According to the All-Russian Labor Safety Week conference, more than 40% of Russians suffer from stress at work. European studies say 36%. And the International Labor Organization states that every 15 seconds, 1 person in the world dies from stress at work.

Asthenic neurosis is the most common disease caused by stress. The general characteristic of the disease is imbalance and exhaustion of the nervous system. Symptoms of asthenic neurosis include increased excitability and fatigue, sleep disturbances and headaches.

Occurs against a background of prolonged physical or mental stress. How long the disorder lasts depends on the form and stage. We will talk about this in the article.

What causes the disorder

High workload

Physical and emotional. A person’s involvement in different circles besides studying is good. But you need to know when to stop. Adults should also be able to refuse to work overtime. After all, with every extra hour of overexertion, asthenic neurosis can threaten.

Emotional turmoil

From this point of view, great joy is no better than great grief - both “shatter” the nervous system.

Duration of irritant

Misunderstanding in the team, tension, fear of error or punishment - all factors seem to fall on the person. Doctors also call hormonal disorders, somatic diseases, infections and intoxication as provocateurs. It is believed that the neurasthenic was initially genetically predisposed to the disease. The condition of the mother during pregnancy is also of great importance.

Forms of neurosis

In neurology, there are three forms of the syndrome. They are also stages of the disease.

Hypertensive

This is where asthenic blues begins. A person in this stage is very irritable. He doesn't like everything, and everything makes him nervous. A person loses attention span - cannot concentrate, absent-mindedness appears. With such neurosis, difficulties with sleep appear: waking up often in the middle of the night is the norm for a neurotic person. Gradually, a “neurotic helmet” forms – pain that “embraces” the head.

Irritable weakness

The next step is increased excitability and fatigue. Intolerance to irritating things increases significantly. Sleep becomes even worse, heartburn appears, and appetite disappears. A person may suffer from constipation.

Hyposthenic

The most difficult stage. If the disease is not treated, a pronounced pathological neurosis appears. The patient is greatly bothered by physical pain. He chronically does not get enough sleep and is extremely tired. Melancholy or anxiety becomes a faithful companion.

How can you diagnose

Diagnosis of the syndrome is carried out similarly in children and adults. Only the manifestations that the doctor pays attention to are different.

If symptoms of neurasthenia are detected, you should consult a neurologist.

He will prescribe treatment based on:

1. Patient's complaint. Standard survey procedure.
2. History. Means the study of medical history, living conditions and hereditary tendencies.
3. Inspection. An attempt by the doctor to verify the correspondence of complaints to physical manifestations.
4. Consultations with related specialists. Asthenic neurosis requires complex treatment, so consultation with medical colleagues is necessary.

During the examination, the neurologist may prescribe:

• Computer tomography of the brain;
• X-ray;
• Electroencephalography;

Treatment methods

First, the provoking factor is determined, then it is eliminated. Two methods are used together:

Medication

To relieve irritability - daytime tranquilizers, to suppress headaches - muscle relaxants, to activate the brain and general condition - nootropics and vitamins.

Psychotherapeutic

Used to encourage the patient to rethink irritants. Psychoanalysis and psychotherapy are carried out. During the sessions, the specialist helps the patient resolve internal conflict.

Many people wonder what asthenic neurosis is, the symptoms of which are directly related to disorders of the nervous system.

Neurasthenia, or asthenic neurosis, is a psychogenic disease.

The cause of asthenic neurosis is prolonged exposure to traumatic factors and overwork. In the clinical picture of the disease, asthenic syndrome comes to the fore, which is characterized by increased fatigue and hypersensitivity to external stimuli, deterioration of mood, tearfulness and loss of the ability to endure prolonged intellectual and physical stress, decreased ability to remember and decreased attention. Asthenia is a consequence of exposure to stressful situations on the body.

Signs of the development of neurasthenia and stages of the disease

The main signs of the disease are as follows:

• increased fatigue;
• impatience;
• constant fatigue;
• the appearance of weakness in the limbs;
• headaches;
• having difficulty trying to concentrate or engage in intellectual activities;
• “fog” in the head;
• the appearance of increased sensitivity to external stimuli;
• sleep disturbance;
• the emergence of anxieties and fears;
• decreased sexual activity.

The disease has three stages of development. The stages of the disease differ in severity of manifestation.

