Latent mental disorders. Violation of the human psyche, symptoms, treatment, types, causes

Mental disorders are a condition characterized by mental and behavioral changes in a destructive direction.

The term has several interpretations, both in the field of jurisprudence and in psychiatry or psychology, which makes its meaning ambiguous.

ICD (International Classification of Diseases) does not distinguish this disorder as a mental or mental illness.

The term is rather a general assessment of various disorders of the human psyche.

Psychiatry notes that it is not always possible to identify biological, social or medical signs of mental abnormalities. Only a few mental problems have arisen due to a physical disorder of the body.

Risk factors

Each mental disorder of an individual can arise both due to a change in the structure and due to a violation of the normal functioning of the brain.

The reasons for this influence are divided into the following groups:

1. Exogenous. It is customary to refer to this category as any external factor that affects a person: be it various industrial toxins, drugs, microorganisms or brain injuries, which, among other things, could be caused by a disease.
2. Endogenous. This category includes immanent factors that include chromosome set abnormalities, gene diseases, hereditary diseases.

It is scientifically impossible to explain many more mental disorders. Every 4th person has a tendency to mental disorders and variability of behavior.

The main factors provoking the pathologies under consideration are considered to be the biological and psychological influence of the environment.

The disorder can be genetically transmitted regardless of gender. Psychological factors combine heredity, as well as the influence of the environment, which can lead to personality disorders.

Raising a false belief in family values \u200b\u200bamong children increases the chances of developing mental disorders.

Mental pathologies are most often manifestedamong patients with diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, infectious diseases, as well as those who have experienced a stroke.

Alcohol addiction can deprive a person of a sane state, disrupting the mental and physical functions of the body.

Symptoms of the disease can also appear in the case of regular use of psychoactive drugs that affect the nervous system.

Autumn aggravations or personal troubles can lead any person to mild depression. It is for this reason that vitamins are recommended in the fall.

Classification

To make it easier to diagnose, the World Health Organization has classified mental pathologies, which are usually grouped as follows:

1. A condition caused by all sorts of organic brain damage. This category includes disorders caused by brain injury, stroke, or systemic disease. Cognitive functions are impaired, symptoms such as hallucinations, emotional variability, delusional ideas occur.
2. Persistent mental change caused by excessive use of alcohol or drugs. This group includes pathologies that were caused by the influence of psychoactive drugs, as well as sedatives, hypnotics, hallucinogenic substances.
3. Schizophrenia and schizotypal disorders. Symptoms are manifested in the form of a sharp change in character, the commission of illogical and ridiculous acts, a change in interests and the emergence of uncharacteristic hobbies, a drop in working capacity. An individual can completely lose the state of sanity and perception of the events surrounding him. If the symptoms are mild or related to a borderline state, then the patient is diagnosed with schizotypal disorder.
4. Mood disorders are a group of mood disorders. The brightest representative of this category is bipolar disorder. This group also includes manias with a variety of psychotic disorders and Persistent forms of these disorders are considered and
5. Phobias and neuroses... It is customary to include various neurotic disorders in this group, including panic attack, paranoid state, neurosis, chronic stress state, various phobias and somatized deviations. The classification includes specific and situational types of phobias.
6. Behavioral syndromes including physiological problems. This group includes a variety of eating disorders, sleep disorders and sexual dysfunctions..
7. Disorders of personality and behavior. This group included many conditions, including problems of identification by sex, sexual preferences, habits and attraction.

   Specific personality disorders include persistent change in behavior as a reaction to a social or personal situation. Such conditions include paranoid, schizoid, dissocial symptoms of personality disorder.

8. Mental retardation... This category includes congenital conditions characterized by mental retardation. These manifestations reduce intellectual functions such as speech, thinking, attention, memory and social adaptation functions.

   The disorder can be mild, moderate, moderate, or severe, with overt clinical manifestations. These conditions are based on possible fetal injuries during childbirth, developmental delays inside the womb, genetic predispositions, and attention deficit at an early age.

9. Developmental disorders of the psyche. This category included speech disorders, delays in skill acquisition, learning, motor function, and developmental problems. The condition manifests itself during childhood and is often caused by brain damage. It proceeds evenly, without deterioration and remission.
10. Disorders that are related to activity and attention... This group also includes hyperkinetic pathologies. Symptoms appear in adolescents or children as attention problems. Children show hyperactivity, disobedience, and sometimes aggression.

Symptoms

Mental pathologies have the following symptoms, subdivided into groups of signs.

1. Group 1 - hallucinations

   Hallucinations include an imaginary perception that is not caused by an external object. Such perceptions can be verbal, visual, tactile, gustatory and olfactory.

   • Verbal (auditory) hallucinationsmanifest in separate words, songs, music, phrases that the patient hears. Often, words can be threatening or commanding that is difficult to resist.
   • Visual can be manifested by the appearance of silhouettes, objects, pictures and full-fledged films.
   • Tactile hallucination is perceived as a sensation on the body of foreign beings or objects, as well as their movement along the body and limbs.
   • Gustatory hallucination characterized by a feeling of taste, as if the patient had bitten something.
   • Olfactory hallucination manifests itself with a sense of aromas, usually disgusting.

They can manifest themselves in a wide variety of cases and are a symptom of psychosis. They can occur both in schizophrenia and in alcohol or other toxic substances poisoning. It is also possible manifestation in case of brain damage or senile psychosis.

2. Group 2 - symptoms of impaired thinking

   This group of symptoms includes pathologies of thought processes, it includes: obsessive, delusional and overvalued ideas.

   • Obsessionsinclude conditions that manifest against the will of the patient. The patient evaluates the standing critically and tries to cope with it. Obsessive thoughts are characterized by inconsistency with the patient's worldview. The obsession occurs in the case of a neurosis or schizophrenia.
     • obsessive doubt manifests itself as a regular lack of confidence in the actions and actions being performed, exists contrary to reasonable logic;
     • the patient can repeatedly check whether electrical appliances are on, whether the doors are locked;
     • an obsessive memory manifests itself by regularly reminding oneself of an unpleasant fact or event;
     • an obsessive abstract idea is manifested by the scrolling of incoherent concepts, numbers and operations with them in thoughts.
   • Overvalued ideas. They manifest themselves as logically supported beliefs based on realistic situations that are personality-related and emotionally charged. Such ideas push the patient to narrowly targeted actions, which often contributes to his maladjustment. At the same time, the criticality of thinking is preserved, therefore, the correction of ideas is possible.
   • Delusional ideas. They mean a false idea that arises against the background of mental disorders and does not correspond to reality. Such judgments are not criticized, therefore, they are fully immersed in the patient's consciousness, changing the activity and reducing the patient's social adaptation.
3. Group 3 - signs of emotional disturbance
   

   Various types of emotional disturbances are grouped here, reflecting the human attitude to reality and oneself personally.

