Childhood neuroses: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Neuroses in children: a dangerous signal for parents Neurotic reactions in children

Neuroses in children are functional disorders of the central nervous system. Violations occur most often after a long experience. Accompanying symptoms include mood swings and increased fatigue. The little patient is worried about anxiety and other characteristic signs. Parents need to know what may be the causes of neuroses in children in order to contact a qualified specialist in a timely manner.

Types of disorders in childhood

Today, neuroses occur not only in adults. Disorders occur in children too. Parents do not pay attention to such phenomena, believing that these are just another whim of the baby that will pass with age. But this is the wrong approach; it is necessary to understand the child’s condition.

Classification:

1. Anxiety neurosis. Appears when the baby falls asleep, occurs in attacks, and is sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. It occurs more often when parents come up with a strict image for educational purposes, and the child is afraid of him.
2. Obsessive-compulsive neurosis in children develops against a background of emotional stress. Divided into obsessive and phobic. The child is visited by conflicting thoughts that frighten him.
3. Depressive neurosis. Disorders develop in adolescence, when young people experience low self-esteem, sleep disturbances, and loss of appetite. The child spends more time alone; for him this is a comfortable environment.
4. Hysterical neurosis in children develops in preschool age. A condition in which the child falls to the floor, hits his head on hard surfaces, screaming and screaming.
5. Asthenic neurosis (neurasthenia) occurs in preschool or adolescence. Violations develop against the background of a difficult school program or after additional stress. Physically weak children are more likely to encounter similar problems.
6. Hypochondriacal neurosis. Develops in adolescents who are afraid of getting sick; they are overly concerned about their health.
7. Neurotic stuttering. Disorders develop after severe fright or serious psychological trauma. They are most often encountered by boys aged 2 to 5 years.
8. Neurotic tic. The source of problems are psychological factors or various diseases. Along with the disorders, enuresis and stuttering occur.
9. Neurotic sleep disorder. It is difficult for a child to sleep, he is disturbed by nightmares and night terrors. Sleep is restless, he may walk or talk while doing so.
10. Neurotic disorder of appetite (anorexia), disorders that develop in early and preschool age. Children suffer from such neuroses after their parents try to overfeed them or against the background of severe psychological stress.
11. Neurotic enuresis. Uncontrolled urination occurs in children at night. The cause may be heredity or factors that traumatize the psyche of a small patient.
12. Neurotic encopresis. Involuntary bowel movement. Boys of preschool age are most often affected. Violations develop after psychological stress or against the background of too strict educational measures.

In addition, children develop habitual pathological habits. They suck fingers, bite nails, irritate the genitals with their hands, and make rhythmic body movements. Such disorders develop in children under 2 years of age, but may appear later.

The main sources of childhood neuroses

The main sources of childhood neuroses

The reasons behind which neuroses arise in children and adolescents are different. Among them, the main ones should be highlighted:

• biological (heredity, difficult pregnancy, gender and age of the patient, disease, emotional, physical stress, and much more);
• psychological (mental state of the child, his individual characteristics);
• social (family relationships, educational measures).

In most cases, the main cause of the development of neuroses is mental trauma. It represents a strong influence on the child's consciousness, and it is different for everyone. On average, childhood neurosis develops in boys at 5 years of age, in girls at 6. And the greater the predisposition, the higher the likelihood that even the smallest conflict situation will negatively affect the child.

Moreover, psychological trauma received at an early age can remain for a long time. There are other reasons for the development of disorders, these include parental education, family troubles, and difficult life situations.

Neuroses in preschool children develop against the background of a weakened body. This applies to those kids who get sick more often.

Clinical signs

Parents who have good contact with their child will be able to replace disturbances in the child’s behavior. The first symptoms of neurosis in children are a serious reason to seek help from a qualified specialist.

Hysterical state

Child in hysterics

Develops in children who are the only ones in the family or in those who are the eldest. The reason for this is the wrong attitude of parents. The child is accustomed to adults fulfilling any of his demands, as if he were the one and only. And when the situation changes, he begins to be capricious, because not everything happens as he is used to.

Hysteria occurs in the presence of an adult, as the baby tries to attract attention. He screams, makes noise, and violently expresses his unwillingness to accept the surrounding reality. In preschool age, a similar symptom sometimes causes suffocation for no apparent reason.

Older children complain of painful sensations in the heart and stomach, which do not go away after taking medications. These are hysterical manifestations of neurosis. And teenagers face paralysis of arms, legs and even blindness. Despite the pronounced clinical picture, the doctor will note the absence of neurological signs.

Neurasthenia

Neurasthenia in children

The patient develops severe weakness and the depressive state progresses. This occurs against the background of any physical or mental stress. Schoolchildren complain of fatigue after classes, and their performance drops even in their favorite subjects. Teenagers feel headaches and heartaches, and most of them are sure that this is an incurable disease.

Neurasthenia is accompanied by various disorders related to night rest. Light sleep, sometimes with nightmares; it happens that the child has difficulty falling asleep.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis

Against the background of such a neurotic symptom, various fears and movements arise, but there is no reason for this. A compulsive state develops against a background of unreasonable and emotional fears. Children are not just afraid, they try not to think about the possible development of events.

Older children may have complex phobias. Teenagers are often afraid of contracting a serious illness that can lead to death. Thus, any situation in which infection factors may be encountered is avoided. Despite such thoughts, they understand that it is just fear that negatively affects them.

Neurosis of obsessive movements in children is an individual phenomenon for each of them. Violations are accompanied by constant scratching of the nose or the back of the head, sniffling or coughing, and frequent rubbing of hands. Separately, experts identify symptoms of neurosis such as tics. They can be local or general; the child will want to resist this reaction of the body to psychological disorders, but will not be able to.

Young children blink more often with both eyes. In schoolchildren, obsessions are accompanied by twitching of all facial muscles. For a teenager, this is the work of almost all muscle groups.