1. The first stage is called hypersthenic. It is characterized by increased irritability and the appearance of fussiness; during the development of the disease at this stage, a person may often lose control of himself. A person also has difficulty falling asleep and frequent pain in the head area, which has a pressing nature. A characteristic feature of this stage of development of the disease is the appearance of pain in the spinal column, weakness and constant fatigue in the body.
2. The second stage of the disease is characterized as irritable weakness. When the disease reaches this stage, the patient develops a high degree of irritability. A person “flares up” very quickly, but also “cools down” very quickly. At this stage, the ability to concentrate is lost, and productivity drops sharply. A person experiences a feeling of fear and anxiety, low self-esteem occurs, and constant pain appears in the head area. Additionally, you feel pain in the heart, shortness of breath and a feeling of lack of air, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract occurs and the degree of sweating increases.
3. The third stage is called hyposthenic. This stage of the disease is characterized by a decrease in the level of fussiness and a sharp drop in performance. During this period of development of the disease, sleep disturbance is observed, which becomes superficial, fear of death and increased tearfulness appear. A condition develops in the body that resembles depression in its external manifestations.

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Treatment of asthenic neurosis

The process of treating the disorder must begin with the elimination of stress and adherence to the daily routine; in addition, it is necessary to adjust the diet. Treatment of the disease requires elimination of the traumatic situation; it is recommended to introduce general strengthening and health procedures into the daily routine.

For successful treatment, doctors recommend using various types of relaxation, such as relaxation, meditation and emotional release sessions. Very useful during the recovery period are sports, water treatments and long walks in the fresh air. To normalize the emotional state, the use of plant-based sedatives is recommended. The basis of such drugs are:

• blue cyanosis;
• valerian;
• motherwort;
• lemon balm.

Extracts of these plants have a beneficial effect on the autonomic and central parts of the nervous system of the body. It is recommended to take a course of vitamins, especially vitamin C, which helps increase the body's resistance to stress. It is also useful to take preparations based on St. John's wort. Medicines made on this plant basis are good antidepressants.

The disease should be comprehensively treated using products made from adaptogen herbs, such as Eleutherococcus. These medications help with recovery and performance enhancement. They contain a large number of microelements, enzymes and vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the body. Particularly effective are drugs that contain vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant.

If a patient has an advanced form of the disorder, recovery of the body occurs over a long period of time and very slowly. If symptoms develop rapidly, you should seek help from a neurologist, who will select a course of treatment that includes neurotropic medications. If necessary, you should seek help from a psychotherapist.

Asthenic neurosis, or neurasthenia, is a psychological disease that occurs as a result of prolonged physical or emotional stress. Most often, the nervous system is depleted in people from 20 to 45 years old, during the period of active life. Working 24 hours a day, lack of rest, conflicts at work or in personal life, constant stressful situations invariably lead to the appearance of neurasthenia. The main point in the treatment of neurosis is to eliminate the main cause of the disease.

Treatment of neurasthenia

When treating any psychological disease, and asthenic syndrome in particular, it is necessary to use an integrated approach. This method of therapy includes eliminating the main cause of neurosis, normalizing the daily routine, using medications and psychological techniques.

First of all, you need to change your daily routine

For clarity, you can write down all the important events point by point and pay great attention to rest. Treatment of asthenic neurosis involves clear regulation of the time of going to bed and the time of waking up. It is recommended to take walks in the park before going to bed, thus saturating the body with oxygen.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the diet; it is better to replace flour and fatty foods with vegetables and fruits. You can’t overeat at night; yogurt or a light vegetable salad will come in handy. A change of scenery would be a good idea; if your planned vacation is still far away, take an exciting walk on the weekend.

New impressions at the beginning of the work week will allow you to fulfill your immediate responsibilities with great pleasure. In cases where your main place of work involves a busy schedule, especially with night shifts and nervous stress, you will have to think about changing your workplace.

Use of medications

• To improve anabolic processes, doctors recommend taking calcium glycerophosphate and iron.
• Medicines containing caffeine and bromine are also prescribed on an individual basis.
• Asthenic neurotic disorder involves taking tranquilizers, the dosage regimen and dosage of which are prescribed only by the attending physician.
• For hyposthenic neurosis, medazepam, trioxazine, strong coffee or tea are taken.
• Thioridazine in small volumes has an antidepressant effect, and with increasing dosage it has a calming effect.
• Sleeping pills are not prescribed for this form of manifestation of the disease.
• For the hypersthenic type of neurasthenia, it is recommended to take oxazepam and elenium.

Regardless of the form of the disease, treatment of neurasthenia is also carried out using physiotherapy: aromatherapy, soothing massage, reflexology will allow tense muscles to relax and calm down. Electrophoresis with calcium and bromine ions is also widely used.

