Neurosis corresponds to an affection characterized by conflicts that inhibit social behavior and which are accompanied by a painful awareness of the disorders.
What are the symptoms? Can we prevent it? How to treat it? Here are our explanations.
What is Neurosis?
Neurosis is one of the personality diseases. It is usually not serious and the associated behavioral disorders are often minor.
The origin of neurosis is generally related to a more or less recent trauma that has impacted the psychological state of the person. The patient is fully aware of these disorders and is not at all “disconnected” from reality.
The psychological disorders associated with neurosis are mainly effective. The subject is however aware, in a fairly precise way, of the psychological malaise he is facing. This awareness allows him in particular to seek the cause of this suffering and thus to take charge of this malaise more effectively.
The different types of neuroses
Types of neurosis include:
- panic disorder;
- chronic anxiety, which associates an anxious state over a long term, namely more than three months;
- anxiety neurosis, directly or indirectly related to acute or chronic anxiety;
- phobic neurosis, relating to a state of ill-being in the face of a phobic situation or element;
- hysterical neurosis, relating to a hysterical psychological and physical state;
- obsessional neurosis, which is a clinical situation in which a subject sees, against his will, his conscience besieged by images, ideas, or words.
What are the causes of neurosis?
There is not just one cause of neurosis but a combination of factors:
- genetics can play a role in this type of pathology. Indeed, genes inherited from parents can cause psychological damage associated with neurosis. Nevertheless, research relating to the genes involved must be carried out;
- a deficiency in neurotransmitters, ie chemical messengers allowing the transmission of signals in the brain, can also be the source of neurosis;
- abnormalities in the development of the brain have also been identified in the development of such pathology. The parts of the cerebral cortex most often affected by these attacks are the amygdala, the hippocampus, or the orbitofrontal cortex;
- the patient’s social and family environment can also play a negative role in this context. Particularly in the context of sexual abuse, chronic exposure to distressing situations, distress particularly in children, parental abandonment, mental disorders, etc.
What are the symptoms of neurosis?
A set of clinical signs and symptoms can be associated with a neurotic state.
Among these, we can cite:
- emotional instability: sadness, nervousness, shame, panic, feeling of loneliness, etc. ;
- disturbed perception of things: questioning of his personality, perception of non-existent voices, hallucinations, etc. ;
- compulsive behavior: need to hurt oneself, doing things irresponsibly, drug use, etc. ;
- unstable social relations: harassment of a member of his entourage, threatening or even violent behavior towards his entourage, etc.
What are the risk factors for neurosis?
Who is affected by neurosis?
Each individual can find himself faced with a more or less important neurosis.
However, some individuals are more so than others, depending on:
- of their past;
- of their history;
- of their relationships;
- their personality;
Risk factors for neurosis
The neurotic state can affect everyone. However, a predominance of the risk of developing neurosis is visible in individuals:
- “plus sensible” ;
- anxious tendencies;
- depressive;
- stressed.
How to diagnose and treat neurosis?
In order to treat a neurosis, it is advisable to approach your doctor from the observation of the first symptoms associated with the disease.
As part of the diagnosis of a neurotic state, the doctor will refer the patient to specialists in the psychological state such as:
- a psychologist ;
- a psychiatrist ;
The social dialogue and the elocution of these symptoms, to the people of his close entourage, are advised during the observation of the clinical signs.
The therapeutic follow-up of these psychological conditions refers to group psychotherapy, organized by psychology professionals, which includes:
- psychologists;
- psychiatrists;
- psychotherapists;
- nurses;
If the diagnosed symptoms are severe, hospitalization may be prescribed. However, this scenario remains rare.
Drug treatment is rare for this type of psychological damage.
Moreover, it can be related to that:
- depression; _
- anxiety disorders ;
- bipolar disorders.
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