Enuresis and stuttering

Stuttering and enuresis in children

Many parents of preschool children know about such forms of neurosis. Speech is smooth, formed, while maintaining the required pace. But when the child is worried, worried, trying to overcome an obstacle, he makes some movements, for example, snapping his fingers or various gestures.

Treatment of neuroses in children, in particular stuttering, requires the help of a qualified specialist. Otherwise, they will face even greater problems at school age. His stuttering will be aggravated by his embarrassment when speaking in front of the whole class.

Enuresis develops if there is psychological trauma and disturbances in the urination process. Bedwetting may be the only sign of the development of neurosis. A schoolchild or teenager, faced with a similar problem, withdraws into himself, which further aggravates the situation.

Methods of treatment and prevention

Psychotherapist working with a child

It is the psychotherapist who deals with eliminating the true cause of the development of disorders. He will tell you how children are treated for neuroses. For this, various techniques are used, including homeopathic medicines, hypnotic influence, fairy tale or play therapy. Sometimes the intervention of medications is required; each patient requires an individual approach.

The main treatment for childhood neurosis is family well-being, the absence of quarrels and conflicts. It is necessary that a cheerful and joyful environment reigns at home. Any violations associated with the child’s behavior cannot be left to chance. It will not go away on its own; it is necessary to treat the child using laughter and joy. The more the baby smiles, the faster he will recover.

Parents must choose reasonable upbringing measures; they should not fulfill all the child’s whims or strictly limit him in everything. Such actions will lead to the development of isolation and lack of will, which will be the beginning of the development of neuroses. It is important to find a middle ground.

A qualified doctor can determine the first symptoms and treatment. Parents should not panic at every slightest reason, otherwise the child will grow up with constant complaints and a terrible character. In this situation, indifference and cruelty towards him will become the cause of the development of fear, and as a result, the appearance of an aggressive state.

Important! Effective treatment is based on a normal and favorable family environment.
Qualified psychologists conduct their own tests before dealing with obsessive neuroses in children. They take into account all family circumstances and raising children. Parents should not only strictly adhere to all the doctor’s recommendations, they must realize their mistakes and change their attitude towards their responsibilities.

Prevention of neuroses in children requires them to follow a daily routine, eat rationally, exercise and walk in the fresh air every day. Modern specialists use music or animals for treatment

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;

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

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

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 mental abnormalities and fears, from schizophrenia to paranoia, are quite possible.

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 of age until 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 the usual origin of such phenomena as neurosis in women is that 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 of personal growth, coupled with improper upbringing and, as a result, increased nervousness. Types of miseducation:

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

Symptoms of neurasthenia:

• 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:

• uncertainty;
• indecision;
• suspiciousness;
• concerns;
• anxiety.

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:

• frequent hand washing;
• bouncing;
• pat.

Moreover, 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 and susceptible to 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.

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.

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:

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

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 the thoughts of a little person are 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 are 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;
• 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.

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.

Treatment

Childhood neuroses have a reversible pathogenesis, but only in the case of professional treatment and prevention. An experienced psychotherapist, having carefully questioned the patient, draws up an anamnesis along with the biological characteristics of the patient and according to his 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 include itchy skin, nausea, and 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 a form of childhood neuroses does not require drug treatment, the individual work of a child psychologist as prevention is of great importance.

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.

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

If the video does not load, try refreshing the page (press F5 on your keyboard), this may help.

As a rule, obsessive-compulsive neurosis in preschool children manifests itself in repetitive movements, actions that parents often mistake for bad habits or whims. The sooner we understand what we are dealing with, the more effective the help will be.

Causes and symptoms

A child’s nervous system disorder can be provoked by severe emotional shock, excessive fatigue and other negative external factors. It is generally accepted that the main reason for this in children two to three years old and preschoolers four to five years old is the family and relationships in it, since during this period they communicate closely only with their parents. In addition to the family, children aged six to seven years old, first grade students, are influenced by the school, relationships in the team, and the learning process.

Moscow doctors note that parents are increasingly interested in how to treat childhood neurosis at 2 years old. Primary schoolchildren (6-7 years old) and preschool children (4-5 years old) are brought to the reception. Neurosis began to rapidly become “younger”. The good news in this case is the fact that such childhood mental disorders are reversible. Their elimination is possible, regardless of the duration and nature of the course.

Signs of a neurotic reaction are obsessive movements and various unreasonable fears. It would seem, what kind of neurosis can a 3-year-old child have? But parents should be wary:

• obsessive actions with body parts (patting, stamping, sniffing, shoulder twitching, etc.);
• speech disorders;
• enuresis;
• anxieties, fears.

Children 2-4 years old become irritable, often cry, fall into hysterics, can hit their heads on various objects, and throw toys around. Older children bite their nails, are afraid to be in a closed room, or vice versa, close themselves off from everyone in their room and do not react to adults.

Many people in Moscow ask, what to do if a 4-year-old child has neurosis? For any symptoms of behavior change, it is necessary to seek advice from a psychotherapist or psychologist so that the neurotic state does not transform into a serious mental illness.

Video with Ilya Gernet:

Features of treatment

An experienced psychotherapist has a sufficient number of methods for identifying signs and knows how to cure neurosis in a child 7 years old and younger. In each specific case, the age of the baby and the form of the disorder are taken into account. An important stage is diagnosis. The doctor must make sure that there are no organic diseases of the nervous system. For this purpose, examination of cerebral vessels, CT, and electroencephalogram are performed. In addition, the conversation reveals signs of neurotic reactions.

The treatment arsenal includes homeopathic and medicinal preparations. But the main remedy is psychotherapy, during which the doctor conducts:

• study and correction of the psychological climate in the family;
• activities with the child in the form of games, through which the child learns to overcome difficult situations;
• physiotherapeutic procedures for sedative effects.

Only a specialist knows all the subtleties of how to treat neurosis in a 5-year-old child, toddlers and younger schoolchildren. Never self-medicate.

