Neuroses in children: causes, treatment and prevention. The formation of neurosis can be influenced

Childhood neuroses lie within great danger, and the main problem lies not in the type of disorder or its manifestations, but in the attitude towards it. So, sometimes parents lose sight of the first symptoms of neurosis, and sometimes they completely ignore them, believing that with age everything will go away on its own. This approach cannot be called correct; it is worth making every effort to help the child overcome the problem that has arisen and avoid related inconveniences in the future. Childhood neurosis is a mental disorder that does not distort the perception of the world around us and is reversible (which is very important). Thus, it is possible to get rid of it and you really need to do this by reacting in time to changes in your baby’s behavior.

Types of childhood neuroses

Exists general classification, within which there are thirteen types of neuroses that can manifest themselves in children:

a neurotic state formed on the basis of fear. This is one of the most common types in children of primary school age. This type of neurosis is characterized by the presence of long-term (sometimes up to half an hour) attacks of fear, especially before bedtime. Manifestations can be very different: a slight feeling of anxiety, and even... What a child is afraid of is often determined by his age. So, in the period before school, the most common fears are the fear of being alone, the dark, mythical or real animals that were seen in the movie, and others. Among elementary school students, there is often a fear of the severity of teachers, of school as such, with its clear regime and many requirements;
neurosis caused by a specific obsessive state. In psychological science, this phenomenon is described as the presence in behavior of certain ritual actions, the failure of which leads to an increase in tension and internal discomfort. In children, there are two main types of such conditions: obsessive actions and fears, although they can often be of a mixed nature. In to school age Most often, obsessive actions such as blinking, wrinkling the bridge of the nose or forehead, stamping, patting, etc. are encountered. Performing a ritual action allows you to reduce the level of emotional stress through the use of certain physical activity. If we talk about obsessive fears or, in other words, phobias, then the most common fear is indoors And sharp objects. Later, fears of death, illness, giving an oral response in front of an audience, etc. begin to appear;

neurotic state of depressive type. This problem occurs already in adulthood - adolescence. You may notice a clear change in behavior in your child: Bad mood, sad facial expression, some slowness of movements and gestures, a general decrease in activity and level of communication. In more serious cases, systematic insomnia, loss of appetite and even constipation may appear;
asthenic type (neurasthenia) occurs as a reaction to excessive workload with additional tasks and activities, physical and emotional overload. An obvious form of this type of neurosis occurs only at school age;
hysterical type of neurosis.

Rudimentary motor-type seizures are not uncommon in preschool age. When a child does not get what he wants, is offended or punished, he can show his dissatisfaction quite in a bright way– falling to the floor, accompanied by throwing out arms and legs, loud crying and screams, punches, etc.;

stuttering due to nervousness. In the vast majority of cases, it occurs between the ages of 2 and 5 years during the periods of initial development of speech and its further phrasal complication.

Very often it becomes a response to fear from separation from parents, which was unexpected for the child. In addition, factors predisposing to stuttering include pressure on the child with the desire to accelerate his development (speech, intellectual, etc.), as well as significant information overload.

hypochondria- a state in which there is a painful preoccupation with one’s own state of health, numerous and unfounded suspicions of various diseases. The typical age period is adolescence;
obsessive movements (tics), which were already discussed earlier - a variety of simple movements and gestures carried out automatically to relieve tension. In children, they are often accompanied by enuresis and stuttering;
disturbance of normal sleep- found in both young children and adolescents.

The disorder may include restlessness, problems with deep sleep, nightmares, sleep talking, and sleep walking. frequent awakenings in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.

decreased appetite due to neurotic reasons. Mothers often show excessive anxiety about their children, and therefore sometimes try to force feed the baby if he refuses, or give too large portions. Sometimes the cause of anorexia neurotic is fear during the feeding process. The result of such events is the child’s loss of desire to eat, frequent regurgitation, vomiting, and sometimes excessive selectivity.
involuntary urination (enuresis). Most often, this type of neurotic disorder occurs during night sleep;
If a child has involuntary bowel movements in small quantities and there are no physiological reasons for this, then we can talk about neurotic encopresis. This is quite rare, and the pathogenesis is very poorly understood. The age of manifestation of this type of disorder is from 7 to 10 years;
pathological actions based on habit.

This can also be found quite often in children of any age - rocking when falling asleep, or hair, etc.

What can be the cause of a neurotic disorder in a child?

In most cases, the cause of a neurotic disorder is the child receiving psychological trauma (this could be fear, severe resentment, the result of emotional pressure, etc.). However, it is almost impossible to establish the specific event that caused the development of neurosis, and therefore a direct connection cannot be established.

Doctor's opinion: The overwhelming majority of cases of neurosis in children are not the result of a specific traumatic event that occurred once, but the result of long-term deliberation and the inability to accept or understand a particular situation or adapt to changed environmental conditions.

The presence of neurosis in a child- this is a problem that lies not in the state of the baby’s body, but in the shortcomings of upbringing. Children are very vulnerable, and therefore any negative event can leave a serious mark, the consequences of which may not be revealed immediately, but in the future.

The following factors have a great influence on the causes of the development of childhood neuroses:

gender and age of the child;
family history, heredity;
features and traditions of upbringing in the family;
diseases suffered by the child;
significant physical and emotional stress;
lack of sleep.

Who is more susceptible to problems?

Based on a number of studies of neuroses in children, we can talk about a risk group based on various factors. So, it is believed that most susceptible to neurotic disorders:

children aged 2 to 5 and 7 years old;
having a pronounced “I-position”;
somatically weakened (children whose body is weakened due to frequent illnesses);
children who have been in difficult life situations for a long time.

Symptomatic manifestations of childhood neuroses

What should parents pay attention to? What can signal the development of neurosis in a child? Manifestations may be different character depending on the type of neurotic disorder. You should show concern about the child’s condition if at least one of the following phenomena is present:

severe attacks of fear;
stupor and stuttering;
changes in facial expressions and increased tearfulness compared to the usual state;
decreased appetite;
irritability;
decreased communication skills, desire for loneliness;
various types of sleep disorders;
increased fatigue;
increased sensitivity and suggestibility;
hysterical fits;
suspiciousness and indecision;
enuresis and encopresis.

Manifestations of neuroses in the photo

When to see a doctor and how to treat your child

Any change in behavior for a long time, systematic seizures or actions - all this should alert parents. The reason may be different, but it is very important to play it safe and contact a specialist in time. A timely response will deprive the baby of unpleasant manifestations of a neurotic disorder and save him from serious problems in future.

The basis for the treatment of neuroses in children– psychotherapy. Sessions can be held in different forms: group psychotherapy, individual, family. The importance of the latter is very great - it is during contact with both the child and the parents that the doctor has the opportunity to most accurately determine the cause of the problem and comprehensively influence its resolution.

It is worth noting that psychotherapy in the case of childhood neuroses is largely aimed at generally improving the situation in the family and normalizing relationships within it. Additional measures - the prescription of medications, the use of reflexology and physiotherapy - are not basic, but are intended only to create favorable conditions for psychotherapy.

Neurosis is a functional reversible disorder of the nervous system (mentality), caused by prolonged experiences, accompanied by unstable mood, increased fatigue, anxiety and autonomic disorders (palpitations, sweating, etc.).

Unfortunately, in our time, children are increasingly suffering from neuroses. Some parents do not pay the necessary attention to the manifestations of a nervous disorder in their child, considering them whims and phenomena that pass with age. But mothers and fathers do the right thing when they try to understand the child’s condition and help him.

Types of neuroses in childhood

Fear in a child can be a manifestation of neurosis.

Anxiety neurosis(anxiety). It is manifested by the appearance of paroxysmal fear (often at the moment of falling asleep), sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. Depending on age, the content of fear may vary.

In preschool age, fear of the dark, fear of being alone in a room, a fear of a character in a fairy tale, or a fear of watching a movie often arises. Sometimes a child is afraid of the appearance of a mythical creature invented by his parents (for educational purposes): a black magician, an evil fairy, a “woman”, etc.

At primary school age, there may be a fear of school with a strict teacher, discipline, and “bad” grades. In this case, the child may run away from school (sometimes even from home). The disease is manifested by low mood, sometimes by daytime enuresis. More often, this type of neurosis develops in children who did not attend kindergarten during preschool age.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is divided into 2 types: obsessive neurosis (neurosis of obsessive actions) and phobic neurosis, but there can also be mixed forms with the manifestation of both phobias and obsessions.

Neurosis of obsessive actions is manifested by involuntary movements that arise in addition to desire, such as sniffing, blinking, flinching, wrinkling the bridge of the nose, stamping feet, patting hands on the table, coughing or various kinds of tics. Tics (twitching) usually occur during emotional stress.

Phobic neurosis is expressed in an obsessive fear of closed spaces, piercing objects, and pollution. Older children may have obsessive fears of illness, death, oral answers at school, etc. Sometimes children have obsessive ideas or thoughts that contradict the moral principles and upbringing of the child, which causes him negative experiences and anxiety.

Depressive neurosis more typical for adolescence. Its manifestations are more depressed mood, tearfulness, low self-esteem. Poor facial expressions, quiet speech, a sad facial expression, sleep disturbance (insomnia), decreased appetite and decreased activity, and the desire to be alone create a more complete picture of the behavior of such a child.

Hysterical neurosis more typical for children preschool age. Manifestations of this condition include falling to the floor screaming and screaming, hitting the head or limbs on the floor or other hard surface.

Less common are affective respiratory attacks (imaginary suffocation) when a child is refused any demand or when he is punished. Extremely rarely, adolescents may experience sensory hysterical disorders: increased or decreased sensitivity of the skin or mucous membranes, and even hysterical blindness.

Children suffering from neurasthenia are whiny and irritable.

Asthenic neurosis, or neurasthenia, also more common in school-age children and adolescents. Excessive loads provoke manifestations of neurasthenia school curriculum and additional activities, more often manifests itself in physically weakened children.

Clinical manifestations are tearfulness, irritability, poor appetite and sleep disturbances, increased fatigue, and restlessness.

Hypochondriacal neurosis also more common in adolescence. Manifestations of this condition include excessive concern about one’s health and an unreasonable fear of various diseases.

Neurotic stuttering more often occurs in boys during the period of speech development: its formation or the formation of phrasal speech (from 2 to 5 years). Its appearance is provoked by severe fear, acute or chronic mental trauma (separation from parents, scandals in the family, etc.). But the reason may also be information overload when parents force intellectual or speech development baby.

Neurotic tics are also more typical for boys. The cause can be either a mental factor or certain diseases: for example, diseases such as chronic blepharitis and conjunctivitis will cause and fix the habit of rubbing the eyes unreasonably often or blinking, and frequent inflammation of the upper respiratory tract will make coughing or “grunting” sounds through the nose habitual . Such protective actions, initially justified and expedient, then become fixed.

These similar actions and movements can be obsessive in nature or simply become habitual, not causing the child to feel tension and constraint. Neurotic tics most often occur between the ages of 5 and 12 years. Typically, tics predominate in the muscles of the face, shoulder girdle, neck, and respiratory tics. They are often combined with enuresis and stuttering.

Neurotic sleep disorders manifested in children by the following symptoms: difficulty falling asleep, anxious, restless sleep with awakenings, night terrors and nightmares, sleepwalking, talking in a dream. Sleepwalking and talking are related to the nature of dreams. This type of neurosis is more often observed in children of preschool and primary school age. The reasons for it are not fully understood.

Anorexia, or neurotic disturbance of appetite, more typical for early and preschool age. Immediate cause there may be overfeeding, a persistent attempt by the mother to force-feed the child, or the coincidence of some unpleasant event with feeding (a sharp shout, a family scandal, fright, etc.).

Neurosis can manifest itself as a refusal to accept any food or a selective type of food, slowness during meals, prolonged chewing, regurgitation or profuse vomiting, decreased mood, moodiness and tearfulness during meals.

Neurotic enuresis– unconscious urination (usually at night). Bedwetting is more common in children with anxious character traits. Psychotraumatic factors and hereditary predisposition are important. Physical and psychological punishment further aggravates the symptoms.

By the beginning of school age, a child is tormented by feelings of his lack, self-esteem is low, and the expectation of urinating at night leads to sleep disturbances. Other neurotic symptoms usually appear: irritability, tearfulness, tics, phobias.

Neurotic encopresis– involuntary, without the urge to defecate, release of feces (without damage to the intestines and spinal cord). It is observed 10 times less frequently than enuresis. Boys of primary school age often suffer from this type of neurosis. The mechanism of development is not fully understood. The reason is often too strict educational measures for the child and family conflicts. Usually combined with tearfulness, irritability, and often with neurotic enuresis.