It’s a good idea to use autogenic training and swimming in the pool to treat disorders of the nervous system. Traditional medicine allows the use of medicinal herbs to normalize sleep and strengthen the nervous system. Valerian, motherwort, and hawthorn tincture have long been used by people to calm and treat insomnia.

Contact a specialist

If you can’t cope with a difficult situation on your own, it’s time to seek help from a doctor. A psychiatrist or neurologist can identify the symptoms of asthenic neurosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. In psychology, there are various methods for treating neurasthenia in women and men: individual and group psychotherapy, psychoanalysis. The doctor decides which method is best for the patient after individual communication with the patient.

The main goal of treating mental disorders is to reassess the situation that caused asthenic neurosis. An experienced psychologist will help you figure out what is important and what is secondary in a patient’s life, what is worth spending your energy on, and what can be skipped.

Reassessing life values ​​will allow you to look at the current situation from a different angle and change your attitude towards it. It often happens that a person sets difficult goals for himself, and then blames himself for not achieving them.

Symptoms of asthenic neurosis

The symptoms and signs of neurasthenia are varied. The appearance of the following symptoms cannot be ignored:

• Headache. Very often people do not pay due attention to it. Taking a pill at the end of the working day will help you get rid of this unpleasant feeling for a while. Some people experience a feeling of tightness, as if a narrow hat was put on their head or an iron hoop was compressing the circumference of the head. There are frequent cases of dizziness, and there is no sensation of objects rotating.
• Rapid heartbeat or tingling in the heart area. Even during a calm conversation, the patient may suddenly become agitated, blush, or, on the contrary, turn pale.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Dyspeptic phenomena. Children and adults experience poor appetite, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, and heartburn.
• Frequent urge to urinate is observed only in moments of strong excitement and stops with the onset of peace of mind.
• Decreased sexual desire for a partner.
• Insomnia. The main symptom of neurasthenia is sleep disturbance. Difficulty falling asleep and restless, fragmentary sleep do not allow the patient to feel rested and full of energy. As a result, absent-mindedness, memory problems, and instability of attention appear.
• Decreased performance. Due to changes in the patient's behavior, productivity begins to decline.
• Increased irritability. Sharp sounds can unbalance a person suffering from neurasthenia. A slamming door or loud laughter can cause a whole host of negative emotions. In children, this is observed when visiting public places - the circus, cinema, concert halls.

The presence of the listed symptoms does not indicate a diagnosis of asthenic neurosis; perhaps it is ordinary overwork and chronic lack of sleep. In any case, you should consult a specialist about this.

Making a diagnosis

The diagnosis of neurasthenia in children and adults is made by a neurologist after an initial examination, examination of the patient’s complaints and based on a study of the general history of the sick patient. During diagnosis, tumor and inflammatory processes occurring in the brain, intoxication, and chronic infectious diseases must be excluded. To do this, the patient undergoes a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Rheoencephalography is also an important indicator for establishing the nature of cerebral circulation.

Disease prevention

In psychology, asthenic neurosis has the most favorable prognosis among other mental illnesses. A timely diagnosis provides a greater chance of full recovery. In advanced cases, neurasthenia becomes a chronic disease of the central nervous system, difficult to treat.

To prevent the occurrence of neurosis, you need to maintain a balanced work and rest schedule, avoid constant emotional overload and physical exhaustion. You need to learn how to use relaxing techniques to relieve stress and physical fatigue. The causes of neurasthenia also lie in the desire to do everything, and the resulting disappointment, if this was not done, can cause a nervous breakdown. A good method of getting rid of asthenic neurosis is a change of environment, a trip on vacation.

It is especially worth noting the emergence of neurosis in children. A heavy school load, additional classes and sections, computer games can provoke the appearance of neurasthenia in a child. In this case, the role of parents in treatment plays a particularly important role. If the situation gets out of control and you can no longer cope with it on your own, it’s time to contact a child psychologist. An experienced specialist will tell you how to treat neurasthenia in children; sometimes it is enough to reduce the load and spend more free time in the fresh air.

Life in a metropolis proceeds at a frantic pace, which leaves its mark on the life of every person. Constant stress at work, long hours of standing in traffic jams, lack of sleep, setting difficult tasks can lead to neurasthenia. This psychological disease mainly affects middle-aged people, and there is no division by gender. At the initial stage, it is usually enough to spend more time relaxing, communicating with friends, and traveling.

