Bad temper or diagnosis? What you need to know about neurasthenia

These days you can not be considered normal, if you have at least a little bit not neurotic.

Fran Lebowitz, an American writer and speaker

Timur and Olga talked in the queue to see a doctor. Reception desk that got it wrong in the record, and had to wait a long time. Timur sighed loudly indignant knock his fist on the banquette, and Olya went along the corridor clinic here and there - waiting for her was unbearable.

In principle, Olga could not say that in her life, something has changed in the last three years. He lives as lived. Of course, the difficulty increased. Bought a new apartment on credit, the children went into the garden and began to get sick often, at work and then loomed reduction. Her husband earned enough, but most went to pay mortgages and losing their jobs was terrible.

Then Olga seriously ill with influenza for a long time could not recover. Fever, cough long gone, but there was a feeling of weakness, nausea, head was strange - either muddy, or heavy, as though everything did not happen in reality, and in a dream. And one morning had to call an ambulance - the heart was beating so that seemed to now be broken off. Arrived doctors found nothing, offered to check on hormones.

Olga became irritable, crying, could be broken at her husband and children. He went on doctors in search of the causes of their condition, but repeated: "Health". And all the power decreases at work could not even cope with the usual reports - scattered thoughts. Then Ole got old infectious diseases to which she wandered, thinking that everything that happens to her - a complication of the flu. He advised see a psychiatrist.

Timur was always active and industrious. He moved to Moscow, he graduated from university, got a job in a large IT-company, where he participated in several projects. Time for personal life and leisure was not enough - not enough sleep, sometimes even forget to eat lunch. Tired at work, he has become a headache, started to sleep badly. Even with the same project there were difficulties.

Timur was very upset, became irritated over trifles, all dropped from the hands - he used to be in good standing, and here failure after failure. I decided that it lacks activity, and went to the gym to invigorate the body. Once again making becomes, felt that "in the abdomen as though something snapped." I am overcome by a feeling of fear of death, which lasted until the evening.

A couple of weeks the condition again. Timur stopped sleeping at night, there were strange sensations in the body - it was all in a hot and numb limbs, no appetite. Timur took a vacation, but it became better not. Then I went to the doctors - from oncologist to a gastroenterologist. Last discovered irritable bowel syndrome and recommended to address to the neurologist or psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist Timur and Olga fell that day, put both diagnosis - neurasthenia.

Why there is neurasthenia

Neurasthenia - a nervous breakdown, fortunately reversible and not fatal. Go mad or die from it threatens no one.

This is primarily a disease on a daily basis fall into the stressful situation of residents of large cities. It is most common in women and middle-aged men who lead an active social life and work in the sphere of intellectual labor. If the person does not have the time and opportunity to relax after a long load, it is at risk.

Each person has his own mental endurance limit. Someone overweening dismissal or office intrigue, and someone is going through due to the fact that the aunt in the subway on the whole car said, "to grow back! Move! "Neurasthenia often overtakes the melancholic and choleric. People of this type are characterized by emotional instability, they are very upset by life events, take everything to heart.

Start breakdown can and other factors, such as heavy flu, chronic diseases, Trauma, surgery, intoxication. They weaken the process of internal inhibition. That is, an active response to the external stimulus is not inhibited, causing the nervous system continues to be in a constant state of arousal.

How is neurasthenia

Neurasthenia may develop over the years, as "cluttering up" the nervous system of various types of experiences - small and large, from lack of sleep to heavy loss of life. Imagine a huge closet, where you cast your every cleaning without looking at everything from down jackets to the bathing cap. The day will come when the accumulative good care fell out and some winter shoes will hurt you in the head. The same happens with our nervous system.

It begins with increased irritability and fatigue. Ruffle can be anything: a turn at the cash register, the lack of parking spaces, loud music. Women break a cry and tears, the man frantically clenched their fists and clench your teeth.

At first, such a reaction to external stimuli may seem quite natural. It is often blamed on the weather, PMS, Fatigue or bad character. But at that time triggered autonomic dysfunction: impaired respiration (a feeling of lack of air), heart rate (tachycardia), thermoregulation and sweating appear frequent urination, trembling in his hands. In the morning, the person feels exhausted, I want to be left alone. Humor springs from sadness to joy, just behaves and appetite: from hunger to disgust to food. If you listen closely to her already at this point, it is possible to suspect that something was wrong and start to seek help from a good neurologist or psychiatrist.

Later signs of neurasthenia join sensations that can resemble the symptoms of various somatic diseases: nausea and dizziness, both during intoxication, headaches ( "heavy head", "head like a cauldron", "head hoop squeezes"), stomach pain and indigestion, unexplained weakness, tinnitus ( "I hear the heart", "as if the train knocks"), insomnia, with problems potency.

Irritability reaches its peak becomes unbearable even the sound of talk surrounding a bright light, strong smells. About neurasthenic can say that it is easy to "ignite" and quickly "burn": outbursts of anger are replaced impotence.

Due to the fact that the nervous system is constantly in a state of overexcitement, reduced working capacity, decreases attention, memory deteriorates. It becomes difficult to carry out routine work, thinking quickly, "leave aside", there is restlessness. You sit at work - want to go home, you find the house - again, I want to go somewhere to hide, to be alone and under the Blankets.

Man begins to worry about the state of health. Lack of strength, the temperature in the range 37-37,5 ° C, pain in various organs make him suspect at the most frightening diagnoses from cancer to HIV. Duma becomes a terrible disease obsessive, Which is why people even more strongly fixed on their experiences.

