Neurosis in a baby signs. Types and modern methods of treatment of neuroses in children

In the world of information technology, people sometimes forget about the importance of live communication. The worst thing is when small children suffer from a lack of parental attention and care, becoming withdrawn and gloomy. Our time can be called the era of general divorces - every second family breaks off its marriage union. There is no doubt that living and raising in an incomplete family or with a stepmother / stepfather adversely affects the fragile psyche of the child. You need to know how to properly treat neurosis in children.

Neurosis- This is a disorder of the nervous system that occurs as a response to psychotraumatic stimuli. In pathology, there are lags in the development of important higher nervous functions.

Description of the problems of neurosis

Important! According to statistics, a quarter of all children aged 2 to 5 suffer from childhood neurosis.

The danger of neuroses lies in the fact that children under the age of 3 do not know how to fully explain their fears, fears and emotions, which makes it difficult to identify and treat neurosis as soon as possible. With untimely detection of deviations or with inaction, neurosis can continue until adolescence.

If you notice one or more of the symptoms of the disease in your baby, you should immediately seek treatment from a doctor. He will make a diagnosis, identify the causes of the disease, prescribe the necessary course of treatment.

So, how should the treatment of neurosis in children be correct, how to determine this disease?

Causes


neuroses in children- a fairly common disease, however, treatable with timely detection of the disease. The immature nervous system of children is very susceptible to psychological influence from the outside, so neurosis most often first manifests itself precisely in childhood.

Attention! Nervous disorders begin to develop in the interval from 2 to 3 years, or from 5 to 7 years. Parents should pay special attention to the condition of the child at this vulnerable age and begin treatment.

The mistake of most parents is that they often do not pay attention to the manifestations of the child's anxiety, believing that the "nervous" period will pass by itself. However, neurosis, without proper treatment, cannot go away on its own. An accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment to eliminate the neurotic condition are necessary.

Failure to provide assistance in a neurosis-like condition can lead to problems in communication with other people, as well as affect the general state of health. In the end, neurosis can lead to global changes in the psychological structure of the individual without treatment.

Before proceeding with the treatment of neurosis in children, you need to find out what factors provoked its appearance. No treatment will help if negative stressors are not eliminated, as they will continue to affect the child's psyche, disrupting it more and more.

Most childhood neuroses arise against the backdrop of an unstable family environment. If parents often swear, talk to each other in raised tones, or, even worse, apply physical violence to each other, then it is not surprising that deviations occur in the child's psyche.


The formation of neurosis can be influenced by:

  • type of upbringing (hyper-custody, authoritarian upbringing, rejection);
  • temperament;
  • gender and age of the child;
  • type of body structure (normal physique, asthenic or hypersthenic);
  • some character traits (shyness, excitability, hyperactivity).

Attention! It has been proven that neuroses are characteristic of children with leadership inclinations, who want to be better than the rest, those who want to be number one in everything.

Factors causing neurosis can be classified into the following groups:

Social factors:

  • Excessive or insufficient live communication with the child;
  • Inability or unwillingness of parents to understand and solve children's problems and start treatment;
  • The presence in the family of regular traumatic events - alcoholism, drug addiction, dissolute behavior of parents;
  • Wrong type of upbringing - excessive guardianship or, conversely, insufficient manifestation of attention and care;
  • Frightening children with the threat of punishment or non-existent evil characters (only harms the treatment of neurosis).

Socio-cultural factors:

  • Living in a major city;
  • Insufficient amount of time for a full-fledged family vacation;
  • Unfavorable living conditions.

Socio-economic factors:

  • Permanent presence of parents at work;
  • Involvement of strangers in the upbringing of children;
  • Incomplete family or the presence of a stepmother / stepfather.

Biological factors:

  • Frequent lack of sleep, insomnia;
  • Genetic inheritance of a mental disorder;
  • Intellectual or physical excessive stress;
  • Pathology during pregnancy, called fetal hypoxia.

Important! The method of treating neurosis in children is selected based on the causes that caused it and the type of neurosis.

Symptoms of neurosis in children


Nervousness can manifest itself in many ways. The signs of a neurosis directly depend on its variety, but a number of general symptoms can be distinguished that are characteristic of all neurosis-like conditions.

  • Sleep disturbances. The symptom can manifest itself in the form of insomnia, sleepwalking, frequent nightmares. Children who have this symptom are very difficult to wake up in the morning, because they cannot sleep during the night due to constantly interrupted and restless sleep. Treatment of neurosis should begin with the elimination of such symptoms;
  • Disorder of appetite. In children of preschool and primary school age, an appetite disorder can manifest itself in the form of refusal to eat, the occurrence of a gag reflex when eating. In adolescents, bulimia or anorexia occurs as neurotic reactions. Immediately begin treatment of neurosis at this age.
  • The rapid appearance of a feeling of fatigue, lethargy, muscle pain, even after minor exertion;
  • External manifestations of nervousness, such as frequent tearfulness, biting nails, hair. To combat such factors, you need to consult a doctor for the treatment of neurosis;
  • Frequent headaches and dizziness requiring treatment;
  • Violation of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • Physical abnormalities such as trouble breathing, excessive sweating, changes in blood pressure. Require urgent treatment of neurosis;
  • Attacks of unreasonable fear, in advanced cases leading to hallucinations. Young children may be afraid of the dark and the monsters lurking in it. Treatment of neurosis in this case should be complex;
  • State of stupor, lethargy;
  • Depressive, depressed states.

Parents, upon detection of irritability, tearfulness, nervousness of the child, should immediately show it to specialists and begin treatment. Of course, the pediatrician pediatrician in this trouble will not be able to help. You need to contact directly a positively established child psychotherapist who has extensive experience in the treatment of neurosis in children.

Children at risk of developing neurosis


Neurological abnormalities are most often manifested in children with certain characteristics of mental activity and type of character.

Thus, neuroses most often appear in children who:

  • They tend to vividly express their emotions and feelings. Such children are in great need of love and attention from their inner circle. If the need for care is not satisfied, children begin to be tormented by doubts and fears that they are not loved, that no one needs them;
  • They often get sick. Parents treat frequently ill children very carefully, they overprotect, treat and protect. Children in such a situation develop a feeling of helplessness, turning into a neurosis-like syndrome;
  • They are brought up in a dysfunctional family. Children raised in asocial families, in orphanages and orphanages are prone to neuroses.

Even if your child cannot be correlated with the categories presented, this does not guarantee that he will not develop a neurosis. Careful observation of changes in the child's behavior will help identify a mental disorder and begin treatment.

Varieties of neuroses

Psychologists and neurologists have proposed many classifications of neurotic conditions according to various criteria. The simplest is their division according to clinical manifestations for the correct treatment of neurosis.

obsessive-compulsive disorder

Compulsive movement neurosis is the most common type of mental disorder in childhood. The disease may be accompanied by frequent blinking, coughing, shuddering.

obsessive states- these are unconscious, often repeated actions that occur during a strong emotional outburst due to shock or experienced stress.

A child suffering from this type of neurosis may:

  1. biting your nails or sucking your fingers;
  2. touch your genitals;
  3. twitch limbs;
  4. twist and pull hair.

If compulsive actions are not treated in early childhood, they may reappear with outbreaks of a nervous state already at an older age.

The child often understands that actions performed repeatedly by him can be immoral, not approved in society. This can lead to a feeling of alienation from society - isolation, lack of communication, introversion. If you immediately begin the treatment of neurosis, you can avoid bad habits.

Obsessive compulsive disorder is accompanied not only by the constant repetition of some actions of the child, but also by the general symptoms of this disease, such as sleep disturbance, increased tearfulness, and impaired appetite.

Neurosis associated with fear


Anxiety neurosis has many variations - from the fear of the dark to the fear of death. Seizures most often occur during dreams, or when the child is left alone for a long time. It is necessary to immediately begin treatment of neurosis.

The specifics of fears depend on the age of the child:

  • Children under the age of 7 often have a fear of being alone at home, fear of the dark, fear of fictional characters from works of art or cartoons. The mistake of parents is to deliberately provoke the formation of this type of neurosis, deliberately frightening children with a babayka, a policeman or an evil wolf. This improves the treatment of neurosis.
  • Children of primary school age develop a fear of getting a bad grade, a reprimand from the teacher in front of the whole class, and a fear of older children. Against the background of these fears, the child may refuse to go to school, motivating their refusals with deceit (illness, poor health). At the time of treatment of neurosis, it is necessary to encourage the child more often.

The risk group for this type of neurosis includes children who did not attend kindergartens and spent most of their time at home. As a rule, they do not know how to communicate properly with their peers and are very worried about this. Such children require proper treatment of neurosis.

