What is nervous exhaustion and how to deal with it
Miscellaneous / / July 15, 2022
Anyone can experience this disorder.
What is nervous exhaustion
Nervous exhaustion - other titleNervous exhaustion / Brief explanatory psychological and psychiatric dictionary neurasthenia. It is a disorder in which there is increased fatigue, mood problems and sleep disturbances.
In the modern world, nervous exhaustion is rarely diagnosed as an independent disease. Much more often it accompaniesD. Y. Veltishchev. Neurasthenia: history and the present / Neurology neuropsychiatry Psychosomatics depression, anxiety, or somatoform disorders, in which a person experiences symptoms of physical illness without real health problems.
Unreasonable fatigue can also occur as a result of traumatic events or past illnesses. In the first case they sayResponse to severe stress and adjustment disorders (F43) / ICD-10 - International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision about the reaction to severe stress and impaired adaptation, in the second - about asthenia, malaise and fatigue.
How does nervous exhaustion manifest itself?
The main symptom is fatigue. She can ariseNeurasthenia / ICD-10 - International Classification of Diseases 10th revision both after physical and mental stress. In the first case, a person quickly loses strength even from insignificant activity, experiences weakness and pain in the muscles, cannot to relax. In the second, he has difficulty concentrating, suffers from memory problems.
Both options are accompanied by anxiety about their condition: a person worries that he cannot cope with work duties, drops out of social life, not having the strength to communicate. Anhedonia may occur - the inability to rejoice, to enjoy what usually cheered up.
Nervous exhaustion in different people can manifestD. Y. Veltishchev. Neurasthenia: history and the present / Neurology neuropsychiatry Psychosomatics differently. There are two main types of this disorder:
- Hypersthenic. With this variant of neurasthenia, a person is constantly tense, easily excited and loses his temper, gets irritated over trifles and can hardly control his behavior.
- hyposthenic. This type of disorder has the opposite direction: a person does not have enough strength even for simple tasks, he is lethargic, moves little and reluctantly, and often experiences drowsiness.
Often, patients have an alternation of these types during the day - tension and irritability are replaced by fatigue and indifference.
How to distinguish nervous exhaustion from ordinary fatigue
A hard day at work, intense emotional stress, or exhausting physical activity can cause symptoms similar to nervous exhaustion.
It is worth thinking about the latter if mental and physical fatigue lastsD. Y. Veltishchev. Neurasthenia: history and the present / Neurology neuropsychiatry Psychosomatics more than three months and does not go away even after a good rest.
Kuzmenko Natalya Vladimirovna
Neurologist, neuropsychologist at the Semeynaya clinic
Some people are more prone to nervous exhaustion. For example, managers, workers with irregular or shift schedules, and those who are characterized by sudden mood swings. Also, a certain role can be played by the presence in the past of craniocerebral injuries and congenital disorders of the nervous system, mental illness.
In addition, the following factors increase the risk of nervous exhaustion:
- increased physical or mental stress;
- high personal anxiety and sensitivity to stress;
- perfectionism - striving for excellence, including in work matters;
- chronic stress, for example, due to an unloved job or an unfavorable family environment.
Thus, if a person has had a hard week and before the weekend he breaks down on loved ones and refuses to get together with friends, it is too early to talk about nervous exhaustion. Perhaps, on Saturday and Sunday, he will return to normal and become cheerful and energetic again.
If there is severe or prolonged stress, the usual methods of relaxation do not bring results, and the quality of life is gradually deteriorating, it is worth thinking about changing your lifestyle.
How to deal with nervous exhaustion
If the symptoms of nervous exhaustion do not last long, you can try to cope with it on your own.
Since such a diagnosis is extremely rare in foreign countries, we were unable to find scientific studies on the methods of combating this disorder.
At the same time, there are some good strategies to help fight its causes and relieve symptoms:
- Try to eliminate sources of stress. If possible, reduce your workload, take a day off, or go on vacation. If there are relationship problems, try family therapy.
- Normalize your work and leisure schedule. Set the time that you will devote only to yourself and loved ones. If possible, arrange not to be disturbed over the weekend, turn off the phone and do not answer messages.
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Try recognized relaxation techniques. Good help1. M. J. Gross, D. A. Shearer, J. D. bringer. Abbreviated Resonant Frequency Training to Augment Heart Rate Variability and Enhance On-Demand Emotional Regulation in Elite Sport Support Staff / Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback
2. M. Goyal, S. Singh, E. M. S. Sibinga. Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis / Journal of the American Medical Association internal medicine
3. C. woodyard. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase the quality of life / International journal of yoga deal with stress breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. Try several methods and find the right one. - Get out in the sun more often. His light affectsD. C. Fernandez, P. M. Fogerson. Light Affects Mood and Learning through Distinct Retina-Brain Pathways / Cell on areas of the brain responsible for maintaining good mood and learning abilities. If you have free time and it's sunny outside, go for a walk.
- Give up bad habits. Constant fatigue and bad mood can cause a desire to brighten up life with alcohol and psychoactive substances. However, in the long term, such drugs only worsen mood, reduce energy levels and increase the risk of addiction.
- Try physical activity. If nervous exhaustion manifests itself only as mental fatigue, light exercises such as walking, gymnastics, swimming, or yoga mayOh Ochentel, C. Humphrey, K. Pfeifer. Efficacy of Exercise Therapy in Persons with Burnout. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis / Journal of sports science & medicine relieve stress and improve mood.
- Pay attention to the quantity and quality of sleep. Dream It hasA. R. Eugene, J. Masiak. The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep / MEDtube science essential for brain health, and a lack of it can exacerbateA. D. Alotaibi, F. M. Alosaimi, A. A. Alailan. The relationship between sleep quality, stress, and academic performance among medical students / Journal of family & community medicine stress and fatigue. Try every day sleep at least 7-8 hours, do it in a dark, cool room and go to bed and get up at the same time.
When to See a Doctor
Many people are still afraid to visit a psychiatrist, preferring to "endure". However, in some cases, you will not be able to cope on your own.
You should make an appointment with your doctor if you feelNervous Breakdown / Cleveland Clinicthat you can no longer face the challenges of life and cope with stress on your own, go to unhealthy ways to relieve the condition - for example, alcohol - and also have difficulty doing normal daily tasks.
The psychiatrist will determine the causes and concomitant disorders, if necessary, prescribe medication. Depending on the type of nervous exhaustion, these can be tranquilizers, nootropics, small doses antidepressants.
Also, the doctor can advise the appropriate method of psychotherapy.
Kuzmenko Natalya Vladimirovna
The psychotherapist explains the mechanism of the disease to the patient, helps to change maladaptive stereotypes of behavior - habitual thoughts, emotions and actions that lead to nervous exhaustion. With the help of a doctor, a person learns to respond to adverse situations in a new way and can change his lifestyle in order to get rid of unnecessary stress.
Because burnout often recurs, even when it's over, it's worth learning strategies to deal with stress. In the future, this will help to get through stressful periods of life without a recurrence of mental disorders.
Read also🧐
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- What is a funnel of exhaustion and how to get out of it
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