What is neurasthenia

The duration of the disorder is entirely dependent on what traumatic events it was called. If a person continues to be in a situation of stress, neurosis becomes a prolonged duration. Naturally, the elimination of the reasons, the negative impact on the psyche, the recovery is faster.

Neurasthenia is of five types: hypersthenic, hyposthenic, hypochondriacal, depressive and obsessions. One state can flow smoothly into another.

hypersthenic

If you are constantly "on edge", is not a place, for any reason, start to worry, tossing and turning for hours, before going to sleep - it hypersthenic (Gr. hypér - «on», «beyond» + sthenos - «force») neurasthenia. It also observed at heart palpitations, dizziness and headaches, sweating, including the night. In the morning on the inner side of the cheeks are often left traces of the teeth - in a dream man grits his teeth and bites the skin and sometimes blood.

hyposthenic

Hyposthenic (hypó - «for», «bottom» + sthenos - «force») neurasthenia - is, on the contrary, when you do not have the strength for anything. In the morning you wake up and feel as if the whole night drinking and walking, hands and feet cotton.

Operability tends to zero, and sometimes difficult to remember the simplest things, focus on the business. By lunchtime, sort of like getting better, but by evening the force again leave. The body reacts heartbeat, frequent trips to the toilet in a small, pain "somewhere in the heart of" sweating.

hypochondriac

If the decline of strength and constant weakness join the idea that a person is terminally ill or may sick, discomfort, pain and tingling in different organs - can assume hypochondriacal neurasthenia. Such people often try on some kind of diagnosis and be sure to find the symptoms of the disease.

depressive

Depressive neurosis often occurs against a background of severe traumatic experiences - loss of family, work, divorce. Adrift it looks like a hyposthenic neurasthenia, but to the fore the emotional changes that are inherent reactive depression. That is, along with irritability and fatigue there is a lack of interest in life, and depressed mood.

Obsessive thoughts and fears are "bonus" to the already developed the disorder. It may be a fear to go mad, die, stay at home alone, travel in public transport. Constant fear could develop into a phobia, sometimes it seems to be absolutely unsustainable: the person begins to fear fragments fall into the pit, to be hanged, hit by a train.

What to do if you suspect you neurasthenia

I outlined a few steps that will help in time to establish the correct diagnosis and start treatment.

1. Refer to a psychiatrist or a neurologist at the first symptoms of the disorder

Pay attention to the following features:

• irritability, temper, inner anger;
• difficulty controlling negative emotions;
• girding headaches, pain in the temples, dizziness;
• tachycardia, tinnitus;
• constant feeling of weakness;
• disturbances of appetite and indigestion, nausea;
• no explicable increase in temperature to 37-37,5 ° C;
• tremor in the hands, numbness in the extremities (fingers, nose, tongue);
• impaired memory, performance, episodes of derealization;
• insomnia.

Establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the necessary drugs can only be a doctor. You may need to be screened to exclude the presence of more serious diseases.

The doctor will choose the medicines, taking into account symptoms and their degree of severity. Among them may be antianxiety, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, nootropics, tranquilizers, vitamins of group B.

Do not take medication with hostility. Nowadays, there are a number of drugs that have little or no side effects and is well tolerated. Under the supervision of a specialist they can take even pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions.

2. Go to the reception to the psychologist

Neurotic disorders arise against the impact of external factors on the weakened nervous system. The psychologist will help you rethink the traumatic situation, to develop the tactics include protective mechanisms. Ideally, if a psychologist and a psychiatrist working in tandem.

3. With the help of a doctor, make a plan for self-regulation

It can enter following the regime of the day, Load distribution, gymnastics or yoga, massage, walking - what you can do yourself to help the body recover faster. Learn to hold themselves in time to realize the outbound response to an external stimulus. Before the break, scream, bang his fist on the table or break a plate, try to stop myself, drink water, breathe deeply and slowly, walk around the room.

Daily Spend at least half an hour, you really nice. Try to stop thinking about poor health, weakness and vulnerability - switch in such moments in the active, do some sit-ups or wipe the dust.

4. Do not hesitate to tell someone you know about their diagnosis

Explain what is happening to you, and ask them not to take offense at your irritability. You are doing everything possible for its part, to quickly recover.

What is absolutely not necessary to do

to self-medicate

Take drugs, "because her friend was very helpful" or "the internet advised." Medications that regulate the nervous system, knowingly sold by prescription - in the spontaneous reception they can not only aggravate the disease, but also lead to the development of dependence. Different people type, dosage and timing of taking medication can vary considerably.

Wait, that itself will pass

The symptoms are due to violation of neurasthenia internal inhibition and excitation in the cerebral cortex. If you just get tired and become more irritable than usual, rest and good sleep will help you. But if irritability join other reactions - frequent palpitations, Insomnia, weakness and others - refer to a specialist.

Trying to get out of the comfort zone

Very often, when we are experiencing apathy and lack of energy, we are advised to stop feeling sorry for yourself, pull yourself together and urgently something to do. Chase yourself in the gym, head a couple of projects or stop eating sweets.

To get out of your comfort zone, you have to start in her turn. A neurosis is no longer the case, and the reason to keep yourself (and of diets including).

Blame yourself or others for your state

Neurasthenia - it's not an attack of weakness and not a bad character, but a very real disease. In its development are not to blame your direct actions or behavior of your loved ones. Some events are just a trigger to the onset of the disease. A true reason lies in the inherent vulnerability of the nervous system. Just you are more sensitive and vulnerable than others.