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 to perform 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 restlessness, 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 significance of the latter is very great - it is during contact with both the child and the parents that the doctor has the opportunity to most accurately determine the cause of the problem and comprehensively influence its resolution.

It is worth noting that psychotherapy in the case of childhood 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;
headaches;
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;
headaches;
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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Neurotic tics also more typical for boys. The cause of 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Habitual pathological actions: biting nails, sucking fingers, irritating the genitals with hands, pulling out hair and rhythmic rocking of the trunk 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 neurosis 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, have many methods of treatment: hypnosis, homeopathy, treatment with fairy tales, play 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 dictatorship 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 the prescribed drugs (if they are needed at all), but on the 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 quite often relate to their health on the principle of “I won’t die, it will pass by itself”, put off 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 data, 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 overprotection, 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;
headaches;
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 not currently registered with neuroses even in ordinary PND, and contacting a private doctor generally excludes the dissemination of any information about the health of the 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 small patient with a comfortable environment 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.

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

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

Children's neurasthenia is caused by various factors associated with disruption of the nervous system.

In the list of factors that cause a disorder in the nervous system of a child, the most popular are:

Difficulties with adaptation. By the age of 5-6, the child gets acquainted with the outside world and classmates, which often causes anxiety.
Atmosphere in the house. Adult conflicts, scandals, overly strict control can negatively affect the baby's unformed psyche.
congenital features. Each child has its own special character. Among them there are closed, aloof, taciturn "personalities". And such traits can become the root cause of neurasthenia at an older age.
Stress. Psychological trauma, screaming, fear can contribute not only to the development of mild nervous disorders, but also to more serious mental pathologies.
Guilt. Having done some wrong action, children also feel remorse, they do not tolerate quarrels with their parents.
Infectious diseases.
Violation of the endocrine system.
Inadequate or incorrect diet. Vitamin deficiency in childhood leads to pathologies in the central nervous system, mental disorders.
Diets. In adolescence, girls begin to pay attention to their figure, trying to look like thin models. Excessive passion for poor nutrition or refusal of food leads to various kinds of nervous diseases, including asthenic syndrome.
Parental behavior. Authoritarianism, excessive severity of adults, forcing the child to do what he does not like causes personal protest, neurological disorders develop.

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

Neurasthenia: symptoms in children

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

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

Neurasthenia in children can be identified by a number of symptoms.

Diagnosis and treatment of neurasthenia in children

A self-respecting doctor, before proceeding with the treatment of a nervous ailment, conducts a detailed diagnosis.

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

what is the atmosphere in the family;
what is the relationship of the child with peers, parents, teachers;
under what circumstances there are attacks of hysteria, irritability.

At the end, the specialist listens to the heartbeat, measures body temperature, pressure, and skin condition.

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

Drugs are prescribed that improve blood microcirculation in the brain, which contributes to the proper nutrition of cells.

Means that promote communication, the adaptability of the child's body to changes in circumstances.

In advanced cases, the help of a psychotherapist will be additionally required.

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

Can asthenia lead to complications?

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

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

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

Protracted depression in a child can develop into dangerous mental pathologies

How to behave to parents

An important component in the treatment of a child is the attitude of adults to the problem. It is necessary to adhere to the generally accepted recommendations of specialists that contribute to the improvement of the condition.

Nutrition. The child's diet should include healthy foods, vegetables, fruits, white meat, fish, in which there are a lot of trace elements, vitamins, minerals.

Fried, spicy, fatty, smoked foods, conservation disrupt the digestive tract, metabolic processes, metabolism, cause obesity, CNS disorder.

Children benefit from light physical activity - physical education, swimming.
Spend time outdoors with your child every day, take walks.
Overly sociable parents need to give up parties, noisy holidays. It is better to set aside time and spend it with the whole family in the bosom of nature.
You should not raise a champion, a scientist, a star out of a baby. With a normal relationship and harmony in the family, the child himself will choose an occupation to his liking and without pressure from outside he will achieve good results.
There are folk recipes that can calm the nervous system of a small student, but they should be used only after consulting a doctor.

Communicate with your beloved child - there must be complete trust between adults and a child. By sharing the problems that arose at school, he will greatly ease his nervous condition. He will also openly tell you what causes his displeasure in your behavior. Only in this way can you find a common language and deal with troubles. The main thing is that the child should not be afraid of the parents, but respect them. Dissolving and allowing everything you want is also wrong. It is necessary to choose a "golden mean", comfortable for all parties of the process.

Prevention of asthenic syndrome

An important component of education is the creation of a harmonious, pleasant, comfortable environment. There should be no screams, scandals in the house, there can be no talk of drinking alcohol and smoking by adults.

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

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

infantilism;
minor brain dysfunction;
paroxysmal brain;

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

aggression;
excitability;
bad sleep;
inattention;
headaches;
pallor;
trembling fingers;
fatigue.

Events and upheavals

The child's psyche is very vulnerable and susceptible - 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, disturbed sleep and appetite. 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.

child's instincts

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

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

family conflicts;
fright, accident, 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;
headaches;
cold hands and feet.