   The human body has a close relationship with the external environment, which leads to constant exposure to stimuli from the outside.

   This impact can be both emotionally positive and negative, or cause uncertainty. Emotions are either newly arisen (hypothetical, hyperthymic and parathymic) or lost.

   1. Hypotimia manifested by a decrease in mood in the form of a test of anxiety, fears, feelings of melancholy or confusion.
      • Yearning is a condition that inhibits any human mental processes. The entire environment is painted in dark colors.

        Activity decreases, there is a strong manifestation of doom. It feels like life is meaningless.
        There is a high likelihood of suicide. Melancholy manifests itself in cases of neurosis and manic-depressive psychosis.

      • Anxiety - internal anxiety, tightness and excessive tension in the chest. Usually accompanied by a sense of impending disaster.
      • Fear Is a condition that causes fear for one's own life and well-being. The patient may, at the same time, not be aware of what he is really afraid of and be in a state of expectation that something bad will happen to him.

        Some will try to escape, some will become depressed, freezing in place. Fear can be certain. In this case, a person is aware of the cause of fear (cars, animals, other people).

      • Confusion... In this state, there is a variability of the emotional background along with the manifestation of bewilderment.
   2. Hypothetical conditions do not have specificity and can occur in various conditions.
   3. Hyperthmia - Overly Good Mood... Such states are manifested euphoria, complacency, ecstasy, anger.
      • - causeless joy, happiness. In this state, the urge to do something often arises. It manifests itself with the use of alcohol or drugs, as well as with manic-depressive psychosis.
      • Ecstasy is characterized by the highest degree of mood elevation... It manifests itself in patients with schizophrenia or epilepsy.
      • Compliance is a state of carelessness with a lack of desire for action.Most often occurs with senile dementia or atrophic brain processes.
      • Anger. The state is irritability of the highest level, anger with the manifestation of aggressive, destructive activity. When combined with longing, it is called dysphoria. The condition is typical for patients with epilepsy.

   All the types of emotional states described above can occur in a perfectly healthy person in everyday life: the main factor here is the number of manifestations, intensity and influence on further activities.

4. Group 4 - symptoms of memory impairment
   

The fourth group contains symptoms of memory problems. These include a decrease in memory function or their complete loss, an inability to remember, retain and reproduce individual events or information.

They are divided into paramnesia (memory deception) and amnesia (memory loss).

5. Group 5 - signs of impaired volitional activity

   Volitional disorders include such types of disorders as hypobulia (expressed by a weakening of volitional activity), (lack of activity), and parabulia (perversion of volitional acts).

   1. Hypobulia is characterized by a decrease in the intensity and number of actions that induce activity. It can be manifested by the suppression of certain instincts, for example, food, sexual or defensive, which leads to anorexia, decreased libido and a lack of protective action against the threat, respectively. Usually observed with neuroses, depressive conditions. More persistent conditions occur in some cases of brain damage as well as schizophrenia and dementia.
   2. The opposite symptom is hyperbulia, which is expressed by a painful increase in volitional activity. A similar unhealthy desire for activity occurs in the case of manic-depressive psychosis, dementia and some types of psychopathy.
6. Group 6 - signs of attention disorder

The sixth group of symptoms includes signs of distraction, distraction, exhaustion, and stiffness.

1. Distraction... In this state, a person is not able to focus on one type of activity.
2. Exhaustion. This violation of attention leads to a weakening of focus on a particular process. As a result, it becomes impossible to do work productively.
3. Distractibility... Such a manifestation leads to frequent and unreasonable changes in activities, and as a result, to a loss of productivity.
4. Stiffness... It becomes difficult for a person to switch attention from one object to another.

The pathologies described almost always occur in cases of mental illness.

Public reaction

Most people tend to avoid contact with people suffering from mental disorders, most often because of stereotypes.

At the same time, there are many options for deviations that create problems for the patient, but not for the people around him. Only a few pathologies lead to antisocial behavior and violation of laws. In this case, the person is recognized as insane and sent for compulsory therapy.

Old stereotypes cultivate complexes in people that do not allow them to visit psychotherapists, as is customary in Western culture. No one can be immune from mental disorders, so you should not ignore specialists who can help defeat a psychological problem.

With the timely provision of the correct medical care, you can avoid the severe and sometimes irreversible effect of mental illness on a person.

A documentary film on the topic: “Psyche and mental disorders. Genius or disease. "

Psychological disorders are various disorders of the human psyche, caused by a number of biological, social or psychological factors. Individuals subject to mental disorders cannot adapt to existing living conditions, independently solve their problems. It can be difficult for such people to recover from their setbacks. There are signs of inadequacy in their thinking, actions and behavior.

Mental disorder is a painful condition characterized by various destructive changes in the psyche of an individual. There are many mental disorders, but they all manifest in different ways. Individuals prone to psychological disorders develop absurd ideas, they think inadequately, behave, and react incorrectly to various events. Some types of mental illness cause somatic disorders.

Mental illnesses are more common in women than in men. This is due to the large number of provoking factors in the representatives of the weak half of humanity (pregnancy, childbirth, menopause).

