Causes of obsessive-compulsive neurosis
There is no consensus on the causes of the disease. There are several versions explaining the occurrence of pathology.
The likelihood of this neurosis occurring is higher in people whose close relatives suffered from this disorder. In addition, the condition is often observed in children whose parents suffered from alcoholic psychosis, tuberculous meningitis, or epileptic seizures.
The disease in 75% of cases is accompanied by other mental disorders. This condition is often diagnosed in people with manic-depressive psychosis.
The disorder may occur due to disturbances in the functioning of neurotransmitters. If there are disruptions in the production of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, a person experiences obsessive thoughts and ideas.
There is a theory linking the occurrence of a pathological condition with the entry of streptococci into the body. If the antibodies produced destroy the basal ganglia along with pathogenic microorganisms, the human nervous system begins to function incorrectly.
The mechanism of development of obsessive neurosis
It is believed that the main cause of pathology is personal characteristics. The disease appears in people with great impressionability, low self-esteem, and high anxiety. They are often dependent on the opinions of others, do not have independence, and are easily suggestible.
Due to problems with communication in a team, difficult relationships with close relatives, psychological trauma, constant stress, and a nervous breakdown, the thinking of such people becomes narrower, and a thought arises on which they become fixated. Obsessive neurosis develops.
Obsessive states in old and senile age
Although anxiety spectrum disorders, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder, occur in both young and old people, the onset of these mental disorders is more common at an earlier age. However, if we talk about obsessive states in general, we still cannot say that they are more characteristic of young people.
This point of view was also shared by E.S. Averbukh (1969), who, contrary to the opinion of most psychiatrists, believed that obsessive thoughts are even more common in later life than in young patients (14.7% and 8.4%, respectively). The author explained these data by the fact that in old age, especially in the presence of vascular pathology, the mobility of neuropsychic processes changes. In old age, after 50 years, approximately every fourth patient with depression also has obsessive-compulsive disorder.
According to gerontologists, not all elderly people are conservative and stubborn. Lack of flexibility and adherence to habits is not a sign or attribute of aging. Personality characteristics are of primary importance.
For old age, however, increased anxiety is typical, partly due to vascular factors and personality characteristics, partly due to the difficulty of adapting to changes in conditions and quality of life. Habits here serve self-protection and stability.
In many cases, obsessions manifest themselves against the background of more pronounced personality disorders, which were previously quite typical for patients who turned to a psychiatrist in connection with anxiety disorders and, in particular, about obsessive states only in old age.
Note that with age, acquired somatic diseases, loneliness, and the loss of a loved one contribute to an increase in the level of anxiety.
Hypochondriacal phobias, or rather a tendency to hypochondria in general, distinguish older people; they talk more about their health, visit the doctor more often and call an ambulance, even sometimes without sufficient grounds for this. Doubts about the correctness of taking medications, repeated clarification of medical prescriptions, fear of doing something wrong, discussions with loved ones about the symptoms of their illnesses - this is an incomplete list of manifestations of hypochondriacal variants of obsessive-compulsive states that are typical for gerontological patients. Hypochondriacal symptoms create the basis for the formation of “hypochondriacal egocentrism” (Semke V.Ya., 1974).
Cardiophobia and cancerophobia, accompanied by anxiety-depressive reactions, are most often observed at involutional age.
In some patients, hypochondriacal manifestations are pronounced and fused with the “core” of the personality. In such patients, even at a young and mature age, in the clinical picture of decompensation, hypochondriacal symptoms came to the fore, manifesting themselves in the form of obsessive phobias, a tendency to fixate attention on bodily sensations, and a constantly reduced background mood. In old age, these psychopathological symptoms recur and become more developed, accompanied by pronounced autonomic-endocrine disorders, especially in women. If hypochondriacal symptoms arise for the first time at involutionary age, they seem to transform personal characteristics. Iatrogenesis often becomes a factor triggering this process.
Specific obsessions and phobias are relatively rare here.