Habitual pathological actions: biting nails, sucking fingers, irritating the genitals with the hands, pulling out hair, and rhythmic rocking of the torso or individual parts of the body while falling asleep. It most often manifests itself in children under 2 years of age, but can become fixed and appear at an older age.

With neuroses, the character and behavior of children changes. Most often, parents may notice the following changes:

tearfulness and excessive sensitivity to a stressful situation: the child reacts even to minor traumatic events with aggression or despair;
anxious and suspicious character, slight vulnerability and touchiness;
fixation on a conflict situation;
decreased memory and attention, intellectual abilities;
increased intolerance to loud sounds and bright light;
difficulty falling asleep, shallow, restless sleep and drowsiness in the morning;
increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, fluctuations blood pressure.

How to recognize the first signs of systemic neuroses in children? Parenting. Mom's school

Causes of neuroses in children

The following factors are essential for the occurrence of neurosis in childhood:

biological: hereditary predisposition, intrauterine development and the course of pregnancy in the mother, gender of the child, age, past illnesses, constitutional features, mental and physical stress, constant lack of sleep, etc.;
psychological: traumatic situations in childhood and the child’s personal characteristics;
social: family relationships, methods of parenting.

Mental trauma is of primary importance for the development of neurosis. But only in rare cases does the disease develop as a direct reaction to some unfavorable psychotraumatic fact. Most often, the cause is a long-term situation and the child’s inability to adapt to it.

Psychotrauma is a sensory reflection in the child’s mind of some significant event for him, which has a depressing, disturbing, that is, negative effect on him. Traumatic situations can be different for different children.

Psychotrauma is not always large-scale. The more a child is predisposed to the development of neurosis due to the presence of various factors contributing to this, the less psychological trauma will be sufficient for the appearance of neurosis. In such cases, the smallest conflict situation can provoke manifestations of neurosis: a sharp car horn, injustice on the part of the teacher, barking dog, etc.

The nature of psychological trauma that can cause neurosis also depends on the age of the children. So, for a 1.5-2 year old child, separation from his mother when visiting a nursery and problems with adaptation to a new environment will be quite traumatic. The most vulnerable ages are 2, 3, 5, 7 years. The average age of onset of neurotic manifestations is 5 years for boys and 5-6 years for girls.

Psychotrauma received at an early age can be fixed for a long period of time: a child who was not picked up from kindergarten in a timely manner for the only time may be very reluctant to leave the house and adolescence.

The most main reason childhood neuroses - errors in upbringing, difficult family relationships, and not the imperfection or failure of the child’s nervous system. Family troubles When their parents divorce, children have a hard time experiencing it without being able to resolve the situation.

How are childhood neuroses related to family problems?

Children with a pronounced “I” deserve special attention. Because of their emotional sensitivity, they experience an increased need for the love and attention of loved ones, the emotional coloring of relationships with them. If this need is not met, children develop a fear of loneliness and emotional isolation.

Such children early demonstrate self-esteem, independence in actions and actions, and expression of their own opinions. They do not tolerate dictates and restrictions on their actions, excessive care and control from the first years of life. Parents perceive their protest and opposition to such relationships as stubbornness and try to fight it through punishment and restrictions, which contributes to the development of neurosis.

Children who are weakened and often ill are more at risk of developing neuroses than others. In this case, not only the weakening of their nervous system matters, but also the problems of raising a frequently ill child.

Neuroses, as a rule, also develop in children who have been in difficult life situations for a long time (in orphanages, in families of alcoholic parents, etc.)

Treatment and prevention of childhood neuroses

The most successful treatment is when the cause of the neurosis is eliminated. Psychotherapists, namely they who treat neuroses, are proficient in many treatment methods: hypnosis, homeopathy, treatment with fairy tales, play therapy. In some cases it is necessary to use medications. Selected for each specific child individual approach to treatment.

But the main cure is a favorable climate in the family without quarrels and conflicts. Laughter, joy, and a feeling of happiness will erase existing stereotypes. Parents should not let the process take its course: maybe it will go away on its own. Neuroses must be treated with love and laughter. The more often the child laughs, the more successful and faster the treatment will be.

The cause of neurosis is in the family. In matters of raising a child, adult family members should come to a reasonable common opinion. This does not mean that you should indulge your child’s every whim or give him excessive freedom of action. But unlimited dictate and deprivation of all independence, overprotection and pressure by parental authority, control over every step of the child would also be wrong. Such upbringing gives rise to isolation and absolute lack of will - and this is also a manifestation of neurosis. Should be found golden mean.

Childhood neuroses. Consultation with a psychologist

Parents' panic about the slightest illness child. Most likely, he will grow up to be a hypochondriac with constant complaints and a bad character.

Equally harmful will be both complete indifference, lack of attention to the child and his problems, and parental cruelty, causing constant feeling fear. It is not surprising that such children will show aggression.

In many families, especially those with an only child, they cultivate exclusivity in their beloved child and predict success and a stellar future. Sometimes such children are doomed to long hours of classes (chosen for them by their parents), without the opportunity to communicate with peers and have fun. Under these conditions, the child often develops hysterical neurosis.

Before prescribing treatment, the psychologist will definitely try to find out the family circumstances and methods of raising the child. A lot depends not on the effect of the prescribed medications (if they are needed at all), but on the parents, on their understanding of their mistakes in upbringing and their willingness to correct them.

Following a daily routine will also contribute to the child’s healing. balanced diet, physical education, daily stay at fresh air.

Methods of treating childhood neuroses with the help of music therapy, treatment with the help of animals (dolphins, horses, fish, etc.) have received well-deserved recognition.

Summary for parents

If you want your child to grow up calm, cheerful, and respond adequately to any life situations, take care to create a favorable emotional climate in the family. “The most important thing is the weather in the house”: the words of a popular song indicate the path to the prevention and treatment of childhood neuroses.

Which doctor should I contact?

If your child has behavioral problems, you should contact a child psychologist. In some cases, consultation with a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is indicated. A pediatrician, neurologist, speech therapist, physiotherapist, massage therapist, and urologist can participate in the treatment of a child.

NEUROSES! reasons, errors, differences. Treatment of neurosis. Treatment of symptoms of VSD

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Neuroses are special pathologies nervous system, both among adults and among children, in which there is no visible damage (trauma, infection, inflammation and other influences). In this case, special deviations in the functioning of higher nervous processes are observed. These are diseases of a psychogenic nature - a person’s reaction to stress, mental trauma, and negative influences.

The process of personality formation and active development of higher education nervous activity in children it begins at birth, but it most actively begins at the age of three. Very little ones cannot clearly express their fears, emotions or internal state, therefore, as such, neuroses can be identified in general outline in a child after 3 years. How older child, the more typical and vivid the manifestations will be, especially behavioral and emotional.

Neurosis is not a mental illness, like schizophrenia or psychosis, with it there is no progressive disintegration of the personality, it is a reversible disorder of the nervous system, a disturbance in mental activity of a functional nature.

With neuroses, the nervous system experiences either a sharp and severe shock or prolonged, obsessive irritation. At the same time, disruptions begin in it, expressed in mood instability with fears, anxieties and sometimes manifestations from the organs and systems of the body (excessive sweating, appetite problems or palpitations).

Why do neuroses arise?

Both preschool children, schoolchildren, and adolescents have a particularly vulnerable nervous system due to the fact that it is not yet fully formed and immature, have little life experience in stressful situations, and cannot adequately and accurately express their emotions.

Some parents, due to busyness and other factors, often do not pay attention to the manifestations of nervous disorders in children, attributing changes in behavior to age-related characteristics or whims.

But if the child does not get help in time for neurosis, the situation may drag on, affect physical health and problems in communicating with others, developing into neurotic states in the teenager. As a result, neurosis will cause irreversible psychological changes in the personality.

The most significant factor in the increase in neuroses in children today is the increase in the number of pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth, in which hypoxia of the nervous tissues of the fetus occurs (see consequences of fetal hypoxia).

Predisposing factors for the development of neuroses are:

predisposition to nervous system problems inherited from parents
traumatic situations, disasters, stress

The trigger mechanism for neurosis can be:

past illnesses
frequent lack of sleep, physical or mental stress
difficult family relationships

The course of the disease and its severity depends on:

gender and age of the child
peculiarities of upbringing
type of constitution (asthenics, hyper- and normosthenics)
characteristics of temperament (choleric, phlegmatic, etc.)

Psychotrauma

Psychotrauma is a change in a child’s consciousness due to any events that greatly disturb, suppress or depress him, and have an extremely negative effect. These can be either long-term situations to which the child cannot adapt without problems, or acute, severe mental trauma. Often, psychotrauma received in childhood, even if the neurosis has passed, leave their mark on adult life in the form of phobias (fear of closed spaces, heights, etc.).

Neurosis can be formed under the influence of one unfavorable traumatic fact: fire, war, abrupt move, accident, parental divorce, etc.
Sometimes the development of neurosis is caused simultaneously by several factors.

Children react to events differently due to their temperament and personality traits; for some, a dog barking on the street will simply be a sound irritant, but for a child predisposed to neurosis it can become a trigger for the formation of neurosis. And repeated meetings with dogs after the first shock that triggered the neurosis will gradually worsen the situation and deepen the neurosis.

The type of psychotrauma that can provoke neuroses in children depends on the age of the child.

At 2 years old, children may develop neuroses when separated from their parents or when they begin attending children's groups.
For older children, there may be a more serious factor - divorce of parents, physical punishment during upbringing, severe fear.

Crisis ages in the development of neuroses are the ages of three and seven years - when the age-related so-called “three-year-old and seven-year-old crisis” occurs. During these periods, the formation of one’s “I” and a reassessment of one’s attitude towards oneself occurs, and during these periods children are most vulnerable to stress factors.

What most often provokes neuroses in children?

Adult Actions

One of the main provoking causes of childhood neuroses are the actions of adults, parental educational errors, which give rise to neurotic reactions, and subsequently the formation of psychological instability of the personality of an adult. Particularly negative parenting models would be:

a model of rejection, subconscious reluctance to raise a child, in the case when, for example, they wanted a boy, but a girl was born
model of overprotection with the development of reluctance to teach the child independence and building relationships in a team
authoritarian model with demands for constant submission to elders, making decisions instead of the child, and not taking into account his opinion
a model of permissiveness with the complete deprivation of the child’s control or help from parents, with the absence of any norms and order within the family and team.
different approaches to parental upbringing
excessive parental rigidity
conflicts in the family - intra-family troubles, divorces, quarrels.

They fall on the “fertile ground” of the immaturity of the children’s nervous system, and the child experiences this because in reality he cannot influence the situation and change it.

External factors

changes in the usual way of life - moving from city to village, to an unusual area, to another country
visiting a new children's group - starting to attend a kindergarten, changing kindergartens, starting to attend a school, changing schools, as well as conflicts in a kindergarten or school group
changes within the family - the birth of a child, an adopted child, the appearance of a stepfather or stepmother, divorce of parents.

Most often, neuroses are formed under the combined influence of several factors at once, and childhood neurosis is unlikely to develop in a child from a prosperous family, even after severe fear or fright. Parents in such a situation usually help to quickly cope with the problem without disturbing the nervous system.

Characteristics of the child

Children with pronounced emotionality and sensitivity - they especially need the love and attention of loved ones, the manifestation of emotions towards them. If children do not receive these emotions from loved ones, they experience fears that they are not loved and do not express emotions towards them.

Children with leadership qualities - it is also difficult with children who are independent and actively show their own opinions and leadership qualities. Such children have clearly expressed conceit in their actions or actions, and their own view of all events. They find it difficult to tolerate restrictions in their actions and parental dictatorship; it is difficult for them to be overprotected and limit their independence from an early age. Children try to protest such parental actions and become stubborn, for which they receive restrictions and punishments from their parents. This will contribute to the development of neuroses.

Weak, often sick children - children who are often sick and weakened are at risk of neuroses; they are often treated like a “crystal vase”, protecting them from everything beyond measure. Such children develop a feeling of their own helplessness and weakness.

Children from dysfunctional families - children in difficult life situations also suffer from neuroses: in asocial families, in boarding schools and orphanages.

General manifestations of neuroses

changing children's behavior
the emergence of new character traits
increased sensitivity, frequent tears even for no apparent reason
sharp reactions to minor psychological trauma in the form of despair or aggression
anxiety, vulnerability.

Changes are also occurring at the level of children’s somatic health:

tachycardia and blood pressure changes
breathing problems, sweating
digestive disorders due to stress - “bear disease”
impaired concentration
memory loss
Children do not react well to loud noises and bright lights
They sleep poorly, have restless and poor quality sleep, and are difficult to wake up in the morning.

Manifestations of different types of neuroses in children

There are quite a few types of neuroses in children; different psychological and neurological schools lead various classifications. Let's consider the simplest classification of neuroses according to their clinical manifestations.

