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The term "mental disorder" refers to a myriad of different disease states. To learn how to navigate them, to understand their essence, we will use the experience of presenting the doctrine of these disorders, that is, psychiatry, in textbooks intended for specialists.

The study of psychiatry (Greek psyche - soul, iateria - treatment) traditionally begins with the presentation of general psychopathology and only then moves on to private psychiatry. General psychopathology includes the study of symptoms and syndromes (signs) of mental illnesses, since any illness, including mental illness, is, first of all, a combination of its definite manifestations. Private psychiatry gives a description of specific mental illnesses - the causes of their occurrence, mechanisms of development, clinical manifestations, treatment, preventive measures.

Let's consider the main symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders in order of their severity - from mild to more profound.

Asthenic syndrome.

Asthenic syndrome (asthenia) is a widespread condition that is manifested by increased fatigue, exhaustion, and decreased performance. In people with asthenic disorders, weakness, instability of mood are observed, they are characterized by impressionability, sentimentality, tearfulness; they are easy to touch, they are easily irritated, they lose their composure over any little thing. Asthenic conditions are also characterized by frequent headaches, sleep disturbances (it becomes superficial, does not bring rest, during the day there is increased drowsiness).

Asthenia is a nonspecific disorder, i.e. can be observed in almost any mental illness, as well as somatic, in particular after operations, severe infectious diseases, or overwork.

Obsession.

Obsessions are called experiences in which a person, against his will, has any special thoughts, fears, doubts. At the same time, a person recognizes them as his own, they visit him again and again, it is impossible to get rid of them, despite the critical attitude towards them. Obsessive disorders can manifest themselves in the emergence of painful doubts, completely unjustified, and sometimes just ridiculous thoughts, in an irresistible desire to count everything. A person with such disorders can check several times whether he has turned off the light in the apartment, whether he has closed the front door, and as soon as he leaves the house, doubts again take possession of him.

The same group of disorders includes obsessive fears - fear of heights, enclosed spaces, open spaces, travel in transport and many others. Sometimes, in order to relieve anxiety, internal tension, calm down a little, people experiencing obsessive fears and doubts perform certain obsessive actions or movements (rituals). For example, a person with an obsessive fear of contamination can spend hours in the bathroom, repeatedly wash their hands with soap, and if something distracts him, start the whole procedure over and over again.

Affective syndromes.

These mental disorders are the most common. Affective syndromes are manifested by persistent mood changes, more often by a decrease in mood - depression, or an increase - mania. Affective syndromes often occur at the very onset of mental illness. They can remain predominant throughout its duration, but they can become more complex, coexist for a long time with other, more severe mental disorders. When the disease progresses back, depression and mania are often the last to disappear.

Speaking of depression, we primarily mean the following manifestations of it.

  1. Decreased mood, feelings of depression, depression, melancholy, in severe cases felt physically as heaviness, or chest pain. This is an extremely painful condition for a person.
  2. Decreased mental activity, thoughts become poorer, shorter, vague). A person in this state does not answer questions immediately - after a pause, gives short, monosyllabic answers, speaks slowly, in a low voice. Quite often, patients with depression note that they find it difficult to delve into the meaning of the question asked to them, the essence of what they have read, they complain of a decrease in memory. Such patients find it difficult to make decisions, cannot switch to new activities.
  3. Motor inhibition - patients experience weakness, lethargy, muscle relaxation, talk about fatigue, their movements are slowed down, constrained.

In addition to the above, typical manifestations of depression are:

  • feelings of guilt, ideas of self-accusation, sinfulness;
  • a feeling of despair, hopelessness, impasse, which is very often accompanied by thoughts of death and suicide attempts;
  • daily fluctuations in the state, more often with some relief of well-being by the evening;
  • sleep disturbances superficial, intermittent sleep at night, with early awakenings, anxious dreams, sleep does not bring rest).

Depression can also be accompanied by sweating, tachycardia, fluctuations in blood pressure, a feeling of heat, cold, chilliness, loss of appetite, weight loss, constipation (sometimes symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, belching occur from the digestive system).
Depression is characterized by a high risk of suicide!

Carefully read the text below - it will help you notice the appearance of suicidal thoughts and intentions in a person with depression in time.

In the presence of depression, the possibility of a suicide attempt is indicated by:

  • statements of a sick person about his uselessness, guilt, sin;
  • feeling of hopelessness, meaninglessness of life, unwillingness to make plans for the future;
  • sudden calm after long period anxiety and melancholy;
  • accumulation drugs;
  • a sudden desire to meet old friends, ask for forgiveness from loved ones, put things in order, make a will.

The emergence of suicidal thoughts and intentions is an indication for an immediate visit to a doctor, solving the issue of hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital!

Manias (manic states) are characterized by the following symptoms.

  1. Heightened mood (fun, carelessness, iridescence, unshakable optimism).
  2. Acceleration of the pace of mental activity (the appearance of many thoughts, various plans and desires, ideas of overestimating one's own personality).
  3. Motor excitement, excessive liveliness, mobility, talkativeness, a feeling of excess energy, desire for activity).

For manic states, as well as for depression, sleep disorders are characteristic: usually people with these disorders do not sleep much, but a short sleep is enough for them to feel vigorous and rested. With a mild version of a manic state (the so-called hypomania), a person experiences a rise in creative powers, an increase in intellectual productivity, vitality, and efficiency. He can work hard and sleep little. All events are perceived by him with optimism.

