Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children: causes, symptoms and treatment. Treatment of obsessive movement syndrome in children: advice to parents Treatment of obsessive movement neurosis in children

In pediatric psychoneurology - in the presence of involuntary movements that periodically occur in a child, regardless of his desire, and it is impossible to stop their attacks with willpower - the syndrome can be diagnosed obsessive movements in children.

Such repetitive stereotypic movements are either part of a general neurotic obsessive state, or are a manifestation of a paroxysmal psychoneurological disorder, or are considered as a sign of extrapyramidal motor disorders.

Epidemiology

According to foreign experts, more than 65% of hyperactive children whose parents consulted neurologists had problems at birth or in early infancy. But in 12-15% of cases find out the real reason obsessive movement syndrome in a child is not possible due to the lack of complete information.

Recent studies from the Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Rochester indicate that the prevalence of tics is approximately 20% of the population, and the incidence of chronic tic disorders among children is approximately 3% (with a male to female ratio of 3:1).

Urgent motor movements in the form of tics rarely appear before two years of age, and average age They started at about six to seven years old. 96% have tics before age 11. At the same time mild degree The severity of the syndrome in half of the patients by the age of 17-18 years, it becomes practically invisible.

Among pediatric patients with severe or profound intellectual development delay, the statistics of obsessive movement syndrome is 60%, and in 15% of cases children harm themselves with such movements.

Causes of obsessive movement syndrome in children

In the predominant number of clinical cases, experts associate the causes of obsessive movement syndrome in a child with neuroses of stress etiology, often determining this violation as obsessive movement neurosis.

During the prepubertal period, obsessive movements in adolescents may be a symptom of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Movement disorders - obsessive movement syndrome in adults - are discussed in detail in the publication Nervous Tic and the article Tourette's Syndrome. In addition, with age, the factor of microcirculation disorders in cerebral vessels and the threat of cerebral ischemia increases due to atherosclerosis.

In childhood, the appearance of imperative stereotypic movements - as a sign of neurodestructive disorders - is possible with disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system due to perinatal damage to brain structures due to hypoxia and cerebral ischemia, as well as injuries during childbirth, leading to various encephalopathies.

There are a number of neurodegenerative diseases, the pathogenesis of which is caused by gene mutations and inherited neurological disorders associated with the appearance of obsessive movement syndrome in children at a fairly early age. Among them are:

• genetic defects of mitochondria contained in the plasma of cells (synthesizing ATP) - mitochondrial diseases that disrupt energy exchange in tissues;
• congenital lesions of the myelin sheaths nerve fibers with metachromatic leukodystrophy;
• mutation of the PRRT2 gene (encoding one of the transmembrane proteins of brain and spinal cord), causing paroxysmal obsessive movements in the form of kinesogenic choreoathetosis;
• pathological accumulation of iron in the basal ganglia of the brain (neuroferritinopathy), caused by a mutation in the FTL gene.

A specific place in the pathogenesis of the paroxysmal disease in question motor disorder are occupied by pathologies of an endocrine nature, in particular, hyperthyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis in a child. And the origin of hereditary benign chorea, as studies have shown, lies in mutations of the thyroid transcription marker gene (TITF1).

Among autoimmune diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus is also related to the development of involuntary movements, which at a certain stage of development leads to a number of pathologies of the central nervous system.

Experts do not rule out a connection between the cause of obsessive movements syndrome in a child and a state of catatonic arousal induced by certain forms of schizoaffective states and schizophrenia; traumatic brain injuries; intracranial tumor formations; cerebral lesions of an organic nature with the development of glial changes in individual brain structures; infections - viral encephalitis, Neisseria meningitidis or Streptococcus pyogenes, which causes rheumatic fever.

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Risk factors

The key risk factors for the development of any group of symptoms of a psychoneurological nature, including obsessive movement syndrome in a child, adolescent or adult, are the presence of pathologies leading to movement disorders.

As shown clinical practice, this syndrome can affect anyone at any age, but this affects boys to a much greater extent than girls. Obsessive movements are especially often observed in children born with mental disabilities due to genetic abnormalities, with a negative impact on the fetus during intrauterine development or due to the development of postnatal pathologies.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of some hyperkinetic disorders may lie in the lack of balance of CNS neurotransmitters: acetylcholine, which is responsible for muscle contractions and relaxation, controls the movements of dopamine muscle fibers, and also excites all biochemical processes of norepinephrine and adrenaline. Due to the imbalance of these substances, the transmission of nerve impulses is distorted. In addition, it enhances the stimulation of brain neurons high level sodium salt glutamic acid – glutamate. At the same time, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which inhibits this excitation, may be in deficiency, which also interferes with the functioning of the motor areas of the brain.

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Symptoms of obsessive movement syndrome in children

Most frequently occurring symptoms This disorder may include the following non-functional (purposeless) movements (repetitive and often rhythmic) involving the muscles of the tongue, face, neck and trunk, and distal limbs:

• increased blinking;
• coughing (simulating “clearing the throat”);
• shaking, waving, or twisting arms;
• patting the face;
• hitting one's head (against something);
• hitting yourself (with your fist or palms);
• bruxism (teeth grinding);
• finger sucking (especially thumb sucking);
• biting fingers (nails), tongue, lips;
• hair pulling;
• gathering of skin into a fold;
• grimaces (facial tics);
• monotonous vibration of the whole body, bending of the torso;
• chorea-like twitching of the limbs and head (short nodding of the head forward, to the sides);
• bending of fingers (in many cases - in front of the face).

Forms

The types of repetitive movements vary widely, and each child may have his own - individual manifestation. It can increase with boredom, stress, anxiety and fatigue. Some children, when attention is directed to them or they are distracted, can abruptly stop their movements, while others are unable to do this.

In addition to those mentioned, children with obsessive movement syndrome may show signs of attention deficit, sleep disturbances, and mood disorders. And the presence of attacks of rage and explosive outbursts indicates Asperger's syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Complications and consequences

Some aimless movements can cause self-harm. In addition, the syndrome can cause distress in the child, which leads to a slight decrease in the quality of life, complicates communication and socialization in the children's team; in a certain way affects the ability to self-care and limits the scope of joint activities outside the home environment.

Diagnosis of obsessive movement syndrome in children

First of all, diagnosing obsessive movement syndrome in a child requires a qualitative assessment of the type of movement and the circumstances of its occurrence, which are often difficult to determine. Moreover, motor stereotypes are often diagnosed in patients with mental disabilities and neurological conditions, but can also occur in mentally healthy children. For example, compulsive movements in adolescents that suggest a degenerative disorder (myoclonus) may be completely normal in infants.

A complete history and physical examination of the child is necessary - with an assessment of presenting symptoms (which must be present for at least four weeks or longer). This will confirm the diagnosis of this syndrome.

To find out its cause, tests may be prescribed:

• general blood test (including determination of hematocrit, circulating erythrocyte mass, ESR);
• blood test for amino acid levels, thyroid hormones, antithyroid antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, antistreptolysin, etc.;
• urine analysis for protein components;
• cerebrospinal fluid analysis or genetic analysis parents (if necessary).

Instrumental diagnostics can be used: electroencephalography; CT, MRI and ultrasound angiography of the brain, electromyography.

Obsessive neurosis often occurs in children of different age groups. A fragile child's psyche cannot successfully deal with disturbing factors. Currently, life is full of different events and carries a lot of information, which can contribute to the occurrence of chronic stress in both adults and children. Obsessive-compulsive neurosis in children often manifests itself in the form of obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

Obsessive neurosis can occur in children of all ages

It is impossible to successfully cure neurosis without identifying the negative factors that caused it.. It is believed that the development of neurosis in children is due to three main reasons.

Psychological, characterized by insufficient coherence of the processes of inhibition and excitation in the cerebral cortex, as well as the characteristics of the baby’s temperament:

• If a child is choleric, then restrictions that interfere with motor activity and free expression of emotions are contraindicated. This may lead to him becoming even more active. All this can contribute to the development of neurosis.
• If your child is phlegmatic, then attempts to speed up his actions can also lead to the development of neurosis. At the same time, the baby will slow down his actions even more, become withdrawn and stubborn.
• The development of obsessive movement neurosis can be facilitated by circumstances that traumatize the child’s psyche.

Biological causes: hereditary predisposition, past illnesses, insufficient sleep, mental and physical stress.

Social reasons such as:

Sometimes these movements take the form of bizarre rituals. Children can only walk around objects they encounter on the right or left. There are times when a “little one” begins to jump before going to bed and at the same time does a certain number of jumps. By this he protects himself from the fear of being in the dark.

There are many other obsessive movements that are logically impossible to explain, and the repetition of which children themselves are not able to cope with. Such movements do not disappear without appropriate treatment.

Along with this, neurosis is almost always accompanied by poor appetite, decreased performance, insomnia, and tearfulness. A child with obsessive movement neurosis is often teased by his peers, and this further traumatizes the child’s psyche.

Treatment

Obsessive movement neurosis in children cannot be left without appropriate treatment.. Before contacting a doctor, parents are advised to take a closer look at their baby and try to determine the cause. unusual behavior. If it is not possible to find out, then it is necessary to bring him to a psychologist, sometimes the help of a psychotherapist is required.

A psychotherapist should treat neurosis

The following treatment methods are used:

Behavioral therapy

It is considered the main method of treatment, the features of which are:

• learning the ability to get rid of internal anxiety, which helps to wean oneself from obsessive actions;
• creating a situation in which the child, under the control of a psychologist, encounters something that frightens him - this helps to eliminate anxiety and delay the exacerbation of the disease;
• interaction between the psychotherapist and the child’s parents during treatment in order to identify the source of anxiety and eliminate it, as well as to improve family relationships and correct parenting methods;
• There are cases when children with symptoms of neurosis have no idea how certain actions are performed normally - this problem can be resolved by illustrative examples mother and father, teachers, peers.