Neurasthenia

Neurasthenia- This is a disorder of the nervous system, manifested in fatigue, apathy and lack of concentration. Along with the above symptoms, there is a low level of physical activity.

As a rule, this type of neurosis occurs in schoolchildren of different ages due to increased stress at school. If the child attends additional circles or sections, the risk of neurasthenia becomes even higher.

The risk group includes children with poor health, physically unprepared. Such children are very sensitive to external stimuli. Usually they are inhibited, often cry, suffer from lack of appetite, sleep disturbances. Neurotic reactions entail migraine, disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system. Such a neurosis requires treatment.

depressive neurosis


This type of neurosis is typical only for teenagers. The child seeks to move away from adults, experiences first love, relationships with peers, constantly cries. Against the background of a nervous breakdown, there is a drop in self-esteem, a deterioration in relations with parents, and a decrease in school performance.

A child suffering from a feeling of depression can be calculated by external signs - an expression of sadness on his face, quiet, indistinct speech, inexpressive facial expressions and gestures. Usually, adolescents in a state of depressive neurosis are inactive, eat almost nothing, and sleep little at night. A depressive state requires urgent treatment to avoid more severe, irreversible consequences, such as suicide. At the first signs, treatment of neurosis should be started.

Hysterical neurosis

Tantrums are common in young preschool children when they fail to get what they want. Such kids with loud screams can beat their heads against the wall, roll on the floor, stomp their feet. The child can pretend to show a scene of hysterical coughing, vomiting, suffocation. Often, tantrums are accompanied by cramps in the limbs that require treatment.

Important! Sometimes untimely treatment of neurosis in children can cause logoneurosis, anorexia or urinary incontinence.

Treatment in children


Parents, having discovered signs of a developing neurosis in their child, begin to ask the question - which doctor treats neurosis in children? It goes without saying that this issue is not within the competence of an ordinary pediatrician. In such a situation, you need to contact a professional child psychotherapist for treatment. It is psychotherapy that is the main method of treatment of this disease.

The treatment of nervous disorders with the help of mental influences is called psychotherapy. Together with the child, a course of psychotherapy treatment is also recommended for his parents - this helps to normalize the situation in the family, establish contacts, strengthen marital relationships and correct educational processes. In order to increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy treatment, it is possible to use physiotherapy and reflexology. In extreme cases, in agreement with a specialist during psychotherapy, additional treatment with medications is allowed.

There are three types of psychotherapy treatment:

  1. Family treatment. It is carried out in several stages. Initially, the psychotherapist studies the psychological situation in the family, identifies possible problems for treatment. Then family conversations are held with the involvement of the older generation - the grandparents of the child. At the next stage, the psychotherapist organizes joint activities of the child with parents - games, drawing for treatment. During the game, parents and children can change roles. During such treatments, the optimal variant of family relationships is established, which helps to get rid of psychological conflicts.
  2. Individual treatment. The psychotherapist can use the techniques of psychological suggestion, art therapy techniques, autogenic training. For many children, the process of drawing helps to calm down and put their nerves in order. In addition, a specialist, observing a child in the process of drawing, can draw up his psychological portrait - personality traits, level of self-esteem, the presence of fantasy, the scope of his horizons for the right treatment. Play therapy is aimed at creating stressful situations from which the child must find ways out on his own.
  3. Group treatment. It is used in the treatment of neurosis in children in an advanced stage. The number of group members depends on their age - the younger the children, the less they should be in the group for treatment. In total, children in the group should not be more than 8 people. Children in groups visit exhibitions, museums together, discuss their impressions for proper treatment. In the process of group therapy, the skill of communicating with peers develops, psychological barriers collapse, self-esteem rises.

Treatment of neurosis in children involves the use of therapeutic methods such as hypnosis, treatment with fairy tales, play therapy, herbal medicine. It is not recommended to start treatment with taking medications - this option can only be resorted to when psychotherapy does not have the proper positive effect. Of course, taking medication for treatment must be agreed with the doctor and strictly follow his instructions. Carry out the prevention of the state of neurosis in advance.

Children's neuroses conceal a great danger, and the main problem lies not in the type of disorder or its manifestations, but in relation to 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 by itself. This approach cannot be called correct, it is worth making every effort to help the child overcome the problem that has arisen and avoid the accompanying inconvenience in the future. Childhood neurosis is a mental disorder that does not distort the perception of the surrounding world and is reversible (which is very important). Thus, it is possible to get rid of it and it is really necessary to do it, reacting in time to changes in the behavior of your baby.

Varieties of childhood neuroses

There is a general classification, within which there are thirteen varieties of neuroses that can manifest themselves in children:

  • neurotic state, formed on the basis of fear. This is one of the most common types in primary school children. This type of neurosis is characterized by the presence of prolonged (sometimes up to half an hour) attacks of fear, especially at bedtime. Manifestations can be very different: and a slight feeling of anxiety, and even hallucinations. 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, of the dark, of mythical or real animals that were seen in the movie, and others. Among primary school students, there is often a fear of the severity of teachers, of the school as such, with its clear regime and many requirements;
  • neurosis caused by a specific obsessive state. In psychological science, such a phenomenon is described as the presence in the behavior of certain ritual actions, the failure of which leads to an increase in tension, internal discomfort. In children, two main types of such conditions are distinguished - these are obsessions and fears, although they can often be mixed. At preschool age, such obsessive actions as blinking, wrinkling the bridge of the nose or forehead, stamping, patting, etc. are most common. Performing a ritual action allows you to reduce the level of emotional stress through the use of certain physical activities. If we talk about obsessive fears or, in other words, phobias, then most often there is a fear of an enclosed space and sharp objects. Later, fears of death, illness, verbal response to an audience, etc., begin to appear;
  • neurotic state of depressive type. This problem occurs already in a more adult age - adolescence. The child can notice a clear change in behavior: a bad mood, a sad expression on his face, some slowness of movements and gestures, a general decrease in activity and the level of sociability. In more serious cases, systematic insomnia, decreased appetite, and even constipation may appear;
  • asthenic type (neurasthenia) arises as a reaction to excessive workload with additional tasks and activities, physical and emotional overload. An explicit 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 in a rather vivid way - falling to the floor, accompanied by spreading his arms and legs, loud crying and screaming, punching, etc.;

  • stuttering on a nervous basis. In the vast majority of cases, it occurs between the ages of 2 and 5 years during the periods of the initial formation of speech and its further phrasal complication.

Very often, in young children, stuttering becomes a response to the fear of separation from their parents, which was unexpected for the child. In addition, pressure on the baby with the desire to accelerate its development (speech, intellectual, etc.), as well as significant information overload, can be attributed to the number of factors predisposing to stuttering.

  • hypochondria- a state in which there is a painful concern about one's own state of health, numerous and unfounded suspicions of various diseases. The characteristic age period is adolescence;
  • compulsive movements (tics), which have already been discussed earlier - a variety of simple movements and gestures, carried out automatically to relieve tension. Children are often accompanied by enuresis and stuttering;
  • disruption of normal sleep- occurs in both young children and adolescents.

The disorder can manifest itself in anxiety, problems with deep sleep phases, nightmares, talking and walking in a dream, frequent awakenings in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.

  • loss of appetite on neurotic grounds. Mothers often show excessive concern for their children, and therefore sometimes try to force-feed the baby if he refuses, or give too large portions. Sometimes the cause of anorexia nervosa is fright during the feeding process. The result of such events is the disappearance of the child's desire to eat, frequent regurgitation, vomiting, and sometimes excessive selectivity.
  • involuntary urination (enuresis). Most often, this type of neurotic disorder occurs during nocturnal sleep;
  • if a child has involuntary bowel movements in a small amount and there are no physiological reasons for this, then we can talk about neurotic encopresis. This is quite rare, 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 quite common in children of all ages - rocking when falling asleep, sucking fingers or hair, and others.

What can cause a neurotic disorder in a child?

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

Doctor's opinion: the vast majority of cases of neurosis in children are not the result of a specific traumatic event that occurred once, but the result of prolonged reflection and inability to accept or understand this or that situation or adapt to changing environmental conditions.

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 education. Children are very vulnerable, and therefore any negative event can postpone a serious imprint, the consequences of which may not be revealed immediately, but in the future.