If hypomaiia turns into mania, that is, the condition becomes more severe, increased distraction, extreme instability of attention and, as a result, loss of productivity join the listed manifestations. Often people in a state of mania look lightweight, braggart, their speech is replete with jokes, witticisms, quotes, facial expressions are animated, their face is flushed. During a conversation, they often change their posture, cannot sit still, and actively gesticulate.

The characteristic symptoms of mania are increased appetite, increased sexuality. The behavior of patients is unrestrained, they can establish multiple sexual relationships, commit ill-considered and sometimes ridiculous acts. A cheerful and joyful mood can be replaced by irritability and anger. As a rule, with mania, understanding of the painfulness of one's condition is lost.

Senestopathy.

Senestopathies (Latin sensus - feeling, sensation, pathos - disease, suffering) are the symptoms of mental disorders, manifested by extremely diverse unusual sensations in the body in the form of tingling, burning, twisting, constriction, transfusion, etc., not associated with any disease internal organ. Senestopathies are always unique, not like anything else. The vagueness of these disorders is difficult to characterize. To describe such sensations, patients sometimes use their own definitions ("rustling under the ribs", "squelching in the spleen", "it seems that the head is coming off"). Often, senestopathies are accompanied by thoughts of the presence of some kind of somatic illness, and then we are talking about a hypochondriac syndrome.

Hypochondriac syndrome.

This syndrome is characterized by persistent concern for their own health, constant thoughts about the presence of a serious progressive and, possibly, incurable somatic disease. People with this disorder present persistent somatic complaints, often interpreting normal or ordinary sensations as manifestations of the disease. Despite the negative results of examinations, the persuasion of specialists, they regularly visit different doctors, insisting on additional serious examinations, repeated consultations. Often, hypochondriacal disorders develop against a background of depression.

Illusions.

When illusions arise, real-life objects are perceived by a person in a changed - erroneous form. Illusory perception can also take place against the background of complete mental health, when it is a manifestation of one of the laws of physics: if, for example, you look at an object under water, it will seem much larger than in reality.

Illusions can also appear under the influence of strong feelings - anxiety, fear. So, at night in the forest, trees can be perceived as some kind of monster. In pathological conditions, real images and objects can be perceived in a bizarrely fantastic form: wallpaper pattern - "worms intertwining", floor lamp shadow - "terrible lizard head", carpet pattern - "wonderful unprecedented landscape".

Hallucinations.

This is the name of a disorder in which a person with a disturbed psyche sees, hears, feels something that does not exist in reality.

Hallucinations are subdivided into auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, general feeling hallucinations (visceral, muscular). However, a combination of them is also possible (for example, a sick person can see a group in his room strangers, hear them talking).

Auditory hallucinations are manifested in the patient's pathological perception of some words, speeches, conversations (verbal hallucinations), as well as individual sounds or noises. Verbal hallucinations can be very different in content - from the so-called hailings, when a sick person hears a voice calling him by name or surname, to whole phrases, conversations involving one or more voices. Patients call verbal hallucinations "voices."

Sometimes the "voices" are imperative in nature - these are the so-called imperative hallucinations, when a person hears an order to be silent, hit, kill someone, harm himself. Such conditions are very dangerous both for the patients themselves and for those around them, and therefore are an indication for serious drug treatment, as well as for special observation and care.

Visual hallucinations can be elementary (in the form of sparks, smoke), or objective. Sometimes the patient sees whole scenes (battlefield, hell). Olfactory hallucinations most often represent an imaginary sensation of unpleasant odors (decay, decay, poisons, some kind of food), less often unfamiliar or pleasant.

Tactile hallucinations occur mainly at a later age, while patients experience burning, itching, biting, pain, other sensations, and touching the body. The text below lists the signs by which one can determine or at least suspect the presence of auditory and visual hallucinatory disorders in a sick person.

Signs of auditory and visual hallucinations.

  • conversations with oneself, reminiscent of a conversation, for example, emotional answers to some questions);
  • unexpected laughter for no reason;
  • anxious and worried look;
  • Difficulty concentrating on a topic of conversation or a specific task
  • a person listens to something or sees something that you cannot see.

Delusional disorders.

According to experts, such violations are among the main signs of psychosis. Determining what nonsense is is not an easy task. In these disorders, even psychiatrists often disagree in assessing the patient's condition.

The following signs of delirium are distinguished:

  1. It is based on wrong conclusions, wrong judgments, false belief.
  2. Delirium always arises on a painful basis - it is always a symptom of a disease.
  3. Delirium does not lend itself to correction or dissuasion from the outside, despite the obvious contradiction with reality, a person with delusional disorder is fully convinced of the reliability of his erroneous ideas.
  4. Delusional beliefs are extremely important for the patient, one way or another, determine his actions and behavior.

Delusional ideas are extremely diverse in their content. These could be ideas:

  • persecution, poisoning, exposure, property damage, witchcraft, corruption, accusation, jealousy;
  • self-deprecation, self-blame, hypochondriacal, denial;
  • inventiveness, high origin, wealth, greatness;
  • amorous, erotic delirium.

Delusional disorders are also ambiguous in their form. The so-called interpretive delusion is distinguished, in which the evidence of the main delusional idea is one-sided interpretations of everyday events and facts. This is a rather persistent disorder, when the reflection of cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena is disturbed in a sick person. Such nonsense is always logically justified in its own way. A person suffering from this form of delirium can endlessly prove their case, give a lot of arguments, and debate. The content of interpretive delusion can reflect all human feelings and experiences.