Drug treatment

In very advanced cases of obsessive movement neurosis in children, treatment will be required with medications that have a sedative and antidepressant effect, such as:

• person;
• cinnarizine;
• milgamma;
• pantogam;
• glycine;
• Sonapax;
• asparkam.

These drugs are prescribed by a doctor. They cannot be used independently, since they have different effects on the central nervous system.

Treatment with folk remedies

In the treatment of childhood obsessive movement neurosis folk remedies used in addition to primary therapy. A doctor's consultation is required. The following have a calming effect:

Decoctions of motherwort, valerian, lemon balm.

Infusion of oat grains. It is prepared in this way: you need to take half a kilogram of raw material, rinse it, then add one liter of water. Boil over low heat until the grains are half cooked. After this, strain the infusion and add a teaspoon of honey. Give your baby 1 glass daily.

Honey water. To prepare it, mix a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water. Give your child a drink before he goes to bed. Relieves insomnia, relieves irritability.

Helps well taking baths before bed with the addition of mint, lavender, sea salt.

Carry out activities to promote health:

• spend more time in nature with him;
• in summer, let your baby run barefoot;
• turn on the music - let him dance;
• Give paper, pencils, and paints more often so that he can draw more;
• read fairy tales before bed, which greatly distracts from negative thoughts;
• arrange holidays for the child - they bring joy and relieve anxiety;
• Cook together with your baby some food that he loves.

All this really helps him throw out negative energy.

Features of parental behavior with obsessive neurosis:

• you need to devote more time and attention to your child;
• try to find out what is bothering the baby and try to eliminate it;
• you cannot reproach him for obsessive movements; instead, you need to talk to him about the disturbing situation;
• never scold for obsessive movements;
• try to gently limit the time you use the computer and watch TV, and switch the child’s attention to some other interesting activity.

Prevention of obsessive movement neurosis

Measures to prevent the occurrence of neurosis should be carried out both with healthy children and with children who have recovered from neurosis. Children may not remember the psychological trauma that caused their development pathological process. But they remain in the subconscious and lead to obsessive states.

Therefore, it is very important to identify negative factors and their timely elimination. A child’s psyche is not the same as that of adults - it has not yet formed, and it is very difficult for children to resist disturbing situations.

In this regard, he must be taught to cope with stress. This is achieved by proper upbringing of the baby from birth:

1. It is necessary to instill in him such qualities as the ability to overcome difficulties, not to panic in danger, and teach patience and endurance.
2. From early childhood, you need to teach your child to follow the rules of hygiene, to be neat and tidy - this should become his habit.
3. It is necessary to raise a child to be persistent and hardworking.
4. Get used to physical education and sports.

If the baby learns these qualities, this will protect him from stress and associated painful disorders of the nervous system.

It is necessary to accustom your child to physical education

Some features of the prevention of neuroses

Parents and teachers must have proper contact with their child:

1. It is necessary to create a trusting relationship so that the child can always turn to his parents with any question. This will prevent prolonged stress from occurring.
2. It is necessary to praise the child adequately for his achievements, since an overly enthusiastic attitude will lead to the fact that the child will constantly expect praise, and in the absence of it will become offended. It is also impossible to belittle successes.
3. If he needs to be limited in something or even prohibited from doing something, it is necessary to explain to him the reasons for this.
4. To prevent your child from becoming uninitiative, you cannot remind him of his shortcomings all the time.

Komarovsky about obsessive movement neurosis in children

E.O. Komarovsky is a famous pediatrician, writer, and has extensive work experience. The most famous is his book “Child Health and common sense his relatives." Komarovsky has a great advantage - the ability to clearly explain to any mother how to maintain the health of a child given by nature.

Komarovsky's basic principles are very simple:

• dress the child according to the weather;
• play outdoor games with him fresh air, which promotes a good appetite;
• if the baby does not want to eat, do not force him;
• temper the child, walk with him in the fresh air more often;
• Maintain the temperature at home no more than 22 degrees.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, obsessive movement neurosis is a mental disorder and is not a disease. No organic changes are observed with it. The main reason for the development of neurosis is a factor that traumatizes the child’s psyche.. Obsessive movements are a reversible disorder, and when the negative influences are eliminated, the baby’s condition returns to normal.

Emotional well-being is important for a child's mental health

If parents promptly determine what is bothering their child and eliminate these factors, the obsessive movements may stop. However, this is a difficult task, so in any case you should definitely contact a child psychiatrist.

It is necessary to constantly remember that a child’s healthy psyche is directly related to a friendly environment and emotional well-being in the family.

In the modern world, with its accelerated pace of life, there are more and more people suffering from various neurotic disorders. – this is practically the scourge of the twenty-first century, and, unfortunately, they are getting “younger” every year. Increasingly, workload at school and extracurricular activities, stress and many other factors contribute to the development of neurotic disorders in children and adolescents. One of these diseases is obsessive movement neurosis.

Obsessive movements or obsessive-compulsive disorder in children - what is it?

Obsessive movement syndrome is part of a whole group of neuroses united by the concept of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by obsession with obsessive states (thoughts, phobias, memories, doubts, actions). The patient is constantly under the yoke of anxious thoughts and fears (obsessions). For example, a child is terrified of contracting some terrible fatal disease, or it seems to him that with his thoughts he can harm someone, or he cannot calmly leave the house, because he believes that then something will definitely happen. Anxiety grows, prevails, and then, in order to somehow discharge, the patient performs some actions (compulsions) that, in his opinion, should prevent this or that event: constantly washes his hands; spits through left shoulder and knocks on wood with every “bad thought”; Before leaving the house, he places things on the table in a certain order. Obsessions are characterized by their cyclical nature and involuntariness (they have a character that is alien to the patient; he does not want them to appear and fights them). The struggle (compulsion) can be direct (as in the case of washing hands), that is, directed directly against fear (I’m afraid of getting infected - wash my hands, kill germs) and indirect, not related to fear in its meaning (count to ten before leaving the house and turn on one leg counterclockwise). Such compulsions are called rituals.

Obsessive movement syndrome in children also manifests itself in involuntary, frequently repeated actions. It could be:

• grimacing;
• smacking, coughing, clicking fingers or knuckles;
• twirling hair on a finger;
• cheek twitching;
• chewing pencils, pens, nails;
• thumb sucking;
• hair pulling;
• scratching the skin;
• waving your arms;
• shoulder twitching and so on.

It is difficult to list all possible motor obsessions; they are quite variable and individual. Some of them can be confused with nervous tics, but unlike tics, which are caused by automatic muscle contraction and cannot be controlled, obsessive movements can be suppressed (though not easily) through willpower.
In addition, as mentioned above, there are so-called protective rituals, which from the outside look like strange habits. For example, a child goes around all obstacles from a certain side, puts notebooks in a backpack only with his left hand, before going to bed, jumps on one leg a certain number of times, etc. The nature of such “rites” can be very complex.

Also, children suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder are characterized by a pathological desire for order and cleanliness (meaningless moving objects from place to place, frequent hand washing).

Obsessive movements (actions) are caused by psycho-emotional discomfort, they are aimed at calming anxiety.

Causes of obsessive movements

Shy, fearful, anxious-suspicious, overly impressionable, insecure children are predisposed to obsessive movements syndrome. The following factors can cause the development of neurosis:

• stress;
• chronic fatigue;
• psychological trauma (parental conflicts, dysfunctional family, loss loved one or pet, moving to a new place of residence, changing kindergarten or school, etc.);
• the appearance of another child in the family;
• dictatorial upbringing or, conversely, excessive permissiveness;
• excessive demands from parents and the inability to meet them;
• strict religious education;
• heredity;
• some diseases (tuberculosis, mononucleosis, viral hepatitis, measles)
• organic brain lesions;
• traumatic brain injury.

Diagnostics obsessive movement syndrome in children is based on complaints from parents and observation of the patient. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a neurological, psychiatric examination, as well as psychological testing.

Treatment of obsessive movement syndrome in a child

If you ignore “strange or bad habits” and do nothing, the quality of life of a child with obsessive movement disorder worsens. He can physically harm himself: scratch his hands until they bleed, tear out a clump of hair, etc. In addition, sooner or later moral exhaustion may occur, because living in constant anxiety and fear is very difficult for an adult, let alone a fragile child’s psyche. This state of affairs is fraught with nervous breakdowns, depression, problems with social adaptation, and isolation. Often a child becomes a hostage to his own rituals. Over time, they can grow, making life simply unbearable.

The difficulty of treating obsessive movement syndrome in children is that at an early age they are not able to adequately assess their condition. That is, an adult with obsessive-compulsive disorder in 80% of cases realizes the irrationality of his behavior, the meaninglessness and uselessness of his own rituals, understands that something is wrong with him, and sooner or later he goes to a specialist. The child cannot understand and analyze what is happening to him.

If you notice that your child often and involuntarily makes any movements (actions) or has strange habits, you need to carefully observe him and try to independently identify the reasons for such behavior. Very often, the cause of obsessive movement syndrome in children is parental conflicts. A child suffering from neurosis subconsciously tries to attract the attention of others to the problem he has. The most important thing is to identify the traumatic factor and eliminate it. First you need to set up psychological climate in the family, try to minimize conflict situations and provide the child with calm, comfortable living conditions. It is very important not to scold for obsessive movements, to remember that this is not self-indulgence, not a whim or a protest. This is a mental disorder, and the child needs help. In cases where parents are unable to find out on their own what is causing the child’s obsessive movements, they should immediately contact or.

To eliminate the syndrome of obsessive movements in children, psychologists at our Center use methods of play therapy, sand therapy, fairy tale therapy, and art therapy. In addition, parents must be consulted on creating a psychologically comfortable environment for the child in the family and, if necessary, correcting the parenting style (if these factors formed the basis of childhood neurosis). This approach helps to quickly relieve increased anxiety, neutralize the consequences of psychological trauma (if any), teach the child to cope with stress in a more constructive way, and increase adaptive resources. When receiving timely support from a specialist, obsessive movements syndrome is relieved in a short time and goes away without a trace.