Psychotherapist I. G. Gernet, who practices in Moscow and has extensive experience working with children, offers his assistance in the treatment of childhood obsessive states and other forms of neurosis. We are accepting parents whose children over 2 years old, preschoolers 4-5 years old and schoolchildren 6-7 years old suffer from symptoms of strange behavior. Based on clinical diagnosis, the cause of the disorder is determined, and you yourself decide on the need for psychological correction of the disorder. Your child will get rid of the habit of biting his nails, sucking his fingers, and grinding his teeth. He will lose his fear of the dark, dogs and other fears that prevent him from living peacefully. In this case, only you and the doctor will know about the treatment, who will ensure complete confidentiality.

Online Tests

• Is your child a star or a leader? (questions: 6)

  This test is intended for children aged 10-12 years. It allows you to determine what place your child occupies in the group of peers. To correctly evaluate the results and get the most accurate answers, you should not give a lot of time to think; ask your child to answer what first comes to his mind...

Neuroses in children

What are Neuroses in children -

Neuroses- psychogenic diseases, which are an individual’s reaction to mental trauma (acute, sudden or prolonged traumatic situation).

What provokes / Causes of Neuroses in children:

The main causes of childhood neuroses are emotional mental trauma, heredity, past illnesses, family relationships of parents and others, physical and emotional overload, lack of sleep, and errors in upbringing.

Pathogenesis (what happens?) During Neuroses in children:

The basis of the psychological conflict in hysteria is the contradiction between the individual and the reality around him, which does not usually satisfy the high level of claims of this individual. Patients with neurasthenia are characterized by a desire for excessive efforts that exceed the real capabilities of the individual. The cause of neurasthenia in children may be constant stimulation from parents, the desire for success without taking into account the strengths and capabilities of the child. The basis of the conflict in obsessive-compulsive neurosis is the struggle between desire and duty, moral principles and personal attachments.

The main feature of neuroses in children is due to their development in the developing personality. Personality is largely determined by the type of child upbringing in the family. Various types of improper upbringing (“overprotection,” “rejection,” “indulging overprotection,” authoritarian, harsh upbringing, contrasting, “hypersocializing” upbringing) often distort the biological characteristics of the individual and the temperament of children. In this case, the direction of the child’s reaction is disrupted, unfavorable character traits are created, and a pre-neurotic personality radical is often formed. The formation of a pre-neurotic radical leads to a feeling of inferiority, increasing anxiety, and prepares for an inadequate perception of the so-called trigger factor. If the ground is prepared, any careless word, offensive remark, change in living conditions and other factors can lead to neurosis. The younger the child, the greater the importance in the origin of neurotic breakdowns of his biological characteristics, in particular neuropathy or early childhood nervousness.

Neuropathy is characterized by a violation of the emotional background of the foundations of personality. The most common cause of neuropathy in a child is the pathology of pregnancy, especially the presence of stress during pregnancy, complications during childbirth. In other cases, the pathology of pregnancy and childbirth may be the cause of a violation of the origin of perinatal encephalopathy, leading to the formation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, this determines the poor adaptation of children in children's institutions, they more often have neurotic breakdowns during hospitalization, with the slightest change in their life pattern.

The age factor, as a factor of pathogenesis, determines the clinical picture of many diseases. Thus, in children of early and preschool age, due to the immaturity of personality and self-awareness, “classical” forms of neuroses are rarely observed; neurotic reactions that are simpler in structure are typical for them. Clinically, these are so-called monosymptomatic or systemic neuroses. Most often, disorders develop in the system of speech-motor mechanisms (stuttering) or the system of regulation of urination (enuresis), pathological conditioned reflex connections arise between the state of affect and the most intense type of activity at the moment of affective stress. Thus, a reflexive defensive movement can lead to the development of neurotic tics.

Beginning as neurotic reactions, systemic neuroses may subsequently acquire a persistent character and turn into neurotic states in school-age children and adolescents, and with age into neurotic personality development.

Symptoms of Neuroses in children:

Symptomatic manifestations of neuroses depend on the nature of mental trauma and on the personality of the patient. The presence of certain personal characteristics in a child, the manifestation of certain character traits (sensitivity, hysteria, anxious suspiciousness, etc.) indicate a form of a neurotic state: neurasthenia, hysteria, obsessive-compulsive neurosis.

Hysteria. Hysterical neurosis is characterized by increased sensitivity and impressionability, suggestibility and self-suggestibility, instability of mood, selfishness and egocentrism. One of the main properties of a hysterical personality is the demand for recognition. The basis of the psychological conflict in hysteria is a high level of aspirations that does not correspond to the capabilities of the individual (usually as a result of egocentric upbringing - the “family idol”). Hysteria is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms. In childhood, a variety of symptoms of hysteria are rare; they usually occur in the presence of hysterical personality traits of the child. In most children, hysterical reactions are expressed as monosymptomatic manifestations. Young children are characterized by affective-respiratory seizures (attacks of holding their breath), more often manifested in the only spoiled children. A seizure develops when crying is caused by the child’s dissatisfaction or anger when his desires are not satisfied. At an older age, hysterical seizures are more diverse, sometimes similar to epileptic seizures, sometimes with attacks of suffocation in bronchial asthma. A hysterical seizure is characterized by theatricality, expressiveness of postures, and the seizure can last a long time if there are observers. Hysteria is characterized by a discrepancy between the complaints presented and the objective data during examination.

Neurasthenia. The main clinical syndrome of neurasthenia is irritable weakness. The child becomes irritable, whiny, and at the slightest provocation has emotional violent outbursts followed by repentance. Behavior is characterized either by lethargy, passivity, or motor restlessness. The mood often changes, and sometimes there are manifestations of depression. Increased fatigue, inattention, and decreased performance are noted. Headache is very common with fatigue, mental stress, less often in the morning. The headache can be constant and squeezing. In older children, adolescents and adults, a hypochondriacal idea of ​​the severity of the disease and its incurability arise. Characteristic of neurasthenia. More often it is difficult to fall asleep, shallow sleep, with nightmares, and frequent awakenings. Quite often, with neurasthenia, night fears are noted, usually associated with daytime experiences, with sharp vegetative manifestations - palpitations, trembling, redness or paleness of the face, etc.