Anxiety neurosis or fear neurosis

It can manifest itself in the form of attacks of fear, which often occur when falling asleep or alone, and can sometimes be accompanied by visions. Children at different ages may have different fears:

Among preschoolers, fears of being left alone in the house, fear of the dark, characters in scary cartoons or films, and programs are common. Often, fears are cultivated by parents themselves, frightening children for educational purposes with frightening characters - a woman, an evil witch, a policeman.
For younger schoolchildren, this may be fears of school or bad grades, a strict teacher, or older students. Often these children skip classes due to fear.

Manifestations of this neurosis can include a bad mood, reluctance to be alone, changes in behavior, difficult cases urinary incontinence occurs. Often, such neurosis occurs in sensitive children at home who had little contact with their peers during preschool age.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

It can occur in the form of neurosis of obsessive actions (obsessions) or phobic neurosis, as well as with the presence of both phobias and obsessive actions at the same time.

Obsessive actions - involuntary movements that arise during emotional stress against the wishes of the baby, he can:

blink, twinkle
wrinkle your nose
shudder
tap your foot
cough
to sniff

Nervous tics are involuntary twitches that occur more often in boys, triggered by both psychological factors and the presence of certain diseases. Initially justified actions against an unfavorable background are then consolidated as obsessions:

With eye diseases, habits of blinking, blinking, and rubbing the eyes may become established.
At frequent colds and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, sniffing or coughing may become established.

They usually appear after 5 years. Such tics affect the facial muscles, neck, upper limbs, can be from the respiratory system, combined with urinary incontinence or stuttering. Such repeated actions of the same type can cause discomfort to the child, but most often they become habitual and he does not notice them. Read more about the causes and treatment of nervous tics in children.

As a rule, the tendency to neuroses begins at an early age, when stressful habitual pathological actions are formed and consolidated:

nail biting or thumb sucking
touching the genitals
rocking of the body or limbs
twirling hair around fingers or pulling it out.

If such actions are not eliminated at an early age, they contribute to neurosis due to stress in older children.

Phobic manifestations are usually expressed in the form of a special fear of:

fear of death or illness
confined spaces
various objects, dirt.

Often children form special thoughts or ideas that contradict the principles of education and morality, and these thoughts create anxieties, worries, and fears in them.

Depressive neuroses

They are not typical for children; children of school age are usually prone to them, especially during puberty. The child strives to be alone, withdraws from others, and is constantly in a depressed mood with tearfulness and decreased self-esteem. Physical activity may also decrease, insomnia occurs, appetite worsens, facial expressions are inexpressive, speech is quiet and meager, and there is constant sadness on the face. This condition requires special attention, as it can lead to serious consequences.

Hysterical neuroses

Preschoolers are prone to them when there is a discrepancy between the desired and the actual. They usually fall with screams and screams on the floor or surfaces, hitting their limbs and head against hard objects. Attacks of passion may occur with imaginary suffocation or hysterical coughing, vomiting if the child is punished or does not do what he wants. In older children, analogues of hysteria may occur in the form of hysterical blindness, skin sensitivity disorders, and breathing disorders.

Neurasthenia

It is also called asthenic neurosis and occurs in schoolchildren as a result of excessive stress at school itself or an excess of additional clubs. It often occurs against a background of general weakness in children due to frequent illness or physical lack of training. Such children are disinhibited and restless, they get tired quickly, are irritable and cry often, and may have difficulty sleeping and eating.

Hypochondria

Children develop concerns about their condition and health, unmotivated fears of developing various diseases, this often occurs among teenagers with a suspicious character. They look for symptoms and manifestations various ailments, worrying about it, nervous and upset.

Neurotic logoneurosis - stuttering

Stuttering or logonerosis of a neurotic nature is more typical for boys under five years of age during the period of active development of speech and the formation of phrasal conversation. It occurs against the background of psychological trauma against the backdrop of family scandals, separation from loved ones, acute psychological trauma or fear, fright. There may also be reasons for information overload and forced formation by parents of speech development and general development. The child's speech becomes intermittent with pauses, repetition of syllables and the inability to pronounce words.

Somnambulism - sleepwalking, sleep talking

Neurotic sleep disorders can occur in the form of a long and difficult time falling asleep, restless and anxious sleep with frequent waking up, the presence of nightmares and night terrors, talking in sleep and walking at night. Sleepwalking and sleep-talking are associated with the characteristics of dreams and the functioning of the nervous system. It often occurs in children from the age of 4-5 years. Children may not remember in the morning that they walked or talked at night. Read more about sleepwalking in children and adolescents.

Anorexia nervosa

Appetite disturbances in childhood common occurrence both in preschoolers and adolescents. Usually the reasons are overfeeding or force-feeding, the coincidence of meals with scandals and quarrels in the family, and severe stress. At the same time, the child may refuse any food or some types of it, he chews for a long time and does not swallow food, and is extremely suspicious of the contents of the plate, even to the point of gag reflex. At the same time, against the background of poor nutrition, mood changes, whims at the table, crying and hysterics are expressed.

Some variants of neuroses are:

childhood neurotic enuresis (urinary incontinence)
encopresis (fecal incontinence).

They arise against the background of hereditary predisposition and possibly diseases. They require a special approach in treatment, and the mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

How to make a diagnosis?

First of all, you should go to an appointment with a pediatrician or neurologist, talk with an experienced psychologist and psychotherapist. Doctors will examine and remove organic reasons disorders, diseases that could lead to this. Neuroses are diagnosed in several stages:

Dialogue with parents involves a detailed analysis of the psychological situation in the family, and here it is important to frankly tell the specialist all the details: the relationship in the family between parents and the child, the parents themselves, as well as the relationship between the child and peers and relatives.
Examinations of parents and immediate relatives who are directly involved in raising a child, studying the psychological climate of the family, identifying errors in behavior and upbringing.
Conversations with a child are a series of conversations with a child during play and communication on previously developed issues.
Observation of the child - detailed observation of play activities child, which arises spontaneously or is organized in advance.
Drawing and detailed analysis of drawings, from which one can often understand the child’s experiences and feelings, his desires and emotional state.

Based on all this, a conclusion is made about the presence and type of neurosis, then a detailed treatment plan is developed. Typically, therapy is carried out by psychotherapists or psychologists, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis and at home, there is no need to admit a child with neurosis to the hospital.

Treatment methods for neurosis

In the treatment of neuroses in children, the main method is psychotherapy. It is important for parents to understand that on their own, with the help of books, the Internet or toys, they will achieve little, and sometimes they can do harm, aggravating the course of neurosis. Psychotherapy is a complex systemic effect on the child’s psyche and the characteristics of his character; in the treatment of neuroses it has several directions:

group and individual therapy to study and correct the psychological climate of the family
role-playing games with the participation of the child, helping to teach him to overcome difficult situations
the use of art therapy (drawing) and drawing up a psychological portrait of the child based on the child’s drawings, tracking the dynamics of changes in the drawings
hypnosis - suggestion (autogenic training)
treatment through communication with animals - canistherapy (dogs), feline therapy (cats), hippotherapy (horses), dolphin therapy.

Psychotherapy is aimed at normalizing or significantly improving the family environment and relationships, and adjusting upbringing. Additionally, to correct the psychosomatic background and achieve b O For greater success in psychotherapy, medications, reflexology and physiotherapy are also used. An individual treatment plan is developed only by a specialist for each child separately, and, if necessary, for family members.

Application of psychotherapy

They use both group and individual or family psychotherapy. Of particular importance in the treatment of neuroses is the family form of psychotherapy. During sessions, the doctor directly identifies problems in the life of the child and his family, helps in eliminating emotional problems, normalizes the system of relationships and corrects the manner of education. Family work will be especially effective for preschool children, when its effect is maximum and is easiest to eliminate Negative influence main mistakes in education.

Family therapy

It is carried out in several successive stages:

Stage 1 - an examination is carried out in the family and a so-called “family diagnosis” is made in the totality of personal, social and psychological characteristics, deviations in any areas of the relationship with the child.
Stage 2 - a family discussion of problems with parents and relatives is conducted, all their problems are noted. During the conversations, the role of parents in education, the need for cooperation with a specialist is emphasized, and the perspective in the pedagogical approach is determined.
Stage 3 - this is followed by classes with the child in a specially equipped playroom, where there are toys, writing instruments and other items. Initially, the child is given time to play independently, read or study; as emotional contact is established, a conversation will be held in a playful way.
Stage 4 - joint psychotherapy of the child and parents. For preschoolers, joint activities are carried out with object-based games, construction or drawing; for schoolchildren, object-based games and discussions on various topics are introduced. The specialist evaluates habitual conflicts and emotional reactions in the interaction between children and parents. Then the emphasis switches to role-playing games that express children's interactions in life - family or school games. Scenarios are used that are played out by parents and children, who are swapped, and the therapist, during these games, will demonstrate the most optimal models in family relationships. This gradually creates the conditions for restructuring family relations and eliminating conflict.

Individual psychotherapy

It is carried out using numerous techniques that have a complex effect on the child. It uses the following techniques:

Rational (explanatory)

The doctor carries out explanatory therapy through sequential steps. In a form that is accessible to the child’s age, after establishing trusting and emotional contact with him, he tells why and what is happening to the child. Then, in a playful way or in the form of a conversation at the next stage, he tries to determine the sources of the baby’s experiences. The next stage will be a kind of “homework” - this is the end of the story or fairy tale started by the doctor, where, analyzing different variants at the end of the story, attempts are made to resolve difficult situations, conflicts either by the child himself, or with the help and prompting of a doctor. Even very small successes in mastering situations, with the approval of a doctor, can contribute to further improvement of relationships and correction of pathological character traits.

Art therapy

Art therapy in the form of drawing or sculpting can sometimes provide much more information about a child than all other methods. When drawing, a child begins to understand his fears and experiences, and observing him in the process can provide a lot of necessary information in terms of character, sociability, imagination and potential. It will be informative to draw on family topics, reflections of fears and experiences. Sometimes sculpting or paper appliqué techniques are used instead. Often, from the data in the pictures, you can get a lot of hidden information, and also, by talking about the picture, you can work through the child’s fear.

Play therapy

It is used in children under 10-12 years of age, when they feel the need for games, but the games are organized according to a special plan and the emotional participation of the psychotherapist in them, taking into account the children’s ability to transform. Both spontaneous observation games and directed games can be used, without improvisation. In games you can practice communication skills, motor and emotional self-expression, stress relief and fear elimination. During the game, the doctor creates situations of stress, argument, fear, accusations and gives the child the opportunity to exit independently or with his help. Neuroses are treated especially well with this method at the age of up to 7 years.

A variant of play therapy is fairy tale therapy, in which fairy tales are invented and told with the production of special characters, puppets or dolls. Special ones may be bugged therapeutic tales in the form of meditation, to calm music in a lying position. There may also be psycho-dynamic meditations-fairy tales with the child transforming into animals and performing exercises.

Autogenic training

Treatment with autogenic training is carried out in adolescents - this is a method of muscle relaxation, especially effective for systemic neuroses with stuttering, tics, and urinary incontinence. Creating a positive mood through the speech and actions of the doctor (for example, imagining yourself in the most pleasant place) leads to muscle relaxation, a decrease or even complete disappearance of manifestations. As the sessions progress, this state is consolidated in the subconscious, and the belief that it is quite possible to recover increases.

Suggestive (suggestion method) psychotherapy

This is a suggestion to a child while he is awake, under hypnosis or indirect suggestion of certain attitudes. Often, children are good at indirect suggestion - for example, taking a placebo will give them recovery. At the same time, they will think that they are taking special effective drug. The method is especially good for hypochondria, in school and adolescence.

Hypnosis

Hypnotherapy is used only in particularly difficult cases in order to mobilize the psychological and physiological resources of the body. It quickly eliminates certain symptoms. But the method has many contraindications and is used to a limited extent in children.

Group psychotherapy

Shown when special cases neuroses, it includes:

long-term course of neurosis with unfavorable personality changes - increased level demands on oneself, self-centeredness
difficulties in communication and related disorders - embarrassment, timidity, shyness, suspiciousness
in case of difficult family conflicts, the need to resolve them.

Groups are formed according to individual therapy by age; there are few children in the group:

under 5 years of age - no more than 4 people
aged 6 to 10 years - no more than 6 people
at the age of 11-14 years - up to 8 people.

Classes last up to 45 minutes for preschoolers and up to one and a half hours for schoolchildren. This allows you to play out complex stories and involve all group members in them. Children united in groups visit exhibitions and museums, read interesting books, discuss all this, share their hobbies. In this way, the child’s tension is relieved, the children open up and begin to communicate, sharing their pain and experiences.