For the purpose of differential diagnosis, symptoms of anxiety that arise in the range of neurotic or personality disorders should be distinguished from manifestations of early dementia or depression.
In terms of providing assistance to older people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, we note that social activities are often more effective than psychotherapeutic or drug treatments, which, of course, should not be underestimated when treating such patients.
Symptoms
Repetitive actions are noted. A person is inclined to perform rituals, without which no action can be performed. Constantly checks his own actions. It is possible to constantly think about thoughts about sex, religion, and count numbers in your mind. A person notices obsessive thoughts, often realizes the presence of pathology, and can make attempts to get rid of it on his own. However, it is impossible to recover without the help of a doctor.
In some cases, all obsessive actions occur in the patient’s thoughts without manifesting themselves physically. In this case, inhibition, absent-mindedness, and slowness in performing any tasks are possible.
The severity may vary. With a mild disorder, the person and others may not be aware of the presence of the disease and consider what is happening to be individual characteristics.
In severe cases, a person is susceptible to phobias, due to which he may refuse to leave the room or experience panic fear of any other action. Performance decreases and difficulty concentrating occurs. Unreasonable aggression often appears. Behavior becomes inappropriate.
Obsessive neurosis in children is manifested by capriciousness, tearfulness, and disobedience. The child may lose weight dramatically. The ability to concentrate deteriorates. Fears and repetitive movements appear. The child does not communicate well with other children and prefers to be alone. Complaints of headache are possible. The pathology is often accompanied by involuntary urination.
Hypnosis is a method of getting rid of obsessive thoughts
Hypnosis has been used for a long time to treat many psychological disorders, diseases and addictions. Experienced psychologists and psychotherapists actively use this method to combat smoking and alcoholism. Hypnosis helps to find psychological calm, get rid of depression, obsession and other similar problems. It is worth noting that the session should be carried out only by an experienced specialist, otherwise you may not only not achieve positive results, but also cause significant harm to your health.
Treatment of obsessive states with hypnosis will only have a positive effect when the session is carried out according to all the rules, taking precautions. The very essence of the technique is to immerse a person deep into himself, changing his consciousness. In this case, the person is on the verge between the state of wakefulness and sleep, suggestibility increases, the words of the hypnotist are perceived without criticism, the person simply answers the questions asked. Using hypnosis, a specialist can suggest almost anything to a person.
Treatment of obsessive-compulsive neuroses
To select therapy, you must first consult a neurologist for diagnosis. You also need to visit a psychiatrist. The doctor will make a diagnosis and select appropriate therapy. You should not self-medicate.
The therapy is complex. For obsessive-compulsive neurosis, treatment at home is possible in cases of mild pathology. Severe forms are treated in a clinical setting. The patient will have to seek help from a psychotherapist and take special medications.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used. First, the psychotherapist identifies phobias and obsessive thoughts that the patient has. Then new attitudes are developed that allow the person to cope with fear. The patient can, under the supervision of a psychologist, face a situation that causes him fear in order to understand that it does not pose a threat.
The method of stopping thoughts helps. First, you need to make a list of existing obsessive thoughts, after which the patient is taught to switch to other thoughts.
Other methods are also used. A person needs to undergo a course of individual therapy, during which his problems will be worked out. Hypnosis may be used. Game techniques and art therapy are often used to treat minors.
Drug treatment
Only a doctor can select tablets. You cannot prescribe medications for yourself. The specialist will prescribe the appropriate drug, dosage, duration and regimen.
Antidepressants are used. Third generation drugs that inhibit serotonin reuptake are considered effective. Such medications include Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram. If there is high anxiety, tranquilizers are used. In the chronic form of the pathology, atypical psychotropic drugs are prescribed. In severe cases, hospital treatment may be required.
Supportive treatments
Physical activity helps with obsessive neurosis: special training, gymnastics, exercises. Yoga can be used, special meditative techniques and breathing exercises can be used. A set of exercises should be selected together with your doctor.