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis. For this neurosis, psychological characteristics such as self-doubt, indecisiveness, suspiciousness, and timidity are of great importance. Sometimes one of the parents also showed traits of anxious suspiciousness in childhood. From an early age, children are afraid of everything new, loneliness, darkness, insects, animals. At school age, suspiciousness, anxiety, and fear of becoming infected or getting sick are typical. Patients create various kinds of prohibitions for themselves (“so that something bad doesn’t happen”). Such personality development is called obsessive, and obsessive-compulsive neurosis is called obsessive neurosis.

Children are more often characterized by various phobias - fear of death, infection, sharp objects, animals, etc. Most patients develop various obsessive actions, sometimes of a ritual nature, as protective measures (endless hand washing, jumping up in a certain order, patting with a hand, etc.). At an older age, obsessive doubts, thoughts, and calculations arise. As a characteristic sign of obsessive states, patients have criticism of this obsession, elements of combating obsessive actions, and the development of protective rituals.

Often, more complex obsessive movements and actions are preceded by neurotic tics, which arise as fixed conditioned reflex movements. Tiki belong to neurosis-like disorders, in which the main cause is not psychogeny, but early organic brain damage. Differential diagnosis between neurotic and neurosis-like tics presents significant difficulties, especially since neurotic tics often occur in children with ADHD. Neurotic tics are characterized by a certain sequence of their appearance, stereotypical contractions of individual muscle groups, reminiscent of defensive movements. Typically, at 4-5 years of age, a blinking tic occurs, which goes away after a few weeks or months. However, the slightest mental stress, worry, or fear causes tics of other muscle groups, which gradually take over the facial muscles (raising the eyebrows, twitching the nose, pulling back the corners of the mouth, rolling up the eyeballs). One type of tic is replaced by another, in more severe cases, almost without an interval. With insufficient treatment, in a constant traumatic situation, tics can spread throughout the body. After acute respiratory infections, so-called respiratory tics often appear - obsessive coughing, snorting, snorting, etc.

Tics can be part of one of three structures: neuroses. As already noted, neurotic tics can be one of the initial manifestations of obsessive-compulsive neurosis, accompanied by corresponding personality characteristics, a feeling of alienation, with an attempt to delay the tics by force of will, with the gradual addition of more complex obsessive actions and rituals. Hysterical neurosis is characterized by demonstrative tics, their intensification in a certain situation, in the presence of persons to whom hysterical symptoms are directed. With neurasthenia, tics often occur (or intensify) after various somatic diseases that aggravate other neurasthenic symptoms. In a chronic psychotraumatic situation, the stage of a neurotic reaction is replaced by a protracted neurotic state with the leading symptom of tics.

Neurotic stuttering (logoneurosis). Stuttering is a violation of the rhythm, tempo and fluency of speech associated with spasms of the muscles involved in the speech act. Usually, stuttering first appears at the age of 2-4 years under the influence of some strong impression or fear. The frequency of stuttering at this age is due to the intensive formation of thinking, the formation and complication of phrasal speech. In young children, both clonic and tonic convulsions of the speech muscles are observed; in older children, tonic convulsions predominate. In the origin of stuttering in children, the presence of patients with stuttering in the family has a certain significance, and in addition to the imitation factor, a hereditary predisposition to speech pathology plays an important role. Neurotic stuttering sharply intensifies with excitement, accompanied by accompanying movements that facilitate the child’s speech (tamping the foot, snapping the fingers, etc.), sometimes with tics of the facial muscles.

Neurotic stuttering often occurs in children with normal or accelerated speech development. In the absence of a hereditary predisposition and a normal “speech climate” in the family, timely treatment, stuttering can go away completely within a few weeks.

With particularly strong fear, the affective-shock reaction can manifest itself as a lack of speech with the subsequent development of stuttering. Stuttering often recurs. In more severe cases, patients develop a fixation of stuttering based on the consolidation of a motor speech stereotype, and a neurotic state with stuttering syndrome and logoneurosis develops. The course of logoneurosis is wavy with periodic intensification of stuttering and accompanying neurotic disorders under the influence of various psychogenic situations (heavy school load, exams, etc.). Logoneurosis intensifies during puberty with an exacerbation of the personality’s reaction to a speech defect and a sharp increase in logophobia.

Neurosis-like stuttering, which occurs in connection with an organic disease of the brain, often develops gradually. Usually there is a late development of speech and tongue-tiedness. Characteristically, there is no personal reaction to a speech defect; patients do not try to hide it; the severity of stuttering depends little on the situation. The personality reaction to neurosis-like stuttering usually appears at puberty, and then it is difficult to distinguish it from neurotic stuttering.

Enuresis, or bedwetting, can be a continuation of physiological enuresis, when, due to excessive depth of sleep, a “guard point” in the cerebral cortex is not developed for a long time. TO neurosis Only those cases of enuresis that occur under the influence of mental trauma, with a sudden change in life pattern (visiting a nursery, kindergarten, the appearance of a second child in the family, etc.) should be included.

The role of disruption of sleep mechanisms in the pathogenesis of enuresis is emphasized. The clinic of neurotic enuresis is characterized by a pronounced dependence on the situation and environment in which the child is located, on various influences on his emotional sphere. Temporary removal of a child from a traumatic environment can lead to a noticeable reduction and even cessation of enuresis. The emergence of neurotic enuresis is facilitated by such character traits as timidity, anxiety, impressionability, self-doubt, low self-esteem; children painfully experience their shortcomings, they develop a feeling of inferiority, and an anxious expectation of losing urine at night. In cases where the disease does not end in recovery, children and adolescents experience a subdepressive mood shift with dissatisfaction with oneself, isolation, sensitivity, vulnerability or increased affectivity, excitability, incontinence, and embitterment.

Enuresis in children sometimes develops together with functional fecal incontinence. Encopresis may be the only manifestation of neurosis, more often of the type of hysterical reaction (to the appearance of a stepfather in the family, placement in a nursery, kindergarten).