Internal conflicts

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

A difficult age

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

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

Symptoms of neurasthenia:

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

Symptoms and signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder:

uncertainty;
indecision;
suspiciousness;
concerns;
anxiety.

frequent hand washing;
bouncing;
pat.

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.

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.

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 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

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

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

Involvement of parents and loved ones

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, to look at the world through the eyes of their child, to 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. Relationships in society are always difficult, but each person has the right to his own path and mistakes, and only harmony in the family will help the child realize his individuality.

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

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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

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, and the loss of their 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 regular regimen from a very 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.

Psychologists and psychiatrists often encounter symptoms of childhood neuroses. Patients of adolescence or preschoolers are most susceptible to the development of this pathology. Neurosis refers to reversible dysfunctions of the nervous system, which are provoked by experiences, stress, fatigue.

Causes of neurosis in children

Allocate the reasons leading to the development of neurosis in childhood. Most often, there is a simultaneous effect of several factors at once, among which:

Postponed hypoxia, which acted on the fetal brain at any of the gestational periods (see). These conditions can occur against the background of severe maternal pathologies and insufficiency of the placenta.
Hypoxia in a newborn, which has been affected for a long time during childbirth.
Chronic diseases in children during the first years of life, as well as the presence of reduced immunity.
The influence of an unfavorable family environment with frequent quarrels between parents or other family members.
The presence of conflict in the child with other children in the team.

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For the development of neurosis in childhood, it is necessary to influence several factors or predisposing triggers at once, which include:

type of character with increased emotionality, lability and irascibility (see);
the presence of fears, a tendency to worry, as well as isolation;
the need for self-assertion.

Symptoms and treatment of childhood neurosis will depend on the cause that influenced the development of the disease. If possible, it is necessary to completely eliminate its effect on the body.

Types of neuroses

There are several groups of diseases in young patients. They can differ not only in the cause of occurrence, but also in the tactics of therapy.

The neurosis of fears has a paroxysmal manifestation. Experts note the development of certain conditions that act as a provoking factor. Most often, acute situations can be the basis: deliberate fear, the constant presence of phobias in everyday life, for example, darkness. At school age, fear neuroses are associated with the fear of the teacher. The condition is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness, the appearance of tears and whims. With a long-term cause, children may run away from home, attempt suicide, and lie regularly.
. Pathology is manifested by the constant desire of the patient to make various movements: clapping his hands, tapping his foot, as well as sniffing his nose or blinking. The development of clinical signs appears only after exposure to a provoking factor, for example, a call to the blackboard or the moment of questioning in an exam. The treatment of neurosis of obsessive movements in children provides for the complete exclusion of not only the provoking factor, but also the pathological type of movements.
Depressive neurosis. Most typical for teenagers. The child is in a depressed state, facial expressions are significantly depleted, and the reaction to what is happening is not always adequate. The causes of depressive disorder are dissatisfaction with their appearance, communication with other people, problems with parents.
hysterical neurosis. Severe mental disorder with a vivid reaction to what is happening. The child may fall to the floor, cry and mimic convulsions.

Symptoms

Clinical signs should be divided into two groups, which include physiological and psychological manifestations. The first group includes:

The group of psychological reasons include:

Hysteria with falling on the floor, sobbing and convulsions.
The development of irritability.
Prolonged depression.

You should consult a doctor even at the first signs of the disease. Untimely assistance causes a gradual progression of the pathology.

Diagnosis and treatment of neuroses in children

Depending on the rate of development of symptoms, as well as violations of the functioning of various organs and systems, the tactics of selecting studies is determined. These include:

The study of genetic predisposition, heredity of patients with repeated cases of the disease in the family.
Determination of the psychological microclimate in the family.
A doctor's conversation with a child to suggest the cause, underlying fears and other pathological conditions that can serve as a sign of the disease.

If necessary, additional methods can be used to confirm or, conversely, exclude the presence of neurosis.

The treatment of neurosis in children can present a problem due to the difficulty of choosing the best method. There are several main areas:

psychological assistance, work with a psychotherapist;
prescribing medications;
massage, acupuncture;
color therapy or aromatherapy.

Treatment of childhood neurosis should be carried out according to an individual scheme, if necessary, it is worth involving the patient's close circle of relatives or friends in working with a specialist. Medicines are used with extreme caution in case of severe mental disorders. They are most commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of neurosis in an adolescent with a history of suicidal tendencies.

Therapy begins with the correction of the family situation. To do this, the psychologist, together with the parents, analyzes the most typical mistakes that patients face. They try to completely eliminate quarrels, increase the time for joint leisure and conversations.

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Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children is carried out with the help of psychotherapy, as well as various kinds of relieving nervous tension. The most effective methods are massage or acupuncture.

At the first signs of the development of neurosis in children or adolescents, it is necessary to seek help from specialists. Only they will help you choose the best method for correcting the condition and eliminating its cause. Untimely assistance leads to severe mental disorders.