Compared to individual training, the effect of group training is greater. Spontaneous and specialist-guided games are gradually introduced, training of mental functions begins, and adolescents are taught self-control. For homework, various tests with pictures are used, which are subsequently discussed in the group.

The classes involve relaxation and inculcation of positive personality traits acquired during the class. At the end of the course, there is a general discussion and consolidation of the results, which helps the child to work independently on himself in the future.

Medication correction

Drug therapy in the treatment of neuroses is of secondary importance, and it affects certain symptoms. The drugs relieve tension, excessive excitability or depression, and reduce the manifestations of asthenia. Medication usually precedes psychotherapy, but it is also possible complex treatment when psychotherapy is carried out in conjunction with physiotherapy and medications. Drug treatment of neuroses against the background of encephalopathy, asthenia, neuropathy is especially important:

general strengthening drugs - vitamin C, group B
dehydration herbal medicine - diuretics, kidney tea
nootropic drugs - nootropil, piracetam
drugs that reduce asthenia - depending on the cause and type, the doctor will select
herbal medicine (see sedatives for children), tinctures of medicinal herbs can be prescribed for up to one and a half months. Most drugs have a sedative effect - motherwort, valerian.

For subdepressive symptoms, tinctures of ginseng, aralia, and eleutherococcus may be indicated.

For irritability and weakness, Pavlov’s mixture and tinctures of motherwort and valerian have a good effect, they are used pine baths, physiotherapy in the form of electrophoresis with calcium and magnesium preparations, electrosleep.

It will be more difficult with antidepressants and tranquilizers; they can complicate psychotherapy. They are used for hyperactivity and disinhibition based on the child’s characteristics and diagnosis:

hypersthenic syndrome - drugs with sedative effect(eunoctine, elenium)
for hyposthenia - tranquilizers with an activating effect (trioxazine or seduxen).
for subthreshold depression, small doses of antidepressants can be prescribed: amitriptyline, melipramine.
for severe excitability, Sonopax can be used.

All medications are prescribed exclusively by a doctor and are used strictly under his supervision.

For caring parents, the symptoms and origins of neurosis are too contradictory and vague. And often have little to do with the medical interpretation of this neuralgic disorder. Neuroses in children and adolescents aged 1-12 years are often confused with such deviations as:

infantilism;
minor brain dysfunction;
paroxysmal brain;
vegetative-vascular dystonia.

aggression;
excitability;
poor sleep;
inattention;
headache;
pallor;
trembling fingers;
fatigue.

Events and shocks

Child's instincts

The most innocent of this bouquet is the complexes that cause inner world school-age child is closed to others. Already as an adult, such a person is not able to fully love, communicate and develop personally. Only psychotherapy as a treatment can bring relief.

family conflicts;
fright, accident, injuries;

decreased appetite;
decreased performance;
prostration;
sweating;
nervous tic;
hysterics;
headache;
cold hands and feet.

In addition to symptoms, there are signs in psychotherapy such as stuttering and incontinence. In children under one year and newborns distinctive features neuroses can become plaintive, sorrowful crying and sensitive, restless sleep. After 4 years, up to preschool and school age - hysterical fits, rolling on the floor, furious demand for what is desired.

Internal conflicts

overprotection;
authoritarian;
rejection and dislike;
indulgence;
contrast;
tyranny.

Of course, biological characteristics also play a role in the occurrence of neuroses in newborns. Thus, neuropathy can be caused by a difficult pregnancy, unnatural childbirth, or pathology. Children born with difficulties are more susceptible to breakdowns, and the older they get, the more noticeable they are.

hysteria;
neurasthenia;
obsessive neurosis.

sensitivity;
impressionability;
egocentrism;
selfishness;
suggestibility;
sudden mood swings.

Hysteria, as a form of neurosis, is often characteristic of spoiled children 3-6 years old. Parents extol the child too much, depriving him of independence. Preschoolers under 3 years of age are also characterized by symptoms such as affective-respiratory breath-holding. When a child cries, he is so depressed that he cannot get enough air. It looks like an asthma attack.

Symptoms of neurasthenia:

irritability;
weakness;
fatigue;
inattention;
headache in the morning;
sleep disturbance;
night terrors;
passivity;
pallor.

Read more about neurasthenia here.

uncertainty;
indecision;
suspiciousness;
concerns;
anxiety.

frequent hand washing;
bouncing;
pat.

Social factors

parental divorce;
transfer to another school;
unfair punishment;

hereditary burden;
threat of pregnancy, stress.

Neurosis, just like an expected event, is promoted by family history. Thus, a completely healthy 10-month-old child may well owe his developed neurosis to his parents, who consider it a violation of discipline to take a baby in his arms when he is in dire need of it before he is one year old.

Scientific theories

emotional blackmail;
traditionalism;
open threats and promises;
immodesty of parents;

agoraphobia;
claustrophobia;
acarophobia;
acromophobia;
homilophobia;
ereitophobia;
dysmorphophobia;
mysophobia.

at 11-12 years old, lack of understanding of reality can confuse a child;
neuroses in adolescents 14-18 years old speaks of the psychological immaturity of the child as an individual.

Treatment

homeopathy;
hypnosis;
relaxation therapy;
medicines;
psychotherapeutic treatment;
unconventional methods.

psychostimulants;
antidepressants;
physiotherapy;
physiotherapy.

Participation of parents and loved ones

Video: how to recognize the first signs of neurosis in a child

Does your child have neurosis? Find out where this comes from

For caring parents, the symptoms and origins of neurosis are too contradictory and vague. And often have little to do with the medical interpretation of this neuralgic disorder.

Does your child have neurosis? Find out where this comes from
Events and shocks
Child's instincts
Internal conflicts
A difficult age
Social factors
Scientific theories
Treatment
Participation of parents and loved ones
How to diagnose and treat childhood neurosis
Neuroses in children - where do they come from?
Symptoms of neuroses in children
Diagnosis and treatment of childhood neuroses
Summarize
Types and modern methods treatment of neuroses in children
Causes of neurotic disorder
Main types of neurotic disorders
Signs of neuroses
Certain types of childhood neuroses
Stuttering
Enuresis
Hysteria
Symptoms of the disease
Diagnosis of the disease
Non-drug treatments
Art therapy
Drug therapy
An 8 year old child has neurosis
Causes of neuroses in children
Symptoms of neuroses in children
Obsessive movement neurosis in children
Treatment of neuroses in children
36 comments to the post “Neuroses in children”

Neuroses in children and adolescents aged 1-12 years are often confused with such deviations as:

It’s hard to blame them for ignorance - the signs are in many ways similar to neurosis:

All these symptoms are temporary and are dictated by the child’s unpreparedness for changes in age - you just need to consult with a neurologist who will give recommendations and prescribe treatment and psychotherapy. The origin of neurosis always stems from a prolonged stressful situation and has a deeper history that requires specialist intervention.

Events and shocks

The child's psyche is very vulnerable and susceptible - any change in the usual routine of life is reflected even on newborns, with a force corresponding to the dynamics of age. Thus, for infants from one to three years old, even a short separation from their mother can lead to the onset of neuroses. Especially if before that day they were inseparable.

Children 3-6 years old can get a pre-neurotic state if their pet gets lost or their favorite toy breaks. The first symptoms are loss, prolonged grief, despondency, sleep and appetite disorders. Scandals in the family, single-parent families, dislike of parents also negatively affect the child’s psyche, leaving an indelible mark on the child’s soul for life.

The dictatorial tendencies of one of the parents also bring neurosis to the child. Suppression of personality, temperament, instincts and interests is a child’s sure path to neurosis and psychotherapy sessions.

Child's instincts

Neuroses in children and adolescents are a common and dangerous phenomenon. A child grows up to be an insecure person; in his brain, with certain diseases, various psychical deviations, fears, from schizophrenia to paranoia.

The most innocent of this bouquet is the complexes due to which the inner world of a school-age child is closed to others. Already as an adult, such a person is not able to fully love, communicate and develop personally. Only psychotherapy as a treatment can bring relief.

Neurosis as a consequence arises from the struggle of instincts. Children defend themselves as best they can; in other words, they try not to go crazy. The most common causes of neurosis in a child:

family conflicts;
fright, accident, injuries;
pressure of parental care and control;
hereditary predisposition;
excessive mental stress.

The child's psyche exhibits the following symptoms:

decreased appetite;
decreased performance;
prostration;
sweating;
nervous tic;
hysterics;
headache;
cold hands and feet.

In addition to symptoms, there are signs in psychotherapy such as stuttering and incontinence. In children under one year of age and newborns, the distinctive features of neuroses can be plaintive, sorrowful crying and sensitive, restless sleep. After 4 years, up to preschool and school age - hysterical fits, rolling on the floor, furious demand for what is desired.

Internal conflicts

Neurosis is actually very easy to develop. It's enough not to understand your own child. This is why such phenomena as neurosis usually originate in women - they also have a sensitive soul. The psyche of children is like plasticine, but it requires careful handling.

Due to stress at work and at home, neurosis in adults leads to depression and neurasthenia, but they can go to a psychoanalyst or simply intuitively begin a relaxation period of psychotherapy. Children are in no way able to calm down their internal anxiety and worries. It seems that parents know what they are indicating, they know how it will be better, but a school-age teenager, for example, is afraid of not being able to cope with the responsibilities assigned to him.

And here you are, a childhood neurosis that requires treatment. Internal contradictions personal growth coupled with improper upbringing and, as a result, increased nervousness. Types of miseducation:

Of course, biological characteristics also play a role in the occurrence of neuroses in newborns. Thus, neuropathy can be caused by a difficult pregnancy, unnatural childbirth, or pathology. Children born with difficulties are more susceptible to breakdowns, and the older they get, the more noticeable they are.

A difficult age

In school-age children, the origin of classical types of neuroses is often associated with excessive stress, feelings of fear, parental pressure, and adaptation at school. Experiences are fraught with stuttering and enuresis, nervous tics. Neuroses in adolescents are conventionally divided into several nervous conditions:

Upon closer examination, the following symptoms are characteristic of hysteria:

sensitivity;
impressionability;
egocentrism;
selfishness;
suggestibility;
sudden mood swings.

From 7-11 years of age, seizures turn into a theatrical performance with fainting and suffocation. The worst thing is that the child believes in the truthfulness of his actions, which in the future is fraught with the body becoming accustomed to such insinuations. Psychotherapy and treatment are needed.

irritability;
weakness;
fatigue;
inattention;
headache in the morning;
sleep disturbance;
night terrors;
passivity;
pallor.

Neurosthenics are very quick-tempered and vulnerable, they see a catch in everything. Distrustful, fearful, mostly melancholic and depressed. At night they relive the events of the day, often waking up screaming, experiencing chills and cold.

Symptoms and signs of obsessive neuroses:

Children suffering from a form of neurosis - obsessive-compulsive disorder - are afraid of germs, communication, darkness, in general, of many symbols of various phobias. A child of preschool and school age is characterized by ritual habits, such as:

And this is done automatically, like conditioned reflexes. An indicative symptom may be a tic. At 4-5 years old, nervous twitching is temporary, from several weeks to a month. In the future, this symptom passes, instantly manifesting itself in stressful situations.

Social factors

At older ages, childhood neuroses are more difficult to treat, as they are caused by more complex causes. Children 4-12 years old have a hard time:

parental divorce;
transfer to another school;
unfair punishment;
first visit to a children's group;
moving to a new place of residence.

There is also such a concept in psychotherapy as predisposing factors, the origin of which entails neurosis:

residual organic pathology;
unintentional accentuation of character;
weakness of the body in the face of somatic diseases;
negative emotional background of the mother during pregnancy;
hereditary burden;
threat of pregnancy, stress.

Because of them, the child is especially vulnerable, susceptible neurological diseases. If parents turn to psychotherapy in a timely manner, neurosis can be reversed. If you don’t notice his presence, you can forget about the child’s peace of mind.

Parents' dissatisfaction with the gender of the newborn gradually forms a nervous personality; the little person is characterized by internal anxiety that does not leave him for a minute. The same fate awaits a late baby - scientists have proven the connection between childhood neuroses and the mother's late pregnancy.

Scientific theories

Many psychoanalysts believe that the true cause of childhood neuroses is improper upbringing, based on factors such as:

emotional blackmail;
traditionalism;
open threats and promises;
lack of family attachments;
immodesty of parents;
negative attitudes of adults towards older people.

The fragile psyche of a preschool child begins to slow down - advanced neurosis can be reflected in autism.

Types of obsessive fears in children aged 5-12 years as a consequence of a form of neurosis:

These mental disorders of fear of something greatly interfere with a person’s normal life and development. In addition to them, there is a whole host of specific childhood fears, because of which thoughts little man like hunted birds - fear of loneliness, darkness, fire, loss of parents, etc.