Another form of delirium is sensual, or figurative delirium, which occurs against the background of anxiety, fear, confusion, pronounced mood disorders, hallucinations, and disturbances of consciousness. Such delirium is observed in acutely developed painful conditions. In this case, when delirium is formed, there are no proofs, logical premises, everything around is perceived in a special - "delusional" way.

Often the development of the syndrome of acute sensory delirium is preceded by such phenomena as derealization and depersonalization. Derealization is the feeling of a change in the surrounding world, when everything around is perceived as "unreal", "adjusted", "artificial", depersonalization is a feeling of a change in one's own personality. Patients with depersonalization describe themselves as "having lost their own face", "stupid", "having lost the fullness of their feelings."

Catatonic syndromes.

This is how conditions are defined in which disorders in the motor sphere predominate: lethargy, stupor (Latin stupor - numbness, immobility) or, on the contrary, excitement. With catatonic stupor, muscle tone is often increased. This state is characterized by complete immobility, as well as complete silence, refusal to speak. A person can freeze in the most unusual, uncomfortable position - stretching out his arm, lifting one leg, with his head raised above the pillow.

The state of catatonic excitement is characterized by randomness, lack of focus, repetition of individual movements, which can be accompanied either by complete silence or by shouting out individual phrases or words. Catatonic syndromes can also be noted with a clear consciousness, which indicates the great severity of the disorders, and be accompanied by a clouding of consciousness. In the latter case, we are talking about a more favorable course of the disease.

Clouding syndromes.

These conditions are found not only in mental disorders, but also in severe somatic patients. With a clouding of consciousness, the perception of the environment becomes difficult, contact with the outside world is broken.

There are several syndromes of confusion. They are characterized by a number of common features.

  1. Detachment from the outside world. Patients are not able to realize what is happening, as a result of which their contact with others is disturbed.
  2. Violation of orientation in time, place, situation and in one's own personality.
  3. Thinking disorder - loss of the ability to think correctly, logically. The incoherence of thinking is sometimes noted.
  4. Memory impairment. During the period of clouding of consciousness, assimilation is disturbed new information and reproduction of the available one. After leaving the state of disturbed consciousness, the patient may experience partial or complete amnesia (memory) of the transferred state.

Each of the listed symptoms can occur in different mental disorders, and only their combination allows us to speak of clouding of consciousness. These symptoms are reversible. When consciousness is restored, they disappear.

Dementia (dementia).

Dementia is called a deep impoverishment of all mental activity of a person, a persistent decrease in all intellectual functions. With dementia, the ability to acquire new knowledge, its practical use, deteriorates (and sometimes is completely lost), and adaptability to the surrounding world is impaired.

Experts distinguish between acquired intellectual pathology (dementia, or dementia), which develops as a result of the progression of certain mental illnesses, and congenital (mental retardation, or dementia).

Summarizing the above, we note that this lecture provides information on the most common symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders. It will help the reader to better understand what specific mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, neuroses, are.


E.G. Rytik, E.S. Akimkina
"The main symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders".

Sometimes it seems that a loved one has gone crazy.

Or it starts to go down. How to determine that "the roof has gone" and did not seem to you?

In this article, you will learn about 10 main symptoms of mental disorders.

There is a joke among the people: "There are no mentally healthy people, there are under-examined people." This means that individual signs of mental disorders can be found in the behavior of any person, and the main thing is not to fall into a manic search for appropriate symptoms from others.

And the point is not even that a person can become dangerous to society or himself. Some mental disorders arise as a consequence of organic brain damage that requires immediate treatment. Delay can cost a person not only mental health, but also life.

Some symptoms, on the contrary, are sometimes regarded by others as manifestations of bad character, licentiousness or laziness, when in fact they are manifestations of the disease.

In particular, depression is not considered by many to be a disease requiring serious treatment. “Pull yourself together! Stop whining! You are weak, you should be ashamed! Stop digging into yourself and everything will pass! " - this is how relatives and friends admonish the patient. And he needs the help of a specialist and long-term treatment, otherwise he will not get out.

The onset of senile dementia or early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can also be mistaken for age-related decline in intelligence or a bad temper, but in fact it is time to start looking for a caregiver to look after the patient.

How to determine whether it is worth worrying about a relative, colleague, friend?

Signs of a mental disorder

This condition can accompany any mental disorder and many of the somatic diseases. Asthenia is expressed in weakness, low efficiency, mood swings, increased sensitivity. The person starts crying easily, instantly becomes irritated and loses self-control. Often, asthenia is accompanied by sleep disturbances.

Obsessive states

A wide range of obsessions includes many manifestations: from constant doubts, fears that a person is not able to cope with, to an irresistible desire for purity or performing certain actions.

Under the power of an obsessive state, a person can return home several times to check whether he turned off the iron, gas, water, or closed the door with a key. The obsessive fear of an accident can lead the patient to perform certain rituals that the sufferer believes can ward off trouble. If you notice that your friend or relative washes their hands for hours, have become overly squeamish and are always afraid of contracting something, this is also an obsession. The desire not to step on cracks in the asphalt, tile joints, avoidance of certain types of transport or people in clothes of a certain color or type is also an obsessive state.