In the question of the causes of the development of childhood neuroses, the following factors have a great influence:

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

Who is more prone to problems

Based on a number of studies of neurosis in children, one can speak of a risk group for various factors. So, it is considered that most susceptible to neurotic disorders:

  • children aged 2 to 5 and at 7 years;
  • having a pronounced "I-position";
  • somatically weakened (children whose body is weakened due to frequent illnesses);
  • children who have been in a difficult life situation 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 can be of a different nature depending on the type of neurotic disorder. It is worth showing concern about the condition of the child in the presence of at least one of the following phenomena:

  • pronounced bouts of fear;
  • stupor and stuttering;
  • change in facial expressions and increased tearfulness compared to the usual state;
  • loss of appetite;
  • irritability;
  • decreased sociability, desire for loneliness;
  • various kinds of sleep disorders;
  • increased fatigue;
  • increased sensitivity and suggestibility;
  • hysterical fits;
  • headache;
  • suspiciousness and indecision;
  • enuresis and encopresis.

Manifestations of neuroses in the photo

When to see a doctor and how to treat a 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 the future.

The basis of the treatment of neurosis in children- psychotherapy. Sessions can be carried out in different forms: group psychotherapy, individual, family. The value of the latter is very high - 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 neurosis is mostly aimed at improving the overall situation in the family and normalizing relations within it. Additional measures - the appointment of medications, the use of reflex and physiotherapy - are not basic, but are intended only to create favorable conditions for psychotherapy.

Within the framework of group psychotherapy, a large number of methods are used to allow the child to cope with neurotic disorders:

  • art therapy (most often - drawing, which allows the child to better understand their own experiences and helps the doctor to collect information about his personal characteristics and moods);
  • play therapy - a spontaneous game without a specific scenario, aimed at the improvisation of the participants;
  • autogenic training (for teenagers);
  • fairy tale therapy - inventing characters, plots, acting out fairy tales, creating dolls, etc .;
  • suggestive type of psychotherapy or influence by suggestion.

Preventive measures and what not to do with neuroses

If a child has symptoms of neurosis, then increased attention, exaggerated care can only aggravate the situation - such parental behavior can reinforce the negative manifestations of the disorder, provoke their use as a means of manipulation. Often this happens precisely in hysterical forms of a neurotic disorder.

Do not pamper your baby because he is sick. The symptoms of refusal of food and tics are very strongly fixed with active attention to them.

Preventive actions include:

  • careful observation of the child's behavior, timely response to manifested deviations;
  • creating a favorable psychological and emotional environment in the family;
  • explanation to the child of the reasons and necessity of the requirements that are placed on him.

Video on how to recognize the first signs of systemic neurosis in children

Hello. My name is Polina. Once I heard the truth that a pediatrician is the main doctor for any family with small children, I realized that I have something to strive for.

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

  • infantilism;
  • minor brain dysfunction;
  • paroxysmal brain;
  • vegetative dystonia.

It is difficult to blame them for ignorance - the signs are in many ways similar to neurosis:

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

All these symptoms are temporary and are dictated by the unpreparedness of the child for changes in age - you just need to consult 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 anamnesis that requires the intervention of a specialist.

Events and upheavals

The child's psyche is very vulnerable and receptive - any change in the usual routine of life is reflected even in newborns, with a force corresponding to the dynamics of age. So, for infants from one to three years old, even a short separation from the mother can affect the form of incipient neuroses. Especially if until that day they were inseparable.

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

The dictatorial inclinations of one of the parents also bring neurosis to the baby. The suppression of personality, temperament, instincts and interests is the child's sure road to neurosis and psychotherapy sessions.

child's instincts

Neurosis in children and adolescents is a common and dangerous phenomenon. The child grows up as an insecure person, in his brain, with certain diseases, various mental deviations, fears, from schizophrenia to paranoia, are quite possible.

The most innocent of this bunch are complexes, because of 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, injury;
  • pressure of parental guardianship and control;
  • hereditary predisposition;
  • excessive mental stress.

Children's psyche shows the following symptoms:

  • loss of appetite;
  • decrease in working capacity;
  • prostration;
  • sweating;
  • nervous tic;
  • tantrums;
  • headache;
  • cold hands and feet.

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

Internal conflicts

Neurosis is actually very easy to earn. It is enough not to understand your own child. That 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 treatment.

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, on the other hand, are in no way able to appease their inner anxiety and worries. It seems that parents know what they are indicating, they know how it will be better, but a teenager of school age, for example, is afraid of not being able to cope with the duties assigned to him.

And here, please, a childhood neurosis requiring treatment. Internal contradictions of personal growth, coupled with improper upbringing and, as a result, increased nervousness. Types of wrong parenting:

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

Of course, biological characteristics also play a role in the occurrence of neuroses in newborns. So, neuropathy can be caused by severe pregnancy, unnatural childbirth, pathology. Children born with difficulties are more prone to relapse, and the older, the more noticeable.

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

  • hysteria;
  • neurasthenia;
  • obsessive neurosis.

On 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 inherent in spoiled children of 3-6 years old. Parents exalt the child too much, depriving him of independence. For preschoolers younger than 3 years, symptoms such as affective-respiratory breath holding are also characteristic. When a child cries, he is so depressed that he cannot breathe. 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 veracity of his actions, which in the future is fraught with the body getting used to such insinuations. Psychotherapy and treatment is needed.

Symptoms of neurasthenia:

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

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

Read more about neurasthenia here.

Symptoms and signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder:

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

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

  • frequent hand washing;
  • bouncing;
  • pat.

And this is done automatically, like conditioned reflexes. A telltale symptom may be a tic. At 4-5 years of age, nervous twitches are temporary, from several weeks to a month. In the future, this symptom disappears, instantly manifesting itself in stressful situations.

Social factors

At an older age, childhood neuroses are more difficult to treat, as they are due to more complex causes. Children 4-12 years old are very worried about:

  • divorce of parents;
  • transfer to another school;
  • unfair punishment;
  • first visit to the children's team;
  • 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 before diseases of a somatic nature;
  • negative emotional background of the mother during pregnancy;
  • hereditary burden;
  • the threat of pregnancy, stress.

Because of them, the child is especially vulnerable, prone to neurological diseases. With the timely appeal of parents to psychotherapy, neurosis can be reversed. If you do not notice his presence, you can forget about the peace of mind of the child.

Neurosis, like an expected event, is facilitated by intra-family history. So, a completely healthy 10-month-old child with an earned neurosis may well be indebted to his parents, who consider it a violation of discipline to take a baby up to a year of life in his arms, when he is in dire need of it.

The dissatisfaction of the parents with the gender of the newborn gradually forms a nervous personality, the little man is characterized by internal anxiety, which does not leave him for a minute. The same fate awaits a late baby - scientists have proven the connection between childhood neurosis and late pregnancy of the mother.

scientific theories

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

  • emotional blackmail;
  • traditionalism;
  • open threats and messages;
  • lack of attachment in the family;
  • indiscretion of parents;
  • negative attitudes of adults towards the elderly.

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

Types of obsessive fears in children 5-12 years old as a result of a form of neurosis:

  • agoraphobia;
  • claustrophobia;
  • acarophobia;
  • acrophobia;
  • homolophobia;
  • ereutophobia;
  • 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 small 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, misunderstanding of reality can confuse a child;
  • neurosis in adolescents aged 14-18 speaks of the psychological immaturity of the child as a person.

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

The fears of children in psychotherapy are divided into such concepts as obsessive, delusional and overvalued. The 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 overvalued fears of children include the manifestation of fear of answering at the blackboard, fear of speaking. Talking with children, understanding them, you can slowly displace fears.

Treatment

Children's neuroses have a reversible pathogenesis, but only in the case of professional treatment and prevention. An experienced psychotherapist, after carefully questioning the patient, draws up an anamnesis, coupled with the biological characteristics of the patient and, accordingly, age.

An integrated approach of psychotherapy can effectively and safely cure a child of his fears and anxiety. Psychologists are often asked to draw or describe their fears using ingenious tricks of trust. Types of treatment, depending on the complexity of the case:

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

A consultation with a neurologist and a psychotherapist is required. The most difficult cases of childhood neurosis require drug therapy and constant psychological prophylaxis. Prescribed tranquilizers of the benzodiazepine group, which reduce excitability and the risk of seizures, cause drowsiness.

Side effects of these drugs are itching, nausea, and constipation. If psychotherapy continues for a long time, addiction and a decrease in the effectiveness of drugs are possible. 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 held. If the form of childhood neurosis does not require medical treatment, the individual work of a child psychologist as a preventive measure is of great importance.

Involvement of parents and loved ones

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

Children's fears will recede if you surround the child with understanding and care, provide the right to choose, freedom of the individual. Together with a psychologist, parents learn to re-perceive reality, look at the world through the eyes of their child, understand how hard it is to try to meet unbearable requirements.

Only the family, having overestimated the values ​​of life, can help the child get rid of phobias and fear of being an inferior person. Relations 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 the child realize his individuality.