It is worth noting the crisis age periods where psychological prevention and treatment is needed:

at 3-4 years old, girls are more likely to suffer from neurosis than boys;
at 6-7 years old, unusual stressful situations begin for preschool children;
a sudden lack of understanding of reality can confuse a child;
neuroses in adolescents speaks of the psychological immaturity of the child as an individual.

In the latter case, there is a greater tendency to depression and phobias. Children's fears remain, the clinical picture of neurosis worsens.

In psychotherapy, children's fears are divided into such concepts as obsessive, delusional and overvalued. Treatment of fears is largely based on prevention. Obsessive ones are the beginning of phobias, depending on age, delusional ones the child himself is not able to explain, and overvalued ones occupy all the attention of children.

The most valuable fears of children include fear of answering at the blackboard and fear of speaking. By talking with children and understanding them, you can slowly displace fears.

Childhood neuroses have a reversible pathogenesis, but only in the case professional treatment and prevention. An experienced psychotherapist, having carefully questioned the patient, takes an anamnesis along with biological features patient and according to age.

An integrated approach to psychotherapy can effectively and safely cure a child of his fears and anxiety. Often psychologists ask you to draw or describe your fears using clever confidence techniques. Types of treatment, depending on the complexity of the case:

homeopathy;
hypnosis;
relaxation therapy;
medicines;
acupuncture and microacupuncture treatment;
psychotherapeutic treatment;
unconventional methods.

Consultation with a neurologist and psychotherapist is required. The most complex cases of childhood neurosis require drug therapy and constant psychological prevention. Tranquilizers of the benzodiazepine group are prescribed, which reduce excitability and the risk of seizures and cause drowsiness.

Side effects of these medications are itching, nausea, constipation. If psychotherapy continues for a long time, addiction may occur and the effectiveness of the drugs may decrease. The complex of treatment of childhood neurosis also includes:

psychostimulants;
antidepressants;
vitamin and mineral preparations;
physiotherapy;
physiotherapy.

As part of psychotherapy, sessions of hypnosis, confidential conversations, and consultations are conducted. If the form of childhood neuroses does not require drug treatment, individual work is of great importance child psychologist as prevention.

Participation of parents and loved ones

Treating childhood neurosis is not easy, but it is a mistake to think that this is entirely the work of specialists. The parents of a neurotic person, no less than the patient, need consultations and conversations with a psychoanalyst. Only by changing their own attitude towards life, towards their child, can parents help their preschool child overcome psycho-traumatic factors and forget them.

Children's fears will subside if the child is surrounded with understanding and care, given the right to choose and personal freedom. Together with a psychologist, parents learn to re-perceive reality, look at the world through the eyes of their child, and understand how difficult it is to try to meet overwhelming demands.

Only a family, by overestimating life values, can help a child get rid of phobias and fear of being an inferior person. Relationships in society are always difficult, but each person has the right to his own path and mistakes, and only harmony in the family will help a child realize his individuality.

Source: diagnose and treat childhood neurosis

Adults quite often approach their health according to the principle “if I don’t die, it will go away on its own,” they put off visiting a doctor and suppress symptoms with pills. But when it comes to children’s illness, any parent begins to worry, especially when the diagnosis is not entirely clear. For example, neurosis. What is it and why are such conditions increasingly being identified in children?

Indeed, the further you go, the more neuroses become “younger”, and even very young children often complain about their symptoms. And although there are no official statistics on childhood neuroses in our country, according to some data, by the fifth grade of school, some kind of neurotic reactions are observed in almost half of the children. Is your child one of them? There is no need to panic and google for predictions - neurotic disorders are reversible conditions that can be successfully treated, especially in childhood, when the psyche is still plastic and easy to correct.

Neuroses in children - where do they come from?

All neuroses are generally divided into two large groups: reactive and those that appeared as a result of a combination of many factors, and not after a specific event. More precisely, the second group can also debut after a traumatic situation, but in this case the event will only be a “trigger”, a manifesting moment, and not the cause of the disease.

This point can be important in the treatment of neuroses in children, since “working through” one specific negative event with the help of psychotherapy is much easier than correcting all the errors in upbringing and the nuances of the worldview of a small patient. In the first case, therapy will not take so much time, but in the second, doctors will have to try a lot to return the child to a normal state.

The real causes of neuroses in children usually lie in the peculiarities of upbringing and the situation in the family where the child is being raised. If the parents themselves suffer from some kind of neuroses or at least show neurotic character traits from time to time, then the children simply “read” the parental model of behavior, and in the future they also have a risk of developing neurosis. Often, such disorders are “inherited” from generation to generation until one of the family members changes their usual patterns of behavior, passing on a healthy model to their offspring - and then the chain can be broken naturally.

Physiological reasons also play a fairly important role, especially when it comes to very young children. Birth injuries, harmful effects on the fetus during pregnancy, serious illnesses in the first years of life they also often provoke neuroses in preschool children.

On the Internet you can find many psychological articles, the meaning of which boils down to the fact that most neuroses in children are a consequence of “dislike”, lack of attention from parents. This is partly true, but you can just as easily raise a neurotic in an environment of overprotection and by placing too stringent demands on your child.

In simple terms, neuroses in children and adolescents arise when some needs are not met by their environment in the way that a particular child needs. And we are not talking about whims and demands “Mom, buy it!” - the basic needs of little people are, for example: safety, the presence of a loving adult, stability, acceptance, and so on. Each child has these needs quite individually, and only an attentive parent can accurately recognize what exactly he needs and what he absolutely cannot stand.

Of course, it is very difficult to create completely ideal conditions for development and education - most likely, this is simply impossible. However, attempts to “break a child over your knee” will definitely be the shortest route to the formation of childhood neuroses.

Symptoms of neuroses in children

The manifestations of neuroses in children are no less varied than in adults, although they have their own characteristics. Psychologists usually use the classification below, although most of these names you will not find in the ICD-10, which uses completely different terminology for neurotic disorders.

Fear neurosis in children usually manifests itself in certain circumstances. Younger children are afraid of noise, wind noise, spiders or the dark. As a child grows up, he may be afraid of public speaking, large groups, tests at school and other situations that either make him the center of everyone's attention or require a perfect result (grade). At the same time, in at a young age he can be capricious, hysterical, refuse to do anything, and when older, he can avoid an unpleasant situation by all means, skip classes, run away from home, and so on.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children looks like constant repetition certain actions. The child may sniffle, jerk their neck, cough, bite their nails, pull out hair, or feel the urge to endlessly wash their hands. The manifestations of this neurosis can be very different, but the reason is always the same - increased anxiety.

Why do children develop obsessive movements, what does it mean and how to cope with such a condition - advice from a doctor.

Asthenic neurosis or neurasthenia is characterized by irritability, problems with appetite, sleep disturbances, and lethargy. Typically, this type of neurosis develops in response to overwhelming stress at school or in extracurricular activities, and is now often diagnosed in children aged 8-9 years.

Neurosis of a hypochondriacal nature in adults usually concerns the state of health, but little hypochondriacs doubt not only their physical well-being, but in general - themselves, their skills and mental abilities. Of course, in these doubts, parental education of the type “all children are like children, but mine...” plays a big role. For a sensitive child, comparisons with other children and regular reprimands can become the starting point for the emergence of neurosis.

Hysterical neurosis does not always manifest itself only in the usual “attacks” with falling to the floor, screaming and other whims. The “task” of a hysteric is to attract the attention of adults, but how he will do this is another question. Some children actually lie on the floor in the store, others simply complain about endless pain and illness, trying to get love and acceptance in this way.

Stuttering of a neurotic nature occurs during the period of active speech formation - from 2 to 5 years. When a child is worried, he can hardly pronounce the necessary words, but in a calm environment, this kind of stuttering can be almost unnoticeable. Sometimes such a symptom occurs in response to a traumatic situation, sometimes it is a consequence of increased stress and excessive demands, and it happens that he stutters only when communicating with certain people - whom deep down he is very afraid of.

Almost all children experience neurotic sleep disorders from time to time. This is due to the fact that it is in a dream that an overloaded psyche tends to get rid of tension. For example, many children and adolescents begin to “sleepwalk” in holiday camps (the change in their usual environment affects them), and children of primary school age often talk in their sleep.

Urinary incontinence of a neurotic nature requires certain diagnostic caution. The fact is that individual episodes of incontinence at night are quite normal for children under 2-3 years of age, but if the child has already grown up and “accidents” still happen, then we can talk about a neurotic nature this phenomenon, which can and should be cured.

In addition to all of the above, signs and symptoms of neuroses in children may include:

nausea and vomiting;
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
headache;
weakness, lethargy, drowsiness;
depressive and anxious thoughts;
mutism (temporary absence of speech);
constipation;
pain in various parts bodies;
fainting and pre-syncope.

This is a fairly short list of the most common signs of childhood neuroses; in fact, their manifestations can be even more diverse.

Diagnosis and treatment of childhood neuroses

Since the needs and problems of young patients differ significantly from those of adults, the diagnosis of childhood neuroses also has its own characteristics. A child cannot always clearly explain what is happening to him, what he is afraid of and what exactly he is missing. Therefore, conversations with a doctor cannot be the main method for staging correct diagnosis.

The first thing parents need to do in cases where their child shows signs of a neurotic disorder is to comprehensively examine the child. Often, what others mistake for neurosis can be a symptom of a somatic disease, hormonal deficiency, brain disorders and so on. If the examination reveals any problems, then first of all it is necessary to treat the detected disease.

If no serious deviations are found, then parents need to contact a qualified psychotherapist or psychiatrist. You shouldn’t be afraid of such a visit - neuroses are currently not “registered” even in regular primary care settings, and turning to a private doctor generally excludes the dissemination of any information about the child’s health.

At the same time, untreated neurosis can cause serious health problems in the future. For example, if a boy wets his bed before the age of five, it will be very difficult to get rid of this habit in adulthood, which means that it will not be possible to avoid ridicule from peers, which can ultimately lead from enuresis to depression.

Diagnosis of neurosis in children involves a thorough collection of family history, clarification of the child’s living conditions and development, and the situation in the parental family. Serious illnesses suffered and possible psychological shocks will also be taken into account. The doctor will receive all this information from the parents. And he will work with the child himself using play methods, art therapy, fairy tale therapy, and so on, since this approach makes it easy to “talk” to the little patient, who will be able to express his experiences and needs in the game.

So, the diagnosis has been established, and parents are faced with a new question: “how to treat neurosis in a child?” We can immediately say that for a young patient to fully return to normal life, quite a significant amount of time and coordinated work between the doctor and parents will be required.

Fortunately, it is quite rare in such situations that the use of medications is necessary. Psychotherapy for neuroses in children and adolescents is the main method of treating such disorders, since the psyche at this time is still developing and the brain has enormous resources for recovery.

It is worth remembering that attentive parents not only learn from the doctor how to treat childhood neurosis, but they themselves must take an active part in the process of psychotherapy. Since neurotic disorders are a “family” disease, often one of the parents may also need the help of a psychotherapist or even medication. The causes of childhood neuroses almost always come from the family, and if older generation changes habitual patterns of behavior, then the child automatically adopts new “rules of life”, becoming more self-confident.

As already mentioned, the main method of treatment is regular and long-term psychotherapy under the guidance of a competent doctor. But at the same time, it is important to provide the little patient with a comfortable environment at home, limit the time spent at the computer (which is very “swaying” nervous system even in adults). Creative activities, a clear daily routine, outdoor recreation, communication with friends and family members, and dosing of the educational load play an important role in the treatment of neurosis in children. Symptoms with this approach will quickly subside even without the use of special medications.

Why is it necessary to work with parents first when dealing with neuroses in children? - says psychologist Veronika Stepanova.

The same tips will also be relevant for the prevention of neuroses in children - even if the doctor says that your child is completely healthy, try to continue to follow all the recommendations so that the disorder does not return with renewed vigor.

Summarize

In this material, we tried to talk as fully as possible about how to treat neurosis in children. But the examples we have given are quite general, while for each young patient the symptoms and treatment of a neurotic disorder may differ significantly. Therefore it is important to choose good doctor and strictly follow his advice and recommendations. Timely detection and treatment of neuroses in children is the key to a happy and healthy future, so you should not delay treatment and wait for it to “resolve on its own.” Cases of spontaneous recovery from neurosis are quite rare, so the health of your children (and mental health too!) is entirely in your hands.

Source: and modern methods of treating neuroses in children

The phenomenon of neuroses in children is a reaction of a small personality to mental trauma.

This is a response of the child’s psyche to a negative situation that lasts quite a long time. Only a small number of parents understand the seriousness of this problem.