Mood changes

Melancholy, depression, a desire for self-accusations, talking about one's own worthlessness or sinfulness, about death can also turn out to be symptoms of the disease. You should also pay attention to other manifestations of inadequacy:

  • Unnatural frivolity, carelessness.
  • Foolishness, not typical of age and character.
  • A euphoric state, optimism that has no basis.
  • Fussiness, talkativeness, inability to concentrate, confused thinking.
  • Heightened self-esteem.
  • Projection.
  • Strengthening sexuality, extinction of natural modesty, inability to restrain sexual desires.

You have cause for concern if your loved one begins to complain about unusual sensations in the body. They can be extremely unpleasant or just annoying. These are sensations of squeezing, burning, stirring "something inside", "rustling in the head." Sometimes such sensations can be the result of very real somatic diseases, but often senestopathies indicate the presence of a hypochondriac syndrome.

Hypochondria

It is expressed in manic concern about the state of one's own health. Examinations and test results may indicate the absence of diseases, but the patient does not believe and requires more and more examinations and serious treatment. A person speaks almost exclusively about his state of health, does not get out of clinics and demands to be treated like a patient. Hypochondria often goes hand in hand with depression.

Illusions

Illusions and hallucinations should not be confused. Illusions force a person to perceive real objects and phenomena in a distorted form, while in hallucinations, a person feels something that does not really exist.

Examples of illusions:

  • the pattern on the wallpaper looks like a plexus of snakes or worms;
  • the sizes of objects are perceived in a distorted form;
  • the sound of raindrops on the windowsill seems to be the careful steps of someone terrible;
  • the shadows of the trees turn into terrible creatures, crawling with frightening intentions, etc.

If outsiders may not even guess about the presence of illusions, then the susceptibility to hallucinations may manifest itself more noticeably.

Hallucinations can affect all senses, that is, be visual and auditory, tactile and gustatory, olfactory and general, and also be combined in any combination. To the patient, everything that he sees, hears and feels seems completely real. He may not believe that all this is not felt, heard, or seen by others. He can perceive their bewilderment as a conspiracy, deception, mockery, be annoyed that they do not understand him.

With auditory hallucinations, a person hears all sorts of noises, scraps of words or coherent phrases. "Voices" can give commands or comment on every action of the patient, laugh at him or discuss his thoughts.

Gustatory and olfactory hallucinations often produce a sensation of an unpleasant property: an offensive taste or odor.

With tactile hallucinations, it seems to the patient that someone is biting, touching, strangling him, that insects are crawling on him, that some creatures are invading his body and there they move or eat the body from the inside.

Outwardly, susceptibility to hallucinations is expressed in conversations with an invisible interlocutor, sudden laughter or constant intense listening to something. The patient can shake something off of himself all the time, scream, examine himself with a preoccupied look, or ask others if they see something on his body or in the surrounding space.

Rave

Delusional states often accompany psychosis. Delirium is based on erroneous judgments, and the patient stubbornly maintains his false conviction, even if there are obvious contradictions with reality. Delusional ideas acquire an overvalue, a significance that determines all behavior.

Delusional disorders can be expressed in an erotic form, or in a conviction in their great mission, in descent from a noble family or aliens. The patient may think that someone is trying to kill or poison him, rob or kidnap him. Sometimes the development of a delusional state is preceded by a feeling of unreality of the surrounding world or one's own personality.

Gathering or excessive generosity

Yes, any collector can be suspicious. Especially in cases where gathering becomes an obsession, dominates a person's entire life. This can be expressed in the desire to lug things found in the garbage into the house, to accumulate food, not paying attention to the expiration dates, or to pick up stray animals in quantities that exceed the ability to provide them with normal care and proper maintenance.

The desire to give away all of their property, excessive squandering can also be regarded as a suspicious symptom. Especially in the case when the person was not previously distinguished by generosity or altruism.

There are people who are unsociable and uncommunicative by virtue of their character. This is normal and should not raise suspicion of schizophrenia or other mental disorders. But if a born cheerful person, the soul of the company, a family man and a good friend suddenly begins to destroy social ties, becomes unsociable, shows coldness towards those who were dear to him until recently, this is a reason for concern about his mental health.

A person becomes sloppy, ceases to take care of himself, in society he may begin to behave shockingly - to commit acts that are considered indecent and unacceptable.

What to do?

It is very difficult to make the right decision in the event that there are suspicions of a mental disorder in someone close to you. Perhaps the person is just having a difficult period in life, and his behavior has changed for this very reason. Things will get better - and everything will return to normal.

But it may turn out that the symptoms you notice are a manifestation of a serious medical condition that needs to be treated. In particular, oncological diseases of the brain in most cases lead to one or another mental disorder. Delay in starting treatment can be fatal in this case.

Other diseases need to be treated in time, but the patient himself may not notice the changes occurring to him, and only loved ones will be able to influence the state of affairs.

However, there is another option: the tendency to see potential patients in a psychiatric clinic in everyone around them can also turn out to be a mental disorder. Before calling an ambulance for a neighbor or relative, try to analyze your own condition. What if you have to start with yourself? Remember the joke about the under-examined?

"There is a grain of a joke in every joke" ©

When observing signs of mental illness, one should pay attention to the patient's appearance: how he is dressed, whether the style of clothing corresponds to age, gender, season, whether he follows his appearance and hairstyle.

If this is a woman - whether she uses cosmetics, jewelry and how she uses it - excessively or moderately, discreetly or loudly, pretentiously. The expression on the face - mournful, angry, enthusiastic, wary, and the expression in the eyes - dull, matte, "luminous", joyful, "sparkling" can tell a lot. Each emotion, each state of mind has its own external expression with numerous shades and transitions, you just need to be able to discern them. It is necessary to pay attention to the patient's posture and gait, demeanor, posture in which he stands, sits and lies.