Diagnosis of Neuroses in children:

It is very important to diagnose neurosis at an early age of the child. After all, the sooner neurosis can be recognized, the easier it will be to cure it in the future. Diagnosis of childhood neuroses consists of several stages:

• Psychological analysis of a child's life.
• Analysis of family relationships between parents and child, as well as his behavior with other children and relatives.
• Conducting conversations with the child on pre-developed questions during playful communication with the baby.
• Observing the child’s behavior during play (spontaneous or pre-organized).
• Analysis of the child's drawings. Thanks to the drawings, you can understand the feelings, experiences and desires of the child.
• Examination of parents and grandparents.
• The doctor developed, together with parents, individual psychotherapy for the child.

Treatment of Neuroses in children:

For neuroses, pathogenetic treatment is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy for children is mainly aimed at improving the family environment, normalizing the system of relationships in the family, and correcting upbringing. The importance of drug therapy, physiotherapy, and reflexology is to provide the necessary psychosomatic background for more successful psychotherapy. In neurosis-like conditions, especially in the presence of massive neurotic layers, psychotherapy is also of great importance, but drug therapy (both etiotropic and symptomatic), as well as physiotherapy, balneotherapy, etc., comes to the fore.

Psychotherapy

All methods of psychotherapy can be divided into 3 groups: family, individual and group psychotherapy.

Meaning family psychotherapy during treatment neuroses in children it is especially high, since in contact with family members the doctor directly studies the life problems of the family and the child, helps eliminate emotional disturbances, normalize the system of relationships, and correct upbringing. Family psychotherapy is of particular importance for children in preschool age, when it is most effective and when it is easier to eliminate the pathological influence of upbringing errors. Family therapy includes a family examination (during which a family diagnosis should be determined - a set of psychopathological, personal and socio-psychological characteristics of the family). The second stage involves family discussions. Conversations with parents, grandparents. The child is taught in an office equipped as a playroom - with toys, masks, and writing materials. First, the child is given the opportunity to freely handle toys and books. As emotional contact is established with the child, a conversation is held. Family discussions usually precede activities with the child, but sometimes it is possible to start with activities with the child, and the improvement in the child's condition has a positive effect on the progress of family discussions. During family discussions, the pedagogical perspective is determined, the role of parents in psychotherapy, and the need for close cooperation are emphasized.

The next stage is joint psychotherapy of the patient and parents. Preschoolers are taught object games, drawing, and construction. With schoolchildren - discussion of various topics, focused subject games. When children and parents interact, habitual emotional reactions and conflicts are clearly identified. Subsequently, role-playing games are carried out, reflecting communication in life (“school”, “family”). Psychotherapy uses a scenario that children and parents act out, changing roles. During the game, the psychotherapist demonstrates the optimal model of family relationships. In this way, conditions are gradually created for the restructuring of family relationships and the elimination of psychological conflict.

Individual psychotherapy. The main methods are “explanatory” or rational psychotherapy, drawing (art therapy), play, autogenic training, suggestive psychotherapy (suggestion).

Rational psychotherapy is carried out in three stages. First, after establishing emotional contact with the patient, the doctor explains to him in an accessible form the essence of his painful condition. At the second stage, the doctor, together with the patient, tries to determine the source of his experiences. Subsequently, in homework (the patient must finish the story started by the doctor), he, analyzing different options for ending the story, tries to resolve difficult conflict situations himself or with the help of the doctor. Even minor successes in mastering the situation, if approved by a doctor, contribute to the restructuring of relationships and the correction of unfavorable character traits.

Art therapy (drawing, sculpting). Sometimes drawing may be the only way a child communicates. By drawing, the child understands his experiences better. Observing him while drawing gives an idea of ​​his character, sociability or isolation, especially if the child draws in a small group of children, gives an idea of ​​self-esteem, creative potential, imagination, and outlook. Drawing is often used in group psychotherapy. Drawing on given topics is very informative - a drawing of a family, a depiction of fears, etc. For a doctor, an analysis of a family drawing, a conversation with a child about the persons depicted in the drawing, gives more insight into the structure of the family, family relationships than a formal history collected from the mother. At the end of the session, the child “gives” the fears he has drawn to the doctor. Instead of drawing, they sometimes use the making of various masks and modeling. Eliminating situational fears prevents the development of obsessive fears. A good effect of eliminating fears is observed in a group when children draw fears at home and discuss and act them out together in class.

Play psychotherapy Along with drawing, it most corresponds to the age-related needs of children in play, but requires the organization of play as a therapeutic process, the emotional involvement of the doctor, and the ability to play transformation. Both spontaneous play without a specific script and directed play, but allowing improvisation, are used. The game for therapeutic purposes is indicated for children 2-12 years old with affective and characterological disorders, difficulties in communication. The game is aimed at restoring broken relationships. In spontaneous play, the child has the opportunity for emotional and motor self-expression, awareness of tension, and fear. In an improvisational game, the doctor creates stressful situations of fear, accusation, and argument so that the child learns to find a way out of the situation on his own or with his help. This method is considered to be most successful in children aged 4-7 years, when an intensive process of personality role development occurs. At an older age, dramatization is carried out without dolls and toy props, in an imaginary setting. Thus, in joint playback with the doctor, adolescents are taught to make adequate decisions in stressful situations.

One option for play therapy is fairytale therapy, during which issues of psychodiagnostics and psychocorrection are resolved. With this technique, they not only tell, compose and act out fairy tales, make fairy-tale characters and puppets, but also conduct meditation on a fairy tale. During static meditation, children listen to a fairy tale in a comfortable (usually lying down) position accompanied by calm music. During psychodynamic meditation, they move, transform into various animals, and perform other exercises.

Autogenic training(muscle relaxation method) is performed only in adolescents. The method is effective in the treatment of systemic neurosis, in particular logoneurosis, tics. A positive emotional mood created by a doctor (“travelling,” “staying in favorite vacation spots,” imagining a sunbeam warming the muscles of the lower extremities, torso, then upper extremities and, finally, the face in a certain sequence) easily causes muscle relaxation, reduction and even temporary disappearance of tics and stuttering. With each subsequent session, the effect of muscle relaxation and reduction of neurotic symptoms increases, in addition, the child develops faith in recovery.

