Obsessive states in humans. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive states greatly complicate our lives, but there are ways to get rid of it. First you need to understand what this syndrome is and what are the reasons for its occurrence.

WHAT ARE OBSESSIVE CONDITIONS?

Obsessive states - tendency to incessantly repeat thoughts and actions. Unsuccessful attempts to control and manage thoughts are accompanied by the appearance of depressed mood and negative emotions.

HOW OBSESSIVE CONDITIONS SYNDROME OCCURS

According to the theory of our Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov, a special focus of excitation is formed in the patient’s brain, with high activity of inhibitory structures. It does not suppress the excitation of other foci, so criticality in thinking remains. However, this focus of excitation is not eliminated by willpower and is not suppressed by impulses of new stimuli. Therefore, a person from obsessive thoughts can't get rid of it.

Later, Pavlov I.P. came to the conclusion that the basis of the appearance is the result of inhibition in the foci of pathological excitation. Therefore, for example, blasphemous thoughts appear in religious people, violent and perverted sexual fantasies in those who are strictly brought up and preach high moral principles.

Nervous processes in patients are sluggish, they are inert. This is due to overstrain of inhibition processes in the brain. A similar clinical picture occurs with depression. In this regard, patients with obsessive neurosis often develop depressive disorders.

SYMPTOMS

Psychological

There are many options for how obsessive states manifest themselves:

• fixate on unnecessary, absurd, and sometimes scary thoughts;
• obsessive counting - involuntary counting, when you simply count everything you see, or make arithmetic calculations;
• obsessive doubts - anxious thoughts, fears, doubts about a particular action;
• intrusive memories are persistent memories that pop up involuntarily, usually about an unpleasant event;
• obsessive drives - the desire to perform actions, the obvious absurdity of which is fully recognized by the person;
• obsessive fears are painful disorders, constant worries, they can be caused by a variety of objects, phenomena, situations;
• obsessive actions - involuntarily repeated, meaningless movements that are not always noticed; they can be stopped by force of will, but not for long;
• contrasting obsessions - blasphemous thoughts, fears, fear of doing something indecent;
• rituals are certain repeated actions, often performed in the form of a ritual, especially in the presence of phobias and doubts.

Physical

With obsessive-compulsive disorder, physical symptoms associated with a disorder of the functions of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the activity internal organs.
Along with psychological instability, the following appear:

1. pain in the heart area;
2. headache;
3. loss of appetite, digestive disorders;
4. sleep disorders;
5. attacks of hypertension, hypotension - increased, decreased blood pressure;
6. attacks of dizziness;
7. decreased sexual desire for the opposite sex.

WHO HAS OBSESSIVE NEUROSIS

It is difficult to say how widespread obsessive neurosis is, because the mass of patients susceptible to it simply hide their suffering from others, do not get treatment, people get used to living with the disease, the disease gradually goes away over the years.

A child under 10 years of age rarely experiences such a neurosis. Usually children and adults from 10 to 30 years old are affected. From the onset of the disease to contacting a neurologist or psychiatrist, several years often pass. Urban residents with low and middle incomes are more likely to suffer from neurosis; men are slightly more likely than women.

Favorable soil for development obsessive neurosis:

1. high intelligence,
2. analytical mind,
3. heightened conscientiousness and sense of justice,
4. also character traits - suspiciousness, anxiety, tendency to doubt.

Any person has some concerns, fears, anxiety, but these are not signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder, because sometimes we are all afraid of heights, a dog bite, the dark - our imagination plays out, and the richer it is, the brighter the emotions. We often check whether our lights and gas are turned off, and whether we have closed the door. A healthy person checked and calmed down, but a person with obsessive neurosis continues to worry, be afraid and worry.

With obsessive-compulsive neurosis, people never go crazy! This is a neurotic disorder - functional impairment brain activity, but not mental illness.

CAUSES OF OBSESSIONAL NEUROSIS

The exact causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis have not been established, but approximate scientists divide them into:

1. psychological,
2. social,
3. biological.

Psychological

1. Psychotrauma. Events of great importance to the individual: loss of loved ones, loss of property, car accident.
2. Severe emotional shocks: acute and chronic stressful situations that change the mental attitude towards oneself and towards surrounding people and events.
3. Conflicts: external social, intrapersonal.
4. Superstitions, belief in the supernatural. Therefore, a person creates rituals that can protect against misfortunes and troubles.
5. Overwork leads to exhaustion of nervous processes and disruption of the normal functioning of the brain.
6. Sharpened personality traits are character accentuations.
7. Low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence.

Social

1. Very strict religious upbringing.
2. A passion for order and cleanliness instilled from childhood.
3. Bad social adaptation, generating inadequate responses to life situations.

Biological

1. Genetic predisposition (special functioning of the central nervous system). It is observed in 70% of patients with neurosis. Here there is an imbalance in the processes of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex, a combination of multidirectional opposite individual typological properties of the nervous system.
2. Features of the response of the autonomic nervous system.
3. A decrease in the level of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine is a disorder in the functioning of neurotransmitter systems.
4. MMD is a minimal brain dysfunction that develops during a complicated birth process.
5. Neurological symptoms: extrapyramidal disorders - stiffness of muscle movements and accumulation of chronic tension in them.
6. A history of serious illnesses, infections, injuries, extensive burns, renal dysfunction and other diseases with intoxication.

HOW TO GET RID OF OBSESSIVE CONDITIONS?

Psychotherapeutic methods

Psychoanalysis. With the help of psychoanalysis, a patient can identify a traumatic situation, certain causal thoughts, desires, aspirations, repressed from the subconscious. Memories cause intrusive thoughts. The psychoanalyst establishes a connection in the client’s mind between the root causal experience and obsessions; thanks to the development of the subconscious, the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis gradually disappear

In psychoanalysis, for example, the method of free association is used. When the client voices to the psychoanalyst all the thoughts that come to mind, including the obscene and absurd. A psychologist or psychotherapist records signs of repressed personality complexes and mental trauma, then brings them into the conscious sphere.

The existing method of interpretation is to clarify the meaning in thoughts, images, dreams, drawings, and desires. Gradually, thoughts and traumas, which were repressed from the sphere of consciousness, are revealed, which provoked the development of obsessive neurosis.

Psychoanalysis has decent effectiveness; treatment courses consist of two or three sessions of psychotherapy over six months or a year.

Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. The main goal in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is the development of a neutral (indifferent) calm attitude towards the appearance of obsessive thoughts, the absence of a response to them with rituals and obsessive actions.

During the orientation conversation, the client makes a list of his symptoms and fears that cause the development of obsessional neurosis. Then this person is deliberately artificially exposed to his characteristic fears, starting with the easiest. He is given homework assignments, where he must face his fears on his own without the help of a psychotherapist.

This treatment for obsessive-compulsive reactions is called exposure and response prevention. For example, a person is urged not to be afraid to touch door handles in public transport (for fear of getting dirty and infected), to ride in public transport (for fear of crowds), to ride in an elevator (for fear of closed spaces). That is, do everything the other way around and not give in to the desire to perform ritualistic obsessive “protective” actions.

This method is effective, although it requires willpower and discipline from the patient. The positive therapeutic effect begins to appear within a few weeks.

It is a combination of suggestion and hypnosis. The patient is instilled with adequate ideas and behavior patterns, and the functioning of the central nervous system is regulated.

The patient is put into a hypnotic trance and given positive instructions for recovery against the background of a narrowed consciousness and concentration on suggestion formulas. This makes it possible to productively establish mental and behavioral attitudes toward the absence of fear.

This method is highly effective after just a few sessions.

How to get rid of obsessive states on your own?

Necessarily, drug treatment obsessive neurosis is combined with psychotherapeutic methods of influence. Treatment with medications and drugs makes it possible to eliminate physical symptoms: headaches, sleep disturbances, troubles in the heart area. Medicines are prescribed and taken only on the recommendation of a neurologist, psychiatrist, or psychotherapist.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

This includes the drugs Citalopram, Escitalopram. They block the reuptake of serotonin at neuronal synapses. Eliminate foci of pathological excitation in the brain. The effect occurs after 2-4 weeks of treatment.