Attention should also be paid to how the mentally ill reacts to contact with: benevolently, obsequiously, dismissively, arrogantly, aggressively, negatively. He bursts into the room, sits down on a chair without invitation, lounging, throwing his legs over his legs, sets the conditions on which he agrees to be treated, or, entering the office, modestly shifts from foot to foot. When he sees a doctor, he jumps out of bed and runs down the corridor to say hello to him, or turns to the wall during a round. Answers the doctor's questions in detail, trying not to miss the smallest detail, or answers in monosyllables, reluctantly.

Several observation techniques can be distinguished. Observation during a conversation with a mentally ill person. It allows us to note the peculiarities of the patient's response to the doctor's questions, his reaction to the disease, to the fact of hospitalization. Observation in an artificially created situation, for example, in a situation of “free choice of actions”, when the doctor, sitting in front of the patient, does not ask him about anything, giving the patient the opportunity to ask questions himself, make complaints, express his thoughts, move freely around the office. Observation in a natural situation, when the patient does not know that he is being monitored. This type of observation is used in a psychiatric hospital, and not only a doctor, but also nurses, orderlies must own it. It is acceptable when visiting a patient at home, in the workshop of medical and labor workshops.

By monitoring the patient's condition and signs of his mental illness, one can, for example, distinguish an epileptic seizure from a hysterical one, pathological intoxication from a simple one. It should be noted that in child psychiatry, observation is sometimes the only method for identifying mental pathology, since in a child, due to the rudimentary nature of mental disorders, their lack of awareness and verbalization, questioning does not always lead to obtaining the necessary information.

Observing a mentally ill person for a certain time, paying attention, say, to the severity of catatonic symptoms, signs of delirium, a mask of depression, the doctor can assume the nature of the dynamics of the painful state and evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy.

If a mentally ill with a serious chronic illness, previously unkempt, comes to an appointment in clean and neat clothes, then one might think that the process of social adaptation in this case is going well.

To emphasize the importance of observation for the diagnosis of mental illness, here are brief indications of mental illness as examples.

Hallucinations

The behavior of a mentally ill person with hallucinations depends on the nature of hallucinatory experiences: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, true, false, as well as on the severity of their manifestation. With visual hallucinations, it seems that the patient is peering into something. He can point to the location of hallucinatory images, discuss with those present the details of visual deceptions, comment on them. The presence of visual hallucinations can be evidenced by an attentive, gaze of the patient in a certain direction, where there are no real objects, as well as his lively facial expressions, permeated with surprise and curiosity. If the hallucinations are pleasant to the patient, the facial expressions of pleasure are visible on his face, if they are of a frightening nature - the facial expressions of horror, fear.

If a mentally ill person has auditory hallucinations, then he listens, puts his hand to his ear to hear better, asks those around him to speak more quietly, or, on the contrary, plugs his ears, covers his head with a blanket. He can mumble something, out of connection with the situation, pronounce phrases that have the character of questions, answers. He can, "having heard" the call, go to open the door or pick up the telephone receiver.

With olfactory hallucinations, the patient feels non-existent odors, plugs his nose or sniffs, scandal with neighbors, believing that they are letting gases into his room, or, in order to get rid of odors, exchanges an apartment.

A patient with gustatory hallucinations, feeling a persistent, unpleasant taste in his mouth, often spits out, rinses his mouth with water, interpreting them as manifestations of a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, often seeks help from a therapist. Refusal to eat is characteristic of olfactory and gustatory hallucinations.

Skin scratching may indicate tactile hallucinations.

In true hallucinations, the mentally ill is emotional, his behavior is largely determined by hallucinatory experiences, their content he often discusses with others. With pseudo-hallucinations, the patient's behavior is more monotonous, monotonous, the facial expression is hypomimic, detached, thoughtful, the patient seems to be immersed in himself, in his thoughts, and speaks reluctantly about his experiences.

In acute hallucinosis, the patient is uncritical of hallucinatory experiences and, without hesitation, follows the orders of the "voices". With chronic hallucinosis, a critical attitude may appear and with it the ability to control their actions. For example, a patient, having felt the deterioration of his condition, comes to the appointment of a doctor himself.

Rave

The appearance and behavior of a mentally ill person with delusional experiences is determined by the plot of delusion. A patient with delirium of jealousy behaves suspiciously of the object of jealousy, watches him, clocks the time of his leaving and his arrival from home, arranges checks, interrogations.

A patient with a delusion of invention tries to implement his inventions, writes letters to various authorities on which the recognition of his ideas depends, abandons his main work, does not admit the thought that his inventions are absurd or plagiarized.

Delirium of persecution makes the patient alert, suspicious. The patient hides from his "pursuers", hides, sometimes, defending himself, attacks.

Patients with hypochondriacal delirium are often found in the practice of internist doctors. They persistently seek medical and surgical interventions in connection with the existing, in their opinion, incurable disease. Patients with dysmorphomania syndrome are found in the practice of dentists and, demanding to correct this or that imaginary defect in the face or eliminate the disease that is allegedly the cause of bad breath.

Manic state

Manic agitation is characterized by a desire for activity. The patient is constantly busy with something. He takes part in cleaning the premises, recites poetry, sings songs, organizes "amateur performances", helps the orderlies to feed the weakened patient. His energy is inexhaustible, his mood is elevated, joyful. He interferes in all matters, takes on any work, but does not complete it, switching to new activities.