In a state of mental disorder, an individual, unlike a healthy person, cannot cope with ordinary everyday problems, properly perform his professional tasks. Mental disorders affect the mental, mental

Types of psychological disorders

Types and characteristics of mental disorders:

1. Organic mental disorders. They are usually caused by organic brain diseases. Mental disorders are possible after a concussion, head injury, stroke, various kinds of systemic diseases. The individual has destructive changes that negatively affect memory, thinking, and hallucinations, delusional thoughts, and mood swings appear.
2. Mental and behavioral dysfunctions associated with the use of alcoholic and psychotropic drugs. The disorders are caused by the use of psychoactive substances that are not drugs. These include sleeping pills, sedatives, hallucinogenic drugs.
3. Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional states. Mental illnesses affecting the psycho-emotional state of the individual. The individual commits illogical acts, he is insane, does not understand what is happening around. The individual has reduced performance and social adaptation.
4. Affective disorders. The disease leads to a deterioration in mood. Manifestations of the disorder: biopolar affective disorder, mania, depression, cyclothymia, as well as dysthymia and others.
5. Mental disorders provoked by a stressful situation. Neuroses, panic attacks, fears, phobias, constant stress, paranoia. The individual has fears of various objects or phenomena.
6. Behavioral disorders caused by physical and physiological factors. Various mental disorders associated with eating and eating food (overeating, anorexia), as well as problems with sleep and sex.
7. Behavioral and personality disorders of adulthood. Problems with gender identification, sexual disorders (pedophilia, sadomasochism), pathological addiction to gambling, bad habits.
8. Mental retardation. Congenital condition, manifested by a delay in personality development. The individual's thinking process, memory, adaptation in society deteriorate. The disorder develops due to a genetic predisposition or problems during pregnancy and childbirth.
9. Disorders in psychological development. They manifest themselves in the form of problems with speech, a slowdown in the overall development of the individual, delayed motor functions and a reduced ability to learn. Problems appear in early childhood and are associated with brain damage.
10. Disorders that are typical for childhood and adolescence. Disobedience, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, trouble concentrating.

In 20 percent of the earth's population, disorders associated with various kinds of phobias develop during their lifetime. True, fear sometimes arises as a reaction to a threatening situation. Depression is another common mental disorder. It occurs in 7 percent of the female half of the world's population and 3 percent of the male. At least once in a lifetime, every inhabitant of the planet suffers from depression.

Schizophrenia is a common failure in human thinking and behavior. People susceptible to this disease are often depressed and try to isolate themselves from public life.

Mental disorders of adulthood are manifested in the form of alcohol addiction, sexual deviations, and irrational behavior. True, many of them are dictated by the psychological trauma of childhood and adolescence.

Symptoms of Mental Disorders

The main manifestations of all kinds of mental disorders are violations of mental activity, psychoemotional state, behavioral reactions, which are significantly outside the framework of existing orders and ethical norms. People who suffer from psychological disorders have various physical, cognitive, and emotional disorders. For example, a person may feel too happy or, conversely, deprived, which is not entirely consistent with the events happening around him.

Various kinds of mental illness have their own characteristics. The clinical manifestations of the same disorder may differ from person to person. Depending on the severity of the individual's condition and violations in his behavior, the

The main symptoms of mental disorders are:

1. Asthenic syndrome.

The individual has severe fatigue, exhaustion, and decreased performance. This condition is characterized by instability of mood, increased irritability, sentimentality, tearfulness. Asthenia is accompanied by constant headaches, sleep problems. An asthenic symptom is observed with a variety of mental disorders, as well as after infectious diseases or fatigue.

2. Obsession.

People, regardless of their will, have obsessive experiences, anxieties, fears, phobias. Unjustified doubts plague the individual. He torments himself with baseless suspicions. When faced with a frightening situation or phenomenon, a person experiences nervous tension. Obsessive fears cause the individual to act irrationally, for example, fearing germs to constantly wash their hands.

3. Affective syndrome.

It manifests itself in the form of persistent mood changes (depression, mania). This symptom usually occurs at the beginning of a mental illness. Subsequently, it remains predominant throughout the disease or is complicated by other mental disorders.

Depression is characterized by feelings of depression, decreased physical activity, and pain in the heart. In this state, the individual speaks slowly, thinks poorly, cannot understand the essence of what he has read or heard. The individual develops weakness, lethargy, lethargy. During a person's depression, despair, despair. Sometimes the individual has suicidal thoughts.

The manic state, on the contrary, is characterized by increased optimism, cheerfulness and carelessness. A person has a huge number of plans and ideas. He is too lively, mobile, talkative. In a manic state, people experience an excess of energy, creativity, increased intellectual activity and efficiency. However, subsequently, hyperactivity can lead to thoughtless, inappropriate actions, which affects the state of the individual. In place of a cheerful mood comes anger and irascibility.

4. Senestopathy.

They manifest themselves in the form of unpleasant sensations throughout the body. A person feels tingling, pain, burning, constriction, but all these symptoms are not associated with internal diseases of the organs. It seems to the individual that some force is squeezing his throat or something rustles under the ribs.

5. Hypochondriac syndrome.

A person constantly thinks that he is sick with something. The individual feels unpleasant sensations, although in fact he does not have any pathologies. Hypochondria often develops against the background of a depressive state.

6. Illusion.

When an individual has illusions, he perceives real things erroneously. This visual disturbance can be caused by lighting or other optical phenomena. For example, under water, all things seem larger than in reality. In the dark, the silhouettes of objects can be mistaken for monsters.

7. Hallucination.

Mental disorders lead to the fact that the individual sees, hears and feels something that does not happen in reality. Hallucinations can be visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile. Hearing aids are different in content: the individual hears someone's voice or the conversation of non-existent people. Voices in your head can give orders, make you do something, for example, kill, be silent, go somewhere. Visual hallucinations lead to the fact that for a moment the individual sees objects that do not really exist. The olfactory smells make you smell rot, food, or cologne. Tactile ones cause discomfort.

8. Delusional disorders.

Delirium is The individual builds his inferences on facts divorced from reality. It is difficult to dissuade him of the incorrectness of his ideas. A person is held captive by his delusional fantasies and beliefs, constantly trying to prove his case.

9. Catatonic syndrome.

It manifests itself in the form of motor retardation, stupor, or, conversely, strong excitement. During the numbness, the individual is unable to move or speak. In contrast, catatonic arousal is characterized by chaotic and repetitive movements. Such a disorder can occur normally in the event of severe stress or as a result of a severe mental disorder.

10. Clouding of consciousness.

The individual's adequate perception of reality is disturbed. A person feels detached from reality and does not understand what is happening around. The individual loses the ability to think logically, does not orient himself in the situation, in time and space. It can be difficult for a person to remember new information; partial or complete amnesia is also observed.