Suggestive psychotherapy includes waking suggestion, indirect suggestion, hypnotherapy. Suggestion while awake is a mandatory element in any psychotherapeutic intervention. Suggestion is more often used in acute neurotic reactions, under the influence of super-strong stimuli (hysterical amaurosis, aphonia, mutism, acute fears). Suggestion is often used for other neurotic reactions, the neurotic form of enuresis, and pathological habits. With good suggestibility and an attitude towards treatment, suggestion can be carried out in a state of muscle relaxation. Often, indirect suggestion is used in children, which creates a mindset for a therapeutic effect when taking certain medications or performing any procedures (for example, the effect of electrical stimulation in hysterical paralysis). An example of indirect suggestion is a placebo - an indifferent substance designed in the form of a medicine.

Hypnotherapy It is used to mobilize psychophysiological resources, strengthen the emotional-volitional sphere, and has a mainly symptomatic effect, quickly eliminating one or another symptom. Hypnotherapy is contraindicated in cases of reluctance to undergo treatment, antisocial attitudes, fear of hypnotic influence, psychomotor agitation, depression, and acute somatic illness. Hypnotherapy is carried out when suggestion in reality is insufficiently effective, for various neurotic symptoms, asthenoneurotic conditions, and psychosomatic diseases.

Group psychotherapy. Main indications for group psychotherapy:

• unfavorable personality changes during a long course of neurosis (egocentrism, increased level of aspiration);
• communication difficulties and related affective disorders (excessive shyness, stiffness, suspiciousness, intolerance of expectations, etc.);
• the need for further correction of family relationships in case of intractable conflicts.

Contraindications: negative attitude towards treatment, severe disinhibition, excitability, aggressiveness and decreased intelligence. Groups are selected gradually during the process of individual psychotherapy. The number of patients within the small group: 4 patients aged 4-5 years, 6 - aged 5-11 years, 8 - aged 11-14 years. The duration of classes is from 45 minutes for preschoolers to 1 hour for 7-12 years old and 1.5 hours for teenagers, which allows you to act out complex plots.

Uniting in a group takes place through joint visits to museums, exhibitions, followed by discussion of stories, interesting books, one’s hobbies, etc., in this way. tension is relieved. Children begin to share their own experiences and problems. Compared to individual psychotherapy, disclosing experiences in a group has a greater therapeutic effect. Next, the game method of spontaneous and doctor-directed games is introduced. This is followed by training of mental functions (using games that develop speed of reactions, attention, endurance, coordination of movements). Teenagers learn techniques of self-control and self-regulation. There are several methods of group psychotherapy; during classes, various techniques are used - various games that train not only the functions listed above, but also imagination, various communication techniques, observation, and creative activity. Various drawing tests are used as homework, followed by discussion. At each lesson, relaxation is carried out with the inculcation of the positive qualities that the group participants acquired during the lesson. Discussion at the end of the course of treatment consolidates the results of group psychotherapy, broadens the children's horizons, and develops their self-awareness.

Drug therapy

As already noted, drug therapy for neuroses is mainly of secondary importance, acting on one or another symptom, relieving tension, increased excitability (or depressive background), reducing asthenic syndrome. Drug therapy usually precedes psychotherapy. Complex treatment is possible when psychotherapy is carried out together with drug therapy and physiotherapy. Complex therapy is indicated for neurosis-like conditions. In this case, general strengthening and dehydration therapy, drugs that reduce asthenia, and nootropics are usually prescribed. The use of tranquilizers and antidepressants can complicate psychotherapy. Tranquilizers are used mainly for organic disinhibition and hyperactivity.

For neuroses, especially in children, it is advisable to prescribe infusions of medicinal plants, which can be used for a long time, up to 1.5 months. Currently, herbal medicine is increasingly used in the treatment of neuroses and psychosomatic diseases. Most medicinal plants cause a sedative effect (valerian, motherwort, etc.).

Since children neuroses often develop on the basis of perinatal encephalopathy, neuropathy, asthenic conditions, treatment is usually carried out comprehensively. For asthenic symptoms, general restoratives and tonics are recommended: calcium preparations (chloride, gluconate, lactate, glycerophosphate), lipocerebrin, vitamins, tinctures of Chinese schisandra, lures; pantogam, nootropil are useful. For asthenic conditions with subdepressive syndrome, the use of tincture of eleutherococcus, aralia, and ginseng is indicated. For irritable weakness, Pavlov's mixture in combination with tincture of valerian and motherwort produces a good effect. Baths (in particular, coniferous ones) are useful; physiotherapy: electrophoresis with calcium, magnesium sulfate, bromine, diphenhydramine; electrosleep. Among the psychotropic drugs used for hypersthenic syndrome are tranquilizers with a sedative effect (Elenium, Eunoctine), and for hyposthenic syndrome - tranquilizers with a mild activating effect (seduxen, trioxazine). In neurotic conditions with subdepressive syndrome, small doses of antidepressants - melipramine, amitriptyline - are advisable. For increased excitability and hyperkinetic syndrome, Sonapax (Melleril) is indicated.

Treatment of systemic neuroses (stuttering, tics, enuresis) should preferably be carried out taking into account the main pathogenetic factor.

In the treatment of neurotic stuttering the main method is psychotherapy, a gentle speech climate in the family (people surrounding the child should not force him to speak “correctly”; they themselves should speak slowly, smoothly, melodiously). The child will imitate; at a slow rate of speech, stuttering that occurs after a fright like a neurotic reaction usually goes away quite quickly. An infusion of medicinal plants, Pavlov's mixture, and reducing the load are recommended (do not force the child's speech, read less to him, do not force him to memorize long poems). It is necessary to reduce communication with adults, not talk to them about the child’s illness, and eliminate contact with people who stutter. At this stage, you should not contact a speech therapist. In the presence of pronounced affect or fear, play and drawing psychotherapy is indicated. At the stage of logoneurosis, complex treatment is carried out, in which psychotherapy is of greatest importance (elements of explanatory therapy, suggestion while awake or in hypnosis, autogenic training, group psychotherapy). Consultation with a speech therapist and implementation of his recommendations are required. Periodic use of sedatives, restoratives, electrophoresis of calcium, bromine, aminazine using the collar technique or on the area of ​​the speech muscles, electrosleep.