Depression

With depression, the face and eyes acquire a characteristic expression of sadness and grief. The forehead cuts through a deep fold (Delta melancholic), the corners of the mouth are lowered, the pupils are dilated. The head is down. The patient usually sits on the edge of a chair or bed in a hunched position.

Catatonic excitement

Catatonic excitement can have the character of bewildered-pathetic excitement with pretentiousness, mannerism, negativism (meaningless opposition: they give food - he turns away; when he tries to take away food, there is enough of it). The patient's movements do not constitute a complete meaningful action, but acquire the character of motor automatisms, stereotypes, become impulsive, incomprehensible to others. Often there is unmotivated laughter, echolalia, echopraxia, yakation, aimless running in a circle (dressage running), monotonous jumps.

Hebephrenic arousal

Hebephrenic arousal is manifested by the following signs: pronounced motor restlessness with elements of euphoria and foolishness, rude clownism. Patients take unusual postures, make senseless grimaces, grimace, mimic others, tumble, get naked, sometimes their movements resemble those of animals. At the height of impulsive excitement, they can show senseless rage: they scatter food, violently resist an attempt to feed them, give medicine.

Catatonic stupor

Signs of catatonic stupor - the mentally ill becomes silent (mutism), immobilized. He has increased muscle tone. You can find such manifestations of catatonic stupor, as symptoms of a cogwheel, proboscis, waxy flexibility, embryo, air cushion. The skin becomes greasy.

The article was prepared and edited by: surgeon

Content

Mental disorders are invisible to the naked eye, and therefore very insidious. They significantly complicate the life of a person when he does not even suspect that there is a problem. Experts who study this aspect of the boundless human nature argue that many of us have mental disorders, but does this mean that every second inhabitant of our planet needs to be treated? How to understand that a person is really sick and needs qualified help? You will get answers to these and many other questions by reading the subsequent sections of the article.

What is a mental disorder

The concept of "mental disorder" covers a wide range of deviations of a person's mental state from the norm. The internal health problems in question should not be taken as a negative manifestation. negative side human personality. Like any physical illness, a mental disorder is a violation of the processes and mechanisms of perception of reality, due to which certain difficulties are created. People faced with such problems do not adapt well to real life conditions and do not always interpret what is happening correctly.

Symptoms and signs of mental disorders

Typical manifestations of mental disorder include behavioral / mood / thinking disorders that go beyond generally accepted cultural norms and beliefs. As a rule, all symptoms are dictated by a depressed state of mind. At the same time, a person loses the ability to fully perform the usual social functions. The general spectrum of symptoms can be divided into several groups:

  • physical - pain in various parts of the body, insomnia;
  • cognitive - difficulties in thinking clearly, memory impairment, unjustified pathological beliefs;
  • perceptual - states in which the patient notices phenomena that other people do not notice (sounds, movement of objects, etc.);
  • emotional - a sudden feeling of anxiety, sadness, fear;
  • behavioral - unjustified aggression, inability to perform elementary self-care activities, abuse of mentally active drugs.

The main causes of diseases in women and men

The etiology aspect of this category of diseases is not fully understood, therefore, modern medicine cannot clearly describe the mechanisms that cause mental disorders. Nevertheless, a number of reasons can be distinguished, the connection of which with mental deviations has been scientifically proven:

  • stressful life conditions;
  • difficult family circumstances;
  • brain diseases;
  • hereditary factors;
  • genetic predisposition;
  • medical problems.

In addition, experts identify a number of special cases, which are specific deviations, conditions or incidents, against the background of which serious mental disorders develop. The factors that will be discussed are often found in Everyday life, and therefore can lead to a deterioration in the mental health of people in the most unforeseen situations.

Alcoholism

Systematic alcohol abuse often leads to mental disorders. The body of a person suffering from chronic alcoholism constantly contains a large number of breakdown products of ethyl alcohol, which cause major changes in thinking, behavior and mood. In this regard, there are dangerous mental disorders, including:

  1. Psychosis. Mental disorder due to a violation of metabolic processes in the brain. The toxic effect of ethyl alcohol overshadows the patient's mind, but the consequences appear only a few days after the cessation of use. A person is possessed by a feeling of fear or even a persecution mania. In addition, the patient may have all sorts of obsessions associated with the fact that someone wants to cause him physical or mental harm.
  2. Delirium tremens. A common post-alcoholic mental disorder arising from profound metabolic disturbances in all organs and systems of the human body. Delirium tremens is manifested in sleep disorders and seizures. The listed phenomena, as a rule, appear 70-90 hours after the cessation of alcohol consumption. The patient shows sudden mood swings from carefree fun to terrible anxiety.
  3. Rave. A mental disorder, called delirium, is expressed in the patient's appearance of unshakable judgments and conclusions that do not correspond to objective reality. In a state of delirium, a person's sleep is disturbed and photophobia appears. The boundaries between sleep and reality become blurred, the patient begins to confuse one with the other.
  4. Hallucinations are vivid representations, pathologically brought to the degree of perception of real-life objects. The patient begins to feel that the people and objects around him are swaying, rotating or even falling. The sense of the passage of time is distorted.