11. Dementia.

The individual's intellectual functions are reduced. He loses the ability to acquire various knowledge, does not understand how to act in a difficult situation, cannot find himself and adapt to the conditions of life. Dementia can occur during the progression of a mental illness or be congenital (mental retardation).

Why do they arise?

Unfortunately, the causes of many mental disorders have not been clarified to this day. True, depending on the type of violation, there are certain factors that provoke the development of diseases. There are biological, psychological and social causes of mental disorders.

Mental disorders are known to be caused by changes in the structure or functions of the brain. It is generally accepted that exogenous or endogenous factors influence the onset of mental disorders. Exogenous drugs include poisonous drugs, alcohol, infections, psychological trauma, bruises, concussions, and cerebrovascular disease. These kinds of disorders are influenced by stressful situations, or social problems. Endogenous factors include chromosomal abnormalities, gene mutations, or hereditary gene diseases.

Psychological deviations, regardless of their causes, carry many problems. A sick person is characterized by inadequate thinking, incorrect response to some life situations and often irrational behavior. Such individuals have an increased propensity for suicide, crime, the formation of alcohol or drug addiction.

Psychological disorders in children

In the process of growing up, a child undergoes a number of physiological and psychological changes. Many factors, including the attitude of parents towards them, leave their imprint on the formation of children's worldview. If adults raise a child correctly, he grows up to be a mentally healthy person who knows how to behave correctly in society and in any situation.

Children who have been abused on a daily basis at an early age perceive such parenting behavior as normal. As they mature, they will exhibit similar behavior in other people. All the negative aspects of raising young children make themselves felt in adulthood.

The famous psychiatrist D. MacDonald identified the most dangerous signs in the mental state of a child, which must be paid attention to as early as possible. If adults ignore these factors and do not take their children to a psychiatrist, they will face a number of serious problems in the future.

Signs of psychological disorders in children:

• zoosadism - cruel treatment of animals (killing kittens, fish);
• inability to empathize with someone else's pain;
• coldness in the manifestation of feelings;
• constant lies;
• enuresis;
• running away from home, love of vagrancy;
• theft of other people's things;
• desire to set arson;
• bullying weak peers.

If a child demonstrates deviant behavior, then the parents made some mistake in his upbringing. Negative behaviors indicate mental health symptoms only when they are repeated regularly. Parents need to take deviant behavior seriously and not let the situation take its course.

How to treat correctly?

Before treating a person for a psychological disorder, a specialist must correctly diagnose and identify the cause that influenced the development of the disease. First of all, you need to consult a psychologist. The specialist talks to the client in a relaxed atmosphere, conducts tests, assigns tasks and closely observes the reactions and behavior of the individual. After conducting psychological diagnostics, the psychologist identifies disorders in the client's psyche and determines the method of corrective assistance.

If a person is faced with a number of life difficulties, as a result of which he has psychological disorders, he can seek help from a psychologist-hypnologist

Psychosis is a serious mental disorder, such a profound violation of the mental, emotional and affective components is considered quite dangerous for patients.

The disease manifests itself in a sharp change in the patient's behavior, the loss of an adequate attitude towards life and others, in the absence of a desire to perceive the existing reality. At the same time, mental disorders interfere with the awareness of the presence of these very problems, a person cannot independently eliminate them.

Due to the emotional component, hormonal explosions and exposure to stress, psychoses and other mental disorders are twice as common in women as in men (7 versus 3%, respectively).

What are the reasons and who is most at risk?

The main reasons for the development of psychosis in females are as follows:

pregnancy and childbirth;

One of the main reasons is increased emotional excitability or the presence of a similar disease in a woman's family, mother, sister, that is, a genetic component.

Who is at risk

The root cause of psychosis is often alcohol abuse and subsequent intoxication of the body. In most cases, men are most susceptible to alcoholism, therefore, the female sex suffers from alcoholic psychosis much less frequently and tolerates it faster and easier.

But there is also a reason that is specific to women only, which increases the risk of the disease. This is pregnancy and childbirth. The physical factors of the onset of psychosis in this case include toxicosis, vitamin deficiency, a decrease in the tone of all body systems, various diseases or complications due to difficult gestation and childbirth.

Psychological include - fear, anxiety, increased emotional sensitivity, unwillingness to become a mother. In this case, postpartum mental disorder occurs more often than during pregnancy.

Features of behavior

A woman with mental disorders is characterized by such changes in behavior and activity (and symptoms visible only from the side, the patient herself and unaware that she is sick):

Varieties of mental abnormalities

Psychoses can be conditionally divided into two large groups:

Separately, postpartum psychosis can be distinguished, it appears in 1 - 3% of women in the first months after the birth of a child, unlike the more common postpartum depression, psychotic deviation does not go away on its own and requires treatment under qualified supervision of specialists.

Symptoms appear on an individual basis, some may have within a day after giving birth, others after a month.

A mental malfunction can be accompanied by various conditions that provoke disruptions in the work of the entire woman's body.

Violation of the diet, activity and rest, emotional tension, taking medications. These factors "hit" the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and endocrine systems. The manifestation of concomitant diseases is individual.

Who should you contact for help?

Self-medication in this case is contraindicated. You should also not turn to familiar doctors of various specialties, psychologists, traditional healers. Treatment should be carried out only by a public or private doctor - a highly qualified psychotherapist!

The specialist will examine the patient, send him for additional tests and, based on their results, prescribe treatment and the necessary drugs.

Treatment can take place in a hospital with the participation of medical staff, or at home. When treating at home, a mandatory safety measure will be caring for the baby with the least intervention of the mother (in the event of a postpartum mental breakdown). The nanny or relatives should take over these concerns until the patient's symptoms disappear.

Treatment usually consists of a complex, which includes:

The patient is far from immediately able to realize, accept her condition to the end. Relatives and friends must be patient to help a woman return to her normal life.

The consequences of not receiving therapy are extremely unfavorable. The patient loses touch with reality, her behavior becomes inadequate and dangerous not only for her own life and health, but also for those around her.

The person is suicidal, can become a victim or cause of violence.

How to prevent mental breakdown?

Preventive measures include:

regular monitoring of your health;

Prevention should be a priority, especially in those women who are prone to emotional breakdown or have a hereditary predisposition to psychotic disorders.