Tricyclic antidepressants

The drug Melipramine blocks the uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, facilitating the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron.

The drug Mianserin stimulates the release of mediators that improve the conduction of impulses between neurons.

Anticonvulsants

Drugs Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine. They slow down processes in the brain and increase the level of the amino acid tryptophan, which improves the functioning of the central nervous system and increases its endurance.

The dose and duration of taking the drugs are determined individually.

Drug treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is prescribed by a psychiatrist. Self-medication is ineffective and dangerous.

FOLK METHODS

IN daytime hours use preparations of St. John's wort, for example Deprim. This will ease depression, bad mood, and have a mild tonic effect.

In evening time taking medications with a sedative-hypnotic effect, for example: valerian, lemon balm, motherwort, peony, hops V alcohol tinctures, sedatives, tablets.

Omega-3 fatty acid preparations improve blood circulation in the brain Omacor, Tecom.

Effectively used to treat obsessional neurosis and depression acupressure the junction points of the head and neck at the back, the surface of the head.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder– a disorder of a neurotic level, which can be episodic or chronic, have a permanent or progressive course. In the absence of adequate, timely and complex treatment there is a high risk of transformation of obsessive-compulsive neurosis into a psychotic level disease () - obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis: general information

The main symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis are those that are constantly present or occur periodically, have a terrifying content and make it difficult for the patient to carry out full activities. Such overwhelming, frightening thoughts are called obsessions.

Along with obsessive thoughts, an individual's activity can be filled with meaningless and illogical obsessive actions called compulsions. Tiring, exhausting, meaningless actions play the role of a kind of “rescuer”, relieving the patient from overwhelming anxious thoughts.

Also, obsessive-compulsive neurosis is characterized by the occurrence in a person of obsessive memories and an indomitable premonition of some kind of catastrophe in the future. In a patient with obsessive-compulsive neurosis, the main emotional component is irresistible and often reaching dimensions. A person with this type of neurosis is characterized by “strange” behavior, the meaninglessness of any repeated actions, and the obsessive repetition of certain actions.

To date, there are no accurate statistical data on the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis. The incompleteness and inaccuracy of the picture of the disease is explained by the lack of a unified approach in psychiatry to understanding the forms of this disorder, the use of various diagnostic criteria, the existence of possible stidissimulation of symptoms of neurosis, and the similarity of many signs of the disease with other mental illnesses.

According to the data World Organization In healthcare, the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder does not exceed 3% of the general human population. According to the results of other studies, cases of this and OCD are recorded in 1 adult out of 100 and 1 child out of 500.

In most cases, in order to identify obsessive-compulsive neurosis, conduct differential diagnosis with obsessive-compulsive disorder and other forms mental disorders, assessing the severity of the disease in modern medicine use the Yale-Brown scale - a questionnaire that provides the most accurate results. According to the data received, the doctor makes an assumption about the presence or absence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis or OCD, determining the level of the existing threat mental health patient.

As a rule, in most patients obsessive-compulsive neurosis debuts aged 10 to 30 years. At the same time, the peak of the disease occurs in the age category from 25 to 35 years. Most often, with the problem of obsessive symptoms, people consult a doctor between the ages of 30 and 35.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis is recorded in people of different social status and financial situation. However, obsessive-compulsive disorder most often affects subjects with low level income. This pattern can be explained by the fact that people from lower economic strata cannot always receive qualified medical care and do not go to a medical institution in a timely manner.

Most often, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis are identified in people who have high level education. Many patients with this neurosis are distinguished by excellent erudition and demonstrate a high level of intelligence. At the same time, it is the presence of obsessive thoughts and actions that is a serious obstacle to continuing studies and fully fulfilling one’s work obligations. If a neurotic disorder has crossed the line of neuroses, transforming into OCD, the level of disability due to the disease reaches 75% of all patients.

About half of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder are single people. They either never married or were divorced. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that obsessive symptoms of neurosis create serious problems not only for the sick themselves, but also interfere with a full family life.

Gender patterns in the development of obsessive-compulsive neurosis are also described. IN age category From 10 to 17 years old, the majority of OCD patients are male. In the period from 25 to 35 years, the dominant part of hospitalized patients are women. In the period from 35 to 65 years, obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis is most often diagnosed in men. Over the age of 65 maximum amount cases of this form of neurosis have been recorded among female representatives.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis: causes

IN currently the specific provoking factor and causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis have not been established. Scientists have put forward several hypotheses about the origin of obsessive-compulsive disorder. We will describe the most substantiated and proven versions.

According to studies, about 20% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis have unfavorable heredity - their family history includes cases mental disorders. A high risk of developing OCD symptoms is present in individuals whose parents abused alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic psychosis occurred as a result of their intake. People whose parents suffered from the tuberculous form of meningitis experience the full severity of obsessive-compulsive neurosis; epileptic seizures and migraine attacks. The symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis can also contribute to genetic mutations in the hSERT gene, localized on chromosome 17.

About 75% of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder have concomitant defects mental sphere. Common companions of neurosis include bipolar disorder, depressive states, anxiety neurosis, phobic fears, disorders eating behavior, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Many boys showing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder have been diagnosed with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

TO biological reasons The development of obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis includes anatomical features of the brain structure and disruptions in processes controlled by the autonomic nervous system. According to some scientists, the emergence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is facilitated by the pathological inertia of excitation of the nervous system in combination with the lability of inhibition of ongoing processes.

One of probable causes the occurrence of obsessive-compulsive neurosis - various disorders in the functioning of the neurotransmitter system. A failure in the production and metabolism of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid can give rise to neurotic-level disorders.

Another biological version is worthy of attention, describing the relationship between obsessive-compulsive neurosis and the presence of PANDAS syndrome in the patient, as a response to the presence of streptococcal infection in the body. This theory has strong evidence. As is known, in the process of combating streptococcal infection there is a high risk that the antibodies produced can not only destroy harmful bacteria, but also cause the destruction of the body’s own tissues. If the tissue of the basal ganglia is damaged, it is likely that symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder will develop.

Constitutional and typological factors that predetermine the development of neurotic disorders are also described. Thus, most patients with obsessive-compulsive neurosis have anancastic character traits. Such persons are prone to constant doubts. They are very careful and circumspect. Anancasts are overly concerned with the details of what is happening. They are distinguished by perfectionism - the desire to do everything in an ideal way. This thirst for perfection prevents the perfectionist from completing the work he started on time. Anankasts are very conscientious and diligent people who scrupulously fulfill their obligations. Their interest in high productivity interferes with the establishment of meaningful friendly contacts and harms personal relationships. They are particularly stubborn and do not know how to compromise. Most patients with obsessive-compulsive neurosis are suspicious and impressionable people. A small fraction of them are capable of taking decisive action.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis: symptoms

According to accepted criteria in psychiatry, a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive neurosis can be established if obsessions and/or compulsions have occurred in the patient for more than two weeks. At the same time, obsessive thoughts and “ritual” actions caused a stressful state, worsened the patient’s quality of life, and changed the mode and volume of his activity.

Obsessive thoughts arise in an individual regularly or occasionally, taking over his thinking for a long time. The main symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is the obsession and stereotyping of images and drives. Despite all the absurdity of judgments, a person regards them as his own. The subject feels that he cannot control his reasoning and manage his thought process. In the thinking of a patient with obsessive-compulsive neurosis, there is at least one thought that he tries to resist.

With obsessive thinking, a person may persistently come to mind with some first and last names, geographical names or names of distant planets. He may replay the same poem in his head or repeat a quote over and over again. Often the patient’s mind is occupied with “mental chewing gum”: he thinks for a long time on some absurd topics that have nothing to do with his reality.

Common themes of obsessive thoughts include:

• panic fear of becoming infected or contracting some kind of infectious disease;
• irrational fear of contamination – both of one’s own body and of surrounding objects;
• pathological desire for cleanliness;
• a painful need for symmetry and adherence to a certain order in everything;
• frightening premonitions that in the future a person will definitely lose objects without which he cannot exist;
• various superstitions, belief in the predetermination of the future.