A change of environment will help get rid of neurosis. However, in case of prolonged mental disorder, it is better to seek help from a specialist. An experienced psychiatrist or neurologist will prescribe courses of restorative therapy, relaxing massage, physiotherapy, and, if necessary, medications. Moderate exercise, walks in the fresh air, and adequate sleep are the main components of a healthy lifestyle.

Neurasthenia (asthenic neurosis) is a pathology of the nervous system, which is provoked by prolonged emotional and physical overload, as well as nervous exhaustion. This disease is considered common, since signs of neurasthenia occur in 1.2-5% of the population. Most often, neurasthenia is diagnosed in women and young people who are starting an independent life. People who do not tolerate stress well, as well as people with an asthenic constitution, are predisposed to the disease.

The physiological basis of the pathology is a violation of the balance, strength and mobility of nervous processes. Namely, neurasthenia is formed due to acute or prolonged overexertion and overwork. Therefore, people at risk are those who are overly stressed intellectually and physically, rarely rest, and experience chronic lack of sleep and malaise. Neurasthenia can be triggered by severe stress due to job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one.

The rapid development of neurasthenia can occur due to weak immunity, a sedentary lifestyle, and an unbalanced diet. The causes of the disease can also be intoxication of the body, endocrine diseases, internal personality conflict caused by feelings of guilt or the need to make a choice.

Classification of neurasthenia

In neurology, it is customary to distinguish two types of neurasthenia: reactive and exhaustion neurosis. Reactive neurasthenia occurs due to exposure to a psychotraumatic situation on the body (chronic fatigue, frequent lack of sleep, previous somatic illnesses). Exhaustion neurosis occurs due to excessive intellectual stress. The following forms of the disease are also distinguished:

• hypersthenic;
• irritable;
• hyposthenic.

Symptoms of neurasthenia

The most pronounced symptom of neurasthenia is a severe headache, which usually occurs at the end of the day. The patient complains of intense pressure on the head, which resembles squeezing the head with a heavy helmet. Another unpleasant symptom of the disease is dizziness, which occurs due to changes in weather, physical activity, and severe anxiety.

Many patients also complain of symptoms similar to manifestations of cardiovascular disorders: tachycardia, pain in the heart, pallor or redness of the skin, arterial hypertension. Neurasthenia is also characterized by dyspeptic symptoms: loss of appetite, heartburn, belching, flatulence, heaviness in the stomach, constipation. When nervous, the patient may have a frequent urge to urinate, which goes away immediately after he calms down.

Hypersthenic form

This is the first stage of the disease, which is characterized by symptoms such as increased mental excitability and irritability. The patient reacts sharply to the slightest noise, rapid movement of people, and quiet conversations. Patients who experience this stage of the disease are impatient and irritable, which negatively affects their performance. Inability to concentrate, absent-mindedness, inattention, lack of concentration - due to these symptoms, the patient can spend about three hours on work that requires no more than an hour of time.

The patient is also concerned about sleep disturbances: he cannot fall asleep for a long time, often wakes up at night, after which it is difficult to fall asleep. Due to sleep disorders, in the morning he does not feel sleepy and rested; he is accompanied by a bad mood that persists until the end of the day. In this state, a person is usually capable of harsh statements and conflicts with others. Patients with the hypersthenic form of the disease also complain of poor memory, malaise and headache.

Irritable weakness

The most characteristic manifestation of this stage of neurasthenia is irritable weakness, to which people with choleric temperament are usually susceptible. Because of this condition, it is very difficult for the patient to start any business; he cannot quickly concentrate on the task. The patient feels very tired, which is manifested by increased headaches and an inability to think logically. It becomes difficult for the patient to do even simple work, so he stops doing it.

After a while, after a short rest, he can try to work again, but his strength is not enough for a long time. Due to nervous exhaustion and fatigue, he quits work again. Repeated breaks from work inevitably lead to mental exhaustion. This stage of the disease, as well as the stage of hypersthenic neurasthenia, is characterized by pronounced irritability. However, all affective reactions such as screaming and excitement are very quickly replaced by resentment, powerlessness and tears.

Hyposthenic form

This form of neurasthenia is usually diagnosed in people of the asthenic and anxious-hypochondriac type. The hyposthenic form of the disease can also be observed during the transition from the irritable stage. The main symptoms of this condition are lethargy, severe fatigue, passivity, depression, inability to mobilize strength to solve a problem, mental and physical weakness, inability to act and think constructively.