How to tell if a person has a mental disorder: the main signs

Typical signs of mental disorder are behavioral changes and thinking disorders that go beyond existing norms and traditions. Basically, these signs are associated with complete or partial insanity of a person and make a person incapable of performing social functions.

The main symptoms of psychopathologies

Similar disorders can occur in men and women at any age, regardless of nationality.

The pathogenesis of many mental disorders is not completely clear, however, scientists came to the conclusion that their formation is influenced by a combination of social, psychological and biological factors.

A person who senses early symptoms of the disease cares how to understand that you have a mental disorder? In this case, a multi-item test should be taken and the opinion of a professional therapist should be obtained. Questions must be answered as honestly and frankly as possible.

During the progression of the disease, symptoms appear that are noticeable, if not to the patient himself, then to his relatives. The main signs of a mental disorder are:

If the first symptoms of the disease are persistent and interfere with normal activities, then it is recommended to undergo a diagnosis. There are borderline mental states of the personality, which are present in many mental and somatic illnesses or ordinary fatigue.

Asthenic syndrome is manifested by nervous exhaustion, rapid fatigability, and low efficiency. The female psyche is more vulnerable and therefore such disorders are more characteristic of the weaker sex. They have heightened emotionality, tearfulness and mood lability.

The male psyche reacts to asthenic syndrome with outbursts of irritation, loss of self-control over trifles. With asthenia, severe headaches, lethargy and disturbances in night sleep are also possible.

Obsessions

This is a condition in which an adult persists in various fears or doubts. He cannot get rid of these thoughts, despite the awareness of the problem. A patient with mental pathology can check and recount something for hours, and if he is distracted at the time of the ritual, start counting over again. This category also includes claustrophobia, agoraphobia, fear of heights and others.

This condition, which is painful for any person, is characterized by a persistent decrease in mood, depression, depression. The disease can be detected at an early stage, in which case the condition can be quickly normalized.

Severe cases of depression are often accompanied by suicidal thoughts and require hospital treatment.

• feelings of guilt, sinfulness;
• feeling of hopelessness;
• sleep disorders.

The condition may be accompanied by a violation of the heart rhythm, increased sweating, pressure surges, loss of appetite, weight loss, dyspeptic disorders. Mild forms of the disease respond well to treatment, and if severe depression occurs, the patient needs to go to the doctor.

This neuropsychiatric disorder is characterized by sleep disorders: usually adults with this disorder can sleep 4-6 hours and feel awake. In the initial stage (hypomania), a person notes an increase in vitality, increased efficiency, and creative upsurge. The patient sleeps little, but at the same time works a lot and is very optimistic.

If hypomania progresses and turns into mania, then a change in personality, the inability to concentrate, joins these signs. Patients are fussy, talk a lot, while constantly changing their posture and vigorously gesticulating.

Typical symptoms of mania in adults are increased appetite, increased libido, and challenging behavior. A good mood can be abruptly replaced by irritation. As a rule, with mania, sanity is lost, and patients do not understand that their condition is pathological.

Hallucinations

This is an acute mental disorder in which the patient perceives, sees or hears things that do not exist in reality. Hallucinations can occur due to alcohol consumption or the progression of mental illness.

• auditory (voices);
• tactile (itching, pain, burning);
• visual (vision);
• flavoring;
• olfactory (smells), etc.

However, a situation is also possible when a sick person feels several of them at the same time. Dangerous imperative hallucinations, when "voices" in the patient's head order to perform certain actions (sometimes to kill yourself or someone). Such conditions are an indication for pharmacotherapy and constant monitoring.

Delusional disorders

These disorders are a symptom of psychosis. Delusional beliefs do not correspond to reality, but it is not possible to convince the patient of this. Erroneous ideas are extremely important to the patient and affect all his actions.

Delirium has a varied content:

• fear of persecution, damage, poisoning, material damage, etc .;
• belief in one's own greatness, divine origin, various kinds of invention;
• ideas of self-blame and self-denial;
• ideas of a love or erotic nature.

Often, the appearance of delusional ideas is preceded by depersonalization and derealization.

Catatonic syndromes

These are conditions in which motor disturbances come to the fore: complete or partial inhibition, or, on the contrary, excitement. With a catatonic stupor, the patient is completely immobilized, silent, muscles are in good shape. The patient freezes in an unusual, often ridiculous and uncomfortable position.

Repetition of any movements with exclamations is typical for catatonic excitement. Catatonic syndromes are observed with both dull and clear consciousness. In the first case, this indicates a possible favorable outcome of the disease, and in the second, the severity of the patient's condition.

Clouding of consciousness

In an unconscious state, the perception of reality is distorted, interaction with society is disrupted.

There are several types of this condition. They are united by common symptoms:

• Disorientation in space and time, depersonalization.
• Detachment from the environment.
• Loss of the ability to make logical sense of the situation. Sometimes the incoherence of thoughts.
• Decreased memory.

Each of these signs sometimes occurs in mental disorders in an adult, but their combination can indicate clouding of consciousness. They usually go away with the restoration of clarity of consciousness.

With this disorder, the ability to learn and apply knowledge decreases or is lost, adaptation to the outside world is impaired. Distinguish between congenital (oligophrenia) and acquired form of intellectual decline, which occurs in people of age or patients with progressive forms of mental disorders.

Symptoms of Mental Disorders

The article provides an overview of the symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders, including the features of their manifestation in children, adolescents, the elderly, men and women. Some of the methods and means used in traditional and alternative medicine to treat such diseases are mentioned.

Causes of emotional illness

Pathological changes in the psyche can lead to:

1. Obsessive thoughts are reproduced by consciousness voluntarily (against the will of a person), while the consciousness remains clear. The patient tries to fight obsession.
2. Obsessions are alien to thinking, there is no visible connection between obsessive thoughts and the content of thinking.
3. Obsession is closely associated with emotions, often of a depressive nature, anxiety.
4. Obsessions are not reflected in intellectual abilities.
5. The patient is aware of the unnaturalness of obsessive thoughts, retains a critical attitude towards them.

Affective syndrome

Affective syndromes are symptom complexes of mental disorders that are closely related to mood disorders.