Another symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is the patient’s desire to perform certain actions in order to reduce the intensity of unpleasant thoughts - compulsive behavior. Compulsions are understood as regularly and repeatedly repeated actions aimed at preventing unlikely events. Such a need to perform some specific act acts as a conditional “obligation.” However, the need to perform such a “ritual” action does not always bring moral satisfaction to a person. Compulsions are only a way to temporarily improve well-being.

Obsessive actions include a person’s need to count certain objects. The patient may have a desire to commit some illegal or immoral act. Involuntary obsessive movements may also occur. Such compulsions include strange “habits”: squinting eyes, licking lips, curling hair, sniffling, winking.

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis also include doubts that overcome a person. A sick person is not confident in himself, doubts whether some action has been performed, whether some process has been completed. A person suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder may repeatedly recheck the performance of any action. For example: the patient checks several times whether the valve on the water supply is closed, whether the lights are turned off, whether the gas is turned off, whether the front door is locked. He can re-read his work again and again, check the accuracy of the calculations, and verify the specified data. For some people, obsessive doubts are completely absurd. So the patient can double-check whether the dishes have been washed or whether the flowers have been watered, while again and again he will repeat an action that has already been performed several times.

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis also mean that an individual has illogical and groundless fears. The subject may be terribly afraid of speaking in front of an audience, confident that he will definitely forget the words of his report. He is afraid to take on any new work obligations, being convinced that he will not be able to fulfill them. Such a person is often afraid to be in society because of an abnormal fear of blushing or fear of being ridiculed. Some patients are convinced that they will never be able to fall asleep, and the evening time before bed is filled with intense fears. Other subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience fear of the opposite sex. They are sure that they will not be able to show themselves in the intimate sphere and will definitely embarrass themselves in front of their partner.

A standard example of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is panic fear of pollution. The patient constantly has obsessive thoughts that he will get sick in some way. dangerous disease due to contact with microbes. To prevent infection, a person begins to take various precautions: thoroughly cleans the house, washes his hands with soap for hours, disinfects skin covering antibacterial agents. He refuses not only to use, but also to touch non-individual objects, for example: the patient never eats in public places, does not touch handrails or door handles.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: treatment

Every person should remember: the earlier treatment for a neurotic disorder is started, the greater the chance of success. therapeutic measures. Therefore, at the first symptoms of neurosis, it is necessary to seek advice and treatment from a psychotherapist. To treat obsessive-compulsive neurosis, comprehensive medical work is carried out, which includes psychotherapeutic influence, pharmacological agents and hypnotherapy.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

How to get rid of obsessive-compulsive disorder? The basis of psychotherapeutic treatment is the methods of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. This technique is based on the fact that the patient realizes that he has a problem and learns methods to counteract the symptoms of the disease. During the treatment process, the doctor explains to the client which of his fears are adequate and justified, and which thoughts are the result of neurosis.

As a result of psychotherapeutic treatment, the patient begins to control the course of his thoughts. The patient begins to draw a line between a real-life situation and a fantasy world.

Another effective method of treating obsessive-compulsive neurosis is the technique of exposure and reaction prevention. The exposure involves deliberately placing the patient in an environment that causes psychological discomfort and contributes to the emergence of obsessive thoughts. In parallel, the client receives instructions on how to resist the need to perform compulsive actions. As psychotherapeutic practice shows, it is this method of treating obsessive-compulsive neurosis that allows one to achieve stable, long-term remission.

In the treatment of symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive neurosis, a variety of hypnosis techniques are also used. In a state of hypnotic trance it is possible to establish the real reason, which gave the start neurotic disorder. The performed suggestion allows us to achieve a lasting clinical improvement in the patient’s condition, the effect of which lasts for several years or for life.

Also, treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis can be carried out using psychotherapy methods:

• group;
• rational-behavioural;
• aversive;
• psychoanalytic.

Pharmacological treatment

For patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, treatment is prescribed individually after assessing the existing risks of therapy psychotropic drugs and determining the severity of symptoms of the disorder. Most often, drug treatment involves the use of:

• tricyclic antidepressants, for example: clomipramine (Clomipraminum);
• antidepressants of the SSRI class, for example: fluoxetine (Fluoxetinum);
• noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, for example: mirtazapine;
• mood stabilizers, for example: topiramate (Topiramatum);
• benzodiazepine tranquilizers, for example: alprazolam.

The inclusion of atypical antipsychotics, for example: risperidone, in an incorrectly selected dose into the treatment program for obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis can have the completely opposite result, increasing the severity of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The treatment program for obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis also includes:

• elimination and prevention of psychotraumatic situations in all areas of the patient’s life;
• the correct educational strategy for children prone to obsessions and compulsions;
• normalization of the family situation, conflict prevention;
• autogenic training;
• getting rid of bad habits and maintaining a healthy lifestyle;
• choosing the right mode of work and rest;
• light therapy;
• treatment of chronic somatic pathologies.

Instead of a conclusion

The prognosis for treatment of obsessive-compulsive neurosis is favorable, however, in the case of transformation of the disease into obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is possible to achieve complete success in treatment in rare cases due to the persistence of symptoms and the existing tendency to chronicity and recurrence of the disease.

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Obsessive states are one of the terms for obsessive-compulsive disorder, a neurosis that causes a person to have intrusive thoughts or impulses (often of a negative nature). Such thoughts can be destructive to the patient’s psyche, since most often they are about violence, accidents, or the urge to do something bad. Often such thoughts can be memories, both real and false, and a person cannot get rid of these constant thoughts.

In this article we will look at the main symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and ways to combat this disease.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis: how unpleasant thoughts appear

Modern research into the etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) points to the role of genetic factors as predisposition factors: 25% of close relatives of patients with OCD have this disorder; in monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins, the frequency is 65 versus 15%. Genetic predisposition likely manifests itself through dysregulation of the serotonin neurotransmitter system (and thus a general tendency toward anxiety and obsessiveness—research also suggests high degree comorbidity and relative to other anxiety disorders), as well as a certain “vulnerability” of the thalamus - caudate nucleus - orbital cortex - cingulate gyrus system.

This system is responsible for "filtering" thoughts (those that are worthy of attention and those that are not allowed into consciousness as important - this is, in particular, the function of the caudate nucleus), as well as providing meaning to individual thoughts as such, signaling danger and corresponding “obsessing” over them (function of the orbital cortex and cingulate gyrus). The system can be metaphorically compared to a computer antivirus: when a certain threat is detected, the antivirus constantly “throws out” a red window on the screen with a message about the danger, accompanied by a corresponding sound signal. And no matter what other program we turn on, the window will still pop up at the top until the threat is eliminated. In people with OCD, the brain has a “hypersensitive” system for scanning for possible threats, which, in the language of a metaphor, “detects a threat where there is none, or it is very unlikely, and accompanies it with a strong alarm signal,” and under certain conditions, which will be discussed below, this system can malfunction, which will manifest itself as OCD symptoms.

Causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder: family problems and stress

Scientists and psychiatrists have been studying the problem of OCD for a long time. When diagnosing an illness, it is very important to distinguish obsessions from schizophrenia. So, what are the causes of obsessive and nervous disorders?

Most psychiatrists, after analyzing the past of many of their patients, came to the conclusion that hypersensitivity and a tendency to obsessive thoughts arise from constant worries and stress in early childhood.

Neurobiological propensity in the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) model can be supplemented by additional propensity factors associated with a person’s psychosocial experience, in particular in childhood, and the formation of certain personal beliefs (in the language of CBT - deep-seated beliefs/schemas and associated dysfunctional assumptions) .

For example, in patient K., who grew up in a family where there were problems with alcohol abuse among parents and many stressful events occurred in an unpredictable way (drunken brawls, fights, etc.) - the “alarm system” was activated very often and, accordingly, a “scheme of expecting danger” has been formed (something terrible, catastrophic may happen) and a secondary rule is that you must be constantly on alert.