It is during the period of preschool childhood that obsessive-compulsive syndrome can occur - a certain reaction of children to psychological trauma or various kinds of situations. The high susceptibility of preschool children to neuroses is largely explained by crisis manifestations: they arise as contradictions between the growing independence of the child and the biased attitude of adults towards him. The appearance of such conditions affects the child’s behavior and negatively affects his mental development. What can parents do to protect their preschooler from factors that traumatize his psyche?

Most childhood neuroses manifest themselves in preschool age, when the child enters the intermediate stage between childhood and independence. What causes influence the appearance of neuroses?

Parents simply must know the reasons that provoke the appearance of neurosis in children. The degree of its manifestations depends on the age of the child, the nature of the traumatic situation, and is also associated with the preschooler’s emotional response to it. Experts say that most often the reasons may be:

• various types of psychological trauma in the family and kindergarten;
• unfavorable environment (frequent quarrels between relatives, divorce of parents);
• mistakes in family education;
• change in the child’s usual lifestyle (new place of residence, transfer to another preschool institution);
• excessive physical or emotional stress on the child’s body;
• severe fear (how to treat fear in a child?).

This classification is quite arbitrary, since preschool children react differently to any psychological influence, but it is precisely these reasons, according to experts, that can influence changes in the psyche and behavior of children, and in the future - the manifestation of neurosis in them. If parents are attentive to their children, they will notice oddities in their behavior in time - this will make it possible to prevent neurosis or cope with it quite quickly. mild form.

Experts also draw the attention of parents that children of a special personality type are most susceptible to negativity: preschoolers with increased anxiety, with such characteristic features as suspiciousness, timidity, suggestibility, and touchiness. If excessive demands are placed on a child, then proud children who have a hard time experiencing their own failures are at risk.

How do you know that a child has a neurosis? What symptoms should parents be wary of? Psychologists warn that the manifestation of neuroses may be indicated by:

• frequently recurring anxiety thoughts;
• involuntary, repeated movement;
• complex behavioral actions, so-called.

The most common neurotic condition syndrome that causes obsessive thoughts is fear. The baby may be afraid of the dark, visiting kindergarten, the doctor, closed spaces, etc. At the same time, he often has thoughts that no one needs him, his parents don’t love him, and his peers don’t want to be friends with him.

In addition to obsessive thoughts, in preschool age repetitive actions often occur, which then develop into obsessive movement neurosis. In these cases, the child may often shake his hands, stomp his feet, and shake his head. If such a syndrome is present, he constantly sniffles, blinks his eyes rapidly, bites his nails, twirls his hair around his finger, and snaps his fingers. Sometimes preschoolers diligently engage in hygiene procedures: they wash their hands repeatedly, sniff deliberately, and then carefully wipe their nose, constantly adjusting their clothes and hair.

It is difficult to list all the symptoms in which obsessive movement neurosis is detected, since they can manifest themselves in each child individually. But adults should know them main feature – frequent involuntary execution.

In the most difficult cases, obsessive movements take the form of “rituals”, which are in the nature of a child’s defensive reaction to a traumatic factor. “Rituals” may consist of a constant series of obsessive movements. For example, experts know of a case of certain actions during preparation for bed, when the boy had to jump up the required number of times. Or the child may begin any actions only with certain manipulations - for example, he walks around objects exclusively from the left.

In addition to annoying obsessive movements, neuroses are usually accompanied by a general deterioration in the child’s health. So, often the baby becomes irritable, hysterical, whiny, he suffers from insomnia, often screams, cries at night. His appetite and performance deteriorate; he is lethargic and withdrawn. All this can affect relationships with the child’s immediate environment (adults, peers) and cause additional psychological trauma.

Even such a common and seemingly harmless action as nail biting is also a characteristic sign of a possible neurosis. The need for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders in children

There is no need to expect that the neurosis of obsessive movements in children will pass over time, since a dismissive attitude towards the child’s problems will only worsen his situation. A well-known specialist in child education and development, Dr. Komarovsky, speaks of the need to eliminate the causes of the syndrome of obsessive thoughts and movements. He points out that neuroses in preschoolers are not a disease, but a mental disorder, a lesion of the emotional sphere. Therefore, during the period of preschool childhood, parents are obliged to know the developmental features of preschoolers and the characteristics of age-related crises (for more details, see the article: how to behave during a crisis in children aged 8?). For adults who are attentive to their children, it is not difficult to notice the first signs of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (even something as simple as sniffling) and seek advice from a specialist. After examining the baby and identifying the causes of neurosis, a psychologist or psychoneurologist will prescribe further treatment.

Methods for the prevention and treatment of childhood neuroses have been sufficiently developed in medical practice, if treated in a timely manner, gives good results. In treatment, as a rule, personal and psychological characteristics baby: his temperament, level of mental development, features of emotional perception. Depending on the level of the disorder, the duration of therapeutic and psychological intervention takes different times.

For mild forms of neurosis, general strengthening exercises and psychotherapeutic techniques are used (play psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, which involves “meeting” the child with fear, autogenic training, art therapy). To restore the child’s mental and behavioral reactions, which are disturbed to varying degrees during neurosis, complex treatment is used, including medications and psychotherapeutic techniques.

Features of the technique are the use of certain techniques:

• modeling situations that frighten a child, when he “lives” his fear in order to relieve anxiety;
• to get rid of obsessive thoughts and movements, preschoolers are taught the ability to manage emotions, suppress anxiety, and cope with aggression;
• organizing useful communication (examples of behavior) with people around you, peers, parents, educators;
• consulting parents in order to eliminate the source of neurosis (building correct relationships in the family, correcting parenting methods);
• conducting psycho-gymnastics to correct the thoughts, emotions, and behavior of a preschooler.

To treat the consequences of neurosis, and subsequently prevent its manifestations in preschool children, joint work of specialists and parents is necessary. It is better if such prevention is organized from the very birth of the baby.

These types of pathologies are always associated with the emotional state of the child and are a disorder of the nervous system.

Neuroses can be provoked not only by pronounced factors, but also by situations that adults may consider insignificant.

Therapy for such conditions depends on individual clinical picture the state of the child’s health and the stage of progression of the pathology. We will talk about the treatment of obsessive movement neuroses in children in the article.

Can children have migraines? Find out about this from our article.

Description and characteristics

Neurosis is a collective name for a group of diseases accompanied by mental disorders.

The pathological process disrupts the somatic nervous system, causing autonomic dysfunction and problems of emotional etiology.

The disease is reversible and can develop against the background excessive worries, prolonged feelings of anxiety, increased fatigue and other factors that negatively affect the psyche.

The causes of neuroses in children can be numerous internal and external factors.

Provoke pathology the atmosphere in which the child is raised, stressful situations experienced and some congenital disorders associated with the performance of the nervous system.

The most common cause of neuroses is psychological trauma, occurring once or regularly.

Consequences of the negative impact of such a factor are fixed in the child for a long time and become the cause of a specific reaction not only to the stimulus, but also independently of it.

Reasons The following factors may contribute to the development of neuroses:

Read about correction of children with minimal brain dysfunction here.

In medical practice, neuroses are divided into many varieties, but only some of them can occur in childhood.

Most diseases have characteristic symptoms, but in some cases their symptoms may resemble bad habits.

For example, a separate type of neuroses are habitual pathological actions.

In this case, the child may rock his body when falling asleep or at any other time, bite his fingertips, irritate his genitals with his hands, bite his nails, or constantly pick at his hair.

Types of neuroses most often found in childhood:

1. Neurosis anxiety or fear(the child may be afraid to be alone, experience fear of the dark, in some cases these conditions are accompanied by impaired consciousness and the occurrence of hallucinations).
2. Neurasthenia or asthenic neurosis (the disease most often occurs in adolescents or school-age children, the pathology is accompanied by excessive fatigue, irritability and sleep disturbances in the child).
3. Neurotic encopresis(the disease is diagnosed in most cases in boys of preschool and school age, and is accompanied by involuntary bowel movements).
4. Neurotic enuresis (mental disorders accompanied by involuntary urination, which in most cases occurs mainly at night).
5. Anorexia nervosa (this pathology is one of the neuroses associated with critically impaired appetite in children; this condition can be provoked not only by psychological factors, but also excessive feeding of the baby in infancy).
6. Neurotic stuttering (the disease begins to manifest itself during the development of the child’s speech; its occurrence can be caused by numerous external and internal factors).
7. Hypochondriacal neurosis(the disease is most often diagnosed in adolescents, the pathology manifests itself in the form of fear of certain diseases and excessive concern of the child with his own health).
8. Neurotic tics(pathology can manifest itself at any age, but preschool boys are at risk).
9. Sleep disturbance neurotic type (the disease is accompanied by insomnia, talking in sleep, sleepwalking and other conditions).

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis is most often detected in children of preschool or primary school age.

This condition is accompanied by various types of phobias, movement disorders, increased excitability, autonomic and sensory disorders.

A feature of this disease is the combination of fears with certain motor abnormalities.

When fear arises The child can do the following::

• coughing;
• blinking eyes;
• imitation of a runny nose;
• nodding head;
• smacking;
• grinding of teeth;
• snapping fingers;
• twirling hair around a finger.

The manifestation of neurosis in a child depends on the form and stage of the disease. Each variety is characterized by certain signs.

If several alarming symptoms necessary in as soon as possible conduct an examination and establish the cause of the emerging psycho-emotional disorders.

Thanks to timely diagnosis of neurosis, the chances of a complete recovery for the little patient increase.

Symptoms of neurosis Children may have the following conditions:

Diagnosis of neuroses in children difficult due to the peculiarities of the emotional state of patients in this age category. For a long time, parents may mistake the signs of this disease for the whims of the child.

This factor causes not only late diagnosis of the disease, but also difficulties in its treatment.

If there is a suspicion of neurosis, specialists prescribe comprehensive examination for a small patient, which includes various procedures and additional consultation with specialized doctors.