This stage of neurasthenia is characterized by the patient’s powerlessness, which develops due to a bad mood. At the same time, feelings of anxiety and melancholy are completely absent, since the decrease in mood is neurotic in nature, accompanied by emotional lability and tearfulness. Lack of timely treatment can lead to repeated attacks of the disease and worsening of the depressive state, which first provokes periodic neurasthenia, and then cyclothymia, which is considered a mild form of manic-depressive psychosis.

Diagnosis of neurasthenia

The diagnosis is made by a doctor based on the patient’s complaints, neurological examination and medical history. Differential diagnosis includes the exclusion of somatic diseases, intoxication, chronic infections, in which neurasthenia often becomes one of the first symptoms. Since neurasthenia can develop against the background of organic brain damage, the doctor may prescribe an MRI or CT scan of the brain. Assessment of cerebral circulation is carried out using the rheoencephalography procedure. Consultations with a psychologist and psychiatrist may also be required.

Treatment of neurasthenia

Treatment of neurasthenia must begin with identifying the pathology or psychotraumatic factor that provoked it. If the cause of the disease is not eliminated, treatment will be ineffective. A neurological examination and consultation with a psychologist will help determine the etiology of neurasthenia. Patients who want to get rid of neurasthenia must first normalize their work and rest schedule, since it is excessive stress that often leads to the disease.

At the first stage of treatment, the patient must follow a daily routine, fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day. It is also necessary to maintain sleep hygiene, take short walks in the fresh air in the evening, eat right, and exercise regularly. The most important thing is to avoid excessive emotional and physical stress. You can take time off from work during treatment to avoid any stressful situations. The doctor will probably advise you to change your surroundings, for example, to go to the sea.

In severe cases of the disease, normalizing the daily routine and proper rest will not solve the problem. In this case, additional drug treatment of the disease is indicated. To eliminate symptoms of anxiety, the patient may be prescribed tranquilizers for a short period of time (about 2-3 weeks) - alprazolam, atarax, mexidol, grandaxin. These drugs eliminate the vegetative symptoms of neurasthenia and are characterized by an activating effect on the body.

If the patient is worried about excessive fatigue, a feeling of weakness, or inability to cope with everyday stress, he is additionally prescribed nootropics (encephabol, aminalon, piracetam), which improve mental activity and memory. For patients with neurasthenia who are concerned about sleep disturbances, diazepam and phenazepam are indicated. It is worth remembering that these drugs can be addictive, so they can be taken for a limited period of time - no more than two weeks.

Drug treatment of the disease also involves taking general strengthening drugs that help restore body functions and improve metabolism. These include angioprotectors (sermion, trental, cinnarizine), vitamins (neurorubin, neurovitan, vitamins B and C), antioxidants (mexidol). Caffeine and bromine are also effective in the correct dosage.

To treat the hyposthenic form of the disease, small doses of encephabol, sibazon, eleutherococcus, and phenotropil are prescribed. Strong tea, coffee and tonics are also recommended. Sonapax is indicated for the treatment of all forms of neurasthenia. In small doses, it stimulates the nervous system and acts as an antidepressant.

Physiotherapeutic techniques will help eliminate the clinical manifestations of neurasthenia. Namely, massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, and electrosleep have shown their effectiveness in treating the disease. Along with drug therapy, psychotherapeutic techniques are also used: psychoanalysis, individual or group psychotherapy. Treatment is aimed at changing the patient’s attitude towards a traumatic situation and encouraging him to take an active position to solve the problem that provoked neurasthenia.

Prognosis for neurasthenia

Among all types of neuroses, neurasthenia has the most favorable prognosis for the patient. Usually, timely and adequate treatment, as well as the elimination of psychotraumatic factors of the disease, allows you to completely get rid of it. Otherwise, the disease may progress to a chronic stage, after which it will be very difficult to treat the disease. Neurasthenia can cause deep depression. Another consequence of the disease is a violation of human social adaptation.

Prevention of neurasthenia

No one is immune from neurasthenia, since in the life of every person there is stress, traumatic situations, and chronic overwork. You can reduce the risk of developing the disease by following several preventive recommendations. First of all, it is necessary to normalize the daily routine, avoid stressful situations and physical overload, and maintain a normal work and rest schedule. Strengthening the immune system, nutritious nutrition, and regular exercise will help prevent the disease.

Particular attention should be paid to planning your working day. It is advisable to plan it in such a way that there is always time left to deal with unforeseen situations, since in this way it will be possible to avoid stressful situations. It is also necessary to remember that effective and productive work is possible only after proper rest. Therefore, the most effective ways to prevent neurasthenia are adequate sleep and rest.