For neurosis-like stuttering inner speech is not sufficiently developed; speech development delay, dysarthria, and dysgraphic disorders are often observed. For this form of stuttering, systematic speech therapy sessions are of greatest importance. Medicines include dehydration, absorbent, nootropics, B vitamins. Therapeutic exercises including breathing exercises, massage of the fingers, and speech muscles complement this complex. Psychotherapy is of secondary importance and is indicated mainly in the presence of neurotic layers.

In the treatment of neurotic tics The greatest importance is to prevent their fixation at the beginning of development. Therefore, no comments or demands to take care of oneself, restraining tics, are allowed. It is advisable to establish the cause (fear, imitation, overload at school, etc.) and, if possible, eliminate it. Of the medications, phenibut is more effective. It is advisable to start psychotherapy early; its choice depends on the age of the child; it is necessary to start with individual (drawing, play) psychotherapy. After individual psychotherapy, older children are usually transferred to group psychotherapy.

Treatment of enuresis depends on the shape. Neurotic and neurosis-like enuresis are more common. In the neurotic form, psychotherapy is the main treatment; In young and middle-aged children, hypnosuggestive psychotherapy is more effective; in adolescents, autogenic training is more effective. Among medications, preschool children use medications with a sedative effect; older children take tranquilizers in the morning and afternoon. For restless sleep, half the age-specific dose of eunoctine is recommended before bedtime. The use of means that regulate and promote the restoration of normal sleep is considered fundamentally important. With a simple form of enuresis (hypersomnic) with a deficiency of the paradoxical stage of sleep, great importance is attached to educational and hygienic measures. For example, therapeutic exercises before bedtime are recommended due to the pronounced hyperactivity of patients and the advisability of transferring hyperactivity into adequate forms. Forcible awakening at night is not recommended (you can wake up only if the child begins to worry). Antidepressants (melipramine) are advisable for simple and dysplastic forms of enuresis. For neurotic and neuropathic forms, adaptogens (eleutherococcus, ginseng, etc.) are recommended. Physiotherapy is widely used for various forms of enuresis, but often without noticeable effect. In conclusion, it should be said that physiotherapy, like many medications, can have a therapeutic effect if they are prescribed with a suggestive attitude.

It should be noted that in all forms neuroses and neurosis-like conditions, treatment causes the greatest effect in their initial stage, at the stage of neurotic reaction. With the development of a neurotic state and especially neurotic personality formation, the effectiveness of treatment noticeably decreases.

Calcium chloride - 5% solution; 1 teaspoon, dessert or tablespoon 3-4 times a day (after meals).
Calcium gluconate - tablets of 0.5 g in a package of 10 pcs. Children under one year old - 0.5 g; from 2 to 4 years - 1 g; from 5 to 6 years - 1-1.5 g; from 7 to 9 years - 1.5-2 g; from 10 to 14 years - 2-3 g 2-3 times a day.
Calcium glycerophosphate - tablets of 0.2 and 0.5 g; for children a single dose is 50-200 mg.
Lipocerebrin - tablets 0.15 g; children are prescribed 0.5-1 tablet 3 times a day.
- 10-15 drops 1-3 times a day before meals.
- 10-15 drops 3 times a day.
- 10 drops 2-3 times a day (before meals).
For enuresis, the drug is prescribed starting with 2 drops at night, gradually increasing to 15-20 drops, and then it is slowly reduced (with psychotherapeutic reinforcement).
- 10-15 drops 2-3 times a day.
- 10 drops 3 times a day.
, - as many drops as the child is old, 3 times a day.
During treatment neuroses It is advisable to avoid parenteral use of drugs, in particular vitamins, especially if the child gives a pronounced negative reaction to the injections.
Doses of recommended vitamins. (vitamin B6), tablets 0.002 g, 0.005 g, 0.01 g are prescribed 2-3 times a day in an age-specific dose.
Thiamine bromide (vitamin B), tablets 0.002 g, is prescribed 1 tablet 3 times a day.

Prevention of Neuroses in children:

Prevention neuroses lies in understanding the reasons for their occurrence and proper education. In order to prevent diseases, parents should create a favorable atmosphere, moderate physical activity and sports, and begin timely treatment of somatic diseases; The child's nutrition must be balanced and contain the nutrients necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system.

In the prevention of neuroses, an important role is played by the treatment and elimination of acute and chronic infections, the prevention of brain injuries, which include birth, acute and chronic intoxication, malnutrition, lack of sleep and rest. Lack of sleep in children affects the development of an asthenic condition.

Proper upbringing is one of the conditions for the prevention of neuroses and implies the development in a child of such qualities as endurance, patience, perseverance, hard work, the ability to overcome difficulties, the ability to share with other children, to give in, to take into account the interests of others, and to learn to communicate socially.

Which doctors should you contact if you have Neuroses in children:

Neurologist

Psychotherapist

Is something bothering you? Do you want to know more detailed information about Neuroses in children, its causes, symptoms, methods of treatment and prevention, the course of the disease and diet after it? Or do you need an inspection? You can make an appointment with a doctor– clinic Eurolab always at your service! The best doctors will examine you, study external signs and help you identify the disease by symptoms, advise you and provide the necessary assistance and make a diagnosis. you also can call a doctor at home. Clinic Eurolab open for you around the clock.

How to contact the clinic:
Phone number of our clinic in Kyiv: (+38 044) 206-20-00 (multi-channel). The clinic secretary will select a convenient day and time for you to visit the doctor. Our coordinates and directions are indicated. Look in more detail about all the clinic’s services on it.