In another patient T., under similar circumstances, which were supplemented by frequent accusations and reproaches to the girl, a hyper-responsibility scheme was formed next to the danger expectation scheme: “I was always afraid that something would happen, that mom or dad might kill each other during quarrels, so I then came up with a rule for myself: if I do everything right, then nothing bad will happen and I can prevent trouble. Actually, that’s when I started having obsessive “correct” rituals.” It is clear that this was a manifestation of children's “magical thinking” and a way to control the uncontrollable, but it was this pattern that created “fertile ground” for the development of OCD in the future due to this excessive tendency to feel responsible for preventing danger.

In the cognitive-behavioral model, these predisposing factors (neurobiological and personality dysfunctional patterns stemming from early experiences) can be metaphorically compared to flammable material (for example, a forest during a drought), but they alone are not sufficient to cause a disorder to occur (metaphorically, a forest fire). A critical incident (a thrown cigarette butt, not an extinguished fire in the chosen metaphor) becomes a trigger for the onset of OCD as a disorder. The development of the disorder is impossible in the presence of only one of the factors; only their combination leads to its occurrence (cigarette butt + flammable material = fire). In OCD, a critical case can be a wide variety of events, and they are usually specific to the topic of obsession.

For example, patient A. developed thoughts that she could kill her child and relatives after she saw a news report about a mentally ill woman who killed her child, and the day before, during a domestic quarrel, a man said to her that she is “sick in the head and needs to see a psychiatrist.” Another patient developed obsessive thoughts that she could become infected herself and infect her children with worms after their dog was diagnosed with worms and she read an article on the Internet that worm eggs can be everywhere.

However, a fire in the forest is not a forest fire. And only when there is a certain process - access of the flame to a new flammable material - can the fire engulf the forest. Also, with OCD, individual intrusive thoughts acquire the character of obsessions when certain supporting cycles exist. The process of transition from intrusive thoughts to OCD is presented in a modern cognitive-behavioral model.

Let us consider this model sequentially. So, in a certain situation, a person first has an intrusive opinion (for example, as in patient A. - “I can kill my child”). According to research, intrusive thoughts of the same content as people with OCD occur in 90% of people. However, intrusive thoughts in people who will develop OCD are given a specific assessment of personal responsibility for preventing danger: “there is a certain probability of danger, and it is my responsibility to do something to prevent it.” Accordingly, if most people would perceive this kind of opinion as simply “stupid and unfounded,” a person who develops OCD will begin to think something like patient O.: “if such a thought came to me, then this already indicates because I'm crazy normal people such thoughts don’t come, which means maybe I haven’t lost my head yet, but I’m not far from it, my child is in danger, etc.”

As a result, such thoughts cause anxiety, and the brain accordingly reacts to the tendency to anxiety and “obsession” with strong anxiety and begins to constantly “return” this thought about the possible murder of a child to the center of attention. According to behavioral principles, classical predetermination occurs, and the intrusive opinion becomes a conditioned stimulus that causes anxiety. From the point of view of classical behaviorism, a “phobia of one’s own thoughts” develops, however, unlike other phobias, where avoiding the object of the phobia (for example, heights or closed spaces) is relatively possible, attempts to “not think” certain thoughts only lead to their intensification.

It has been experimentally proven that attempts to “not think” certain thoughts for some time leads to their more frequent “appearance” in consciousness - the reader can see this for himself by trying, for example, for one minute not to think about a polar bear. Accordingly, intrusive thoughts become obsessive, which leads to an increase in anxiety and new cognitive assessments - “I don’t control my thoughts, I think about it all the time, this is a sign that I’m really becoming obsessed with this idea, etc.” .

Features of thoughts in OCD

The cognitive model of OCD places great emphasis on the cognitive appraisals a person makes of their intrusive/obsessive thoughts. OCD is characterized by the following possible cognitive assessments of the most intrusive thoughts:

1. Assessing the “over-importance” of thoughts:

• “if I “think”, then it’s not just that, it means something” (for example, “I could really kill my child”);
• merging of thought and action - “thinking is no longer the same as doing” (for example, “if I have sexually blasphemous obsessive thoughts, then I am already sinning”;
• “thinking” certain thoughts can lead to certain consequences (“materialization of thoughts”, “thinking a thought increases the likelihood of what I am thinking about happening”).

2. Overestimation of the statistical probability that something dangerous will happen, and the consequences if something like this happens: “if I leave the apartment, I may not notice the syringe that was thrown by drug addicts with AIDS, get my foot on it, and become infected with HIV infection, and then, not knowing that I am infected, I can also transmit the virus to others.”

3. Overestimation of one’s own responsibility for what will happen, excessive responsibility - “I must prevent a catastrophe.”

4. The need for 100% certainty - “If there is not 100% evidence that the danger will not happen or the threat is under control, then you cannot be complacent, you need to continue to take safety measures, etc.”

Obsessions and compulsions in OCD

Typically, the cognitive assessment is not a one-time thought, but becomes a process of constant thinking - often dysfunctional, which "draws" the patient deeper into new "circles" of anxiety: the person may imagine how terrible everything will end ("I will spend the rest of my days in psychiatric hospital or in prison"), can connect random events in an illogical way as evidence of his fears (“I thought that I wanted to sit down, and the man on the bus stood up - yes, thoughts materialize, which means that if I have this obsessive thought that my husband will die in a car accident, then I will create it with my thoughts”).

Often, a person filled with anxiety may also seek reassurance from other people, however, they often receive in response information that, on the contrary, increases anxiety (“I asked my friends if they believed in the materialization of thoughts, they said yes”). To reassure oneself, a person can arrange various tests for himself, which also often only increase doubts and anxiety (for example, “the woman who was mentioned in the news who killed her child must have had hallucinations - are they developing in me too?”, the corresponding constant listening - “am I hearing something that doesn’t exist?”, growing doubts - “was this sound really there, or was it only me who heard it?”, asking others if they heard this sound, etc.).

The following also acquires an inadequate cognitive assessment: “If I don’t do something to stop the anxiety, it will get worse; she will never stop; this will lead to terrible consequences, a disaster (for example, I will go crazy, do something inappropriate, my physical health will suffer, lose my ability to work, etc.).” Accordingly, the person exhibits neutralizing activity (compulsive ritual - for example, washing hands repeatedly to minimize the risk of infection with worms; the ritual can only take place in the imagination - “if thoughts materialize, then so that my obsessive thoughts about the death of my husband in a car accident do not lead to this, I will often imagine him as old, healthy, happy") or avoids situations that cause anxiety (does not remain alone with the child, demands that someone is always nearby “in case he loses control of himself,” etc.) .

Neutralizing activity can be aimed both at eliminating the threat (“I’d better wash my hands again, because the tuberculosis bacilli that flew from the stairwell have settled there”) and at reducing anxiety (“I understand that it’s stupid to return home again , check if the tap is turned off, but I’d better do this and the anxiety will go away, otherwise I’ll be constantly stressed at work”). The use of an avoidance strategy or compulsions does not allow one to verify the validity of the forecasts and to make an appropriate correction of cognitive assessments (“I will not become infected with worms even if I wash my hands seven times a day instead of forty-five,” “anxiety, if compulsions are not done, will rise slightly, and then it will fall in thirty minutes, and the next time it will come even faster, and it will be much easier to resist the desire to make compulsions,” etc.), and there is also no way for the process of habituation/extinction of anxiety to take place with prolonged exposure to a stimulus that causes fear.

Therefore, compulsive activities are progressively added to obsessive thoughts and avoidant behavior increases. In total, obsessions, compulsions, avoidant behavior and anxiety cause distress, limit a person’s living space, affect the quality of life, and lead to disability. If nothing stops these cycles of increasing problems, then anxiety generalizes further, new obsessions and compulsions develop, and avoidant behavior increases. For a significant proportion of patients with OCD, the above can ultimately lead to a feeling of being stuck in a dead end, despair in the inability to free themselves from this, to live full life- all this becomes the basis for the development of secondary depression, which, according to research, is comorbid with OCD in 30% of cases.