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


Neurosis is a functional reversible disorder of the nervous system (psyche), 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 neurosis. Some parents do not pay enough attention to the manifestations of a nervous breakdown in a child, considering them whims and phenomena that pass with age. But mothers and fathers are doing the right thing, trying to understand the condition of the child and help him.

Types of neurosis in childhood

Fear in a child can be a manifestation of neurosis.

  1. Anxiety neurosis(alarms). It is manifested by the appearance of paroxysmal (often at the time of falling asleep) fear, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. Depending on age, the content of fear may be different.

At preschool age, there is more often a fear of the dark, a fear of being alone in a room, a character in a fairy tale or a movie that has been watched. Sometimes the baby is afraid of the appearance of a mythical creature invented by the parents (for educational purposes): a black magician, an evil fairy, a "woman", etc.

At primary school age, there may be a fear of a 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 - daytime enuresis. More often this type of neurosis develops in children who did not attend kindergarten at preschool age.

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

Obsessive-compulsive neurosis is manifested by such involuntary movements that arise without desire, such as sniffing, blinking, flinching, wrinkling the bridge of the nose, stamping feet, patting the table with brushes, coughing, or various kinds of tics. Tics (twitches) usually occur with emotional stress.

Phobic neurosis is expressed in an obsessive fear of closed space, piercing objects, pollution. Older children may have obsessive fears of illness, death, verbal answers at school, and so on. Sometimes children have obsessive ideas or thoughts that are contrary to the moral principles and upbringing of the child, which gives him negative feelings and anxiety.

  1. depressive neurosis more common in adolescence. Its manifestations are depressed mood, tearfulness, low self-esteem. Poor facial expressions, quiet speech, sad facial expressions, sleep disturbance (insomnia), loss of appetite and reduced activity, the desire to be alone create a more complete picture of the behavior of such a child.
  1. Hysterical neurosis more typical for preschool children. Manifestations of this condition are falling to the floor with 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's request is denied or punished. It is extremely rare for adolescents to experience sensory hysterical disorders: an increase or decrease in the sensitivity of the skin or mucous membranes, and even hysterical blindness.

Children suffering from neurasthenia are whiny and irritable.

  1. Asthenic neurosis, or neurasthenia, also more typical for school-age children and adolescents. The manifestations of neurasthenia are provoked by excessive loads of the school curriculum and additional classes, more often manifested in physically weakened children.

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

  1. Hypochondriacal neurosis also more common in adolescence. The manifestations of this condition are excessive concern about the state of one's health, unreasonable fear of the occurrence of various diseases.
  1. 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). His appearance is provoked by a strong fear, acute or chronic mental trauma (separation from parents, scandals in the family, etc.). But the reason can also be information overload when the parents force the intellectual or speech development of the baby.
  1. Neurotic tics also more typical for boys. The cause of the occurrence can be both a mental factor and some diseases: for example, diseases such as chronic blepharitis, conjunctivitis will cause and fix the habit of unreasonably often rubbing your eyes or blinking, and frequent inflammation of the upper respiratory tract will make coughing or “grunting” sounds through the nose habitual . Such, initially justified and expedient, protective actions then become fixed.

These actions and movements of the same type can be obsessive or simply become habitual, not causing the child to feel tension and stiffness. More often neurotic tics occur between the ages of 5 and 12 years. Tics usually predominate in the muscles of the face, shoulder girdle, neck, respiratory tics. Often they are combined with enuresis and stuttering.

  1. Neurotic sleep disorders manifest in children with the following symptoms: difficulty falling asleep, anxious, restless sleep with awakenings, night terrors and nightmares, sleepwalking, talking in a dream. Walking and talking in a dream are associated with the nature of dreams. This type of neurosis is more often observed in children in preschool and primary school age. Its reasons are not fully understood.
  1. Anorexia, or neurotic disturbance of appetite, more characteristic of early and preschool age. The immediate cause may be overfeeding, the mother's persistent attempt to force-feed the child, or the coincidence of some unpleasant event with feeding (a sharp cry, a family scandal, fear, etc.).

Neurosis can be manifested by a refusal to take any food or a selective type of food, slowness during meals, prolonged chewing, regurgitation or profuse vomiting, decreased mood, whims and tearfulness during meals.

  1. neurotic enuresis- unconscious urination (more often at night). Bedwetting is more common in children with anxiety traits. Psychotraumatic factors and hereditary predisposition matter. Physical and psychological punishment further exacerbate the manifestations.

By the beginning of school age, the child is tormented by feelings of his lack, self-esteem is underestimated, the expectation of nighttime urination leads to sleep disturbance. Other neurotic symptoms usually appear: irritability, tearfulness, tics, phobias.

  1. Neurotic encopresis- involuntary, without the urge to defecate, excretion of feces (without damage to the intestines and spinal cord). It is observed 10 times less often than enuresis. Boys of primary school age suffer from this type of neurosis more often. 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.
  1. Habitual pathological actions: biting nails, sucking fingers, irritating the genitals with the hands, pulling out hair and rhythmic rocking of the torso or parts of the body during falling asleep. It often manifests itself in children under 2 years of age, but it can be fixed and manifest itself at an older age.

With neurosis, the character and behavior of children changes. Most often, parents can notice such changes:

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

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

Causes of neurosis 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, the sex of the child, age, previous diseases, constitutional features, mental and physical overstrain, constant lack of sleep, etc .;
  • psychological: traumatic situations in childhood and personality characteristics of the child;
  • social: family relations, methods of parenting.

Psychic trauma is of primary importance for the development of neurosis. But only in rare cases, the disease develops as a direct reaction to some unfavorable psychotraumatic fact. The most common cause is a long-term situation and the child's inability to adapt to it.

Psychotrauma is a sensual reflection in the mind of a child of any significant events that have a depressing, disturbing, that is, a 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 a neurosis due to the presence of various factors contributing to this, the less psychotrauma will be sufficient for the appearance of a neurosis. In such cases, the most insignificant conflict situation can provoke manifestations of neurosis: a sharp car signal, injustice on the part of the teacher, barking dogs, etc.

The nature of the psychotrauma that can cause neurosis also depends on the age of the children. So, for a baby at 1.5-2 years old, separation from his mother when visiting a nursery and problems with adaptation in a new environment will be quite traumatic. The most vulnerable age is 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 time: a child who was not picked up from kindergarten for the only time in a timely manner, with great reluctance, can leave the house even in adolescence.

The main cause of childhood neuroses is the mistakes of upbringing, complex family relationships, and not the imperfection or failure of the child's nervous system. Family troubles, divorce of parents, children are very worried, not 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 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 show self-esteem, independence in actions and actions, expressing their own opinion. They do not tolerate dictatorship and limitation of their actions, excessive guardianship 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 punishments and restrictions, which contribute to the development of neurosis.

Weakened, often ill children are more at risk of developing neuroses. In this case, not only the weakening of their nervous system is important, but also the problems of raising a frequently ill child.

Neurosis develops, as a rule, in children who have been in a difficult life situation 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 are engaged in the treatment of neurosis, own many methods of treatment: hypnosis, homeopathic remedies, treatment with fairy tales, game therapy. In some cases, medications have to be used. For each individual child, an individual approach to treatment is selected.

But the main remedy is a favorable climate in the family without quarrels and conflicts. Laughter, joy, a feeling of happiness will erase the existing stereotypes. Parents should not let the process take its course: maybe it will pass by itself. Neurosis 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 all the whims of the child 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 will also be wrong. Such upbringing gives rise to isolation and absolute lack of will - and this is also a manifestation of neurosis. You have to find the golden mean.

Children's neuroses. Psychologist's consultation

The panic of parents about the slightest illness of the child does not lead to anything good. Most likely, he will grow up a hypochondriac with constant complaints and a bad temper.

Complete indifference, inattention to the child and his problems, and parental cruelty, which causes a constant feeling of fear, will be equally harmful. 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, prophesy success and a stellar future. Sometimes such children are doomed to many hours of activities (selected for them by their parents), not having the opportunity to communicate with peers and entertainment. Under these conditions, the child often develops hysterical neurosis.

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

The healing of the child will also contribute to the observance of the daily routine, rational nutrition, physical education, daily exposure to fresh air.

The 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, adequately responding to any life situations, take care of creating 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 way to prevent and treat childhood neuroses.

Which doctor to contact

In case of violations of the child's behavior, you should contact a child psychologist. In some cases, consultation with a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is indicated. A pediatrician, a neurologist, a speech therapist, a physiotherapist, a massage therapist, and also a urologist can participate in the treatment of a child.