At diagnostics neurosis in children, the following procedures are used:

• examination of the child by a speech therapist, neurologist and pediatrician;
• consultation with a psychiatrist, child psychologist and psychotherapist;
• psychological analysis of a child’s life;
• analysis of drawings;
• grade general condition health;
• conducting a conversation with parents.

Neuroses are not fatal dangerous diseases, but increase the risk of death of the child due to its unstable psyche.

The main consequences of diseases of this group are a serious violation of adaptive properties and depressive states. In childhood, neuroses can manifest themselves in the form of irritability or fear.

Gradually these states will escalate. In adulthood, they will turn into phobias and can cause excessive aggression towards others.

How to treat neurosis in children? Therapy for neuroses involves a combination of several techniques. The child must be prescribed sessions with a psychologist. Based on the clinical picture of the little patient’s health condition, the specialist selects certain treatment methods.

Drug therapy in most cases involves the use of restorative drugs, but in the presence of some diagnoses, specialists use potent medications.

You can supplement the course with traditional medicine.

Treatment of neuroses using psychotherapy techniques shows good results. The treatment regimen is selected on an individual basis. In some cases, psychologists conduct sessions not only with young patients, but also with their parents.

This need arises if the doctor identifies the causes of neurosis in the baby, related to his upbringing or social factors. The duration of treatment depends on the individual clinical picture of the child’s health condition.

Psychologists use the following techniques in the treatment of neuroses in children:

• individual psychotherapy;
• family psychotherapy;
• autogenic training;
• art therapy;
• hypnosis;
• group classes to improve a child’s communication skills.

Drug therapy for neuroses should be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist. Some medications, if used incorrectly, can reduce the effectiveness of other treatments used on the child.

For example, antidepressants are not prescribed if it is possible to control the baby’s condition through sessions with a psychologist.

Tranquilizers are used only in advanced stages of neuroses.

For neuroses, the child may be prescribed the following: drugs:

• products from the herbal medicine category (valerian tincture, adding soothing oils and tinctures to the bath when bathing);
• drugs for general strengthening child's body(vitamin complexes, potassium and calcium based products, vitamins C and B);
• antidepressants (Sonapax, Elenium);
• tranquilizers (Seduxen, Trioxazine);
• nootropic drugs (Nootropil, Piracetam).

The use of folk remedies in the treatment of neuroses in children must be agreed with your doctor. When selecting alternative medicine recipes, it is important to exclude the presence of allergies or food intolerance to individual components in the baby.

Folk remedies are not used as the main method of treating neuroses. The main purpose of their use is additional beneficial effects on the mental state of a small patient.

Examples of folk remedies used in the treatment of neuroses:

In the treatment of neuroses in children good results have techniques such as animal assisted therapy, play therapy and fairy tale therapy. In the first case, contact with cats, dogs, horses or dolphins has a beneficial effect on the baby’s psyche.

Animals are able to develop certain qualities in a child, a desire to take care of them and, as a result, an increase in their self-esteem. The methods of games and fairy tales have similar properties.

Additionally, the following can be used in the treatment of neuroses: procedures:

• hypnosis;
• electrophoresis;
• electrosleep.

Treatment of neuroses in children can take a long time. The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on the behavior of the parents.

If doctors' orders are followed, but errors in upbringing are not corrected, then the little patient's condition will only be alleviated temporarily. Elimination of neurosis of any type - joint work of doctors and parents.

In most cases, the causes of neuroses lie in the mistakes of parents when raising children or creating certain living conditions for them.

Prevention of this pathology involves concrete actions from adults. Parents must be aware of the degree of responsibility and control their own behavior.

Frequent quarrels in the family, constant punishment of children or low self-esteem are common causes of neuroses, but excessive care of children can also provoke them.

Prevention measures neuroses in children are the following recommendations:

1. Avoiding overprotection of the child and imposing your own fears on him.
2. If there is a suspicion that a child is developing any form of neurosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
3. Timely and complete treatment of somatic diseases in children.
4. Preventing excessive mental and physical activity, inappropriate for the child’s age.
5. Developing patience and endurance in a child from a very early age.
6. Raising a child in a calm atmosphere and favorable living conditions.
7. Carefully thinking through the tactics of raising a child (eliminating aggressiveness, excessive punishment and reducing the child’s self-esteem from a very early age).

Most neuroses in childhood can be cured, but only if there is timely diagnosis And complex treatment illness under the supervision of specialists. The sooner parents undergo the examination, the greater the chance of favorable prognosis.

Neuroses are much easier to prevent than to eliminate, so parents need to create the most comfortable living conditions for their children. Otherwise, the existing pathology will remain uncured and lead to complications.

How to recognize the first signs systemic neuroses in children? Find out from the video:

Obsessive movement syndrome in a child

Main causes

Main symptoms

Obsessive movement syndrome in children aged 1-3 years

Obsessive movement syndrome in children 3-6 years of age

Obsessive movement syndrome at 7 years and older

Treatment options

Latest materials in the section:

• Obsessive movement syndrome in a child
• Main causes
• Main symptoms
• Obsessive movement syndrome in children aged 1-3 years
• Obsessive movement syndrome in children 3-6 years of age
• Obsessive movement syndrome at 7 years and older
• Treatment options
• Comments
• Treatment of obsessive movement syndrome in children: advice for parents
• Drug treatment
• Non-drug treatment
• Correct behavior of parents
• How to react to obsessive movements?
• Psychotherapy
• Methods of child psychotherapy
• Obsessive movement neurosis in children
• Causes and risk group
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Obsessive movement syndrome in children
• What are the types of obsessive movements in children?
• Causes of obsessive movements in children
• Diagnosis of obsessive movements in children
• Treatment methods for obsessive movements in children
• Some advice for parents
• Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder neurosis in children
• Causes of neurosis
• Symptoms of obsessive movement neurosis in children
• Treatment
• Behavioral therapy
• Drug treatment
• Treatment with folk remedies
• Prevention of obsessive movement neurosis
• Some features of the prevention of neuroses
• Komarovsky about obsessive movement neurosis in children
• Obsessive movements and conditions in children: causes of the syndrome, treatment of neurosis
• What causes influence the appearance of neuroses?
• Symptoms of neuroses in children
• "Ritual" obsessive movements
• The need to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder in children
• Prevention and treatment of childhood neuroses

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In infancy, problems with urination are easily solved by a diaper. The baby stays in it at night and periodically during the day. High-quality diapers keep the delicate cat dry for a long time.

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Source: movements in children - “bad” habits or a disease?

Obsessive movements in children - “bad” habits or a disease?

Some parents are faced with the fact that their children develop strange, inexplicable and very stable habitual actions. These strange “habits” can appear suddenly or develop gradually. First, one element of the action appears, repeats for a while, then another, a third joins it... Parents begin to sound the alarm when these strange, unusual and without any rational explanation “habits” become noticeable to others or interfere with the child’s ability to study and communicate in the nursery. garden or perform normal daily activities.

One of the difficulties for parents is that there is no specific description of these “habits.” Each child has their own. Parents wonder “what is this”? Is it the costs of upbringing, the child’s strange inclinations or illness? Let me give you a few examples.

Girl, 5 years old. At the age of 4 years, 8 months. she flatly refused to wear a hat. As the temperature outside changed (the onset of autumn and winter), the problem worsened. Every time I put on a hat or any other headdress, there is a hysteria that does not stop even if the parents insist and dress the child and take him outside. On the street, constant attempts to take off the hat, incessant crying, falling to the ground, etc. The girl calms down and “forgets” only after a 2-3 hour walk. But every next time you go outside, everything repeats all over again.

Boy, 11 years old. First came the fear of the dark. I was afraid to go to bed if the lights were off. Then this fear was joined by the fear of the toilet room. Avoids going into the bathroom alone. He agrees to go in and relieve himself only in the presence of his father. He may not go to the toilet for a long time or asks to be given a potty... The child cannot explain what exactly he is afraid of. No amount of parental persuasion helps the child cope with fear. The parents’ attempts not to succumb to their son’s “manipulation” led to the boy relieving himself in his pants….

A. girl, 10 years old. Contacted us regarding school problems. For several months the girl has been trying to avoid going to school under various pretexts. In the mornings he is sick or runs away from classes. The reason for this behavior was the obsessive sounds that the girl makes. With some periodicity, A. shouts out a drawn-out “Eeeee.” After this she seems scared and depressed, but after a while she makes the same sound again. According to my mother, this feature appeared about six months ago. At first they didn’t pay attention, they thought that it was an ordinary children’s game and would go away on its own. But A. made sounds not only when she played alone, but also while eating or when the whole family was watching TV. No attempts to persuade A. not to do this were successful. Since this behavior continued during school lessons, this led to the fact that classmates began not only to tease A., but also to use physical force - they pushed her both during lessons and during breaks, tore her notebooks, etc.

Faced with similar features behavior in children, most parents first turn to neurologists. Most often, no developmental abnormalities or pathologies are found in such children. Sometimes neurologists prescribe sedatives. But, in the vast majority of cases, the effect of taking medications is either not persistent or completely absent.

So what is it? AND what should parents do, if their child develops compulsive behaviors?

Sustained obsessive actions that are practically not amenable to volitional control and correction may indicate obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (obsessions are more obsessive than thoughts, compulsions are obsessions in the motor sphere). Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children can manifest itself not only in the “strange” habits or fears described above, but also in the form of tics, simple and complex. Simple tics include blinking, twitching of the head and shoulders, and vocalizations (vocal tics). Complex tics include obsessive actions in the form of touching individual parts of the body in a certain sequence, bending and straightening the fingers, jumping, etc.

Children with such developmental features are characterized by the appearance of rituals - a logical chain of actions that must be performed. This could be a simple ritual in the form of laying out clothes or objects in a certain sequence, a ritual of washing or getting ready for school. Or it can be a rather complex chain of actions, not always of a rational nature - performing a sequence of certain actions before going outside or before going to bed (for example, walking around a chair three times, then sitting on it for 1 minute and walking around it again, but already in reverse side). If a child fails to perform usual actions or rituals, tension, anxiety, and even panic increases.