There are two groups of affective syndromes:

6. With a predominance of manic (elevated) mood
7. With a predominance of depressive (low) mood.

In the clinical picture of affective syndromes, the leading role belongs to the disorders of the emotional sphere - from small fluctuations in mood to quite pronounced disorders (affects).

By nature, all affects are divided into sthenic, which occur with a predominance of excitement (delight, joy), and asthenic, which occur with a predominance of inhibition (melancholy, fear, sadness, despair).

Affective syndromes are observed in many diseases: with circular psychosis and schizophrenia, they are the only manifestations of the disease, with progressive paralysis, syphilis, brain tumors, vascular psychosis - its initial manifestations.

Affective syndromes are disorders such as depression, dysphoria, euphoria, mania.


Depression is a fairly common mental disorder that requires special attention, since 50% of people who commit suicide attempts have signs of this mental disorder.

Characteristic features of depression:

8. low mood;
9. pessimistic attitude to reality, negative judgments;
10. motor and volitional inhibition;
11. oppression of instinctive activity (loss of appetite or, conversely, a tendency to overeat, decreased sexual desire);
12. focusing on painful experiences and difficulty concentrating;
13. decreased self-esteem.

Dysphoria, or mood disorders, which are characterized by a viciously melancholy, intense affect with irritability, reaching outbursts of anger and aggression, are characteristic of excitable psychopaths and alcoholics.

Dysphoria is common in epilepsy and organic diseases of the central nervous system.

Euphoria, or high spirits with a touch of carelessness, contentment, not accompanied by the acceleration of associative processes, is found in the clinic of atherosclerosis, progressive paralysis, and brain injury.

A psychopathological syndrome characterized by a triad of symptoms:

14. unmotivated elevated mood,
15. acceleration of thinking and speech,
16. motor excitement.

There are signs that do not appear in all cases of manic syndrome:

17. increased instinctive activity (increased appetite, sexual desire, self-protective tendencies),
18. instability of attention and overestimation of oneself as a person, sometimes reaching delusional ideas of greatness.

A similar condition can occur with schizophrenia, intoxication, infections, trauma, brain damage and other diseases.



Senestopathy

The term "senestopathy" is defined as a sudden, painful, extremely unpleasant bodily sensation.

This sensation devoid of objectivity arises in the place of localization, although there is no objective pathological process in it.

Senestopathies are common symptoms of mental disorders, as well as structural components of depressive syndrome, hypochondriacal delirium, and mental automatism syndrome.

Hypochondriac syndrome

Hypochondria (hypochondriacal disorder) is a condition characterized by constant anxiety due to the possibility of getting sick, complaints, anxiety about one's well-being, the perception of ordinary sensations as abnormal, assumptions about the presence, in addition to the underlying disease, of any additional.


Most often, concerns arise about the heart, gastrointestinal tract, genitals and brain. Pathological attention can lead to certain malfunctions in the body.

Some of the characteristics inherent in the personality have the development of hypochondria: suspiciousness, anxiety, depression.

Illusions are distorted perceptions in which a real-life object or phenomenon is not recognized, and instead a different image is perceived.

There are the following types of illusions:

19. Physical, including optical, acoustic
20. Physiological;
21. Affective;
22. Verbal, etc.

Metamorphoses (organic), physical and physiological illusions can occur in people whose mental health is beyond doubt. A patient with optical illusions can perceive a raincoat hanging on a hanger as a lurking killer, stains on bed linen seem to him to be bugs, a belt on the back of a chair - a snake.


In case of acoustic illusions, the patient in an overheard conversation distinguishes threats against himself, the remarks of passers-by perceives as accusations and insults addressed to him.

Most often, illusions are observed in infectious and intoxication diseases, but they can occur in other painful conditions.

Fear, fatigue, anxiety, exhaustion, and distortion of perception due to poor lighting, noise, hearing loss and visual acuity predispose to the emergence of illusions.

Hallucination

An image that appears in consciousness without a stimulus is called a hallucination. In other words, this is a mistake, an error in the perception of the senses, when a person sees, hears, feels something that does not really exist.

Conditions under which hallucinations occur:

23. severe fatigue
24. the use of certain psychotropic substances,
25. the presence of mental (schizophrenia) and neurological diseases.
    

Distinguish between true, functional and other types of hallucinations. True hallucinations are usually classified by analyzers: visual, acoustic, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, somatic, motor, vestibular, complex.

Delusional disorders

Delusional disorder is a condition characterized by the presence of delusion - a disorder of thinking, accompanied by the emergence of reasoning, ideas and conclusions far from reality.

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There are three groups of delusional states, united by a common content:




With complete dementia deep violations of criticism, memory, judgments, unproductive thinking, the disappearance of previously inherent patient individual character traits, as well as a careless mood are observed.

With partial dementia there is a moderate decline in criticism, memory, judgments. A low mood prevails with irritability, tearfulness, fatigue.

Video: Growth of mental illness in Russia

Symptoms of a mental disorder

Among women... The risk of developing mental disorders is increased during the premenstrual period, during and after pregnancy, during middle age and aging. Eating disorders, affective disorders, including postpartum, depression.

In men... Mental disorders are more common than in women. Traumatic and alcoholic psychoses.

In children... One of the most common disorders is attention deficit disorder. Symptoms are problems with prolonged concentration, hyperactivity, impaired control over impulses.



In adolescents... Eating disorders are common. School phobias, hyperactivity syndrome, anxiety disorders are observed.

In the elderly... Mental illness is diagnosed more often than in young and middle-aged people. Symptoms of dementia, depression, psychogenic-neurotic disorders.

Video: Panic Attacks

Treatment and prevention

In the treatment of asthenic syndrome the main efforts are directed at eliminating the cause that led to the disease. General strengthening therapy is carried out, including the intake of vitamins and glucose, proper organization of work and rest, sleep restoration, good nutrition, dosed physical activity, medications are prescribed: nootropics, antidepressants, sedatives, anabolic steroids.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment is carried out by eliminating the causes traumatizing the patient, as well as by influencing the pathophysiological links in the brain.

Therapy of affective states begins with the establishment of supervision and referral of the patient to a specialist. Depressive patients who are capable of making a suicidal attempt must be hospitalized.