NEUROSIS! causes, errors, differences. Treatment of neurosis. Treatment of VVD symptoms

Adults often treat their health according to the principle “I won’t die, it will pass by itself”, they postpone visiting a doctor and suppress symptoms with pills. But when it comes to the illness of children, any parent begins to worry, especially when the diagnosis is not entirely clear. For example, neurosis. What is it and why are these conditions increasingly being diagnosed in children?

Indeed, the farther, the more neuroses “get younger”, and even very young children often complain about their symptoms. And although there are no official statistics on childhood neurosis in our country, according to some reports, by the fifth grade of school, almost half of the children have some kind of neurotic reaction. Is your child one of them? Do not panic and torment Google for predictions - neurotic disorders are reversible conditions that are successfully treated, especially in childhood, when the psyche is still plastic and easily corrected.

Neurosis 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. To be more precise, the second group can also debut after a traumatic situation, but in this case the event will be only a “trigger”, a manifestation of the moment, and not the cause of the disease.

This moment can be important in the treatment of neurosis in children, since it is much easier to “work through” one specific negative event with the help of psychotherapy than to correct all the mistakes of 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 hard to return the child to normal.

The real causes of neurosis in children usually lie in the peculiarities of upbringing, the situation in the family where the child is brought up. If the parents themselves suffer from some kind of neurosis, 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 a neurosis. Often, such disorders are "inherited" from generation to generation, until one of the family members changes their habitual patterns of behavior, passing on an already healthy model to their offspring - and then the chain can be interrupted in a natural way.

Physiological reasons also play a rather large role, especially when it comes to very young children. Birth trauma, harmful effects on the fetus during pregnancy, severe illness in the first years of life also often provoke neuroses in preschool children.

On the Internet, you can find a lot of psychological articles, whose meaning boils down to the fact that most neuroses in children are the result of “dislike”, lack of attention from parents. This is partly true, but it is just as easy to raise a neurotic in an environment of hyper-care, and making too stringent demands on your child.

In simple terms, neurosis in children and adolescents occurs when some needs are not satisfied by his environment in the way that a particular child needs. And we are not talking about the whims and demands of "Mom, buy it!" - The basic needs of little people are, for example: security, having a loving adult, stability, acceptance, and so on. For each baby, these needs are quite individual, and only an attentive parent can accurately recognize what exactly he needs and what he categorically cannot stand.

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

Symptoms of neurosis in children

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

Anxiety neurosis in children usually manifests itself in certain circumstances. Younger children are afraid of "babyki", wind noise, spiders or darkness. When 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 (assessment). At the same time, at a young age, he can be capricious, hysterical, refuse to do anything, and at an older age, by all means avoid an unpleasant situation, skip classes, run away from home, and so on.

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

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

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

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

Hysterical neurosis is not always manifested only by the usual "attacks" with falls on the floor, screaming and other whims. The “task” of the hysteric is to attract the attention of adults, and how he will do this is another question. Some children really roll on the floor in the store, others simply complain about endless pains and ailments, thus trying to get love and acceptance.

Stuttering of a neurotic nature occurs during the period of active formation of speech - 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 imperceptible. Sometimes such a symptom occurs in response to a traumatic situation, sometimes it is the result of increased stress and excessive demands, and it happens that he stutters only in communication with certain people - whom he is very afraid of deep down.

Almost all children have 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 (a change in the usual environment affects), and children of primary school age often have cases of talking in their sleep.

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

In addition to all of the above, signs and symptoms of neurosis 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 of the body;
  • fainting and pre-fainting states.

This is a rather 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 lacks. Therefore, talking with a doctor cannot be the main method for making a correct diagnosis.

The first thing that parents need to do in cases where their child shows signs of a neurotic disorder is to comprehensively examine the child. Often, what others take 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 deal with the treatment of the detected disease.

If no serious deviations are found, then parents should contact a qualified psychotherapist or psychiatrist. You should not be afraid of such a visit - they are currently not registered with neurosis even in ordinary PND, and contacting a private doctor generally excludes the dissemination of any information about the health of a child.

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

Diagnosis of neurosis in children involves a thorough collection of family history, clarification of the conditions of life and development of the child, the situation in the parental family. Serious illnesses 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 game methods, art therapy, fairy tale therapy, and so on, since this approach makes it easy to “talk” to a small patient who can express his feelings and needs in the game.

So, the diagnosis is established, and a new question arises before parents: “how to treat neurosis in a child?”. It can be said right away that the complete return of the young patient to normal life will require quite a lot of time and the coordinated work of the doctor and parents.

Fortunately, it is quite rare in such situations that medication is necessary. Psychotherapy of neurosis in children and adolescents is the main method of treating such disorders, since the psyche is still developing at this time, 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 the help of a psychotherapist or even medication may be required for one of the parents. The causes of childhood neuroses almost always come from the family, and if the older generation changes their habitual patterns of behavior, then the child automatically adopts the 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 a comfortable environment for a small patient at home, to limit the time spent at the computer (which greatly “rocks” the nervous system even in adults). Creative activities, a clear daily routine, outdoor recreation, communication with friends and family members, dosing the study 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 drugs.

Why, with neurosis in children, it is necessary first of all to work with parents - says psychologist Veronika Stepanova.

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

Summarize

In this material, we tried to tell you as fully as possible about how to treat neurosis in children. But the examples we have given are quite general, while in each young patient the symptoms and treatment of a neurotic disorder can be very different. Therefore, it is important to choose a good doctor and strictly follow his advice and recommendations. Timely noticed and cured neurosis in children is the key to a happy and healthy future, so you should not postpone treatment and wait for it to “dissolve itself”. Cases of spontaneous recovery from neurosis are rare enough, so that the health of your children (and mental too!) Is entirely in your hands.

Children can also get sick with neurosis, since this condition is a reaction to certain difficult situations that are very difficult for children to experience. First of all, they influence the behavior of the child. A common form of neurosis is, and children may also have hysterical neuroses. Parents should know that neuroses in children are reversible disorders, and this condition does not entail a distorted picture of the world. That is, if a neurosis has arisen, then it should be eliminated, and the child should be rid of it, it would be a mistake to wait until the condition normalizes on its own.

It is impossible to put up with children's neuroses, since in the future the situation can only get worse. Moreover, children's neuroses are dangerous not because of their severity, but because of their attitude towards them. Some parents often do not attach importance to the first symptoms of neurosis in their child, and believe that there are no serious nervous disorders in childhood. Other parents, although they notice this state of the child, still act quite superficially, and are sure that everything will normalize on its own. Only a few people in this situation do the right thing and try to correct the situation. If the child is sure that he is in real danger, he begins to behave in a closed way, tries to retire. Such behavior should not go unnoticed by parents and action should be taken. If the child believes that he is under threat, then he begins to withdraw into himself.

The cause of children's neurosis experts call various traumas of a mental nature. Including, one cannot exclude the genetic predisposition of the child to this disease. But experts put the wrong methods of education used by parents in the foreground. Often one has to observe a situation where a child is absolutely allowed. Every act of a beloved child causes only delight in parents. Therefore, such children have a firm belief that they are extraordinary, and in fact, everything in the world is permissible for them. But after a while, each child ends up in a children's team, this is a kindergarten, a school. There, he no longer receives a good peer attitude so easily, it must be earned. As a result, conflicts with other children appear, causing neurosis.

Among the common symptoms of neurosis, such signs as fatigue, irritability, and increased excitability stand out. At the same time, appetite is reduced, and sleep can become more sensitive and disturbing. When a child begins to worry, he has typical symptoms. This is a coldness of the extremities, increased sweating. Among the factors that cause irritation, one can name bright light, loud sounds. Often the child experiences a headache, which is accompanied by tinnitus. It should be noted that the state of the child with neurosis is extremely unstable. For example, suddenly a child may begin to cry, and calm comes just as quickly.

If the child suffers from hysterical neurosis, then hysterical seizures may join the other symptoms. Many have seen how a child throws himself on the floor, no matter where he is, begins to scream loudly, knock on knock on the floor with his hands and feet. Similar scenes can be seen in children's toy stores, when spoiled kids react in this way to their parents' refusal to buy up half the store. If there is an obsessive-compulsive disorder, it also has vivid manifestations. Usually, the child develops a phobia. He may be afraid to ride an elevator, stay in a dark room, or avoid dogs, cars, and so on. Such children have peculiar rituals for protection. For example, knock on wood, or hold on to a button.

Treatment of this disease in children should initially be to organize a rest for nerve cells. This means that it is necessary to pay special attention to the diet and sleep, to monitor that. for the child to be outdoors more often. A huge role in the treatment of neuroses in this case is given to adults. The behavior of both the parents themselves and those who are the environment of the child is taken into account. You should not show increased anxiety, and constantly demonstrate increased concern. Such actions do not go unnoticed by the child, and such behavior of adults contributes to the consolidation of painful symptoms, fixing its condition.