Causes of neurotic disorder

Features of neuroses in children are directly dependent on age. The psyche of preschool children, schoolchildren, and teenagers is the most vulnerable.

Neuroses in children may first appear at the age of 2 or 3 years. This period is characterized by the manifestation of negativism, obstinacy, and constant confrontation with parents.

At 3 years old, children are trying to realize their own importance and defend their interests.

Neuroses in school-age children and neuroses in preschool children are characterized by the acuity of perception and response to various traumatic situations.

Neuroses in children and adolescents may be associated with character traits or with an existing predisposition to diseases of this kind.

Self-doubt, excitability, shyness, increased activity, emotionality, irritability, dependence on other people's opinions are predisposing traits leading to neurotic disorders in children.

The causes of neuroses in children depend on various factors.

At the age of 3, children can experience great stress due to separation from loved ones or due to visiting kindergarten, clubs and other children's groups (there is a problem with adaptation and socialization).

For older children, the main reasons are problems in the family, relationships with classmates, violence from close relatives, and fear.

Also, provocative factors that cause neurotic reactions in children can be:

pathologies during pregnancy (frequent stress, fetal hypoxia, difficult childbirth);
changes in the usual lifestyle (change of school, team, moving to another city, deterioration of living conditions, appearance of a new family member);
problems of relationships between relatives (frequent quarrels, divorce, violence, alcohol or drug addiction of a family member);
incorrect or erroneous behavior of close relatives in matters of education (excessive guardianship, absolute indifference, authoritarianism, permissiveness);
fears (most often caused by parents through intimidation with punishment, fictional characters);
biological reasons (mental or physical overload, lack of sleep, violation and non-compliance with the regime, heredity, general health).

As you can see, there are a great many reasons that cause this pathology.

Main types of neurotic disorders

In psychological practice, different types of neuroses are distinguished.

Obsessive movement neurosis occurs in the presence of character traits (fearfulness, suspiciousness, indecisiveness or self-doubt). Children, starting from an early age, develop a feeling of fear of anything unfamiliar, new to them.

For example, a 4-year-old child is afraid of being alone in a room, of insects, of darkness, of thunderstorms and will try to avoid such situations. Thus, finding himself alone in the room, he will try to quickly find adults and shout for them to come to him.

Having seen a spider from afar, the baby will try to move away as much as possible from the place where the insect was noticed. When darkness falls, the baby will turn on the lights in all rooms, etc.

A nervous tic manifests itself in the form of frequent blinking, twitching of the nose, raising of the eyebrows, twitching of the shoulders, and involuntary utterance of words. In other words, uncontrolled muscle contraction occurs.

Typically, children aged 4-5 years develop a tic associated with blinking, which may soon go away. It is worth remembering that tics do not always indicate a mental illness.

A neurosis-like condition in children, which is characterized by organic brain damage, is neurosis-like tics. Diagnosing one type or another of tics is quite difficult.

Adults and older people often suffer from hypochondria (constant fear for their health), but teenagers are also sometimes affected by it. They specifically look for symptoms of various diseases and are groundlessly afraid of their formation.

Signs of neuroses

The neurotic state of obsessive movements is indicated by:

the need to rotate an object in your hands (pen, button)
tapping fingers on the surface;
lip twitching;
snapping fingers;
habit of biting nails.

So, babies at 2 or 3 years old will most likely suck their fingers, grind their teeth, twirl their hair, etc.

Fear neurosis in children (anxiety neurosis) in most cases is manifested by attacks of fear (severe anxiety, panic state, internal stress).

The main symptoms may be:

Depending on the age of boys and girls, fears may vary. Little ones are afraid of cartoon characters, mythical creatures, the dark, strangers, etc. Older children often have fears of public ridicule, humiliation, bad grades, strict teachers, and conflicts with classmates.

Neurasthenia in children occurs as a result of excessive physical and mental stress. The reasons may be attending a large number of clubs, a heavy workload at school, or lack of sleep. The main syndrome is irritable weakness.

Also characteristic of neurasthenia:

lethargy;
passivity;
fast fatiguability;
lethargy;
restlessness;
failures of sleep mechanisms.

Quite often, neurasthenia occurs against the background of illness or poor health.

Certain types of childhood neuroses

There are also signs that characterize childhood neurosis, such as stuttering and enuresis.

Stuttering

Stuttering is usually observed in young children (from 3 to 4 years old during the period of active speech development). This disease is associated with muscle spasms involved in the speech process. Severe fear or other mental trauma causes stuttering.

Heredity and predisposition to speech pathologies also play a big role. It is neurotic stuttering that is caused by strong excitement or anxiety, sometimes accompanied by facial tics. There are also cases of lack of speech after a state of severe shock (the so-called affect reaction) with the subsequent development of stuttering.

Enuresis is one of the types of mental disorders when there is a relationship between mental trauma and urinary incontinence. The development of this disease begins with failures of sleep mechanisms (failure of biochemical processes responsible for the onset and course of sleep).

Enuresis may appear under the influence of a pronounced dependence on an uncomfortable environment (visiting a kindergarten, boarding school). Moreover, the temporary absence of psychologically traumatic conditions leads to a decrease in the frequency uncontrollable urination or to complete disappearance.

Hysteria is characterized by the appearance of changeable, unstable mood, selfishness and egocentrism, and increased sensitivity.

A prerequisite for the occurrence of hysteria is considered to be parents’ mistakes in the matter of upbringing (excessive display of love and care for their child, unquestioning fulfillment of all his desires, demands, etc.).

Regardless of age, hysterical seizures occur in the presence of adults. This is how the young dictator attracts attention. Hysteria is more common among boys and girls who are used to being the center of attention.

Younger children express their protests by:

As for schoolchildren, the following prevail here:

deliberate theatricality of hysterics;
tendency to exaggerate painful disorders;
the desire to evoke sympathy from others;
increased demands on family and friends;
the appearance of somatic diseases (complaints of headaches or heart pain that do not go away after taking medications).

Anorexia nervosa (mental eating disorder) is manifested by refusal to eat, vomiting when food enters the stomach. The reasons for lack of appetite include overfeeding and force feeding.

This leads to the formation of aversion to food. Lack of appetite sometimes signals the possible presence of worries or problems.

Symptoms of the disease

Research in the field of psychology claims that in dysfunctional families (in which there are scandals, physical violence, and the wrong model of upbringing), children develop hostility, anger, and distrust of people.

Symptoms of neuroses in children are:

new character traits;
excitability;
excessive tearfulness;
anxiety;
isolation;
change in facial expressions;
lethargy;
depressive states;
violent reaction to minor external stimuli;
stupor;
aggression, etc.

Changes that occur at the level of somatic health include: memory loss, poor reaction to sounds, light, disruption of sleep rhythms, tachycardia, sweating, distracted attention, etc.

If we classify symptoms according to age criteria, we will have the following picture:

In the first year of life and up to three years, disruptions in somatic and autonomic functions are observed.
At four to ten years of age, disruptions in psychomotor functions are observed.
Children from seven to twelve years old have disruptions in affective functions.
Failures in emotional functions occur in adolescents twelve to sixteen years old.

Diagnosis of the disease

To establish the correct diagnosis, you should seek advice from a specialist (psychotherapist or psychologist).

Diagnostics consists of several successive stages:

survey of close relatives involved in the upbringing process to clarify the psychological situation, analyze relationships, analyze the patient’s relationships with peers and other people;
during games or other distracting activities, children are asked previously prepared questions;
observation of the patient’s behavior during spontaneous play, analysis of his drawings;
examination of parents or other close relatives involved in the educational process, analysis of errors in their behavior;
prescribing examinations for the patient (Dopplerography of cerebral vessels, electroencephalogram, computed tomography);
development of psychotherapy.

Non-drug treatments

The main question that concerns parents is how to treat neurosis in a child?

Psychotherapy is the main method of treating the disease. It is characterized by a multifaceted effect on the psyche. Psychotherapy is aimed at normalizing relationships and the climate in the family, correcting the rules of upbringing, and eliminating negative intrafamily factors. Conventionally, this type of therapy is divided into 3 types:

Family - special meaning has in the treatment of small children. Effectively eliminates the influence of parenting errors. Occurs through family examination ( psychological characteristics, peculiarities of morals). Psychotherapy consists of family conversations or discussions (conversations with close relatives), joint therapy. While observing the baby’s communication and games with mom and dad, possible conflicts are identified. The main task of the psychotherapist is to build and implement a model of optimal relationships.
Individual - treatment of neurosis in children through the use of rational psychotherapy, art therapy, play therapy, suggestion, hypnosis. The main principle of rational therapy is the doctor explaining to the patient the essence and possible reasons his painful state, identifying through common efforts the main source of the experience.
Group - depending on the type of disease, groups of 4-6 people are formed. They conduct trainings, games, organize excursions and trips to the library. Homework is often assigned, which is checked and discussed within the group. Group trainings are more effective and efficient than individual ones. During the classes, the most relaxing atmosphere is achieved, in which patients relax, share their experiences with each other, and try to analyze them independently.

Art therapy

Art therapy has a beneficial effect on children, since with the help of drawing, children can understand their experiences. The doctor’s task is to observe the patient, form an opinion about character traits, self-esteem, and communication.

Play for therapeutic purposes is spontaneous and improvisational, allowing patients to freely express emotions. In this game, the doctor creates fictitious stressful situations in order to encourage the patient to get out of them independently.

Sometimes treatment is prescribed through contact with animals (dogs, cats, horses). Dolphin contact is the most popular activity in this category.

Treatment of neuroses in adolescents is carried out using methods of muscle relaxation, suggestion and hypnosis. Through muscle relaxation created by the doctor (the patient's fantasies about pleasant memories, impressions, cherished desires, or imagining the sound of the sea, warm sun rays), stuttering and nervous tics decrease, even disappear.

With each subsequent session, symptoms decrease. Suggestion is carried out in cases where a patient is diagnosed with acute mental reactions for the purpose of behavior correction. The doctor instills calm and confidence in own strength, improved well-being, etc.

Indirect suggestion is practiced quite successfully - an attitude towards recovery when taking medications or performing certain procedures (the so-called placebo effect).

Drug therapy

Therapy with medicines is of secondary importance in the treatment process. As a rule, it is carried out before psychotherapy. Appointed:

general strengthening, tonic preparations (vitamins B, C, calcium preparations);
nootropics (piracetam);
medications to reduce the amount of fluid in the body or individual bodies(diuretics);
tinctures of medicinal herbs (herbs that have a calming effect);
tranquilizers - used only in cases of excessive activity, disinhibition (chlordiazepoxide);
physiotherapy (electrophoresis, electrosleep);
It is possible to use small doses of antidepressants (imiprapine).

It should be remembered that only a doctor can prescribe the medications necessary to treat the disease.

Preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers have an incompletely formed and immature nervous system, and are also extremely vulnerable. It is very important to help them cope with stressful situations and possible problems in a timely manner in order to avoid the serious consequences of a mental disorder and irreversible personality changes.

Often, adults simply do not attach much importance to the occurrence of neurotic reactions in children, attributing such behavior to harmfulness, whims, and age-related characteristics. This is a huge mistake! It is necessary to be attentive to all the slightest changes in the behavior of children, try to spend more time with them, and do not hesitate to discuss their personal experiences.

Moms and dads need to organize correct mode work and rest, good sleep, a favorable psychological atmosphere in the family. It is necessary to eliminate or alleviate chronic diseases (congenital or acquired).

If a child has been diagnosed with this disease, you should never despair. Thanks to the support of loved ones, psychotherapy combined with drug therapy Neurosis detected in time in children can be cured quite easily and quickly.

Neuroses in children are now quite common. Schoolchildren are overloaded with a curriculum that is constantly changing and becoming more complex. Demands on children are growing, and this greatly affects their psyche. Hence anxiety, sleep disturbances, and increased excitability. Children have almost stopped just walking on the street now; they are always rushing to some extra classes, all this only aggravates the problem.

There is such a popular wisdom - all diseases come from nerves. From my personal experience I can say that this is true. I was born with a congenital pathology on my face, and therefore my life was a complete neurosis. The ridicule of children was added to the feeling of personal inferiority. In addition, I experienced constant stress in my family because of my drinking father. Not only do I still bite my nails to this day, but I also have chronic gastritis. Therefore, I want to say: “Parents, do not offend your children, but do not be the cause of their neuroses yourself!”

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Neuroses are special pathologies of the nervous system, both among adults and children, in which there is no visible damage (trauma, infections, inflammation and other influences). In this case, special deviations in the functioning of higher nervous processes are observed. These are diseases of a psychogenic nature - a person’s reaction to stress, mental trauma, and negative influences.

