Symptoms of neurasthenia and its treatment
For you, the morning has ceased to be kind?Do your colleagues irritate you, their loud conversations and eternal questions?And even at home instead of a pleasant relaxation, do you feel that even your relatives annoy you?Others think that this is a bad thing.In fact, irritability can be quite an independent symptom, characteristic of a disease such as neurasthenia.
Table of contents: Causes of the disease Characteristic symptoms Treatment What can the doctor offer you?What can you do?Causes of the disease
Neurasthenia is a disease that belongs to the group of neuroses.The reason that leads to its development is stress.This is either an acute emergency stress situation, or a chronic stress of moderate intensity.In most cases, the cause is chronic stress.
Of course, stress is present in every person's life, but not everyone gets neurosis.Why is this happening?Certainly, the specific prerequisites for the development of the disease are the characteristics of the character.So, people are more susceptible to neurasthenia receptive, anxious, hypochondriac.
Neurasthenia is nothing but a depletion of the nervous system.That is, the nervous system is so "tired" that it can not adequately respond to external stimuli and fully work in such conditions.This is a kind of cry for help, a signal that it's time to stop.
What factors lead to nervous exhaustion:
- Chronic lack of sleep;
- Deteriorating diseases;
- Excessive mental stress;
- Lack of proper rest.
Characteristic symptoms of
Irritability is a characteristic feature of neurasthenia.That is, if such a character trait is not inherent in you, but you began to notice that everything around irritates, you need to think.And annoying absolutely everything: loud sounds, bright light, people's behavior.Any seemingly insignificant trifle can cause a person to have a bright, violent emotion.
In parallel, a person is disturbed by sleep.Usually disturbances are manifested by the difficulty of falling asleep, often waking up.A characteristic feature is the fact that even after a dream a person feels tired, not cheerful.Of course, this further exacerbates the course of the disease.Even after rest, a person does not feel rested.
A person with neurasthenia has an appetite.Inadequate nutrition further exacerbates poor physical well-being of the person, rooted weakness.
Gradually, psychoemotional disorders are added.Characteristic emotional lability, which is characterized by a change of emotions.There is a tearfulness, tears can cause, it would seem, ordinary, ordinary situations.Often the general background is an oppressed, depressed mood.Gradually, anxiety and phobias can join.
The mental state is displayed on the somatic state of health.The person is disturbed by diffuse headaches, pressing, compressing character, as if on a head have put on a tight cap.This symptom in the medical literature has acquired the name "neurasthenic caps"
Also there may be ringing in the ears, sensation of a lump in the throat, crawling in the body, numbness, diarrhea, dizziness, increased blood pressure, disorders of the genital area.
There are two forms of the disease:
- Hypersthenic;
- Hypostenic.
Often, these forms are considered as phases, replacing each other.The hypersthenic phase is characterized by the appearance of strong irritability.A person is so excited that he can not concentrate on the performance of his duties, he is constantly distracted by anything, there is a deterioration in memory.
The hyposthenic phase is characterized by such a peculiar concept as irritable weakness.That is, all are also observed irritability, violent reaction to the provoking factor.However, such reactions quickly tire the person.A man lights up like a match, and soon fades.And after an attack of aggression, a person feels a pronounced weakness.
Insomnia is observed, but daily drowsiness is noted.At the forefront are tearfulness, depression, bad mood.The person feels like he is without strength, constantly tired.Many develop hypochondriacal symptoms, the patient begins to fix attention to his health.
Treatment of neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is precisely the disease, with the example of which clearly shows the relationship between mental and physical health.First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that led to the development of the disease.Since often the cause is the influence of a stressor factor, it is necessary to consult a therapist.
Many people, faced with these or other mental anguish, believe that this is nonsense and all by itself will pass.A trip to the therapist and not considered as an option.A bad mood is not a whim or a bad character at all, as people around can think.When the nervous system is exhausted, there is simply nowhere to draw resources from it and to seek energy for functioning.Meanwhile, while a person does not pay attention to their condition, the disease progresses.Nervous exhaustion can reach such a scale that a person will not feel any motivation to do anything, not to have goals, not to feel.A prolonged disease can lead to the development of reactive depression.Therefore, the sooner a person turns to a psychotherapist, the better.
What can the doctor offer you?
- Psychotherapy;
- Medication.
Each psychologist uses in his work different approaches and techniques.It is not so important which method the specialist will use, the very essence is important.The specialist will suggest you to work out a psycho-traumatic situation, analyze your reaction.Working together with a doctor will allow you to react more correctly to stressful situations, master the methods of relaxation.
The doctor can also use medication.With expressed anxiety, a depressed mood, a doctor can prescribe antidepressants, among which SROIs( paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram) are most in demand.Preparations of this group have minimal side effects.
Note : the effect of taking antidepressants is not immediately apparent, but after two to three weeks of use.Therefore, despite the lack of a pronounced effect of the medication in the first days of admission, in no case can its use be discontinued.
If anxiety is present, anxiolytics are prescribed. There are two groups of anxiolytics:
- Benzodiazepines( phenazepam, gidazepam, diazepam);
- Nonbenzodiazepine( afobazol, buspirone, mebicar).
Benzodiazepine anxiolytics are prescribed in short courses, due to the development of tolerance, as well as drug dependence.
If drugs of the above groups can not adjust sleep, prescribe sleeping pills( zolpidem, miasser, trazodone).These medicines should be taken in the form of short-term courses.
According to the indications, the patient can take small or medium doses of normotimics( carbamazepine).
Nootropic drugs( nootropil, noobut) also have a good effect, which improve the nutrition of brain cells.In cases with the hyposthenic form of neurasthenia, vitamins of group B can be administered, which have a stimulating effect.
What can you do?
As you have already seen, neurasthenia is not such an innocuous disease and can not be avoided without the help of a doctor.But you can implement certain activities yourself.One of the best ways to cope with neurasthenia is to change the situation.A trip to a resort, a summer residence or to friends in another city with which for so long you wanted to meet.This will help you break out of the unfavorable atmosphere in which you are trapped.A quiet rest will allow you to gain strength and look at everything from the side.This will help you see the problem from a different angle.Of course, you need to normalize the mode of the day.Try to sleep at least 8-9 hours.As it is not trite to sound, but your diet also plays an important role.Strive for food to be varied, filled with vitamins and minerals.Give up the products that stimulate your already tired nervous system: caffeinated drinks, alcohol.
Treatment of neurasthenia in the home by folk methods is possible only in case of mild form of the disease.Soothes the nervous system with decoctions of motherwort, mint, lemon balm.A mild antidepressant effect has a decoction of St. John's wort.
Broth of motherwort is prepared easily, three tablespoons of the ground plant should be filled with a glass of boiling water.Cover the dishes with a lid.When the broth cools, you can strain it.It is recommended to take a tablespoon of the drink twice a day.
In addition, a pleasant relaxing effect is having a bath with herbs.It is necessary to take two tablespoons of thyme, roots of ara, mint, mountain lavender, chamomile, rosemary and pour two liters of boiling water.After a ten-hour infusion, you need to pour half of the resulting broth into the recruited warm water in the bathroom.It is recommended to take such a bath for fifteen minutes.
And remember that life is a series of very diverse events.And this means that even after a heavy rain, sooner or later the sun comes out.
Grigorova Valeria, medical reviewer