If a child has hysteria, then during it such consolidation occurs quite easily. Parents should always insist that the child strictly perform certain therapeutic measures, as well as follow the requirements that adults place on his behavior. Many parents believe that the child should be pampered because he is sick. In the treatment of neurosis, new conditioned reflexes often arise that have newly formed therapeutic connections, so they easily turn into pathologically strong and inert ones. For example, if parents demonstrate to the child that they are concerned about his refusal to eat, or are overly concerned about tics, then such phenomena are stable. In the event that attention is not focused on such phenomena, they pass faster.

Recent statistics show that the number of children diagnosed with neurosis is steadily increasing. The main reasons for the development of neuroses in children are biological - for example, heredity, but at the same time, one cannot discount the circumstances in which a small personality grows and develops. Neuroses in children and adolescents are borderline mental disorders that are not affected by a psychotic state. The disease belongs to a single group, but it can manifest itself in completely different ways. In addition, there are features that can affect the course of therapy and the dynamics of the disease.

Neurosis in a child is a common disease that can have very unpleasant consequences. It is important to identify it at an early stage and consult a specialist.

Reasons for the development of neuroses

What can cause childhood neurosis, regardless of age? Most often, problems in the family become the impetus for the development of neurosis in babies under one year old and preschool children - for example, if parents have personal problems, they adhere to strict rules of upbringing, and at the same time do not take into account the individual characteristics of the child. In this case, the emotional disorder in the baby will progress, but problems in the family are far from the only thing that can cause childhood neurosis.

Significantly aggravate the condition of the child can:

  • a change in the situation in the family for the worse, for example, a long separation from the mother;
  • strong fear (we recommend reading:);
  • along with a difficult situation in the family, the child had to endure additional stress (he witnessed a crime or an accident with serious consequences);
  • birth trauma, as well as serious stress for the mother during pregnancy.

If the above situations are observed in combination, this may well work as a trigger for the emergence of neurosis in children of any age.

The unfavorable development of pregnancy can be compensated by a calm family environment, but a difficult family climate can only deepen mental disorders. In the case when all the signs of neurosis are present, prevention is of particular importance, but very often parents do not pay attention to the obvious neurotic reaction of the child. Of course, in this case, we are not talking about the treatment of a child - as a result, neuroses in children reach such a stage that the very psychological make-up of the individual changes.



Stress during pregnancy affects not only its course, but also the nature, inclinations of the unborn child

Symptoms of the disease

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Studies show that the main indicator of a child's mental health is the support of parents. If a child grows up in a dysfunctional family, he develops suspicion and distrust of people, reactions cease to correspond to situations, become inadequate.

For kids aged 2-3 three years, the formation of independence is important. For a child of preschool age - the formation of adequate self-esteem and self-recognition. It is increasingly noted that neuroses in children are formed as a result of an incorrect manner of education - for example, egocentric education can form hysteria in a child, and rejection will cause neurasthenia.

Symptoms of a neurotic disorder will not necessarily be expressive, but can be traced according to age criteria. More often they indicate that the functions of the psyche that develop at this age are violated:

  • from zero to three years, disturbances occur in somato-vegetative functions;
  • from four to ten years - in psychomotor;
  • from seven to twelve years - affective functions are destroyed;
  • from twelve to sixteen years - emotional.

The symptoms of the disease are different: in toddlers and preschoolers it manifests itself in the form of fear, when children are afraid of the dark, loneliness, loss of parents. At the same time, fear paralyzes the child: the baby becomes unable to perform the usual actions and feels helpless. Usually, such emotions are associated with a lack of parental support and care for the baby; a fear of death may appear.

Neurosis in children of 7 years of age and younger schoolchildren can also be expressed by such symptoms as loss of appetite, sweating, nervousness, apathy, irascibility. Also, with childhood neurosis, tics, other types of twitches, stuttering, enuresis and fecal incontinence can be observed (we recommend reading:). Additionally, deviations in behavior (shyness, morbid pride or pathological fantasizing) are recorded.

Types of neurotic states

In total, there are five main types of neurotic states:

Hysteria

Hysteria or hysterical neurosis in children primarily characterizes mood swings and egocentrism. In young children, symptoms such as affective-respiratory attacks (convulsive breath holding) can be observed, while such hysterical seizures are obtained in a small artist quite plausibly. A similar situation often arises when a child is made into an "idol of the family." Breath-holding attacks are characterized by theatricality and emotional swings. In a child of preschool and primary school age, hysteria can manifest itself as a somatic disease. The child may complain of a headache or stomach cramps.

Neurasthenia

It cannot be confused with hysteria, since the symptoms of the disease differ dramatically. Neurasthenia manifests itself signs of depression. For a three-year-old baby, this can result in the need to sleep much longer than expected, the child is not interested in toys, and gifts do not bring him joy. In a teenager of 13–14 years old, neurasthenia can be expressed by frequent complaints of pain in the heart or stomach (we recommend reading:). The child thinks he is terminally ill. The main signs of neurasthenia in children of all ages are sleep disturbances.


Neurasthenia in children can be expressed by melancholy, lethargy, a desire to sleep for a long time and a mild reaction to what is happening.

obsessive-compulsive disorder

The main distinguishing feature is causeless fear. For example, a child of 4-5 years old is afraid of beetles, while we are talking about all representatives of this species without exception. For a teenager, the reasons for fear may already be more complicated things, such as the end of the world predicted once again or a flood.

Obsessive compulsive disorder manifests itself most often in the form of various repetitive movements, which may differ for each child. There may be frequent rubbing of hands or fingers, incessant scratching of the nose or back of the head, coughing, stamping of the foot, etc. The child is not able to control obsessive movements, even if one of the adults pays attention to them (we recommend reading:). Until the cause of the obsession is eliminated, it is very difficult not to repeat such movements - even if the child learns, for example, to shrug his shoulders, the obsession will develop into another action. At the same time, each excitement or anxiety can aggravate obsessive movements. Stuttering and nervous tics are also included in the group of obsessive manifestations (we recommend reading:).

Enuresis

Often, enuresis can be the only sign and manifestation of neurosis. It refers to the disease in the case when there are traumatic situations and their consequences. If left untreated, a teenager experiencing this problem may become angry, withdrawn, or overly vulnerable.

food neurosis

Eating behavioral neurosis is manifested by unwillingness to eat, the child often vomits. Such a disease can occur in a child at any age - both in infants and in adolescents. The lack of treatment for the health of the child will result in problems such as beriberi and anorexia. Most often, the parents themselves are to blame for such a state, since the main cause of such a behavioral neurosis is force-feeding, which gradually forms in the child an aversion to food and to the very ritual of eating. The lack of appetite in a child may indicate some kind of internal experiences.

What is included in the treatment?

In the case when a neurotic disease has already been diagnosed, it is advisable to discuss further actions with the doctor. It is simply necessary to do this, otherwise the further development of the child's personality will follow a neurotic path. The basis of treatment is psychotherapy aimed at correcting the situation in the family and correcting the educational process.

Drug therapy in the treatment of childhood neurosis is of secondary importance. At the same time, parents need to understand that only experienced doctors can prescribe drugs for the treatment of neuroses. In most cases, sedatives and multivitamin complexes are used.

Types and tasks of psychotherapy in children's neuroses

Psychotherapy can be of three types: individual, family and group. The doctor should study the situation in the family. With a small child, role-playing games will be relevant, art therapy and autogenic training give good results in the fight against neuroses. Since the treatment of childhood neurosis can be lengthy, the active participation of parents is of particular importance, but without correcting the situation at home, psychotherapy can only have a temporary effect.

So, in one of Dr. Komarovsky's articles, neuroses in children are defined precisely as reversible disorders of mental activity. Unlike manic-depressive psychosis and schizophrenia, childhood neurosis is caused by a traumatic factor. The main task of the doctor in this situation is precisely the determination of such a factor. The psychotraumatic factor will be eliminated - recovery will come. For the parents themselves, it can be extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to determine the cause of childhood neurosis.

Conduct complex therapy of neurotic conditions in children of different ages can:

  • neurologist;
  • pediatrician;
  • psychotherapist.

Examination of the child by a specialist will help identify the type of neurological problem and the degree of its development

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of neurosis, it is necessary to understand the features of its appearance. Ensuring a favorable climate in the family and choosing the right line of education is of great importance. It is not necessary to resort to treatment by psychotherapists and neurologists if the child has a regulated regimen from an early age and moderate physical activity is provided.