The next category of conditions characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder are obsessive doubts and obsessive fears, such as the fear that something might happen to parents, the fear of getting some kind of disease, the fear of infection.

The causes of such disorders most often include constitutional (congenital) personality characteristics. Researchers most often point to the congenital hypersensitivity of such children, which leads to pronounced fearfulness and the formation of anxiety as a personality trait. Recently they have started talking about possible role streptococcal infections, since in some cases the disorder occurred after an illness.

Since it is the case increased sensitivity, then to provoke the onset of a disorder in such children, stress that is barely noticeable to the people around them is sufficient. It is because of this that the appearance of “oddities” in a child’s behavior seems unrelated to any events to adults. However, the initial “trigger moment” is always present.

In the last fifteen years, the attitude towards this disorder has changed in world practice. If it was previously believed that obsessive-compulsive disorder was quite rare, it is now known that the prevalence of this disorder is quite high, but its diagnosis is difficult due to the fact that children, adolescents and adults hide their symptoms because they are aware of their unusualness, “ strangeness” and are afraid of the reaction of people around them.

It should be noted that not all repetitive behaviors are truly signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is especially important to consider the age of the child. Often, at the age of 5–6 years, children develop obsessive actions that are “suggested” in nature - the child could see and “pick up” some action, gesture or grimace. Such “instilled” habits go away on their own or are easily amenable to psychological correction.

In general, the prognosis for obsessive-compulsive disorder is disappointing. According to researchers, only a small minority of children recover after 2 to 3 years. In most children, symptoms are persistent not only throughout childhood, but also persist into adulthood. In addition, the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder are not limited to obsessive actions or tics - as a rule, there are specific features of thinking and the formation of personality structure.

What treatment methods are there? Of course, there is drug therapy that a psychiatrist can prescribe. But, again, only a small number of children get rid of symptoms. When drug treatment has exhausted itself, parents turn to psychologists. The main treatment method is behavioral therapy, which produces a noticeable effect. It is advisable that a therapy program for a child be developed and conducted by a specialist who not only specializes in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders, but also knows how to work with children. The treatment program is specific for each age and how younger child, the more difficult it is, often, to help him.

Obviously, therapy for such disorders cannot be short-term.

Many parents are faced with the problem of finding a specialist and, importantly, financial issue. Visiting a psychologist for several months is quite expensive. What recommendations can be given to parents if there is no opportunity to seek qualified help?

The first thing to remember if your child has the above symptoms is that such children need the most supportive family environment possible to reduce anxiety levels. The high level of basic anxiety characteristic of these children is often the basis for the onset of symptoms, and even minor stress can negate the results obtained.

Parents should not focus on symptoms, much less punish their child for them. The best strategy is distraction. At the moment when the child begins habitual obsessive actions, try to switch his attention to something else; it is desirable that what the parents switch the child’s attention to is a strong enough impression that can “capture” the child’s attention and hold it for some time.

A regime of activity and rest is important. Adequate sleep and sufficient activity are in themselves factors that improve mental and physical health children, and in the case of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder act as one of the most important conditions. Activity helps relieve and neutralize excess tension that accumulates due to a child’s high anxiety. By the way, parents do not always notice a high level of anxiety in a child, because they do not know what exactly is a child’s normal reactions and what indicates an increase in the level of anxiety.

For those parents who have enough time to work independently with their child to overcome the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, I can offer a course (www.b17.ru/courses/help_your_child/), which provides methods for working with children and gives instructions, How to independently conduct therapy with a child aimed at getting rid of obsessive actions and fears in a child.

In conclusion, I would like to say that despite the fact that obsessive-compulsive disorder is recognized as difficult to treat and prone to a chronic or recurrent course, the most dangerous thing is to “not notice” the problem. All researchers note that with the therapy, the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, if they persist, are significantly less severe and tend to expand. If a child or teenager is left “alone” with their problem, the symptoms may become more severe and expand - new obsessive actions are added to existing obsessive actions, and the tendency to obsessive thinking worsens.

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Comments

The problem of OCD in children is indeed becoming more pressing. It should be borne in mind that the child’s psyche is very mobile and timely contact with a specialist can successfully correct this condition and return the child to normal life.

On the other hand, many parents are not ready to understand that this is a long-term therapy and, at the first symptoms of improvement, end therapy too early, not understanding the importance of consolidating the result.

Maybe someday society’s attitude towards mental health will change and neither parents of children nor adult clients will have to be persuaded to consolidate the results of therapy.

someday society’s attitude towards mental health will change and neither parents of children nor adult clients will have to be persuaded to consolidate the results of therapy

Good time! At 2 and 8 it is too early to talk about a diagnosis such as OCD. But you need to observe - if similar symptoms continue to appear, it is better not to start it, but to immediately contact a specialist.

Source: Obsessive Movement Syndrome in Children: Advice for Parents

Obsessive movements in children, which have developed into a full-fledged syndrome, are a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive neurosis. The occurrence of these movements indicates that the child has a problem that he cannot voice. Most often, the child does not realize the roots of his experiences and cannot understand what is happening to him. The child can also react with obsessive movements to problems that the parents have. It is useless to ask the baby why and why he endlessly repeats the same movement - he does not know the answer.

The appearance of obsessive movements in children is a signal that the whole family needs correction. The child, as the youngest and weakest member of the family, is the first to react to family troubles. A timely visit to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist will not only help maintain the baby’s health, but also help parents better understand each other.

• head jerking;
• "sniff;
• twirling hair on a finger;
• twisting buttons;
• nail biting;
• snapping fingers;
• shoulder lift;
• waving of hands;
• friction of the earlobes.

Obsessions can be more complex: rituals when washing hands, walking around furniture on one side, blowing on the palm, swinging a leg bent at the knee, etc.

Obsessions help the child relieve internal tension, captivate and push the cause of their occurrence into the background.

A fashionable spinner toy is nothing more than satisfying the need of nervous children and infantile teenagers for stereotypical movements that create the illusion of peace.

Drug treatment

Medicines for obsessive movement neurosis in children are of auxiliary value. They improve blood supply, nutrition and metabolism in nerve cells, calm, prolong sleep, but do not completely solve the problem. Medicines are used as a temporary measure to relieve internal tension, reduce moodiness and irritability.

The following groups of drugs are used:

• nootropics, especially those that normalize the processes of excitation and inhibition - Pantogam, Glycine;
• vitamin complexes with an increased content of group B, improving the myelination of nervous tissue - Kinder Biovital, Vitrum Junior, Jungle, Alphabet, Vitamishki, Multi-Tabs, Pikovit;
• vegetable sedatives– Persen, Tenoten for children, herbal teas – Hipp, Bayu-bai, Evening Tale, Phytosedan, Calm-ka, Calming for children;
• homeopathic medicines – Nervohel, Shalun, Notta, Baby-Sed, Hare, Dormikind.

Truly psychotropic drugs - Phenibut, Sonapax, Sibazon, Tazepam - are prescribed only by a doctor for a short course. Medicines are prescribed by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, taking into account the general somatic condition of the child. It is important to select age-appropriate, safe dosages that will not interfere with the baby’s development.

Non-drug treatment

There are no specific methods of non-medicinal influence on obsessive movements in children. You can use physiotherapeutic methods that reduce general excitability - electric sleep or exposure of the brain to a weak pulse current and others like that, but they will bring a temporary effect.

At home, you can use baths with decoctions of medicinal herbs - mint, lavender, lemon balm, and add sea salt. Everything that strengthens the nervous system is useful - fresh food rich in microelements and vitamins, walks in the fresh air, sea swimming, sunbathing.

Correct behavior of parents

The basis of recovery, without which it is impossible to move the situation forward. There are several important rules:

1. Parents are to blame for everything that happens to young children. By endlessly scolding and punishing the child, parents admit their pedagogical impotence and confirm a complete misunderstanding of the child’s inner world.
2. A friendly atmosphere is the best doctor.
3. Clearly established boundaries of behavior are the key to a child’s good character. It is difficult to find something more destructive to the child’s psyche than vague demands, when what is not allowed today is permitted tomorrow. Parents must always allow and prohibit the same things, otherwise instead of a healthy and calm child, they end up with a hysterical manipulator.
4. Sincere interest in the child's life. Children sense falsehood very subtly, and trying to buy them off with toys, trips and indulgences always backfires. All a child needs for proper development is the love of his parents and spending time with them. A child’s resentment towards a friend, the experience of a parent’s divorce for a child seems to be a universal tragedy, since it destroys his fragile world. Parents must go through all the difficult moments of development together with the child, otherwise there will be no trust and open relationship.
5. Joint leisure. Free time, spent together with parents and devoted to interesting activities, allows everyone to get to know and understand each other better. A child is a person who needs to be guided along the right path. An interesting activity can be anything - baking a pie, fishing with dad, changing a tire, going to the park, reading, drawing or any craft.

How to react to obsessive movements?

Exactly the same as for stuttering - ignore with all behavior. As Dr. Komarovsky rightly says, with obsessive movement neurosis in children there is no tumor, no inflammation, no vascular problems in the nervous system. Such neurosis is a psycho-emotional disorder that arose in response to a traumatic situation. This is a reversible condition that stops once its cause is eliminated.

When a child has obsessive movements, you need to immediately contact a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, and until then pretend that nothing special is happening. You should not reprimand or reprimand your child, much less punish him. The attention of parents only reinforces such movements and makes them more desirable.

You can try to distract your baby with food, play, or a walk. You should not discuss the baby’s characteristics with friends or relatives, especially in his presence. Everything said by the parents is stored in the child’s memory and consciousness; such conversations will only delay recovery.

Psychotherapy

The main way to get rid of obsessive movement neurosis in a child. The psychotherapist analyzes the family situation in detail and reveals all the hidden problems. One of the problems that led to the child’s illness may come to light:

• cruel treatment;
• overly strict parenting;
• pedagogical neglect, when the child is left to his own devices and no one is involved in his development;
• parental alcoholism;
• mental disorders in parents and close relatives;
• psychological and moral trauma;
• fear or emotional overload;
• intra-family conflicts;
• parents' rejection of the child's gender;
• the birth of a baby from an unloved person;
• moving to another city, region or home;
• the child’s rejection of his stepmother or stepfather;
• aversion to having younger children;
• conflict in a children's team.