Brain trauma

When a person receives mechanical trauma to the brain, a whole range of serious mental disorders can develop. As a result of damage to the nerve centers, complex processes are triggered, leading to clouding of consciousness. After such cases, the following disorders / conditions / diseases often occur:

  1. Twilight states. They are celebrated, as a rule, in the evening hours. The victim becomes drowsy, delirium appears. In some cases, a person may plunge into a state similar to a stupor. The patient's consciousness is filled with all sorts of pictures of excitement, which can cause appropriate reactions: from psychomotor disorder to brutal affect.
  2. Delirium. A serious mental disorder in which a person has visual hallucinations. So, for example, a person injured in a car accident can see moving vehicles, groups of people and other objects associated with carriageway... Mental disturbances plunge the patient into a state of fear or anxiety.
  3. Oneyroid. A rare form of mental disorder in violation of the nerve centers of the brain. Expressed in immobility and mild drowsiness. For a while, the patient may be chaotically excited, and then freeze again without movement.

Somatic diseases

Against the background of somatic diseases, the human psyche suffers very, very seriously. Violations appear that are almost impossible to get rid of. Below is a list of mental disorders that medicine considers to be the most common in somatic disorders:

  1. Asthenic neurosis-like state. A mental disorder in which a person exhibits hyperactivity and talkativeness. The patient systematically experiences phobic disorders, often falls into short-term depression. Fears, as a rule, are clear-cut and do not change.
  2. Korsakov's syndrome. A disease that is a combination of memory impairment regarding current events, disorientation in space / terrain and the appearance of false memories. A serious mental disorder that cannot be treated with methods known in medicine. The patient constantly forgets about the events that have just happened, often repeats the same questions.
  3. Dementia A terrible diagnosis that stands for acquired dementia. This mental disorder often occurs in people aged 50-70 years with somatic problems. Dementia is diagnosed in people with cognitive impairment. Somatic disorders lead to irreparable abnormalities in the brain. At the same time, the mental sanity of a person does not suffer. Find out more about how the treatment is carried out, what is the life expectancy with this diagnosis.

Epilepsy

Almost all people with epilepsy have mental disorders. Disorders arising against the background of this disease can be paroxysmal (single) and permanent (permanent). The cases of mental disorders listed below are found in medical practice more often than others:

  1. Mental seizures. Medicine distinguishes several types of this disorder. All of them are expressed in abrupt changes in the patient's mood and behavior. A mental seizure in a person with epilepsy is accompanied by aggressive movements and loud screams.
  2. Transient (transient) mental disorder. Long-term deviations of the patient's condition from normal. A transient disorder of the psyche is a prolonged mental seizure (described above), aggravated by a state of delusion. It can last from two to three hours to a whole day.
  3. Epileptic mood disorders. As a rule, such mental disorders are expressed in the form of dysphoria, which is characterized by a simultaneous combination of anger, melancholy, unreasonable fear and many other sensations.

Malignant tumors

The development of malignant tumors often leads to changes in the psychological state of a person. With the growth of formations on the brain, pressure increases, which causes serious abnormalities. In this state, patients experience unreasonable fears, delusional phenomena, melancholy and many other focal symptoms. All this may indicate the presence of the following psychological disorders:

  1. Hallucinations. They can be tactile, olfactory, auditory, and gustatory. Such abnormalities are usually found in the presence of tumors in the temporal lobes of the brain. Often, vegetative-visceral disorders are revealed along with them.
  2. Affective disorders. Such mental disorders in most cases are observed with tumors localized in the right hemisphere. In this regard, attacks of horror, fear and melancholy develop. Emotions caused by a violation of the structure of the brain are displayed on the patient's face: the expression of the face and skin color changes, the pupils narrow and dilate.
  3. Memory impairment. With the appearance of this deviation, signs of Korsakov's syndrome appear. The patient gets confused about the events that have just happened, asks the same questions, loses the logic of events, etc. In addition, in this state, a person's mood often changes. Within a few seconds, the patient's emotions can switch from euphoric to dysphoric, and vice versa.

Vascular diseases of the brain

Violations of the circulatory system and blood vessels instantly affect the mental state of a person. With the onset of diseases associated with an increase or decrease in blood pressure, brain functions deviate from the norm. Serious chronic disorders can lead to the development of extremely dangerous mental disorders, including:

  1. Vascular dementia. This diagnosis means dementia. In terms of its symptoms, vascular dementia resembles the consequences of some somatic disorders manifested in old age. Creative thought processes in this state are almost completely extinguished. A person closes in on himself and loses the desire to maintain contact with anyone.
  2. Cerebrovascular psychoses. The genesis of this type of mental disorder is not fully understood. At the same time, medicine confidently names two types of cerebrovascular psychosis: acute and protracted. The acute form is expressed by episodes of confusion, twilight clouding of consciousness, delirium. For a protracted form of psychosis, a state of stunnedness is characteristic.

What are mental disorders

Mental disorders in people can occur regardless of gender, age and ethnicity. The mechanisms of development of mental illness are not fully understood, therefore, medicine refrains from specific statements. However, on this moment the relationship between some mental illness and age is clearly established. Each age has its own common deviations.

In older people

In old age, against the background of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, heart / kidney failure and bronchial asthma, many mental abnormalities develop. Senile mental illness includes:

  • paranoia;
  • dementia;
  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • marasmus;
  • Pick's disease.

Types of mental disorders in adolescents

Adolescent mental illness is often associated with past adversity. Over the past 10 years, the following mental disorders have often been recorded among young people:

  • prolonged depression;
  • bulimia nervosa;
  • anorexia nervosa;
  • drancorexia.