The main treatment for children up to a year is parental caress. Only with its help, the child forms the foundation of trust in the world around him. The main core for the normal mental state of the child is the flow of love and patience from relatives, without this the process of treatment and prevention of neurotic conditions cannot be successful. In addition, ensuring sufficient and balanced nutrition, as well as the formation of favorable sleep conditions, plays an important role, since sleep disturbances can cause the formation of an asthenic condition.

Childhood neurosis and its causes. The article will sound the interpretation of this term, the symptoms of this diagnosis and further ways of its treatment.

The content of the article:

Neurosis in children is a mental reaction of the body, which some parents consider a temporary manifestation of the child's growing up. However, experts in this matter fundamentally disagree with this conventional wisdom, because the problem voiced has quite serious complications in the future. It is necessary to understand the process of formation of childhood neurosis, as well as methods for eliminating the voiced negative factor.

Description of the disease "neurosis"


Neurosis is a mental disorder that does not distort the vision of the surrounding reality and has the properties of reversibility. This deviation from the norm should not be confused with diseases accompanied by personality disintegration (schizophrenia, paranoia and various psychoses).

The general characteristic of this pathology has a fairly wide range of its decoding. First of all, we are talking about a collective name, which includes many disorders in the functioning of the nervous activity of both an adult and a child.

The complexity of a clear designation of the voiced phenomenon lies in the fact that experts have not come to a consensus regarding the wording of the term. However, in medicine, it is customary to consider disorders of the somatic nervous system, autonomic dysfunctions, phobias of a different nature, problems of an emotional-mnestic plan, convulsions against the background of nervous overexcitation, obsession and dysthymia under the diagnosis of "neurosis".

Causes of neurosis in children


Even the most caring parents cannot always expect from which side trouble will come to their child. According to experts, the causes of neurosis in children should be sought in the following stimulus factors:
  • hereditary predisposition. The genetic sequence implies the influence of family history on the formation of the fetus and its further development. If the child's parents had a voiced problem before his conception, then there is a certain probability of "copying" this information in the baby's nervous system. Experts have a rather contradictory attitude to the voiced question, but statistics show a very significant percentage of hereditary predisposition to neuroses.
  • Model of family education. Personality is formed not only by society, but also by its immediate environment. Parents of a child can sort out their relationship with him so violently that over time this becomes the reason for the formation of a persistent neurosis in a baby or teenager. An additional danger of the formation of this pathology can be the abuse of alcoholic beverages by family members. In addition, it is worth remembering such education formats as overprotection, permissiveness, double standards in the requirements of dad and mom, and authoritarianism on the part of the older generation.
  • Transferred diseases of various types. The nervous system of the child is only in the stage of its formation. Even in the womb, babies can be seriously affected by a lack of oxygen supplied to them. In addition, acute and chronic infections, brain injuries, oncological diseases and rickets in the advanced stage can cause neuroses of various varieties in them.
  • Excessive physical and emotional stress. Experts do not get tired of repeating that everything has its time. You should not sculpt from the time of infancy from your favorite child of a genius. Some especially zealous parents try to enroll their child in all the circles that are available in the nearest and distant locations. At the same time, the child's body is subjected to a serious test, which can lead to one of the varieties of neurosis.
  • Violation of the daily routine. Sleep is an integral part of the functioning of the human body. Consequently, if this need of the child is not fully met, then in the future it is fraught with the development of neurosis. Not in all cases, the parents are to blame for the unstable sleep of their beloved child, because a lot depends on the temperament of their children. Hyperactive fidgets after a day filled with vivid sensations cannot calm down for a long time. As a result, they hardly fall asleep, which leads to a violation of the regime.
  • A change of scenery. In this case, we can talk about both a change of residence and a child getting into a new children's team. Not every little personality can easily adapt to an unfamiliar environment, where everything is alarming and disturbing. In addition, there is no guarantee that a newcomer who arrives in the garden or school will be greeted friendly. As a result, on this basis, the child may develop a neurosis, which was formed due to constant being in a state of stress.
  • The arrival of a new family member. Not every kid or teenager will enthusiastically accept the voiced fact. A new father or mother may come to the house, and in marriage, then, over time, a joint child is born. In addition, a new family member may already have children from previous relationships. Therefore, after such changes, one has to share the love and attention of parents. The result is a developed neurosis and demonstrative behavior in protest.

Important! The voiced problems must be corrected in advance by adults so that they do not develop into an obvious pathology. It is better to make sure once again than to bitterly reap the fruits of your ignorance in matters of education in the future.

Risk group for childhood neurosis


After a long study, experts came to the conclusion that the following categories of children are most susceptible to the onset of the development of the voiced disease:
  1. Age 2-5 and 7 years old. Doctors are sure that it is this period of child development that is the beginning of the onset of neurosis. They base such conclusions on the fact that a small personality has not yet formed, and its consciousness has not absorbed any significant life experience. The voiced pathological process begins with neurotic reactions, which later, as they grow older, develop into a persistent neurotic state.
  2. Child with "I-position". Some children are not amenable to adjustment in terms of education by parents and teachers. These born leaders actively speak their minds about everything that happens around them. They perceive any restriction of their desires with a stormy protest, after which they are punished by their parents. After a decisive rebuff from adults, a child with an "I-position" may develop a neurosis.
  3. Somatically weakened children. From such little "martyrs" adults literally blow off dust particles. Protecting their sickly child from almost everything around, parents ultimately do him the so-called "disservice". The child begins to feel completely unadapted to society, which subsequently leads to the formation of a neurosis in him.
  4. Emotionally unstable children. In this case, they will unnecessarily violently react to any everyday trouble or remark from someone. A child with an unstable nervous system tries to reach out to his parents if he does not receive enough attention and affection from them. By ignoring such gestures of desperation, he gains confidence that he is not loved and appreciated. The result is the development of all kinds of phobias and fears of a different nature.
  5. Children in an SOS situation. Any stress can trigger the mechanism of development of voiced pathology. Parental abuse, bullying in a garden or school, violence of any kind by strangers, the death of a loved one or beloved animal - all this can cause a child to develop neurosis. In some cases, it is enough for him to simply be a witness to some tragic event in order to receive serious emotional trauma.
  6. Pupils of special institutions. A child from an asocial family or an orphan ends up in a boarding school or orphanage. Initially, this is a stressful situation for him, because he automatically loses the love and care of his parents. The children's team of such institutions is not always positioned as a friendly and close-knit team. As a result, the child develops the described pathology, which teachers of such institutions do not immediately notice.

Varieties of childhood neuroses


As already mentioned, this concept means a lot of mental disorders that have the property of reversibility.

After a thorough analysis, experts have compiled a classification of the voiced problem, which is as follows:

  • Anxiety neurosis. In this case, everything depends on the age of the child, who at certain stages of his development reacts to external stimuli in different ways. Children under 6 years old are usually afraid of the dark, loneliness and monsters, which the film industry so generously supplies the population with. Adults, in order to correct the behavior of their children, very often artificially create a neurotic state in them. At the same time, all kinds of horror stories are used about an evil stranger who will come and take the fidget. The fantasy of parents is gaining momentum over time, and the baby gets a neurosis of fear, which he is unable to control. Children after 6 years of age sometimes experience extremely negative emotions when they are afraid of getting a bad mark. In addition, older hooligans can bully elementary school students within the walls of an educational institution.
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder. The basis of such a pathology is usually based on anxious suspiciousness, which has formed in a child for certain reasons. Against this background, all sorts of phobias develop, which are most often invented by themselves and a small person. They can be expressed in a variety of ways. Sometimes children, not realizing the reasons for such a fear themselves, are afraid of death and all the attributes that accompany it. Some animals cause panic in a child with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Fear of heights, confined spaces, large crowds, infection - all this is just the beginning of a huge list of childhood phobias, which can be continued endlessly.
  • depressive neurosis. It should immediately be noted that such a pathology does not occur in babies who are not yet able to carry out a deep analysis of their actions. This usually happens precisely at the time when yesterday's fools turn into guys and girls. Adolescent depressive psychosis is very dangerous in its consequences, so parents need to be on the lookout for the stage of growing up of their children.
  • Hysterical neurosis. Such manipulations are usually carried out by small schemers who have not yet reached school age. Wanting to achieve their cherished goal at any cost, they arrange whole performances in front of a grateful audience. Quite often you can see a baby rolling on the floor of the store and squealing heart-rendingly when they didn’t buy a toy or sweets for him. However, the problem of neurosis begins only when such behavior becomes the norm and is repeated with enviable regularity.
  • Asthenic neurosis. Some parents want to load their child to the maximum with all kinds of courses, circles and sections. Their opinion on this matter sounds like the slogan “Let no time be left for stupidity and something bad.” As a result, the child does not have time for childhood, after which asthenic neurosis begins to develop.
  • Hypochondria. With this definition, the movie “Formula of Love” immediately comes to mind, when a similar diagnosis was made to a young and idle gentleman. However, adults should be alarmed by the fact that their child is not playing on the playground, but is carefully studying the Medical Encyclopedia. At the same time, the little hypochondriac actively voices what he has read and tries on all sorts of illnesses from the main book for him.
  • Logoneurosis. Such a disease cannot go unnoticed by adults, because with it the child stutters. The causes of voiced pathology can be very different. Boys who are under five years old often do not own their speech apparatus. However, logoneurosis is usually based not on this factor, but on the stressful situation in which the child has fallen.
  • Somnambulism. The voiced deviation from the norm usually looks like a conversation in a dream. The child has difficulty falling asleep and then becomes very restless. At the same time, he often wakes up, because he is often tormented by nightmares. The highest manifestation of somnambulism (sleepwalking) is the walking of children at night with a lack of understanding of this fact upon awakening.
  • Anorexia nervosa. The whims of a child at the table are not uncommon when he simply does not want to eat the dish offered to him. In most cases, children are ready to absorb food that is harmful to them in large quantities and flatly refuse healthy food. However, with anorexia nervosa, everything looks much worse, because the rejection of food manifests itself in the form of tantrums and even vomiting.
  • neurotic enuresis. Urinary incontinence may go away on its own as the child begins to grow up. It can arise from any diseases of the genitourinary system or due to the failure of the "deep sleep - turning off the signal in the cerebral cortex when you want to visit the restroom" scheme. Neurosis in this case is the fact that bedwetting occurs in a child after some kind of psychological trauma.