The process of personality formation and the active development of higher nervous activity in children begins at birth, but it most actively begins at the age of three. Very little children cannot clearly express their fears, emotions or internal state, therefore, as such, neuroses can be identified in general terms in a child after 3 years. The older the child is, the more typical and vivid the manifestations will be, especially behavioral and emotional.

Neurosis is not a mental illness, like schizophrenia or psychosis, with it there is no progressive disintegration of the personality, it is a reversible disorder of the nervous system, a disturbance in mental activity of a functional nature.

Why do neuroses arise?

The most significant factor in the increase in neuroses in children today is the increase in the number of pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth, in which hypoxia of the nervous tissues of the fetus occurs (see.

Predisposing factors for the development of neuroses are:

predisposition to nervous system problems inherited from parents
traumatic situations, disasters, stress

The trigger mechanism for neurosis can be:

past illnesses
frequent lack of sleep, physical or mental stress
difficult family relationships

The course of the disease and its severity depends on:

gender and age of the child
peculiarities of upbringing
type of constitution (asthenics, hyper- and normosthenics)
characteristics of temperament (choleric, phlegmatic, etc.)

Psychotrauma

Neurosis can be formed under the influence of one unfavorable traumatic fact: fire, war, abrupt move, accident, parental divorce, etc.
Sometimes the development of neurosis is caused simultaneously by several factors.

The type of psychotrauma that can provoke neuroses in children depends on the age of the child.

At 2 years old, children may develop neuroses when separated from their parents or when they begin attending children's groups.
For older children, there may be a more serious factor - divorce of parents, physical punishment during upbringing, severe fear.

What most often provokes neuroses in children?

Adult Actions

model of rejection, subconscious reluctance to raise a child, in the case when, for example, they wanted a boy, but a girl was born
overprotection model with the development of reluctance to teach the child independence and building relationships in a team
authoritarian model with demands for constant submission to elders, making decisions instead of the child, and not taking into account his opinion
permissiveness model with the child’s complete deprivation of control or help from parents, with the absence of any norms and order within the family and team.
different approaches to education on the part of parents
excessive rigidity parents
family conflicts- intra-family troubles, divorces, quarrels.

They fall on the “fertile ground” of the immaturity of the children’s nervous system, and the child experiences this because in reality he cannot influence the situation and change it.

External factors

changes in usual lifestyle- moving from city to village, to an unusual area, to another country
visiting a new children's group- starting to attend kindergarten, changing kindergarten, starting to attend school, changing schools, as well as conflicts in a kindergarten or school group
changes within the family- birth of a child, adopted child, appearance of a stepfather or stepmother, divorce of parents.

Characteristics of the child

Children with pronounced emotionality and sensitivity- they especially need the love and attention of loved ones, the manifestation of emotions towards them. If children do not receive these emotions from loved ones, they experience fears that they are not loved and do not express emotions towards them.

Children with leadership qualities— it’s also difficult with children who are independent and actively show their own opinions and leadership qualities. Such children have clearly expressed conceit in their actions or actions, and their own view of all events. They find it difficult to tolerate restrictions in their actions and parental dictatorship; it is difficult for them to be overprotected and limit their independence from an early age. Children try to protest such parental actions and become stubborn, for which they receive restrictions and punishments from their parents. This will contribute to the development of neuroses.

Weak, often sick children- children are at risk of neuroses, often sick and weakened, they are often treated like a “crystal vase”, protecting them from everything beyond measure. Such children develop a feeling of their own helplessness and weakness.

Children from disadvantaged families— children who are in difficult life situations also suffer from neuroses: in asocial families, in boarding schools and orphanages.

General manifestations of neuroses

changing children's behavior
the emergence of new character traits
increased sensitivity, frequent tears even for no apparent reason
sharp reactions to minor psychological trauma in the form of despair or aggression
anxiety, vulnerability.

Changes are also occurring at the level of children’s somatic health:

tachycardia and blood pressure changes
breathing problems, sweating
digestive disorders due to stress - “bear disease”
impaired concentration
memory loss
Children do not react well to loud noises and bright lights
They sleep poorly, have restless and poor quality sleep, and are difficult to wake up in the morning.

Manifestations of different types of neuroses in children

There are quite a few types of neuroses in children; different psychological and neurological schools give different classifications. Let's consider the simplest classification of neuroses according to their clinical manifestations.

Anxiety neurosis or fear neurosis

among preschoolers Fears of being left alone in the house, fear of the dark, characters in scary cartoons or films, and TV programs are common. Often, fears are cultivated by parents themselves, frightening children for educational purposes with frightening characters - a woman, an evil witch, a policeman.
among younger schoolchildren this could be fears of school or bad grades, a strict teacher or older students. Often these children skip classes due to fear.

Manifestations of this neurosis can result in a bad mood, reluctance to be alone, changes in behavior, and in difficult cases, urinary incontinence occurs. Often, such neurosis occurs in sensitive children at home who had little contact with their peers during preschool age.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

It can occur in the form of neurosis of obsessive actions (obsessions) or phobic neurosis, as well as with the presence of both phobias and obsessive actions at the same time.

Obsessive actions- involuntary movements that occur during emotional stress against the baby’s wishes, he can:

blink, twinkle
wrinkle your nose
shudder
tap your foot
cough
to sniff

A nervous tic is an involuntary twitching that occurs more often in boys, triggered by both psychological factors and the presence of certain diseases. Initially justified actions against an unfavorable background are then consolidated as obsessions:

With eye diseases, habits of blinking, blinking, and rubbing the eyes may become established.
With frequent colds and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, sniffing or coughing may become more common.

They usually appear after 5 years. Such tics affect the facial muscles, neck, upper limbs, may be from the respiratory system, combined with urinary incontinence, or. Such repeated actions of the same type can cause discomfort to the child, but most often they become habitual and he does not notice them. .

As a rule, the tendency to neuroses begins at an early age, when stressful habitual pathological actions are formed and consolidated:

nail biting or thumb sucking
touching the genitals
rocking of the body or limbs
twirling hair around fingers or pulling it out.

If such actions are not eliminated at an early age, they contribute to neurosis due to stress in older children.

Phobic manifestations usually expressed as a special fear:

fear of death or illness
confined spaces
various objects, dirt.

Often children form special thoughts or ideas that contradict the principles of education and morality, and these thoughts create anxieties, worries, and fears in them.

Depressive neuroses

Hysterical neuroses

Neurasthenia

Hypochondria

Children become concerned about their condition and health, and have unmotivated fears of developing various diseases; this often occurs among teenagers with a suspicious character. They look for symptoms and manifestations of various ailments, worrying about it, getting nervous and upset.

Neurotic logoneurosis - stuttering

Stuttering or logonerosis of a neurotic nature is more typical for boys under five years of age during the period of active development of speech and the formation of phrasal conversation. It occurs against the background of psychological trauma against the backdrop of family scandals, separation from loved ones, acute psychological trauma or fear, fright. Information overload and forced formation by parents of speech development and general development may also be reasons. The child's speech becomes intermittent with pauses, repetition of syllables and the inability to pronounce words.

Somnambulism - sleepwalking, sleep talking

Anorexia nervosa

Appetite disturbances in childhood are a common occurrence in both preschoolers and adolescents. Usually the reasons are overfeeding or force-feeding, the coincidence of meals with scandals and quarrels in the family, and severe stress. At the same time, the child may refuse any food or some types of it, he chews for a long time and does not swallow food, and is extremely suspicious of the contents of the plate, even to the point of gag reflex. At the same time, against the background of poor nutrition, mood changes, whims at the table, crying and hysterics are expressed.

Some variants of neuroses are:

childhood neurotic enuresis (urinary incontinence)
encopresis (fecal incontinence).

They arise against the background of hereditary predisposition and possibly diseases. They require a special approach in treatment, and the mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

How to make a diagnosis?

First of all, you should go to an appointment with a pediatrician or neurologist, talk with an experienced psychologist and psychotherapist. Doctors will examine and remove organic causes of disorders and diseases that could lead to this. Neuroses are diagnosed in several stages:

Dialogue with parents a detailed analysis of the psychological situation in the family is carried out, and here it is important to frankly tell the specialist all the details: the relationship in the family between parents and the child, the parents themselves, as well as the relationship between the child and peers and relatives.
Parental examinations and close relatives directly involved in raising the child, studying the psychological climate of the family with identifying errors in behavior and upbringing.
Conversations with a child- a cycle of conversations with a child during play and communication on previously developed questions.
Child monitoring- detailed observation of the child’s play activity, which occurs spontaneously or is organized in advance.
Drawing and detailed analysis of drawings, by which one can often understand the child’s experiences and feelings, his desires and emotional state.

Treatment methods for neurosis

group and individual therapy on the study and correction of the psychological climate of the family
role-playing games with the participation of the child, helping to teach him to overcome difficult situations
application of art therapy(drawing) and compiling a psychological portrait from the child’s drawings, tracking the dynamics of changes in drawings
hypnosis - suggestion (autogenic training)
treatment through communication with animals- canistherapy (dogs), feline therapy (cats), (horses), dolphin therapy.

Application of psychotherapy

They use both group and individual or family psychotherapy. Of particular importance in the treatment of neuroses is the family form of psychotherapy. During sessions, the doctor directly identifies problems in the life of the child and his family, helps in eliminating emotional problems, normalizes the system of relationships and corrects the manner of education. Family work will be especially effective for preschool children, when its effect is maximum and it is easiest to eliminate the negative impact of basic errors in upbringing.

Family therapy

It is carried out in several successive stages:

Stage 1 - an examination is carried out in the family and a so-called “family diagnosis” is made in the totality of personal, social and psychological characteristics, deviations in any areas of the relationship with the child.
Stage 2 - a family discussion of problems with parents and relatives is conducted, all their problems are noted. During the conversations, the role of parents in education, the need for cooperation with a specialist is emphasized, and the perspective in the pedagogical approach is determined.
Stage 3 - this is followed by classes with the child in a specially equipped playroom, where there are toys, writing instruments and other items. Initially, the child is given time to play independently, read or study; as emotional contact is established, a conversation will be held in a playful way.
Stage 4 - joint psychotherapy of the child and parents. For preschoolers, joint activities are carried out with object-based games, construction or drawing; for schoolchildren, object-based games and discussions on various topics are introduced. The specialist evaluates habitual conflicts and emotional reactions in the interaction between children and parents. Then the emphasis switches to role-playing games that express children's interactions in life - family or school games. Scenarios are used that are played out by parents and children, who are swapped, and the therapist, during these games, will demonstrate the most optimal models in family relationships. This gradually creates conditions for restructuring family relationships and eliminating conflict.

Individual psychotherapy

It is carried out using numerous techniques that have a complex effect on the child. It uses the following techniques:

Rational (explanatory)

The doctor carries out explanatory therapy through sequential steps. In a form that is accessible to the child’s age, after establishing trusting and emotional contact with him, he tells why and what is happening to the child. Then, in a playful way or in the form of a conversation at the next stage, he tries to determine the sources of the baby’s experiences. The next stage will be a kind of “homework” - this is the end of the story or fairy tale started by the doctor, where, by analyzing different options at the end of the story, attempts are made to resolve difficult situations, conflicts either by the child himself, or with the help and prompting of the doctor. Even very small successes in mastering situations, with the approval of a doctor, can contribute to further improvement of relationships and correction of pathological character traits.

Art therapy

Play therapy

A variant of play therapy is fairy tale therapy, in which fairy tales are invented and told with the production of special characters, puppets or dolls. Special therapeutic tales can be listened to in the form of meditation, accompanied by calm music in a supine position. There may also be psycho-dynamic meditations-fairy tales with the child transforming into animals and performing exercises.

Autogenic training

Suggestive (suggestion method) psychotherapy

This is a suggestion to a child while he is awake, under hypnosis or indirect suggestion of certain attitudes. Often, children are good at indirect suggestion - for example, taking a placebo will give them recovery. At the same time, they will think that they are taking a particularly effective drug. The method is especially good for hypochondria, in school and adolescence.

Hypnosis

Group psychotherapy

Indicated in special cases of neuroses, these include:

long-term course of neurosis with unfavorable personality changes - increased level of demands on oneself, self-centeredness
difficulties in communication and related disorders - embarrassment, timidity, shyness, suspiciousness
in case of difficult family conflicts, the need to resolve them.

Groups are formed according to individual therapy by age; there are few children in the group:

under 5 years of age - no more than 4 people
aged 6 to 10 years - no more than 6 people
at the age of 11-14 years - up to 8 people.

Classes last up to 45 minutes for preschoolers and up to one and a half hours for schoolchildren. This allows you to play out complex stories and involve all group members in them. Children united in groups visit exhibitions and museums, read interesting books, discuss all this, and share their hobbies. In this way, the child’s tension is relieved, the children open up and begin to communicate, sharing their pain and experiences.