So, it should be noted that the efforts that a person with OCD makes (compulsions, avoidance, seeking reassurance/reassurance, trying to “not think” certain thoughts) are key components of supporting the process of the disorder and the mechanism of its further development. The solutions to the problem themselves become the cause of the problem. Metaphorically, this can be compared to trying to put out a fire by throwing piles of wood at the fire. Perhaps they will reduce the flame for a while, but in the future they will become the basis for the further development of the fire.

After all, what a person inadvertently does in response to OCD symptoms becomes the basis of his development. Therefore, the main goals of cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD are to help the patient understand the “malignant” nature of these maintenance cycles and their gradual termination, as well as to develop more adequate assessments and more effective strategies for coping with OCD symptoms.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a neurotic disorder that occurs due to psycho-emotional imbalance and is manifested by compulsive actions and phobic experiences. IN medical literature it can often be seen as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

In the international nomenclature of diseases, OCD occupies 9 codes from F40 to F48, which speaks in favor of the wide variability of neurosis in modern society. Considering that neurosis is functional disorder, that is, does not carry any organic pathology, the fight against obsessive thoughts can be carried out on an outpatient basis with the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist. In severe forms, you should consult a psychiatrist, since severe symptoms may be a consequence of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder personality. This disorder occurs equally in both men and women.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can develop at any age, but its peak occurs during puberty and adulthood. The number of children with this diagnosis is growing inexorably, which is associated with improper upbringing, social and economic disadvantage, the reluctance of peers to support each other for some reason, and an insufficient level of trust between the parent-child link, where the teenager does not share his experiences.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder never occurs for no apparent reason. Yes, call this pathology can:

• Specific personality traits. Most people with neurosis, before the onset of the disease, experience anxiety, suspiciousness, low self-esteem and increased demands on themselves and others. Which, inexorably, leads to intrapersonal conflict, undermining the already weak psycho-emotional background;
• Genetic predisposition;
• Chronic stress;
• Physical and mental stress;
• Frequent conflict situations.

Sometimes neurosis occurs with VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia), although, to be more precise, fluctuations in pressure, body temperature, chilliness and sweating of the extremities most often arise as a result of dystonia, and not VSD is the original cause of neurosis.

Any, even minor, bad event can be the last straw in the formation of neurosis. A striking example is a person’s increased ability to work, successfully completing all tasks and responsibilities at work, and upon arriving home he is so exhausted that even the lack of milk in the refrigerator or phone call cause a nervous breakdown. If it had happened a day or two before, the person would not have paid attention to it. But over time, energy reserves are depleted and rest and calm are vital to replenish them.

Clinical picture

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis has three components, which are expressed to varying degrees, depending on the person’s perception of the stress factor (in some cases there is a combined form):

• Phobic experiences;
• Obsession of actions (compulsiveness);
• Obsessive thoughts (obsessions).

At first, neurosis occurs as banal overwork, and then excessive irritability, unmotivated fatigue, insomnia, vasomotor disorders (manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia - increased or decreased blood pressure, sweating of the palms, changes in heartbeat, etc.) join in. And all this in the background complete absence organic pathology.

With advanced neurosis, contrasting obsessions are a frequent companion. These are creepy and incomparable thoughts or images that significantly reduce a person’s quality of life.

Contrasting obsessions have two forms:

• Thoughts about hurting another person;
• The desire to “punish” oneself through suicide or physical violence.

In both cases, the negative flow of thoughts ends in self-blame and denial of what is happening. A person is ashamed of himself, but he cannot do anything about it. There is a theory that people with a penchant for perversion suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is not known whether it is completely reliable, however, it undoubtedly has its own confirmatory criteria. After all, constant obsessive thoughts change over time human consciousness, forcing you to “taste” the sinful fruit.

Phobias

An obsessive state of fear is very quickly perceived by a person as a given and part of his character. For example, a person with cancerophobia (fear of getting cancer) sees oncology in all his symptoms. He will go to see specialists every time something hurts him, and he will perceive a hint of going to a psychotherapist as an unwillingness to treat him. Does he consider himself sick? Sick - yes. Mentally, no. With mild forms of neuroses, people themselves often turn to psychologists, since they have criticism of their condition and can interpret changes in their body as pathological, but not from the somatic sphere. And in severe, borderline forms, a functional disorder can develop into schizophrenia, especially if such symptoms were also observed in relatives. By the way, simple schizophrenia has a sluggish course and is not always diagnosed, since throughout life a person may experience minor symptoms and not pay any attention to it. In favor of psychiatric pathology is the fear of going crazy. Any phobia (fear of closed spaces, darkness, heights, etc.) tends to progress. That is, if a person is afraid of heights, with each new onset of neurosis, the distance that a person is able to endure decreases to the point that he begins to be afraid of one flight between floors.

Obsessive actions

Obsessive actions (compulsions) usually arise after the manifestation of phobias.

They are divided into tics (simple) and obsessive actions themselves (rituals):

• Simple compulsions are the performance of certain manipulations at the moment stressful situation. This may include nail biting, hair straightening, and leg twitching. The desire to crush, tear, or straighten something in the absence of such objects at hand leads to disfigurement of the fingers (removing the cuticle, picking the nail plate, etc.). A person cannot control himself and sometimes does not even pay any attention to it, he believes that this is a self-evident phenomenon;
• True obsessive actions (rituals) have more complex psychological aspects and are directly related to phobic experiences. All actions are aimed at combating your fears and striving to obtain the desired peace of mind from this. A striking example would be constant hand washing (elementary manifestations of sanitary and hygienic rules do not count). A person can wash their hands more than 50 times a day. At first glance, there is nothing special about this, but frequent use antibacterial agents The skin not only dries out, but also cracks, which makes it easier for microorganisms to penetrate inside, causing inflammation. That is, the phobia of contracting something from unwashed hands leads to the fact that a person gets sick from it. This also applies to other phobic experiences, and the relief from these rituals is only temporary.

Obsessions

Obsessive ideas are less common in practice, but this does not mean that this form causes less harm than others. Thoughts arise spontaneously and, most often, during rest and before bed. Surely everyone has encountered such a phenomenon as “mental chewing gum”. This is an endless stream of reflection that is aimed at self-knowledge and realization. It is possible that many philosophers had in their knowledge not only high intelligence, but also obsessive-compulsive neurosis itself. Obsessions can be short-term in nature, for example, playing a song in your head that was heard on the radio a few hours earlier is also some kind of manifestation of an obsessive thought. If you turn on another song or engage in vigorous physical activity, it may disappear spontaneously. But the severe form of obsessions includes intense thinking process about the future, the meaning of life, etc. This already indicates an advanced neurosis, which must be identified and treated before its transformation into depression begins. Memories of even good things cause an irresistible melancholy in a person, because it will not happen again and will not happen again. Whereas in a person with a normally functioning psyche, such images may have a slight tinge of sadness, but do not depress his overall well-being.

Features in children

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children is slightly different from this disorder in adults. The first phobias appear when a child is read fairy tales or shown cartoons, and parents scare him with all sorts of stories. “If you behave badly, we’ll give you to that aunt over there,” “the old man comes for bad kids,” etc. The child’s psyche is a rather fragile phenomenon, and even such a threat, which is funny for adults, can greatly affect it. Being in puberty Schoolchildren start skipping classes because they are afraid of their teacher. A phobia in the form of fear of losing one's parents is often observed. Careless words like “it would be better if you weren’t here”, “but the neighbor has a child...” affect his mood and feelings. You shouldn’t be surprised in the future why your child is emotionally unstable; such upbringing is a variant of pathology. In response to stress and the impossibility of solving it, he withdraws into himself, begins to get nervous, and the first rituals appear (biting nails, the inability to sit still in the form of cleft foot syndrome, etc.). The condition is aggravated by obsessive thoughts, often leading to suicide. Therefore, the excuse like “he has a bad character, he will outgrow it” should be forgotten once and for all. Any deviation in behavior is not the norm. And instead of lecturing your child, trying to share life experiences and scolding him for every mistake, just sit down and talk with your child.