Note! The sources of childhood neurosis should usually be sought at a very early age. A rather small percentage of such disorders manifest themselves already in adolescence. Therefore, parents, employees of kindergartens and elementary schools need to monitor the first manifestations of the voiced pathology in their children and wards.

Symptoms of childhood neurosis


Such a problem rarely goes unnoticed by the close environment of the child. Symptoms of neurosis in children usually look like this and should cause serious anxiety in their parents:
  1. Uncontrollable attacks of fear. With the voiced factor, the child may be afraid of one phenomenon and calmly relate to all other external stimuli. In rare cases, he does not voice his concerns to adults, because he needs their support and protection.
  2. Stuttering and stupor. Parents should especially sound the alarm if such changes occurred to their child suddenly and without clearly expressed reasons for this. In this case, you should not postpone a visit to a child psychologist and speech therapist, who in the shortest possible time are able to find the root of the evil of the pathology that has arisen.
  3. Unusual facial expressions and gestures. With obsessive-compulsive disorder, one can observe a tick, eyeballs, trembling of the corners of the lips in an affected baby or teenager. A child with a voiced problem may involuntarily jump up and down and pat himself with his hand.
  4. . The most worrying factor is always the change in gastronomic preferences of a former lover of food from the representatives of the younger generation of the family. If a little gourmet stops asking to treat him to his favorite treat, then you should urgently look for the reasons for such changes.
  5. Increased irritability. Many children harass their parents with whims, complaints and demands. However, with neurosis, such indicators go off scale significantly, making an outright hysteria out of a once balanced child.
  6. Lack of communication skills. Children who prefer solitude are extremely rare. Exceptionally one hundred percent phlegmatic people may not like noisy company and fun fun. Otherwise, the child's attempts to retire may indicate the development of a neurosis in him.
  7. Sleep disorders. All children should sleep soundly at night unless they have obvious health problems. If parents see that the child has problems with proper sleep, then we can assume that he has a neurosis.
  8. Fast fatiguability. If the baby is not a cunning manipulator and an outright lazy person, then it is worth thinking about the voiced problem. Its causes may relate not only to neurosis, but also to more serious pathologies.
  9. Health problems. This can be expressed in the already voiced enuresis, "bear disease" (encopresis), tachycardia, increase or decrease in blood pressure. Excessive sweating, respiratory failure and memory loss can be added to the listed deviations from the norm.

Features of the treatment of neurosis in children

It is necessary to think about the future of your beloved offspring in advance, and not at the moment the point of no return begins. Parents of anxious children should think in time about the question of how to treat neurosis in a child.

Help of psychotherapists with children's neurosis


If the problem has already clearly made itself felt, then you need to seek help from doctors. Experts in this field recommend the following ways to resolve the situation with the child:
  • Family Therapy. This methodology is based on a step-by-step study of the voiced problem. First, it is necessary to examine the environment in which a child with a neurosis lives. This is necessary in order to make a general diagnosis based on a combination of personal, social and psychological parameters regarding a particular family. Secondly, it is necessary to conduct a general conversation, in which the closest environment of the baby or teenager will be involved. During this event, a plan of further action is usually discussed, which should include general requirements for raising a child from the parents and the psychotherapist. Thirdly, classes should be started according to a specially developed methodology, which includes games of various formats. The last stage of family therapy is the joint work of parents and the child. If the child is under 6 years old, subject games, construction of interesting structures and drawing will be organized. For older children and their parents, the therapist will offer a discussion of topics on various topics.
  • Individual psychotherapy. With this approach, in resolving the voiced problem, six main methods are used that have proven themselves well. With explanatory (rational) therapy, a specialist finds out the causes of psychosis in his little patient. Then he invites the child to think over at his leisure the initial version of any situational story he proposed. In art therapy, children draw and sculpt, not realizing the fact that words reveal their hidden problems better than words. Play therapy has age limits that do not exceed 10 years. When creating a “borderline state” for a child during the voiced method, the psychotherapist has an excellent chance to correct the phobia identified in the patient. If a specialist is dealing with a problematic teenager, then it is best to conduct autogenic training with him. The basis of this technique is the muscle relaxation of the child with the general voice influence of the psychotherapist on him. With hypochondria and adolescent problems, the method of suggestion (suggestive psychotherapy) has proven itself well. The whole essence of this technique lies in the proposal to drink the so-called placebo drug, which is an exclusively psychological technique to eliminate the problem. In particularly difficult cases, hypnosis can be used, but experts are extremely reserved about this method of influence in relation to children.
  • Group psychotherapy. The formation of such "cells" is necessary in cases of increased egocentrism in a child with psychosis. Usually in this situation, children are divided into groups according to the principle of their age differentiation. To create a comfortable microclimate in such islands of children's mutual assistance, joint excursions to interesting places are organized. In the process of such group activities, a child with psychosis begins to open up to his peers, sharing his problem and experiences.
  • Communication with animals. Very often, skeptics say that the same dolphin therapy has not found support in any serious medical organization. Hippotherapy, which has recently become fashionable (treatment of neurosis when a child comes into contact with horses), is also questionable by many specialists. However, the fact remains that some children after such non-traditional methods feel much better and begin to adapt perfectly to society.

The use of medications for neurosis in children


If you need to apply the voiced method of treating your child, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. After examining a small patient, the doctor may prescribe the following remedies to eliminate the problem:
  1. Preparations for the general strengthening of the body. In this case, it is worth trying to use vitamins (groups C and B) and potassium preparations. Schisandra chinensis tincture quite effectively stimulates the central nervous system of a child, therefore it is often used for childhood neurosis. With mental and physical overstrain, a specialist may advise the use of lure tincture.
  2. Phytotherapy. Coniferous baths are an ideal way to relax a child with a pronounced nervous state. Motherwort and valerian will also come to the rescue of a baby or teenager if he cannot calm down or fall asleep. With weak immunity and an unstable emotional state, the golden root helps perfectly, which will put the child's nervous system in order.
  3. Nootropic drugs. In this case, we will talk about the appointment of drugs such as Piracetam and Nootropil. These drugs have a beneficial effect on the regulation of blood circulation in the brain and promote the utilization of glucose from it. The therapeutic effect of such drugs is that they improve the child's processes of perception of information and accelerate its further processing.
  4. Antidepressants. It should immediately be noted that such a medical intervention in the child's body can nullify the psychotherapy already being carried out at the moment. They are prescribed for a pronounced hyperactivity of a small patient, but the voiced process should take place strictly under the supervision of a doctor. With increased excitability, a specialist may prescribe Sonopax, and with hypersthenic syndrome, Elenium and Eunoctin. Tranquilizers for hyposthenia are prescribed in the form of Seduxen and Trioxazine, which are also prohibited without the recommendations of a doctor.
How to treat neurosis in children - look at the video:


Some parents do not wonder why it is necessary to treat neuroses in children. However, with such connivance on the part of adults, the child develops even more formidable pathologies. It is necessary to make every effort to save your baby or teenager from the voiced illness, so that in the future he can realize himself in life.
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