(+38 044) 206-20-00

If you have previously performed any research, Be sure to take their results to a doctor for consultation. If the studies have not been performed, we will do everything necessary in our clinic or with our colleagues in other clinics.

You? It is necessary to take a very careful approach to your overall health. People don't pay enough attention symptoms of diseases and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called symptoms of the disease. Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. To do this, you just need to do it several times a year. be examined by a doctor, in order not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the organism as a whole.

If you want to ask a doctor a question, use the online consultation section, perhaps you will find answers to your questions there and read self care tips. If you are interested in reviews about clinics and doctors, try to find the information you need in the section. Also register on the medical portal Eurolab to keep abreast of the latest news and information updates on the site, which will be automatically sent to you by email.

Other diseases from the group Children's diseases (pediatrics):

Bacillus cereus in children

Adenovirus infection in children

Nutritional dyspepsia

Allergic diathesis in children

Allergic conjunctivitis in children

Allergic rhinitis in children

Sore throat in children

Aneurysm of the interatrial septum

Aneurysm in children

Anemia in children

Arrhythmia in children

Arterial hypertension in children

Ascariasis in children

Asphyxia of newborns

Atopic dermatitis in children

Autism in children

Rabies in children

Blepharitis in children

Heart blocks in children

Lateral neck cyst in children

Marfan disease (syndrome)

Hirschsprung's disease in children

Lyme disease (tick-borne borreliosis) in children

Legionnaires' disease in children

Meniere's disease in children

Botulism in children

Bronchial asthma in children

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Brucellosis in children

Typhoid fever in children

Spring catarrh in children

Chicken pox in children

Viral conjunctivitis in children

Temporal lobe epilepsy in children

Visceral leishmaniasis in children

HIV infection in children

Intracranial birth injury

Intestinal inflammation in a child

Congenital heart defects (CHD) in children

Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in children

Hemorrhagic vasculitis in children

Hemophilia in children

Haemophilus influenzae infection in children

Generalized learning disabilities in children

Generalized anxiety disorder in children

Geographical language in a child

Hepatitis G in children

Hepatitis A in children

Hepatitis B in children

Hepatitis D in children

Hepatitis E in children

Hepatitis C in children

Herpes in children

Herpes in newborns

Hydrocephalic syndrome in children

Hyperactivity in children

Hypervitaminosis in children

Hyperexcitability in children

Hypovitaminosis in children

Fetal hypoxia

Hypotension in children

Hypotrophy in a child

Histiocytosis in children

Glaucoma in children

Deafness (deaf-mute)

Gonoblenorrhea in children

Flu in children

Dacryoadenitis in children

Dacryocystitis in children

Depression in children

Dysentery (shigellosis) in children

Dysbacteriosis in children

Dysmetabolic nephropathy in children

Diphtheria in children

Benign lymphoreticulosis in children

Iron deficiency anemia in a child

Yellow fever in children

Occipital epilepsy in children

Heartburn (GERD) in children

Immunodeficiency in children

Impetigo in children

Intussusception

Infectious mononucleosis in children

Deviated nasal septum in children

Ischemic neuropathy in children

Campylobacteriosis in children

Canaliculitis in children

Candidiasis (thrush) in children

Carotid-cavernous anastomosis in children

Keratitis in children

Klebsiella in children

Tick-borne typhus in children

Tick-borne encephalitis in children

Clostridia in children

Coarctation of the aorta in children

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in children

Whooping cough in children

Coxsackie and ECHO infection in children

Conjunctivitis in children

Coronavirus infection in children

Measles in children

Clubhanded

Craniosynostosis

Urticaria in children

Rubella in children

Cryptorchidism in children

Croup in a child

Lobar pneumonia in children

Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHF) in children

Q fever in children

Labyrinthitis in children

Lactase deficiency in children

Laryngitis (acute)

Pulmonary hypertension of newborns

Leukemia in children

Drug allergies in children

Leptospirosis in children

Lethargic encephalitis in children

Lymphogranulomatosis in children

Lymphoma in children

Listeriosis in children

Ebola fever in children

Frontal epilepsy in children

Malabsorption in children

Malaria in children

MARS in children

Mastoiditis in children

Meningitis in children

Meningococcal infection in children

Meningococcal meningitis in children

Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents

Myasthenia in children

Migraine in children

Mycoplasmosis in children

Myocardial dystrophy in children

Myocarditis in children

Myoclonic epilepsy of early childhood

Mitral stenosis

Urolithiasis (UCD) in children

Cystic fibrosis in children

Otitis externa in children

Speech disorders in children

Mitral valve insufficiency

Incomplete intestinal rotation

Sensorineural hearing loss in children

Neurofibromatosis in children

Diabetes insipidus in children

Nephrotic syndrome in children

Nosebleeds in children

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children

Obstructive bronchitis in children

Obesity in children

Omsk hemorrhagic fever (OHF) in children

Opisthorchiasis in children

Herpes zoster in children

Brain tumors in children

Tumors of the spinal cord and spine in children

Ear tumor

Psittacosis in children

Smallpox rickettsiosis in children

Acute renal failure 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.

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, internal tension).

The main symptoms may be:

• rapid pulse;
• sweating;
• labored breathing;
• dizziness;
• insomnia;
• chills.

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

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 of uncontrolled urination or to a complete disappearance.

Hysteria

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:

• crying;
• scream;
• fights;
• breaking or throwing objects.

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 - is of particular importance when treating young children. Effectively eliminates the influence of parenting errors. Occurs by examining the family (psychological characteristics, characteristics 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 causes of his painful condition, identifying through joint 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 acute mental reactions are diagnosed in a patient in order to correct behavior. The doctor instills calmness, self-confidence, improved well-being, etc.

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

Drug therapy

Drug therapy 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);
• drugs to reduce the amount of fluid in the body or individual organs (diuretics);
• tinctures of medicinal herbs (herbs that have a calming effect);
• tranquilizers - used only in case 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 must organize the correct work and rest schedule, adequate sleep, and 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 in combination with drug therapy, timely detected neurosis in children can be cured quite easily and quickly.