Diagnostics

First of all, diagnostic manipulations are aimed at excluding organic pathology and mental disorders. If there is no basis for the above, only then, by the method of exclusion, is a diagnosis of “neurosis” made. There are a number of questionnaires that will reveal the instability of the emotional background. It includes questions like “how do you communicate with other people”, “Is it difficult for you to resolve conflict situations”, etc. Accordingly, the more points scored, the more severe the form of neurosis.

Treatment

Therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis can almost always be treated with medication, but psychotherapy should certainly play the main role in treatment.

Psychotherapy

A highly qualified psychotherapist should work with the patient, who, by asking leading questions, is able to identify the root of the problem. Testing is carried out to identify weak personality traits and suggest ways to correct them. Good results provides group psychotherapy and auto-training. Sometimes sessions with a psychotherapist are enough to achieve mental well-being. But if the conversations could not help, then only then drug therapy is used.

Drug therapy

Medicines are prescribed depending on the severity of the neuroses. At mild form appointment possible sedatives of plant origin (novo-passit, valerian, motherwort, etc.). In more complex cases or if the therapy is ineffective, it is possible to use daytime tranquilizers (Adaptol, Afobazol), then powerful anti-anxiety drugs (Phenozepam, Diazepam). For severe depressive states, antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine).

Without medical help

Getting rid of obsessive thoughts without the help of a psychotherapist is not so easy, but it is possible. Neuroses are quite common, and their provoking factor is overexertion. Healthy sleep, rest, good food with a high content of B vitamins have a good effect on the nervous system. If you feel tired, rest, put things off until later. It's much better to take a couple of hours to yourself and then get to work than to finish everything too early and have a nervous breakdown. For preventive purposes, you can take a course of light sedatives, especially at those moments in life when they are needed by emotionally unstable people (session, major project, visit of superiors, etc.). If the above methods do not have the desired effect, and the symptoms intensify, interfering with your life, then consult a psychotherapist and take care of your health.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis usually occurs in individuals with a special personality type. Everything manifests itself in the form of self-doubt, as well as constant doubts, anxiety and suspiciousness. This state is typical for people who are suspicious, fearful, and too conscientious. Isolated obsessions can arise even in healthy people. In this case we are talking about fear of the dark, heights, animals and insects.

ICD-10 code

Obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis according to ICD 10 is characterized as F40. Anxiety-phobic disorders", "F41. Other anxiety disorders", "F42. Obsessive-compulsive disorders." The main reasons may be conflict situations between desires and aspirations. Sometimes this is triggered by the needs of the individual and the impossibility of their implementation. Often moral or other considerations become a barrier.

During this process, a certain focus of excitation is formed in the cerebral cortex. This usually happens after one episode when a person forgets something important. So, in this case we are talking about the fear of the gas not being turned off, the door not being closed, etc. It is enough to simply endure the feeling of fear for a center of excitement to form.

All varieties of these conditions can be characterized by feelings of fear, apprehension and phobia. Both certain objects and situations can act as “things” that provoke negative emotions. Neurosis usually begins by the mechanism conditioned reflex. Over time, phobias can expand. As a result, they put pressure on a person’s social and professional life.

ICD-10 code

F48 Other neurotic disorders

Causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis

Ordinary overwork can cause obsessive-compulsive neurosis. Most often, neuroses appear against the background of existing mental disorders. A person is plagued by obsessive thoughts and ideas. He cannot fight this on his own.

There are other reasons for the development of pathology. A special role in this case is given to previous injuries. They can affect a person's condition. Traumatic brain injuries are especially difficult to endure. Neurosis can occur against the background of mental disorders. Brain injuries can affect the problem. A special contribution is made by infectious diseases, which in a certain way affected the body and led to its intoxication.

Preventing neurosis is not so easy. Modern life requires quick decision-making and constant movement. People are often under stress, which is why the nervous system suffers. Reception sedatives and healthy sleep will reduce the risk of developing neurosis.

Pathogenesis

At the moment, it is difficult to say what exactly causes the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Experts put forward a connection between the orbital-frontal cortex and the basal ganglia. These brain structures use the neurotransmitter serotonin to interact.

The problem is thought to be caused by insufficient serotonin production. More precisely, it has been established that these two states have a direct connection with each other. The process of information transmission is regulated by neurons. In terms of reuptake, the neurotransmitters are partially returned to the emitting neuron. This is where the elimination of monoamine oxidase occurs. Its level at the synapse is monitored.

There is speculation that the condition is associated with increased reuptake. Due to this, the impulse simply does not have time to reach the next neuron. Many people support this theory. At the moment, the pathological process is being associated with overactivation of the 5-HT1B receptor. The mechanism of action is related to dopamine.

Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive neurosis

Mostly everything manifests itself involuntarily. A person begins to be visited by various doubts, fears, thoughts, memories, desires and movements. Obsessive-compulsive neurosis is characterized by a state of suspiciousness, anxiety and self-doubt. For example, a person does not know what to do in a particular situation. When leaving the house, gas, water, and electricity are constantly checked. As soon as you move away from the door, the person returns and checks everything again. In such states he can bring himself to exhaustion.

In addition to suspiciousness and anxiety, a person is constantly in a state of apprehension. He may be painfully afraid of something, especially of performing any important action. For such a patient, performing on stage is simply torture. Moreover, people with such a deviation cannot even perform sexual intercourse.

Over time, obsessive thoughts begin to appear. The patient tries to remember someone's names, surnames, poems. But usually this does not bring anything good with it. Obsessive thoughts can be depressing. Patients are able to talk for hours on topics that are not at all interesting to them, even moreover, they are absurd.

Fears are another symptom of obsessive-compulsive neurosis. A person is afraid of getting sick, he is afraid of being in the dark, at heights. Open space, wide areas or vice versa are scary closed premises. All these states are capable of moving into the action stage. A person unnecessarily counts all the objects that are in his field of vision. In addition, there is a need to perform some kind of obsessive movement. This could be licking lips, winking, straightening hair, etc. Finally, special ideas appear. A person very clearly “sees” and “hears” memories, sounds, phrases that he tries so hard to forget.

First signs

The main symptom of this condition is the presence of obsessive thinking and behavior. The patient begins to suffer from an influx of thoughts and images; they do not go away, but press on more and more. Obsession is often accompanied by severe anxiety and phobia. Such people most often have their own rituals. This concerns the performance of certain actions. They supposedly protect against some kind of misfortune or tragedy. For example, so that nothing bad happens to the patient’s relatives, he needs to spit three times every hour. left shoulder, otherwise trouble cannot be avoided.

There are several main signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder. A person is plagued by thoughts and images that do not go away. In addition, there is fear and phobia. There is a repetition of some rituals.

Quite often, neurosis is confused with a similar condition. The latter are most often associated with brain lesions. Diagnosing the condition will take a lot of time. Because it is necessary to determine the true cause and make the correct diagnosis.

Depression with obsessive-compulsive disorder

This condition does not occur very often. The favorites in this matter remain neurasthenia and hysteria. The disease is characterized by the presence of obsessive symptoms. As a rule, everything has a pronounced course. It should be noted that in this case, obsessive formations represent a source of decompensation. In neurosis, obsessive-compulsive states are presented most clearly. Consciousness does not notice any changes at all, but over time they are strongly expressed. Patients are able to show increased activity, so as not to notice your own obsessive states.

This pathology, together with depression, is especially dangerous. After all, a person can think about something without stopping and simply torment himself with thoughts. Often the problem is characterized by intrusive memories, thoughts, and doubts. A person simply torments himself in this way, but cannot do anything about it. The most terrible thing in all this is performing rituals. Each person, in order to prevent a certain cataclysm or misfortune, performs a number of specific actions. All this is done contrary to reason.