Herbal medicine helps. Decoctions of linden, ginseng, chamomile, valerian, and hop cones are effective.
Aromatherapy is used. You need to use soothing scents: lavender, chamomile, geranium, pine needles.
You should add foods containing vitamins E and B, calcium, and magnesium to your diet. These substances have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
Symptoms and treatment
The main symptoms of OCD include the following:
- The predominance of obsessive thoughts that cause increased anxiety in a person
- Fear follows the emergence of obsessive ideas.
- All actions are repeated many times to cope with growing anxiety.
As a rule, in most patients one symptom follows another. Once the cycle comes to an end, the person may experience temporary relief. But after a certain period of time everything happens again.
It is customary to distinguish three forms of the disease:
- Chronic condition (the disease worsens over a couple of months)
- Recurrent (sharp change from exacerbation to remission and vice versa)
- Progressive (the disease is constantly present, the intensity periodically changes).
Symptoms also occur at the physiological level:
- Insomnia
- Periodic dizziness
- Pain in the heart area
- Headache of varying intensity
- Decreased appetite
- High blood pressure
- Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract
- Libido is low.
If the disease is not treated, then over time it becomes chronic in 70% of cases, which is confirmed by statistical data. In addition, most patients experience further progression. Patients diagnosed with OCD can reproduce identical actions for several hours.
Compulsion is the primary stage, during which each patient tries to get rid of the obsessive state as quickly as possible. To suppress fears, a person can perform a number of ritual actions:
- Periodic hand washing
- Wiping surrounding objects
- Checking household appliances for serviceability
- Maintaining strict order when arranging things
- He bites his nails.
A distinctive feature of the disease is the uniformity of a number of actions performed. The higher the anxiety, the more often he performs them. As soon as the entire order is completed, its condition returns to a certain norm. All actions are performed in a certain, established order. In addition, when performing any action, a person understands that they are close to absurdity.
Obsession involves the occurrence of fear in the following order:
- Losing loved ones, relatives and friends
- Become infected with an infectious disease or incurable illness
- Express sexual fantasies
- Aggressive behavior towards others
- Constantly maintaining order.
As a result, a person develops self-doubt. Personality destruction occurs gradually and depends on how active the obsession is.
Phobia is one of the forms of the patient's condition. Pathology is characterized by the fact that a person experiences fear without reason. In addition, they can be presented in the most unexpected variations. Among the most common types are:
- Simple types (fear of spiders, water, harmful microbes)
- Agoraphobia. When a person experiences genuine fear while in an open space. Difficult to treat
- Claustrophobia. Fear of being in enclosed spaces. As a result, panic attacks occur.
In this case, neurosis occurs in a situation where a person is not able to adapt to new conditions.
Comorbidity. A phenomenon where several pathological conditions occur simultaneously. Among the most common are:
- Anorexia or bulimia
- Tourette's or Asperger's syndromes.
Often the disease can be accompanied by a depressive state. In this case, the main provocateur is the memories that a person cannot leave in the past.
To quickly reduce OCD, medications are used as an additional element to psychotherapeutic work. The main goal is to eliminate side symptoms: headaches, dizziness. In practice, the following drugs are used:
- Selective inhibitors. Helps to reuptake serotonin. As a result, the focus of excitation in the brain is eliminated. As a rule, the first positive results appear within a couple of weeks
- Antidepressants. Control the transport of norepinephrine and serotonin. As a result, nerve impulses travel much better. Mianserin is the most common medication. The processes responsible for the release of mediators are improved
- Anticonvulsants. They have a positive effect on the limbic system, the work of the central nervous system is restored.
Forecast and prevention of neurosis
A person rarely recovers completely. Correct therapy can reduce the severity of symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.
To prevent re-development, you need to avoid stressful situations. You need to sleep at least 8 hours and eat healthy foods. Regular walks in the fresh air are beneficial. Close relatives should create a favorable environment at home and support the patient. It is important to communicate with him and pay attention to him.