Features of diseases in children

Serious mental disorders can also occur in childhood. The reason for this is, as a rule, problems in the family, wrong methods of upbringing and conflicts with peers. The list below lists the mental disorders that are most often recorded in children:

  • autism;
  • Down syndrome;
  • attention deficit disorder;
  • mental retardation;
  • developmental delays.

Which doctor to contact for treatment

Mental abnormalities are not treated on their own, therefore, if the slightest suspicion of mental disorders appears, an urgent appeal to a psychotherapist is required. A conversation between a patient and a specialist will help to quickly identify the diagnosis and choose an effective treatment strategy. Almost all mental illnesses are curable if treated in time. Remember this and do not be delayed!

Mental Illness Treatment Videos

The video attached below contains a lot of information about modern methods of dealing with mental disorders. The information received will be useful for everyone who is ready to take care of the mental health of their loved ones. Listen to the words of experts to break down stereotypes about inadequate approaches to dealing with mental disorders and find out the real medical truth.

Types of mental disorders

While many people think mental illness is rare, it is actually not. About 54 million Americans experience mental health problems or illnesses each year. Mental health disorders affect 1 in 4 people worldwide at some point in their lives. Many of these diseases are treatable with drugs, psychotherapy, but if left unattended, they can easily get out of control. If you think you may be experiencing signs of a mental disorder, seek help from a qualified professional as soon as possible.

Steps

Part 1

Mental illness concept

    Understand that mental illness is not your fault. Society often condemns mental illness and those who suffer from it, and it is easy to believe that the cause of your problem is that you are worthless or not exerting enough effort. It is not true. If you have a mental illness, it is the result of a medical condition, not personal failure or anything else. An experienced healthcare provider or mental health professional should never make you feel like you are at fault for your condition. Neither others, nor yourself are to blame.

    Consider possible biological risk factors. There is no single cause of mental illness, but there are many biological factors that are known to interfere with brain chemistry and contribute to hormonal imbalances.

    • Genetic predisposition. Some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, are deeply related to genetics. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with mental illness, then you may be more susceptible to developing it, simply due to the genetic makeup.
    • Physiological disorder... Injury, such as serious head injury, or exposure to viruses, bacteria, or toxins during fetal development can lead to mental illness. Also, illegal drug and / or alcohol abuse can cause or worsen mental illness.
    • Chronic diseases. Chronic illnesses such as cancer or other long-term illnesses increase the risk of developing mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

  1. Understanding the possible risk factors of the environment. Some mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, are directly related to your personal environment and feelings of well-being. Shocks and lack of stability can cause or worsen mental illness.

    • Difficult life experiences... Extremely emotional and disturbing life situations can cause mental illness in a person. They may concentrate at a moment, such as the loss of a loved one, or protracted, for example, with a history of sexual or physical abuse. Participation in hostilities or as part of an emergency brigade can also contribute to the development of mental illness.
    • Stress... Stress can exacerbate an existing mental disorder and lead to mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. Family quarrels, financial difficulties and problems at work can all be sources of stress.
    • Loneliness... Lack of reliable connections for support, enough friends, and lack of healthy communication contribute to the onset or worsening of a mental disorder.

  2. How to identify warning signs and symptoms. Some mental illnesses start at birth, but others show up over time or rather suddenly. The following are symptoms that can be warning signs of mental illness:

    • Feeling sad or irritable
    • Confusion or disorientation
    • Feelings of apathy or lack of interest
    • Increased anxiety and anger / hostility / cruelty
    • Feelings of fear / paranoia
    • Inability to control emotions
    • Concentration difficulties
    • Difficulty in taking responsibility
    • Seclusion or social exclusion
    • Sleep problems
    • Illusions and / or hallucinations
    • Strange, bombastic or unrealistic ideas
    • Alcohol or drug abuse
    • Significant changes in eating habits or sex drive
    • Suicidal thoughts or plans

  3. Identifying physical warning signs and symptoms. Sometimes physical signs can serve as warning signs of mental illness. If you develop symptoms that persist, seek medical attention. Warning symptoms include:

    • Fatigue
    • Back and / or chest pain
    • Cardiopalmus
    • Dry mouth
    • Digestive problems
    • Headache
    • Excessive sweating
    • Significant changes in body weight
    • Dizziness
    • Serious sleep disturbances

  4. Determine how severe your symptoms are. Many of these symptoms appear in response to everyday events and therefore do not necessarily indicate that you are mentally ill. You should have a reason to worry if they persist and, more importantly, if they negatively affect your daily life functionality. Never be afraid to seek medical attention.

    Make connections for support. It is important for everyone, especially those dealing with mental illness, to have friends who accept and support them. For starters, this can be friends and family. In addition, there are many support groups. Find a support group in your area or online.

    Consider meditation or nurturing self-awareness. While meditation cannot be used as a substitute for expert help and / or medication, it can help manage the symptoms of certain mental illnesses, especially those associated with addiction and drug use or anxiety. Mindfulness and meditation emphasize the importance of acceptance and presence, which can help relieve stress.

    Keep a diary. Keeping a journal of your thoughts and experiences can help you in many ways. By writing down negative thoughts or worries, you can stop focusing on them. Tracking the underlying causes of certain experiences or symptoms can help your treating psychiatrist provide you with optimal treatment. It also allows you to explore your emotions in a safe way.

  5. Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Although diet and exercise cannot prevent mental illness, they can help control your symptoms. For severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, it is especially important to maintain a consistent regimen and get enough sleep.

    • If you have an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or overeating, you may need to be especially careful with your diet and exercise regimen. Check with a healthcare professional to make sure you are eating a healthy diet.