Extra thoughts in the head prevent a person from really focusing on important things. He does not get enough sleep, loses concentration, and also becomes extremely tired. As a rule, mood drops sharply and obsessive fears appear. Often the nervous system becomes too excited. A man performs certain actions, his hands are shaking.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

This pathological process in children manifests itself in the form of obsessive fears, movements, thoughts and tics. Thus, a child is able to constantly twirl his hair on his finger, suck his finger, strands, move his hands intensively, etc. This needs to be monitored carefully.

The main causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis lie in sudden mental trauma. At the same time, an adult is not even able to assess what happened. More precisely, a certain situation may not be so serious, but the child will have this moment imprinted in his memory for a long time. Other psycho-emotional factors include the appearance of obsessive movements in children. This can develop due to a dysfunctional family situation. That is why you should not swear, quarrel or create conflict situations in front of children. For an adult, this is a solution to a common everyday problem, but for a child it can become a serious mental trauma. Changes in life and routine can affect the baby. Most often, this leads to childhood neuroses. It is possible that tics and certain movements may develop. The risk group includes children who have previously suffered a traumatic brain injury, infectious diseases and chronic pathologies internal organs. These diseases can deplete the central nervous system.

Neurosis must be treated under the supervision of a doctor. It is important that the child is constantly monitored and follows certain recommendations. The recovery process takes a long time. It is advisable to be observed by one specialist throughout the entire treatment period.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adolescents

This condition can occur even in healthy teenager. It can be provoked by a weakening of the body, as well as the nervous system. This occurs against the background of previously suffered infectious disease, as well as traumatic brain injury. Most often, the problem occurs in adolescents with a weak nervous system. This can be determined in childhood. The kid is very uptight, cowardly, and suspicious. Under the influence of negative events, the situation can gradually develop. Development can be triggered by excessive demands on the child, alcoholism in the family, quarrels, disagreement between parents, etc. After an acute injury, obsessive-compulsive neurosis manifests itself at lightning speed.

Obsession that arose in adolescence, is characterized by its diversity and is somewhat different from this state, but in a more mature person. There are several types of manifestation of pathology: memories, expectations, doubts, fears, drives, ideas, movements and actions. Most often, thoughts and fears pester me, which, in fact, are ridiculous. Intrusive memories are annoying, they are simply impossible to forget. They constantly remind themselves and do not allow the teenager to exist normally. A painful and even painful state appears. All this leads to self-doubt.

Healthy people often have doubts. True, after a couple of checks, a person usually calms down. The victim, on the contrary, exhausts himself to the point of exhaustion. Fears in their manifestation resemble doubts. The child is very afraid of forgetting something important at the blackboard, of embarrassing himself at a presentation, etc. He is constantly expecting failure.

Consequences

The main consequence is reduced performance. A person suffers from decreased concentration, mental activity deteriorates, and it is impossible to remember anything. This causes certain difficulties in performing standard work. In order to eliminate the possibility of such a scenario developing, you need to have enough time to rest. Healthy sleep and non-exhausting work will not harm the nervous system.

Neuroses often lead to diseases of internal organs. This happens due to existing decompensation of diseases. Neuroses can take over not only the nervous system, but also the somatic sphere. This leads to a deterioration in a person’s adaptive states.

A nervous state and the inability to control what is happening lead to problems in the family. Anxiety, tearfulness, and touchiness appear. All these symptoms are direct companions of neuroses. They are the ones who lead to conflict situations, scandals and misunderstandings.

The emergence of fears, thoughts and memories can worsen a person’s normal life. Therefore, people simply simply avoid traumatic situations.

Complications

Complications of neuroses can lead to truly severe consequences. Thus, severe mental damage cannot be ruled out, as well as physical development. This issue is especially acute among the younger generation. Problems need to be addressed at an early stage so that the situation does not get out of control and worsen.

If treatment is started on time, a person cannot have any complications. People with a similar diagnosis should be under the supervision of specialists. You should not try to fix the problem yourself, nothing good will come of it. As soon as the disease subsides, you will need to come to the doctor for examination every year. This will avoid repeated neurosis.

Getting rid of the problem is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. But, nevertheless, everything must be carried out in full accordance with the given recommendations. A person’s desire to get rid of his condition plays a significant role. In this case, the treatment will really show a positive result.

Diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis

Certain factors play a special role in diagnosing pathology. So, the first step is to collect all the data about the patient. We're talking about history. It is important to find out at what stage a person began to develop deviations, what could provoke them. It is worth providing information regarding the presence of mental disorders in one of your relatives. A special role is given to the circumstances that could precede the onset of the disease. This can be provoked by alcoholic excesses, as well as changes in residence or work.

The diagnosis can be made in certain cases. So, if the symptoms are painful for the patient himself. This is why they are perceived as unacceptable and alien. Attention is also paid to more serious deviations. Thus, a person cannot be in society. Its deviation is progressive in nature and is quite easy to distinguish from stress.

A special role in making a diagnosis is given to the dynamics of pathological sensations. So, in some cases they can intensify, and the person simply does not control the situation. There is a clear dependence of actions on negative emotions. The patient's condition may worsen when alone or when visiting a doctor, or when watching any television programs that cause anxiety.

Analyzes

To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient must undergo a series of specific tests. First thing is to give up general analysis blood, it allows you to evaluate quantitative and qualitative blood parameters. It refers to primary nonspecific diagnosis. Then a general urine test is taken. Thanks to it, the physico-chemical characteristics of urine are assessed.

A special role is given to biochemical blood analysis. It allows you to obtain high-quality and quantitative indicators functional diagnostics kidney activity. The level of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism is determined, and latent anemia is diagnosed. You need to take a blood test to determine the level of catecholamines. This procedure is carried out three times. This will allow you to diagnose and identify lesions in the adrenal glands.

Instrumental diagnostics

To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a number of specific studies. Electrocardiography is often prescribed. This procedure allows you to evaluate the structure and functional activity of all metabolic processes occurring in the heart muscle. The composition of the human body is changed, as well as the basal level of metabolism.

Ultrasound plays an important role in the entire study. It allows you to assess the condition thyroid gland, liver, kidneys and biliary system. After all, neuroses often arise against the background of an infectious disease.

Color triplex scanning of extracranial vessels of the head is widely used. This procedure is ultrasonography. Its main purpose is to obtain objective information regarding the characteristics of blood flow in arteries and veins. May be prescribed plain radiography organs of the chest cells in one projection.

Differential diagnosis

Symptoms of an obsessive state can be recognized by specific melancholic disturbances of impulses. However, despite this, an incorrect diagnosis may be made. At the beginning of the schizophrenic process, obsession may appear, but this has nothing to do with neurosis. Therefore, doubts about diagnostic measures begin to appear. All this gradually fades away over time. It is fundamentally important to learn to distinguish between delusion and obsession. This will allow you to make the correct diagnosis.

The main diagnostic measures include blood and urine tests. The first step is to collect an anamnesis, then based on it, indications for further examination are given. Tests will help identify possible deviations in organs and systems. Make a diagnosis based on only one differential diagnosis stupid. It is worth comparing the results obtained with instrumental methods research. In this way, it will be possible to get a complete picture of what is happening, identify the true causes of neurosis and prescribe high-quality treatment.

Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis

Fixing this problem is carried out in several stages. The first step is a course of psychotherapy. The basis of the technique is the patient’s awareness of the presence of a problem and step-by-step resistance to its main manifestations. The most proven method is exposure and warning. Thus, exposure involves placing the patient in a situation that can cause him visible discomfort. At the same moment, the victim is given instructions that he must follow in a stressful situation. Thus, it is possible to develop in a person a stable “immunity” to strong mental stress.

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy helps to cope with some aspects of the disorder. Thus, many psychiatrists believe that this technique is useless for eliminating the problem. But if it is used in conjunction with by special means, the result will not be long in coming. Therapy with psychotropic medications is widely used. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. For treatment, drugs such as Risperidone and Quetiapine are used. They are among the atypical antipsychotics. If anxiety is present, it is recommended to give preference to benzodiazepine tranquilizers. This may be Clonazepam and Phenazepam.