The range of problems leading to the development of obsessive movement neurosis in children is diverse and determined by the specific situation. In this case, the psychotherapist acts as an objective mirror in which each of the participants in family relationships can see themselves from the outside and have the opportunity to correct behavior and the way they respond.

Methods of child psychotherapy

Non-directive play psychotherapy is most often used to treat childhood obsessive movement neuroses. After the child gets used to the doctor, a third participant is introduced into communication - a toy that cannot cope with its hands (eyes, fingers, neck, legs). The disorder that worries the child is imitated. During the game, the baby opens up and identifies the problems that caused the motor obsession.

The peculiarities of the child’s psyche - naivety and spontaneity - make it possible to project the most painful moments of communication with parents, other adults or peers onto the game. This transfer goes unnoticed by the child, and provides the doctor with extensive information about what is really going on in the baby’s soul.

Family psychotherapy brings excellent results when pedagogical mistakes and their consequences for the child’s health are explained to each family member individually. In this case, the psychotherapist plays the role of an impartial commentator, tactfully inviting adults to look at their mistakes from the outside.

Schoolchildren greatly benefit from adaptive techniques that overcome communication problems and difficulties. Such techniques are especially important when changing the children's team and for removing the child from the position of a victim.

Behavioral therapy is widely used to help children assert themselves by channeling natural desires into socially acceptable directions. The method of emotive imagination perfectly helps to overcome various fears, when a child takes the place of a favorite hero and copes with all difficulties in his image.

Through the joint efforts of the family, it is usually possible to cure obsessive movement neurosis in children.

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Children of preschool and primary school age often develop disorders of central nervous activity, which are caused by long-term stress that arises against the background of conflicts in the children's team or within the family. Obsessive movement syndrome means pathological condition, which is characterized by repeated involuntary movements that the child cannot control.

For some babies, these movements may be short-term in nature, and for some they become a habit. If parents of a child of preschool and primary school age are faced with this syndrome, they should familiarize themselves with the potential factors for the occurrence of the pathology, as well as methods of combating nervous disorder.

Causes and risk group

The risk group for the incidence of this syndrome includes those children who are daily exposed to stress of varying degrees of intensity. Since each baby’s body is individual, the consequences of a nervous shock experienced by the baby can be unforeseen.

In addition, children of preschool and primary school age exhibit immaturity of the nervous system, as a result of which the child is not able to fully cope with a negative emotional blow. The main reasons for the formation of this syndrome in children include:

1. Psychological traumas of various origins. Even if the current situation is not a problem for an adult, for a child of preschool and primary school age it can turn into a real psychological drama. Medical experts identify a pattern between the development of the syndrome and the baby’s tendency to hysterical behavior or depressive states. The psycho-emotional state of a child at any age is influenced by the situation in the family circle, so parents need to take care of creating a comfortable psychological microclimate;
2. Another potential cause of this neurological disorder in childhood is a sudden change in life routine or environment. Disorders of nervous activity often occur when changing preschool institutions or schools, as well as when moving to a new home. Spoiled children who rarely hear the word “no” from their parents are predisposed to this condition;
3. Hereditary predisposition to diseases of the nervous system or psyche plays an important role in the appearance of this syndrome in a child. If one of the parents had a disorder of psycho-emotional activity in childhood, then with a certain degree of probability a similar problem will befall the child.

Symptoms

Due to lack of knowledge and experience, many parents find it difficult to recognize the syndrome in their child. In addition, an inexperienced parent may mistake this condition for a manifestation of other somatic pathologies. One of the diseases with which this syndrome is often confused is the so-called nervous tic, which is an involuntary contraction of muscle fibers. This symptom is easy to notice when a child’s facial muscles twitch, and it does not depend on the child’s psychological state.

• Frequent blinking;
• Habit of biting nails;
• Grinding of teeth;
• Habit of snapping fingers;
• Twitching of the upper or lower lip;
• Frequent turning of the head;
• Curling hair around a finger, pen or pencil;
• Unreasonable coughing;
• Smacking;
• Exercising hand swings.

In addition, the child may have the habit of pulling out hair on his head, blowing on his hands before sitting at the table, and making other involuntary movements. Main hallmark This syndrome from other neurological disorders is the minute-by-minute regular repetition of one of the listed movements. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to injury to the child, damage to clothing or property.

Before contacting a medical specialist for qualified help, the baby’s parents should observe the child and make sure that the baby suffers from obsessive movement syndrome. If the child’s psycho-emotional state is associated with certain problems within the family, then parents need to create the most comfortable psychological conditions for the child.

After the child is examined by a child psychiatrist and receives consultation from a psychologist, he will be prescribed appropriate drug therapy, which includes antidepressants and sedatives.

Parents of a child are strictly prohibited from independently selecting medications and treatment regimens for their child, since such experiments will lead to a deterioration in general well-being and the development of additional diseases. During the selection drug therapy medical specialists they try to choose those groups and names of medicines that will not cause apathy and drowsiness in the child.

The list of commonly used medications for obsessive movement syndrome includes the following medications:

The listed medications have a gentle effect on the child’s body, restoring the functioning of the central nervous system and normalizing the balance between the processes of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex. Antidepressant drugs are used for severe course obsessive movement syndrome. They can only be taken with a doctor's prescription. In the initial stage of development of neurological disorders, the child is advised to study with a psychologist, normalize lifestyle and nutrition, as well as correct the surrounding emotional background.

You can help a child of preschool and primary school age cope with chronic nervous tension at home, if we are talking about the initial stage of obsessive movements syndrome. To this end, you need to use the following tips:

• To normalize the psycho-emotional state and improve sleep, give the child 1 tbsp daily at night. l. honey, previously dissolved in 250 ml of warm water. And how to improve the sleep of an infant up to a year, you will learn in the article at the link: you need to mix equal parts of motherwort herb, valerian roots, lemon balm herb, hawthorn fruits and calendula flowers. 1 tbsp. l. A spoonful of the resulting mixture is poured with 300 ml of boiling water and left in a thermos for 2 hours. The finished product is filtered and given to the child 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day, regardless of meals;
• A warm bath with the addition of a decoction of mint and lavender helps you calm down before bed. You can also use pine needles and make a pine bath for babies. Ready-made mixtures for preparing bath additives can be purchased at pharmacies or herbal pharmacies.

Children prone to emotional instability need sports, drawing, clay modeling, dancing and other types of active activities.

Source: obsessive movements in children

Obsessive movement syndrome in children is a disorder provoked by severe emotional shock and manifested by a series of unmotivated, repetitive actions. The pathology can persist for a long period, and if its course is unfavorable, some obsessive movements are often replaced by others, more complex. Sometimes the disorder is a manifestation of compulsion (obsessive-compulsive syndrome), a symptom general violation development or nervous tic.

What are the types of obsessive movements in children?

Actions for this syndrome can be very varied, but the most common include:

• Thumb sucking;
• Frequent wiping and sniffing;
• Nail biting;
• Teeth grinding (bruxism);
• Nodding head;
• Swinging of limbs or monotonous swaying of the whole body;
• Skin picking;
• Twitching of the genitals (in boys);
• Unreasonable, prolonged hand washing;
• Pulling out hair, twirling strands around a finger, etc.

Compulsive movements in children are generally harmless, do not cause serious concern, and are considered a natural part of development. Most often, the syndrome goes away over time without medical intervention.

Causes of obsessive movements in children

Unlike tics, which are often neurotic in nature, the causes of obsessive movements in children are purely psychological. Repetitive actions may be due to:

• Acute psychotrauma of short-term impact;
• Prolonged stay in an emotionally unfavorable situation.

Children from disadvantaged families who constantly live in a state of tension are most susceptible to this disorder. The prerequisite for the development of obsessive movements syndrome may be frequent scandals and quarrels between parents, a dictatorial (demanding, unreasonably strict) or permissive parenting style, excessive guardianship or an indifferent attitude towards the child. In addition, the occurrence of such a disorder is often associated with changes in way of life and routine: change of place of residence, admission to kindergarten or school, etc. These reasons often cause stress, especially in spoiled children, as well as children with a weak type of nervous system.

The likelihood of developing pathology is slightly higher in children who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. At risk are children with a history of neuroinfections, infectious diseases (including tuberculosis), chronic pathologies internal organs(childhood rheumatism, heart disease, etc.). All these diseases lead to exhaustion of the nervous system, reduce the body’s protective functions, and as a result, even a seemingly trivial situation can turn out to be a difficult ordeal for a weakened child.

Diagnosis of obsessive movements in children

In cases where the syndrome of obsessive movements is pronounced, leads to injury or interferes with the child’s normal activity, it is advisable to consult a specialist for additional examination. There are no specific tests or tests to diagnose this condition, but your doctor will be able to rule out others. possible violations and pathology.

Severe obsessive movement syndrome often develops in children with delayed intellectual development, but it can also occur in an absolutely healthy child. The disease most often affects boys, and the appearance of the first symptoms is possible at any age. At the same time, systematically repeated monotonous movements may indicate the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder, trichotillomania or Tourette's syndrome.

Despite the great similarity, obsessive movements in children usually appear before two years of age, while Tourette's syndrome develops at 6-7 years of age. Unlike the tics characteristic of the latter, obsessive movements are repeated longer and can intensify if the child is stressed or nervous. It is noteworthy that this kind of repetitive movements often does not bother the patient at all, while motor and vocal tics become a cause for complaint.

Treatment methods for obsessive movements in children

With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, obsessive movements in children go away without a trace. The most effective is considered to be a combination of drug therapy from a neurologist and psychotherapeutic sessions from a child psychologist. It is worth noting that stopping repeated actions is not a reason to cancel treatment, since neurotic symptoms tend to alternately fade and resume. The duration of therapy for obsessive movements ranges from 6 months to several years.