When prescribing drug therapy, the characteristics of the patient's condition are taken into account. For example, in depression, which is a phase of circular psychosis, psychotropic drugs are used, and in the presence of anxiety, combined treatment with antidepressants and antipsychotics is prescribed.

Acute mental disorder in the form of a manic state, it is an indication for hospitalization, necessary to protect others from inappropriate actions of a sick person. Antipsychotics are used to treat these patients.

Since delirium is a symptom of brain damage, pharmacotherapy and biological methods of exposure are used to treat it.

For the treatment of hypochondria it is recommended to use psychotherapeutic techniques. In cases where psychotherapy is ineffective, measures are taken to reduce the significance of hypochondriacal fears. For most cases of hypochondria, drug therapy is excluded.

Folk remedies


The list of remedies used by traditional healers to treat depression includes:

26. pollen
27. bananas,
28. carrot,
29. tinctures of ginseng and aralia Manchurian roots,
30. infusions of angelica and bird highlander,
31. decoction of peppermint leaf,
32. baths with poplar leaves infusion.

The arsenal of traditional medicine has many tips and recipes to help get rid of sleep disturbances and a number of other symptoms of mental disorders.

Refers to a large number of different pathological conditions. The emergence, course and outcome of a particular disorder largely depends on the influence of internal and external factors. To understand the essence of the disease - a mental disorder, it is necessary to consider the main signs of pathologies. Further in the article the most popular syndromes will be presented, their clinical picture is described, and the characteristics are given.

General information

Psychiatry deals with the study of this category. Diagnoses are made based on various factors. The study, as a rule, begins with the presentation of the general pathological condition. Then private psychiatry is investigated. Diagnoses are made after a thorough examination of the patient, identifying the reasons that provoked the condition. Based on these data, the required treatment method is selected.

Groups of pathologies

The importance of endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external) factors is also important. For certain violations, it is different. On the basis of this, in fact, the classification of mental disorders is carried out. Thus, there are two broad groups of pathologies - endogenous and exogenous. The latter should include disorders provoked by psychogenic factors, exogenous organic cerebral (vascular, traumatic, infectious) lesions, somatic pathologies. Schizophrenia and mental retardation are endogenous mental disorders. The list of these pathologies can also be continued with affective conditions, senesopathies, hypochondria.

Division by etiology



Separation by clinical manifestations

Depending on the nature of a particular symptom of a mental disorder, it is assigned to one of the existing categories. In particular, neuroses are distinguished. A mental disorder that does not exclude sanity is called neurotic. They are closer to normal states and sensations. Also referred to as borderline mental disorders. This means that their manifestations are amenable to control without the use of radical methods. There is also a group of psychoses. These include pathologies accompanied by impaired thinking of a pronounced nature, delirium, a change in perception, severe inhibition or agitation, hallucinations, inappropriate behavior, and so on. At the same time, the patient is not able to distinguish his experiences from reality. Next, we will consider some of the features of various types of mental disorders.

Asthenic syndrome

This is a fairly common condition. The main symptom of a mental disorder is fatigue. A person feels a decrease in performance, internal exhaustion. Individuals with mental disorders can behave in different ways. With asthenia, for example, they are characterized by impressionability, instability of mood, tearfulness, sentimentality. Such people are very easy to move, they can quickly lose their composure over little things. Asthenia itself can act as a symptom of a mental disorder, accompanying, in turn, conditions after severe infectious lesions, operations, and so on.

Obsessions

These include such conditions in which, against the will, there are some fears, thoughts, doubts. People with this type of mental disorder accept all of these manifestations as their own. Patients cannot get rid of them, despite the rather critical attitude towards them. Doubt is the most common symptom of this type of mental disorder. So, a person can check several times whether he turned off the light, whether he closed the door. At the same time, leaving the house, he again feels these doubts. As for obsessive fears - phobias, these are quite common fears of heights, open space or a closed room. In some cases, in order to calm down a little, relieve inner tension and anxiety, people perform certain actions - "rituals". For example, a person who is afraid of all kinds of pollution may wash their hands several times or sit in the bathroom for hours. If something distracts him in the process, then he will start the procedure again.



Affective states

They are quite common. Such states are manifested in a persistent change in mood, as a rule, its decrease - depression. Often, affective states are noted at the initial stages of mental illness. Their manifestations can be observed throughout the pathology. Moreover, they often become more complicated, accompanying acute mental disorders.

Depression

The main symptoms of this condition are a deterioration in mood, the appearance of a feeling of depression, melancholy, depression. In some cases, a person may physically feel chest pain or heaviness. This condition is extremely painful. It is accompanied by a decrease in mental activity. A person in this state does not immediately answer questions, gives monosyllabic, short answers. He speaks softly and slowly. Very often, people with depression note that it is somewhat difficult for them to grasp the essence of the issue, the text, and complain of memory impairment. They can hardly make decisions, poorly switch from one activity to another. People may experience lethargy, weakness, and talk about fatigue. Their movements are constrained and slowed down. In addition to the listed symptoms, depression is accompanied by feelings of guilt, sinfulness, despair, hopelessness. This is quite often accompanied by suicide attempts. Some relief of well-being may come in the evening. As for sleep, in case of depression it is superficial, with early awakening, with disturbing dreams, intermittent. The state of depression may be accompanied by tachycardia, sweating, feeling of coldness, heat, constipation, and weight loss.



Mania

Manic states are manifested by an acceleration of the pace of mental activity. A person has a huge number of thoughts, desires, various plans, ideas of increased self-esteem. In this condition, as in depression, sleep disturbances are noted. People with manic mental disorders sleep very little, however, a short period of time is enough for them to feel rested and vigorous. With a mild course of mania, a person feels a rise in creative power, an increase in intellectual productivity, an increase in tone and efficiency. He can sleep very little and work hard. If the condition progresses, becomes more severe, then these symptoms are accompanied by poor concentration, distraction and, as a result, a decrease in productivity.

Synestopathy

These states are characterized by very different and unusual sensations in the body. In particular, it can be burning, tingling, constriction, twisting, and so on. All these manifestations have nothing to do with the pathologies of internal organs. When describing such sensations, patients often use their own definitions: "rustling under the ribs," "it seemed that the head was coming off," and so on.

