the patient assesses his mental state as unacceptable and alien to him, he is worried about mood swings and other symptoms;
the ability to assess one’s own state and mental reactions is not impaired;
the patient’s behavior is normal and does not violate generally accepted norms;
the disorder has a persistent character and is not a common reaction to a stressful situation.
Sometimes it is not easy to make a diagnosis, since the symptoms of depressive neurosis are similar to the concomitant signs of somatic diseases. That is why, if a depressive neurosis is suspected, it is necessary to refer the patient to a psychoneurologist for consultation. In order to definitely exclude the somatic etiology of the disease, consultations of a gastroenterologist and a cardiologist, ultrasound, ECG, EEG will be required.
Differential diagnosis of depressive neurosis
The doctor should also pay attention to differential diagnosis. First of all, depressive neurosis should be distinguished from asthenia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, hypochondriac neurosis. This can be done with the help of a thorough study of the patient’s mental status, medical history and anamnesis. At the same time, it is worth remembering about the possibility of combining several depressive states at the same time.
Treatment of depressive neurosis
The treatment of depressive neurosis should be handled exclusively by specialists: neurologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists. The diagnosis and treatment of the disease may also require the consultation of specialists from other fields of medicine, for example, a cardiologist or gastroenterologist. The treatment is based on psychotherapy, the main task of which is to normalize mental processes.
Psychological impact on depressive neurosis
The most used methods of treating the disease are suggestion, auto-suggestion, persuasion. The purpose of persuasion treatment is to form new views in the patient and a completely new assessment of traumatic situations that he could not cope with on his own before. Suggestion, in turn, should cause the patient to have ideas, feelings and even volitional impulses without the active participation of the individual in this process. Autosuggestion is indicated to eliminate sleep disorders, phobias, and neurosis of expectation.
Drug treatment of depressive neurosis
Drug therapy is of secondary importance, as it only complements the main treatment. From medicines, nootropics, vitamins, homeopathic medicines can be prescribed to the patient. Almost always, the treatment is supplemented with antidepressants: amitriptyline, imipramine, moclobemide, cipramil. However, do not forget that medication can only give a temporary result.
Procedural treatment of depressive neurosis
The tactics of treatment of depressive neurosis also provides for the appointment of physiotherapy procedures. Such techniques as therapeutic gymnastics, electroson, darsonval, hydrotherapy, reflexotherapy have shown their effectiveness. Classical, aromatherapy, Ayurvedic, acupressure will also be useful. Yoga classes, outdoor walks, meditation are also recommended for patients to improve their well-being and get rid of a bad mood.
As for the tactics of treatment, it usually involves three stages:
The first stage takes about 6-12 weeks. During this time, the doctor records the most striking signs of the disease.
The second stage lasts about 4-9 weeks. During this period, the patient takes antidepressants, undergoes psychotherapy and attends physiotherapy procedures. Thanks to this treatment, his well-being gradually normalizes.
The third stage provides supportive therapy to prevent relapses of the disease.
Depressive neurosis is considered one of the most common mental illnesses. Diagnosis by experienced specialists usually does not take much time. The success of the treatment of a pathological condition depends largely on the correct combination of drug therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy.
Prognosis of depressive neurosis
Depressive neurosis is not as severe a disease as depression. Therefore, the prognosis for patients is favorable. The patient has every chance of recovery and return to a full life. However, if the disease is started and its timely treatment is not started, it may transform into a more complex and severe disease — neurotic personality disorder.
Psychologists advise to avoid depressive neurosis in every possible way, since its treatment can be delayed and bring a lot of harm to a person’s mental health. If there are prerequisites for this disease, the following preventive measures should be followed:
observe the correct work and rest regime;
timely treatment of somatic diseases;
avoid emotional overload;
solve family conflicts.