Physiotherapy has a beneficial effect on a person. You can use warm baths lasting at least 20 minutes, apply a cool compress to the head, apply rubdowns and douses. Swimming in river and sea water will be beneficial.

Medicines

Medicines are the mainstay of any treatment. In this case, they help reduce obsessive states and lead to complete stabilization of the pathology. Medicines can only be prescribed by the attending physician in a certain dosage. The most commonly used drugs are Risperidone, Quetiapine, Clonazepam and Phenazepam.

• Risperidone. The drug is prescribed orally, 1 or 2 times a day, it all depends on the patient’s condition. The dose may be adjusted depending on the desired therapeutic effect. Contraindications: hypersensitivity. Side effects: sleep disturbance, nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions.
• Quetiapine. The dosage is prescribed according to the person’s condition. First day daily dose is 50 mg, in the second - 100 mg, in the third - 200 mg, in the fourth - 300 mg. Contraindications: hypersensitivity, childhood, lactation period. Side effects: rhinitis, allergic reactions, dizziness, constipation.
• Clonazepam. The drug is prescribed in a dosage of 1.5 mg per day divided into 3 doses. Over time, the dose is adjusted depending on the therapeutic effect achieved. Contraindications: hypersensitivity, lactation period, pregnancy. Side effects: loss of coordination of movements, nausea, vomiting, weakness.
• Phenazepam. The product is used internally in the form of tablets. 0.25-0.5 mg per day, divided into 2-3 doses, is sufficient. Over time, the dosage is adjusted. Contraindications: hypersensitivity, liver and kidney dysfunction, muscle weakness. Side effects: drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness.
• Phenibut. This drug is classified as a sedative. It eliminates fear, nervousness, tension, and helps normalize sleep. It is prescribed when different types neuroses, as well as asthenic conditions. Indications for use: psychopathy, stuttering, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The dosage is prescribed by the attending physician. The product is used for one and a half months at a dose of 250-500 mg, 2-3 times a day. The dosage may be adjusted. If necessary, the dose can be increased. Despite the positive reviews and effectiveness, the drug has contraindications. So, it cannot be used if you have hypersensitivity to its main components. In this case we are talking about phenibut. There are some restrictions for pregnant women and women during breastfeeding. Children under 2 years of age should not take this product under any circumstances.

Concerning side effects, then there are a lot of them. Possible drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions, apathy, excessive fatigue. All this requires dose adjustment. Should not be used this remedy with medications that have a similar effect. This can cause higher concentrations of certain substances in the body and lead to increased symptoms.

Traditional treatment

Traditional treatment can help solve many problems. What’s most important is that you can use the means at hand. So, just take 100 grams of red wine, one raw egg and half a teaspoon of sugar. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. The resulting product must be taken 2 times a day, preferably in the morning and evening. After which a break is taken for 3 days, then everything is used again for 2 days. This course of treatment will allow you to get rid of neurosis. In the end, you can just wipe yourself down with red wine.

For mental disorders good action provides onion on an empty stomach. Similar action garlic also has. It is able to increase the effect of the vitamin and form a special substance that promotes the dissolution of fats. These folk remedies can relieve a person of unnecessary nervousness.

There is one grandmother's method. You need to take half a kilogram of lemons and 12 apricot kernels. The kernels should be finely chopped and the lemons grated. The resulting ingredients are mixed together. You can add honey for taste. This composition is taken for a month, a tablespoon in the morning and at night.

Herbal treatment

Herbs can help positive action per person. But at the same time, you need to know exactly which plants can be used and which cannot. After all, many of them are poisonous.

• Recipe 1. The following plants should be taken in proportions 10: 4: 3: 3: 3: 2: 2: 2: 1: oregano grass, marsh grass, St. John's wort, hawthorn berries, lilac buds, elecampane root, mullein flowers, cones hops, plantain grass. All ingredients are thoroughly crushed and mixed until smooth. From the resulting collection, take only 3 tablespoons and pour 500 ml of boiling water. You can use the product in the morning, 30 minutes before meals. It needs to be heated before use. The course of treatment is 2 months.
• Recipe 2. Valerian has excellent remedies. It is better to take it in liquid form. You can prepare the tincture yourself. To do this, take the rhizomes of the grass and pour boiling water over them. This remedy will help get rid of obsessive thoughts and improve your condition.
• Recipe 3. It is also based on valerian. You should prepare the tincture and pour it into a small bottle. The treasured remedy should be carried with you at all times. In case of severe nervous tension, you should simply inhale the tincture, first through one nostril, then the other. Valerian must be used for 2 months.

Homeopathy

Timely elimination of neurosis is the key to peace of mind and peace of mind. Constant anxiety, mood swings and insomnia negatively affect a person. Against this background, the standard of living decreases and a decrease in working capacity appears. You can get out of this situation, even through homeopathy.

Homeopathy is the right way get rid of obsessive states once and for all. Neurosis is one of the most common reasons for visiting a homeopathic doctor. The medications prescribed by the specialist are based on plants. It is necessary to understand that they are not able to provide help to all people. After all, a person may have hypersensitivity to certain components.

Treatment must be approached comprehensively. It is usually based on the use of monodrugs. Today they are in great demand. The use of knowledge, as well as experience, allows homeopathic doctors to prescribe truly high-quality treatment. You can get acquainted with all the drugs used directly during the consultation. The names of the products are not indicated for security reasons. It is highly not recommended to use them simply; a precise dosage is required.

Surgical treatment

In fact, neuroses cannot be cured with surgical intervention. But it all depends on the reason why it was called. If the problem lies in an infection in the body, surgical treatment is not excluded. Infections are different and in some cases they can affect healthy tissues and organs. This requires not only medication, but also surgical elimination of the problem.

In most cases, the operation does not make sense. The patient is simply under the supervision of a psychiatrist and follows all the recommendations given by him. This will allow you to achieve positive result in a short time. Surgery perhaps in the case when the reason lies in the presence of serious changes in the body.

In any case, the decision to undergo surgery or conservative treatment accepted by the leading specialist. This is done after all diagnostic studies. Only in this way can we identify the true cause of obsessive-compulsive neurosis and begin to eliminate it.

Prevention

Competent preventive methods can exclude the development of mental disorders. First of all, they consist in performing simple rules. It is important to practice daily, devoting only 20 minutes a day to this procedure. It is useful to do physical exercise while in the fresh air.

What is most interesting is that the prevention of neuroses lies in the color surrounding a person. It has been proven that the more aggressive the room's shades and other elements, the more negative emotions it causes. It is better to give preference to warm and soothing colors. If a person is constantly exposed to depression, black and blue tints should be eliminated. It is advisable that the interior of the apartment be in calm pastel colors. Beige, orange, green and yellow colors are suitable.

Well-chosen music can calm a person. It is important that it matches the person’s mood. It is advisable to change the style of music after listening to several songs. It has been proven to have a positive effect on a person.

Proper nutrition also makes its contribution. Foods that cause nervous overexcitation should be excluded. Eating chocolate is enough to suppress a bad mood. Chicken, fish and low-fat beef have similar properties. Invigorating coffee should be avoided, as it can lead to depression.

Forecast

Neuroses are functional diseases; in most cases they progress favorably and end in recovery. However, if there is a pronounced accentuation of character, an insufficient level of personality maturity and aggravating injuries, treatment can be difficult. Moreover, in some cases it is protracted and does not always lead to a favorable prognosis. Neurotic personality development is not excluded.

That is why, with insufficient maturity, in most cases there are difficulties in assessing a person’s condition. Because there is rigidity, as well as a complete impossibility of creating a new life dominant. If pathocharacterological symptoms begin to develop, then the chances of a complete recovery are significantly reduced.

The development of signs further occurs with abnormal personality development. This is influenced by the complication of the relationship between the patient and the traumatic environment. This includes not only the main traumatic situation, which gradually worsens, but also the body’s reaction to its own condition. This can complicate treatment and rehabilitation. The prognosis is favorable, but you will have to try hard.