React to intrusive movements calmly but carefully. Take this as the child’s desire to tell you something, because in essence it is so. Let your child know that you notice his actions, but don't make a big deal out of it. If he doesn't withdraw into himself, gently ask him what's wrong. Explain that this can happen to anyone who is very tired, nervous, or wants to say something but is afraid. Do not scold the child, especially in front of strangers, do not focus on his actions, and especially do not make excuses for such behavior in front of people - excess attention only helps to perpetuate the symptom. Praise your child more often and feed his self-confidence.

Ignoring is also not a solution; It’s more reasonable to try to distract the baby, to switch his attention to something else: ask for help, assign an important task. Before making an appointment with a psychologist, discuss the situation with your child and ask what he thinks about it. Sometimes a heart-to-heart conversation is enough for the tension to subside and all problems to go away on their own.

Text: Marina Kulitskaya

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Source: obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

Obsessive neurosis often occurs in children of different age groups. A fragile child's psyche cannot successfully deal with disturbing factors. Currently, life is full of different events and carries a lot of information, which can contribute to the occurrence of chronic stress in both adults and children. Obsessive-compulsive neurosis in children often manifests itself in the form of obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

Causes of neurosis

It is impossible to successfully cure neurosis without identifying the negative factors that caused it. It is believed that the development of neurosis in children is due to three main reasons.

Psychological, characterized by insufficient coherence of the processes of inhibition and excitation in the cerebral cortex, as well as the characteristics of the baby’s temperament:

• If a child is choleric, then restrictions that interfere with motor activity and free expression of emotions are contraindicated. This may lead to him becoming even more active. All this can contribute to the development of neurosis.
• If your child is phlegmatic, then attempts to speed up his actions can also lead to the development of neurosis. At the same time, the baby will slow down his actions even more, become withdrawn and stubborn.
• The development of obsessive movement neurosis can be facilitated by circumstances that traumatize the child’s psyche.

Biological causes: hereditary predisposition, past illnesses, insufficient sleep, mental and physical stress.

Social reasons such as:

• mother's coldness;
• difficulties communicating with the father;
• difficulties in getting the baby accustomed to kindergarten;
• parental divorce;
• family quarrels;
• non-compliance with the daily routine;
• stress that accompanies a change in environment.

The baby perceives obsessive movements as voluntary; in fact, these movements are unconscious and are made with the aim of easing internal anxiety. However, the anxiety subsides for a short time, and the obsessive movements return again and become more persistent. All this contributes to the emergence of a vicious circle and the appearance of obsessions more often every time.

Symptoms of obsessive movement neurosis in children

The presence of obsessive movement neurosis in children is evidenced by frequently repeated actions such as:

• twisting buttons;
• nail biting;
• blinking;
• washing hands too often;
• licking lips;
• twitching of arms, shoulders;
• constantly repeated tugging of clothing.

Sometimes these movements take the form of bizarre rituals. Children can only walk around objects they encounter on the right or left. There are times when a “little one” begins to jump before going to bed and at the same time does a certain number of jumps. By this he protects himself from the fear of being in the dark.

There are many other obsessive movements that are logically impossible to explain, and the repetition of which children themselves are not able to cope with. Such movements do not disappear without appropriate treatment.

Along with this, neurosis is almost always accompanied by poor appetite, decreased performance, insomnia, and tearfulness. A child with obsessive movement neurosis is often teased by his peers, and this further traumatizes the child’s psyche.

Treatment

Obsessive movement neurosis in children cannot be left without appropriate treatment. Before contacting a doctor, parents are advised to take a closer look at their baby and try to determine the cause of the unusual behavior. If it is not possible to find out, then it is necessary to bring him to a psychologist, sometimes the help of a psychotherapist is required.

The following treatment methods are used:

Behavioral therapy

It is considered the main method of treatment, the features of which are:

• learning the ability to get rid of internal anxiety, which helps to wean oneself from obsessive actions;
• creating a situation in which the child, under the control of a psychologist, encounters something that frightens him - this helps to eliminate the anxious state and delay the exacerbation of the disease;
• interaction between the psychotherapist and the child’s parents during treatment in order to identify the source of anxiety and eliminate it, as well as to improve family relationships and correct parenting methods;
• There are cases when children with symptoms of neurosis have no idea how certain actions are performed normally - clear examples from mother and father, teachers, and peers can help resolve this problem.

Drug treatment

In very advanced cases of obsessive movement neurosis in children, treatment will be required with medications that have a sedative and antidepressant effect, such as:

These drugs are prescribed by a doctor. They cannot be used independently, since they have different effects on the central nervous system.

Treatment with folk remedies

In the treatment of childhood neurosis of obsessive movements, folk remedies are used in addition to the main therapy. A doctor's consultation is required. The following have a calming effect:

Decoctions of motherwort, valerian, lemon balm.

Infusion of oat grains. It is prepared in this way: you need to take half a kilogram of raw material, rinse it, then add one liter of water. Boil over low heat until the grains are half cooked. After this, strain the infusion and add a teaspoon of honey. Give your baby 1 glass daily.

Honey water. To prepare it, mix a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water. Give your child a drink before he goes to bed. Relieves insomnia, relieves irritability.

Taking a bath before bed with the addition of mint, lavender, and sea salt helps a lot.

Carry out activities to promote health:

• spend more time in nature with him;
• in summer, let your baby run barefoot;
• turn on the music - let him dance;
• Give paper, pencils, and paints more often so that he can draw more;
• read fairy tales before bed, which greatly distracts from negative thoughts;
• arrange holidays for the child - they bring joy and relieve anxiety;
• Cook together with your baby some food that he loves.

All this really helps him throw out negative energy.

Features of parental behavior with obsessive neurosis:

• you need to devote more time and attention to your child;
• try to find out what is bothering the baby and try to eliminate it;
• you cannot reproach him for obsessive movements; instead, you need to talk to him about the disturbing situation;
• never scold for obsessive movements;
• try to gently limit the time you use the computer and watch TV, and switch the child’s attention to some other interesting activity.

Prevention of obsessive movement neurosis

Measures to prevent the occurrence of neurosis should be carried out both with healthy children and with children who have recovered from neurosis. Children may not remember the psychological trauma that caused the development of the pathological process. But they remain in the subconscious and lead to obsessive states.

Therefore, it is very important to identify negative factors and their timely elimination. A child’s psyche is not the same as that of adults - it has not yet formed, and it is very difficult for children to resist disturbing situations.

In this regard, he must be taught to cope with stress. This is achieved by proper upbringing of the baby from birth:

1. It is necessary to instill in him such qualities as the ability to overcome difficulties, not to panic in danger, and teach patience and endurance.
2. From early childhood, you need to teach your child to follow the rules of hygiene, to be neat and tidy - this should become his habit.
3. It is necessary to raise a child to be persistent and hardworking.
4. Get used to physical education and sports.

If the baby learns these qualities, this will protect him from stress and associated painful disorders of the nervous system.

Some features of the prevention of neuroses

Parents and teachers must have proper contact with their child:

1. It is necessary to create a trusting relationship so that the child can always turn to his parents with any question. This will prevent prolonged stress from occurring.
2. It is necessary to praise the child adequately for his achievements, since an overly enthusiastic attitude will lead to the fact that the child will constantly expect praise, and in the absence of it will become offended. It is also impossible to belittle successes.
3. If he needs to be limited in something or even prohibited from doing something, it is necessary to explain to him the reasons for this.
4. To prevent your child from becoming uninitiative, you cannot remind him of his shortcomings all the time.

Komarovsky about obsessive movement neurosis in children

E.O. Komarovsky is a famous pediatrician, writer, and has extensive work experience. The most famous is his book “The Health of the Child and the Common Sense of His Relatives.” Komarovsky has a great advantage - the ability to clearly explain to any mother how to maintain the health of a child given by nature.

Komarovsky's basic principles are very simple:

• dress the child according to the weather;
• play outdoor games with him in the fresh air, which promotes a good appetite;
• if the baby does not want to eat, do not force him;
• temper the child, walk with him in the fresh air more often;
• Maintain the temperature at home no more than 22 degrees.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, obsessive movement neurosis is a mental disorder and is not a disease. No organic changes are observed with it. The main reason for the development of neurosis is a factor that traumatizes the child’s psyche. Obsessive movements are a reversible disorder, and when the negative influences are eliminated, the baby’s condition returns to normal.

If parents promptly determine what is bothering their child and eliminate these factors, the obsessive movements may stop. However, this is a difficult task, so in any case you should definitely contact a child psychiatrist.

It is necessary to constantly remember that a child’s healthy psyche is directly related to a friendly environment and emotional well-being in the family.

Obsessive Movement Syndrome (OMS) - neurological disorder, which is a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which patients strive to perform the same type of repetitive actions. Neurosis develops equally often among both adults and children. But most often it manifests itself at the age of 20-30 - during the period of maximum activity of the young body. The syndrome is quite common among children. Their movements are unmotivated and difficult to control. This disease is not gender specific: it affects men and women equally often.

Excited and nervous, patients begin to perform stereotypical motor acts that are not perceived by the people around them. They bite their lips, smack their lips, bite their nails and skin on their fingers, click their joints, jerk their limbs, nod their heads, make strange movements with their hands, blink and squint frequently, twirl their hair on their fingers, rearrange objects on the table from place to place, sniffle, endlessly rub with hands. Such actions are performed unconsciously; patients do not notice them at all.

The development of SND is facilitated by a tense psycho-emotional situation in the family and team. Hereditary predisposition is of great importance in the development of the disease. Sick people are obsessed with one idea or another. To alleviate their condition, they perform certain ritual actions - movements of a symbolic nature repeated over and over again, actions that arise involuntarily and are unusual for the individual. At the same time, patients are able to critically assess their condition and fight these obsessions.