Hypochondriac syndrome

He is characterized by a persistent concern for his own health. The person is haunted by the idea of \u200b\u200bhaving a very serious, progressive and, probably, incurable disease. At the same time, patients present somatic complaints, presenting ordinary or normal sensations as manifestations of pathology. Despite the dissuasion of doctors, negative test results, people regularly visit specialists, insist on additional, deeper research. Often, hypochondriacal conditions appear against a background of depression.



Illusions

When they appear, a person begins to perceive objects in an erroneous - altered form. Illusions can accompany a person with a normal mental state. For example, the change of an object can be observed if it is lowered into water. As for the pathological condition, illusions can appear under the influence of fear or anxiety. For example, in a forest at night, a person may perceive trees as monsters.

Hallucinations

They act as a persistent symptom of many mental disorders. Hallucinations can be auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, visual, muscular, and so on. Their combination is not uncommon. For example, a person can not only see strangers in the room, but also hear their conversation. Patients call verbal hallucinations "voices." They can have different content. For example, it can be just a hail of a person by name or whole sentences, dialogues or monologues. In some cases, the "voices" are imperative. They are called. Man can hear orders to kill, be silent, inflict injury on himself. Such conditions are dangerous not only directly for the patient, but also for those around him. Visual hallucinations can be objective or elementary (in the form of sparks, for example). In some cases, the patient can see entire scenes. Olfactory hallucinations are a sensation of an unpleasant odor (putrefaction, some food, decay), less often pleasant or unfamiliar.

Rave

This disorder, according to many experts, belongs to the main symptoms of psychosis. It's hard enough to define what nonsense is. The conclusions of doctors when assessing the patient's condition are rather contradictory. There are a number of signs of a delusional state. First of all, it always appears on a painful basis. Delirium does not lend itself to dissuasion or correction from the outside, despite a fairly clear contradiction with reality. The person is absolutely convinced of the truthfulness of his thoughts. Delusions are based on erroneous judgments, wrong conclusions, false beliefs. These thoughts are of great importance for the patient, and therefore, to one degree or another, determine his behavior and actions. Delusional ideas can be associated with:



Delusional disorders differ in different forms. Thus, interpretive delirium stands out. In this case, a person uses one-sided interpretations of daily facts and events as evidence. This disorder is considered quite persistent. In this case, the patient's reflection of the cause-and-effect relationship between events and phenomena is disturbed. This form of delusion always has a rationale. The patient can endlessly prove something, debate, argue. All experiences and feelings of a person can be reflected in the content of interpretive delirium. Another form of this disorder can be figurative or sensory conviction. Such delirium appears on the basis of anxiety or fear, hallucinations. In this case, there are no logical premises, evidence; a person perceives everything around him in a "delusional" way.

Derealization and depersonalization

These phenomena often precede the development of sensory delirium. Derealization is a sense of the changed world. Everything that is around a person is perceived by him as "unreal", "rigged", "artificial". Depersonalization manifests itself in a feeling of change in one's personality. Patients describe themselves as "lost face", "lost the fullness of sensations", "dumb".

Catatonic syndromes

These conditions are characteristic of disorders of the motor sphere: or, on the contrary, excitement. In the latter case, the repetition, lack of focus, chaos of some movements is noted. At the same time, they can be accompanied by shouting out individual words or remarks, or by silence. The patient may freeze in an uncomfortable, unusual position, such as raising a leg, extending an arm, or lifting the head above a pillow. Catatonic syndromes are also noted against the background of clear consciousness. This indicates a greater severity of the disorder. If they are accompanied by a clouding of consciousness, then we can talk about a favorable outcome of the pathology.



Dementia

I also call it dementia. Dementia manifests itself in a deep impoverishment of all mental activity, a persistent decline in intellectual functions. Against the background of dementia, it worsens, and in many cases the ability to acquire new knowledge is completely lost. In this case, a person's adaptability to life is impaired.

Clouding of consciousness

Such disorders can be observed not only in mental disorders, but also in patients with severe somatic pathologies. Clouding of consciousness is characterized by difficulty in perceiving the environment, the severing of ties with the outside world. Patients are detached, they cannot be aware of what is happening. As a result, their contact with other people is disrupted. In addition, patients are poorly guided in time, in their own personality, in a specific situation. People are not able to think logically, correctly. In some cases, incoherent thinking is observed.

Asthenia is a whole complex of disorders that characterize the initial stage of a mental disorder. The patient begins to quickly get tired, exhausted. The performance is reduced. General lethargy, weakness is observed, the mood becomes unstable. Frequent headaches, sleep disturbances and constant feeling of fatigue require detailed consideration. It should be noted that asthenia is not always the main symptom of a mental disorder and rather refers to a nonspecific symptom, as it can also occur with somatic diseases.


Suicidal thoughts or actions are a reason for emergency hospitalization of the patient in a psychiatric clinic.

The state of obsession. The patient begins to have special thoughts that cannot be eliminated. Feelings of fear, depression, insecurity, and doubt intensify. The state of obsession can be accompanied by certain rhythmic actions, movements and rituals. Some patients wash their hands thoroughly and for a long time, others repeatedly check whether the door is closed, whether the light or iron is turned off, etc.

Affective syndrome is the most common first symptom of a mental disorder that is accompanied by persistent mood swings. Most often, the patient has a depressed mood with a depressive episode, much less often - mania, accompanied by an increased mood. With effective treatment of the mental disorder, depression or mania is the last to disappear. Against the background of affective disorder, there is a decrease. The patient has difficulty making decisions. In addition, depression is accompanied by a number of somatic ones: indigestion, feeling of heat or cold, nausea, heartburn, belching.

If the affective syndrome is accompanied by mania, the patient has an elevated mood. The pace of mental activity is accelerated many times over; you need to sleep at least a minimum of time. Excess energy can be replaced by sharp apathy and drowsiness.


Dementia is the last stage of a mental disorder, which is accompanied by a persistent decline in intellectual function and dementia.

Hypochondria, tactile and visual hallucinations, delusional ideas, substance abuse and all accompany mental illness. Close relatives of the patient do not always immediately understand what is happening, so they seek psychiatric help when the disorder becomes pronounced.

Timely treatment of mental disorders is a guarantee of success

Modern medicine has in its arsenal quite effective means for the treatment of mental disorders. The sooner treatment is started, the higher the chance of success.