Medication correction

Drug therapy in the treatment of neuroses is of secondary importance, and it affects certain symptoms. The drugs relieve tension, excessive excitability or depression, and reduce the manifestations of asthenia. Medication is usually preceded by psychotherapy, but complex treatment is also possible, when psychotherapy is carried out in conjunction with physical therapy and medications. Drug treatment of neuroses against the background of encephalopathy, asthenia, neuropathy is especially important:

general strengthening drugs - vitamin C, group B
dehydration herbal medicine - kidney tea
nootropic drugs - nootropil, piracetam
drugs that reduce asthenia - depending on the cause and type, the doctor will select
herbal medicine (see), tinctures of medicinal herbs can be prescribed for up to one and a half months. Most drugs have a sedative effect - motherwort, valerian.

For asthenic manifestations Tonic and restorative treatment is recommended: calcium supplements, vitamins, tincture of Chinese magnolia vine or zamanikha, lipocerbin, nootropic drugs (nootropil, pantogam).

For subdepressive symptoms Tinctures of ginseng, aralia, and eleutherococcus may be indicated.

For irritability and weakness Pavlov's mixture and tinctures of motherwort and valerian have a good effect, pine baths, physical therapy in the form of electrosleep are used.

With will be more difficult, they can complicate psychotherapy. They are used for hyperactivity and disinhibition based on the child’s characteristics and diagnosis:

hypersthenic syndrome – drugs with a sedative effect (eunoctin, elenium)
for hyposthenia - tranquilizers with an activating effect (trioxazine or seduxen).
for subthreshold depression, small doses of antidepressants can be prescribed: amitriptyline, melipramine.
for severe excitability, Sonopax can be used.

All medications are prescribed exclusively by a doctor and are used strictly under his supervision.

There are many reasons why neuroses occur in childhood. Here are the main ones:

mental trauma;
bad heredity;
bad relationship between mom and dad within the family;
some illnesses suffered by the child;
physical exhaustion;
excessive emotional stress;
total lack of sleep;
mistakes made by parents in raising a child.

Symptoms

Neuroses can be different, which means the first signs of a painful condition may differ. Among the main symptoms of neurosis are the following:

hysteria (a child who suffers from hysterical neurosis is very sensitive and self-centered, his mood constantly changes, he does not think about anyone but himself. Hysterical neurosis often manifests itself in childhood in the form of respiratory attacks, in which the baby seems to hold his breath , a seizure can also occur when the child is crying hysterically);
neurasthenia (a neurasthenic child constantly cries, it is by crying that he achieves everything he wants. Such a baby is passive, he behaves sluggishly, is not particularly interested in anything, but if he needs something, he immediately bursts into crying - this is his a powerful weapon against “disobedient” parents);
obsessive-compulsive neurosis is characterized by the child’s indecision, his excessive suspiciousness, self-doubt, anxiety and many fears (usually children who suffer from this type of neurosis are afraid of everything new, as well as loneliness, spiders and snakes, the dark);
tic is another symptom of a neurotic condition; these conditioned reflex actions arise due to damage to the child’s brain;
stuttering, which first manifests itself at an early age (between two and four years);
enuresis (enuresis is only a symptom of neurosis when bedwetting first occurs after suffering a mental trauma; physiological incontinence should not be confused with neurotic);
encopresis - fecal incontinence (quite often this symptom is the primary and most important sign of neurosis).

Diagnosis of neurosis

It is incredibly important to identify neurosis as early as possible. The more advanced the disease, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. Diagnosis of a neurotic condition in childhood is divided into several successive stages:

the doctor analyzes the life of a small patient and his behavior;
the doctor analyzes the child’s relationship with parents and peers;
the doctor organizes communication with a potential patient in the form of a game, during this communication the doctor asks the child prepared questions;
the doctor observes the baby during playful communication;
analyzes pictures drawn by the child, which can tell a lot about the state of his psyche;
the doctor examines the next of kin of a small patient;

at the very end, the doctor undertakes the development of psychotherapeutic treatment, which is individual for each individual patient.

Complications

The main thing that makes neurosis dangerous in childhood is degeneration neurotic reaction into a neurotic state. Result - irreversible changes personality psychology, as well as all the other unpleasant consequences that these changes entail.

Treatment

What can you do

The first thing parents whose child has been diagnosed with neurosis should do is reconsider their own attitude towards the baby. It is quite possible that the cause of the neurotic state was improper upbringing. The baby will be healthy and happy only in a family where the weather is good, where love and mutual understanding reign.

Dad and mom must understand: treating neurosis is the doctor’s job. They can only help and make their contribution. But under no circumstances should you try to take on the responsibilities of a doctor. If a child is suspected of having a neurotic disorder, parents should immediately contact medical specialist for help.

What can a doctor do?

Due to the fact that the only way to cure neurosis in a child is individual psychotherapy, the doctor will most likely resort to this method. But there are quite a lot of options for psychotherapy. The doctor may prescribe the following psychotherapeutic treatment:

art therapy (sculpting or drawing) is a version of psychotherapy in which the child, by drawing, has the opportunity to understand his own inner world;
game psychotherapy is selected and developed taking into account the age of the little patient, but the doctor takes an obligatory part in this game process, it is he who leads the treatment game;
fairytale therapy is an excellent opportunity for a doctor to carry out psychocorrection; it is one of the unique ways of meditation for children;
autogenic training - exercises that allow you to completely relax your muscles, this method is relevant when the patient is a teenager and the disease is a tic or logoneurosis (stuttering);
group psychotherapy (this method is indicated when the child has serious personality disorders or difficulties with communication, the baby is either overly self-centered or overly shy).

Prevention

The main preventive measure aimed at preventing neurosis in a child is understanding the causes of such a painful condition. If parents know what can cause neurosis in their child, they will be extremely careful, begin to avoid “sharp corners”, and pay more attention to upbringing.

Parents should create the most favorable weather in their family, and for this:

you need to organize adequate physical activity for the baby (possibly increase, and possibly decrease, minimize);
timely and correct treatment of somatic ailments;
organize a balanced diet;
treat infectious diseases in a timely manner;
Make sure your baby gets enough sleep and rest;
to educate correctly, forming a personality with a capital “P” in the child.

Doctors are sounding the alarm; a large number of diseases inherent in the adult body have begun to appear in the younger generation. This also includes neurasthenia; in children it occurs due to various factors that disrupt the functioning of the nervous system. To prevent the condition from getting worse, you should familiarize yourself with the disease in more detail.

For those who are poorly versed in medical terminology, it is difficult to understand what neurasthenia means - childhood nervous pathology. This type of disorder is directly related to the central nervous system, which is subject to overload of both a mental and physical nature. Most often, the problem is faced by wealthy, ambitious parents who demand high performance from their beloved child in various types of activities. This also includes school, sports section, visiting clubs, etc. A child to whom excessive demands are directed, at a certain moment cannot stand it and then symptoms of neurasthenia in children appear. In short, asthenic syndrome (the second name of the disease) is an indicator of chronic fatigue of the nervous system. With excessive loads, various types of temporary central nervous system disorders occur, and if adequate treatment is taken in time, everything will recover. But to do this, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the factors that contribute to the disease.

Childhood neurasthenia is caused various factors associated with disorders of the nervous system

In the list of factors, causing disorder nervous system of the child, the most popular are:

Difficulties with adaptation. By the age of 5-6, the child becomes familiar with the world around him and his classmates, which often causes anxiety.
The atmosphere in the house. Adult conflicts, scandals, and overly strict control can negatively affect the child’s still unformed psyche.
Congenital features. Each child has his own special character. Among them there are closed, aloof, taciturn “personalities”. And such traits can become the root cause of neurasthenia in older age.
Stress. Psychological trauma, screaming, and fear can contribute not only to the development of mild nervous disorders, but also to more serious mental pathologies.
Guilt. Having committed some wrong action, children also feel remorse; they do not tolerate quarrels with their parents well.
Infectious diseases.
Disruption of the endocrine system.
Inadequate or incorrect diet. Lack of vitamins in childhood leads to pathologies in the central nervous system and mental disorders.
Diets. In adolescence, girls begin to pay attention to their figure and try to look like thin models. Excessive indulgence in poor nutrition or refusal of food leads to various types of nervous diseases, including asthenic syndrome.
Parental behavior. Authoritarianism, excessive severity of adults who force the child to do things that are not nice to him and cause personal protest, neurological disorders develop.

Constant stress causes nervous exhaustion, which makes it difficult to concentrate on classes. It turns out vicious circle- parents get angry, raise their voices, punish - the child withdraws into himself.

Neurasthenia: symptoms in children

At preschool and school age, children are characterized by excessive agitation, capriciousness, and temper. Asthenic syndrome can begin with seemingly innocent actions - the baby begins to manipulate his parents to achieve what he wants. With the development of the disease, moodiness comes along, as well as:

irritability, outbursts of anger out of the blue;
restlessness, lack of concentration, inability to concentrate;
intellectual activities are physically tiring;
lethargy, fatigue without good reason;
sleep disturbance, sensitivity, insomnia, waking up at night;
instability of blood pressure, then sharply increases and then falls;
weakness accompanied by pain in the abdomen, in the heart area;
migraine, dizziness;
arrhythmia;
trembling in the limbs;
excessive sweating, wet palms and feet;
involuntary urination;
slurred speech, swallowing words, slurred statements.

Neurasthenia in children can be identified by a number of symptoms

Diagnosis and treatment of neurasthenia in children

A self-respecting doctor, before starting treatment for a nervous illness, conducts a detailed diagnosis.

During the interview, it is important for the doctor to know:

what is the atmosphere in the family;
what is the child’s relationship with peers, parents, teachers;
under what circumstances do attacks of hysteria and irritability occur?

Finally, the specialist listens to the heartbeat, measures body temperature, blood pressure, and skin condition.

Complex treatment includes different approaches, it all depends on the severity of the child’s condition. If neurasthenia, the symptoms and signs of which we have already studied, manifests itself in a mild form, it is enough to contact a child psychologist.

Drugs are prescribed that improve blood microcirculation in the brain, which promotes adequate nutrition of cells.

Means that promote communication and the adaptability of the child’s body to changes in circumstances.

In advanced cases, additional help from a psychotherapist will be required.

Important: medications and psychotherapy will not bring a positive effect if adults do not change their attitude. First of all, you need to stop being so demanding and tormenting your child with inflated demands.

Can asthenia lead to complications?

Normal parents are always concerned about the question of whether symptoms of neurasthenia in children can lead to serious consequences. In our case, there are points that can radically affect the child’s quality of life:

A disturbed psyche causes problems with adaptation, which negatively affects academic performance and relationships.
A neurological disorder often leads to prolonged depression, which can develop into mental pathology.

Important: in order to prevent the development of complications, when the first signs of the disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and follow his recommendations.

Prolonged depression in a child can develop into dangerous mental pathologies

How to behave as parents

An important component in treating a child is the attitude of adults to the problem. It is necessary to adhere to the generally accepted recommendations of specialists to improve the condition.

Nutrition. The child’s diet should include healthy foods, vegetables, fruits, white meat, fish, which contain a lot of microelements, vitamins, and minerals.

Fried, spicy, fatty, smoked foods, preserves disrupt the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic processes, metabolism, cause obesity, and central nervous system disorders.

Children benefit from light physical activity - physical education, swimming.
Spend time outdoors with your child every day, take walks.
Overly sociable parents need to give up parties and noisy holidays. It is better to take time and spend it with the whole family in the lap of nature.
You shouldn’t raise a child to be a champion, a scientist, a star. With a normal attitude and harmony in the family, the child himself will choose an activity to his liking and, without outside pressure, will achieve good results.
Exist folk recipes, capable of calming the nervous system of a small student, but they should be used only after consultation with a doctor.

Communicate with your beloved child - there should be complete trust between adults and children. By sharing the problems that arose at school, he will significantly ease his nervous condition. He will also openly tell you what causes his dissatisfaction with your behavior. This is the only way to find mutual language and deal with troubles. The main thing is that the child should not be afraid of his parents, but respect them. Letting loose and allowing whatever one pleases is also wrong. It is necessary to choose a “golden mean” that is comfortable for all parties to the process.

Prevention of asthenic syndrome

An important component of education is the creation of a harmonious, pleasant, comfortable environment. There should be no screaming or scandals in the house, and there should be no talk of adults drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking.

Creating a good atmosphere in the family is the best prevention of childhood neurasthenia

If a dispute arises, resolve the issue only calmly, at the same table, through communication. Don’t forget to praise your child not only for excellent grades, but also for diligence. Encouragement will be a powerful incentive in overcoming learning difficulties.