IN official medicine Frequently repeated, meaningless movements that occur in response to obsessive thoughts are called compulsions. Patients realize the futility of these actions, but cannot do anything about it. The situation gets worse, anxiety, anxiety and fear appear. Relationships with loved ones are disrupted, irritability, sleep disturbance and other negative manifestations occur.

The disease does not lead to disability or loss of ability to work. SND has an ICD-10 code F40-F48 and refers to “Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders.”

Etiology and pathogenesis

The causes of the pathology are currently unknown. It is believed that the modern rhythm of life, frequent stress, mental stress, and conflict situations are of great importance in the occurrence of the disease.

Obsessive movements syndrome develops in response to moral and physical fatigue, emotional exhaustion, nervous tension, negative atmosphere in everyday life and at the enterprise. In addition to psychosocial factors, it is necessary to highlight pathophysiological processes. The syndrome is a manifestation of central nervous system diseases - schizophrenic psychosis, encephalopathy, epilepsy, and head injury.

The main causes of illness in children:

• psychological trauma and stressful situations - tense atmosphere in the house: scandals, quarrels, fights,
• hereditary predisposition - problems with the nervous system in relatives,
• intrauterine fetal hypoxia,
• allergic reaction to certain foods,
• hypo- and vitamin deficiency,
• mistakes in education and psychological problems of parents.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder syndrome is a polyetiological disease in which a hereditary predisposition is realized under the influence of various trigger factors. The risk group includes children with a weakened nervous system; overly spoiled kids; hyperactive and restless children; survivors of acute infectious diseases and head injuries; suffering from chronic cardiac dysfunction. The disease is susceptible to suspicious people who are concerned about how their actions look from the outside and what others will think of them.

Insomnia and violation of the rest regime increase the severity of symptoms of pathology in patients. Mental trauma leads to emotional overstrain and excitation of certain parts of the brain. To get rid of it, patients commit obsessive actions.

Often parents are very picky and demanding of their children. Punishments, prohibitions, showdowns excite the fragile psyche of the child. Adults, not knowing the manifestations of neurosis, perceive the symptoms of the disease as bad behavior in children. This makes the situation even worse. SND in children is a reversible pathology, the clinical signs of which disappear after eliminating the root cause and creating a favorable atmosphere in the family and team.

Symptoms

Clinical signs of the syndrome are obsessive movements, which differ from the manifestations of other diseases in that they develop as a result of psycho-emotional discomfort and can be controlled by willpower. Obsessive movement syndrome is characterized by cyclicality, regularity, monotony and constant repetition of the same movements.

The syndrome begins with fairly harmless clinical signs- uncontrolled behavior of patients, performing incomprehensible actions for others, lack of manners and tact. In the future, similar movements and strange gestures are repeated more and more often. This scares others. But patients cannot help themselves - their behavior remains unchanged.

Obsessive movements in children include: lip biting, knuckle cracking, head nodding, smacking, coughing, frequent blinking, grinding teeth, flapping arms, stamping feet, rubbing hands, thumb sucking, scratching the back of the head and nose. Parents try to stop such actions, but their children do not accept criticism. At the same time, the movements intensify and hysteria develops. All symptoms of the syndrome are extremely varied. Each child's illness manifests itself differently. General features All symptoms are irritating, almost minute-by-minute, their repetition. In some cases, such actions become absurd - children bite their nails until they bleed, they can bite their lips, or tear off all the buttons from their clothes.

In adults, manifestations of the syndrome include constant smoothing of hair, straightening clothes, twitching of shoulders, wrinkling of the nose, grimacing, and sticking out the tongue. Such actions are a response to a stress factor. For children, this is the first visit to a new team, moving to another city, communicating with strangers, and for adults - interviews, dates, passing exams.

Obsessive movement syndrome usually develops in fearful, indecisive, hysterical individuals who cannot overcome their fears and negative emotions. Such patients eat and sleep poorly, get tired quickly, and stutter. Sick children become capricious, whiny, irritable, and disobedient. Mature people experience nervous overexcitement and suffer from insomnia.

Obsessive movements in adults and children are generally identical. Their essence is the constant repetition of certain meaningless actions. Teenagers are very worried when they discover signs of illness in themselves. They feel inferior and are embarrassed to tell adults about it.

TO unpleasant consequences and complications of the syndrome include:

1. gradual decrease in working capacity,
2. deterioration in concentration,
3. decreased level of intelligence,
4. loss of appetite and restful sleep,
5. weakening of the immune system,
6. dysfunction of internal organs,
7. infectious diseases of bacterial and viral etiology,
8. the formation of a desire for constant display of touchiness, secrecy, aloofness,
9. family conflicts, problems with study and work.

In the absence of effective treatment for the syndrome, sad consequences arise. The character of patients changes. They cease to treat others normally, the process of interaction between the individual and the social environment is disrupted, mistrust, self-absorption, disappointment arise, and frequent conflicts occur. Inappropriate human behavior resembles paranoid psychosis. At the initial stage, patients become aware of the characteristics of their illness. But as the pathology develops, a new emotional explosion occurs, irritability and chronic fatigue appear, confusion of speech, a drop in self-esteem, breakdown. Only timely help from psychologists will prevent patients from completely losing trust in others and becoming disillusioned with life.

Diagnostic measures

Therapeutic and diagnostic measures for obsessive movement syndrome are the work of specialists in the field of psychotherapy and neurology. They conduct interviews with patients and their relatives, psychological testing of patients, and refer them for laboratory and instrumental examinations in order to exclude organic pathology brain Typical symptoms clearly indicate the diagnosis.

Patients must undergo the following diagnostic procedures:

• blood and urine tests,
• rheoencephalography,
• electroencephalography,
• Ultrasound of the brain,
• CT and MRI,
• food allergy testing,
• positron emission tomography,
• electromyography,
• echoencephaloscopy,
• thermal imaging.

Only after a comprehensive examination of patients and obtaining the results of additional methods can a correct diagnosis be made.

Treatment

Therapeutic measures are carried out after identifying the causes of neurosis. Patients must be protected from exposure to negative factors and provided with comfortable living conditions.

Patients are prescribed the following groups of drugs:

1. antidepressants - Amitriptyline, Paroxetine, Imipramine;
2. nootropics – “Cinnarizine”, “Vinpocetine”, “Piracetam”;
3. neuroleptics - Sonapax, Aminazin, Tizercin;
4. tranquilizers – “Seduxen”, “Phenazepam”, “Clonazepam”;
5. B vitamins – “Milgamma”, “Neuromultivit”, “Kombipilen”;
6. sedatives– “Persen”, “Novopassit”, “Motherwort forte”.

To normalize the processes of excitation and inhibition, children are prescribed Pantogam and Glycine, multivitamins Vitrum Junior, Alphabet, Multi-Tabs, and sedatives plant origin“Tenoten”, herbal tea “Bayu-bai”, “Calm down”. Only a doctor prescribes psychotropic drugs for children.

All of the above drugs can be used only after consultation with a specialist. This is especially true for children. In the initial stages of pathology, they are often limited to psychotherapy sessions, and in more advanced cases they proceed to prescribing medications. It must be remembered that neuroprotective medicines have a stimulating or depressing effect on the child’s central nervous system. Medications are prescribed in cases of aggressive behavior and suicidal intentions. Medicines themselves do not cure the syndrome, but eliminate some of the symptoms and alleviate the general condition of patients. That is why treatment must be comprehensive, also including psychotherapy, physiotherapy, diet therapy and herbal medicine.

• Psychotherapeutic treatment consists of carrying out effective therapeutic techniques - “thought stopping”, hypnosuggestive and cognitive behavioral therapy, auto-training. These psychotherapeutic interventions allow patients to recognize the causes of obsessive thoughts and experience a surge of negative emotions.
• Some physical therapy procedures can help patients calm down. These include electrosleep, electroconvulsive therapy, acupuncture, electrical brain stimulation and vitamin B1 electrophoresis. Psychotherapists recommend dance therapy, yoga, sports, barefoot walking, drawing, and outdoor recreation for patients. Complex treatment should include massage, swimming, cross-country skiing, ice skating, exercise therapy, hot baths, rubdowns, douches and bathing in running water, conversations with a psychologist, and group psychotrainings.
• Experts pay special attention to a therapeutic diet that excludes food allergens. Patients are recommended to eat meat products, sea fish, seaweed, bananas, kiwi, apples, currants, dark chocolate, dairy products, fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds. Prohibited: strong coffee, pastry shops and flour products, salty and smoked foods, alcohol.
• In addition to the main drug treatment of the syndrome, drugs are used traditional medicine. Before using them, you should also consult a specialist. Calming effect have an effect on the nervous system the following means: infusion of oatmeal grains, herbal tea of ​​sage and Indian basil, tea with green cardamom and sugar, infusion of St. John's wort, ginseng infusion, mint tea, tincture of valerian, peony, motherwort, hawthorn, honey water, baths with lavender, mint and sea salt, carrot juice, tincture of zamanikha roots, straw, aster blossom, angelica roots.

SND is a reversible mental disorder. By eliminating the root cause of the disease, you can achieve complete recovery. Parents should create a favorable environment at home, monitor their behavior, not conflict and not sort things out in the presence of children. It is not at all easy to discover these problems and get rid of them on your own. The help of specialists is needed - child psychologists and psychoneurologists.

Prevention and prognosis

Main preventive measure with obsessive movement syndrome is healthy image life. This especially applies to persons with a hereditary predisposition to the disease. Experts recommend that such people do not neglect rest, get enough sleep, exercise, and develop personal qualities. People prone to neurological disorders should be monitored by a doctor.

Obsessive movement syndrome has a favorable prognosis and can be successfully treated. It is extremely rare that it turns into chronic form with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission. Exposure to provoking factors leads to a deterioration in the general condition of patients. Patients need to create a calm home atmosphere, protect them from negative emotions, and help them take their place in society.

In the absence of adequate treatment, symptoms of the disease can manifest for years. Complete cure of patients is possible only after serious complex treatment in the clinic.

Video: how to get rid of obsessive movements