How to recognize mental disorders in a woman. Mental and behavioral disorders. Symptom of mental disorder

Mental disorder is a very frightening phrase that every person is afraid to hear addressed to them. In fact, this term has very wide boundaries, not always mental diagnosis is a sentence. In different contexts (legal, psychiatric, psychological) this concept is interpreted differently. In the ICD-10 list, mental and behavioral disorders are identified as a separate class of diseases and differ according to the clinical picture. The peculiarities of the human psyche have always aroused keen interest among doctors and scientists, especially from the point of view of the border between normality and pathology. The World Health Organization states that every fifth person on the planet suffers from various mental disorders. What types of mental disorders are there? What causes mental disorders?

Etiological differences

The human psyche and brain are so complex that it is still not possible to clearly identify all the causes of mental disorders. The most correct opinion is that such diseases develop due to the complex influence of social, personal and biological reasons. All provoking factors can be divided into two large categories: endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external). Mental disorders of an endogenous nature in to a greater extent associated with genes and heredity. The onset of such diseases usually occurs suddenly, without any obvious environmental influences. TO exogenous factors include various neuroinfections, stressful situations, intoxication, psychological trauma received in the process of personality formation. Mental disorders due to brain injury or vascular disorders are also a consequence of the influence of external causes. Sometimes it happens that the mere tendency to certain mental illnesses does not guarantee their occurrence. However, it is various external factors and mental characteristics that can ultimately work as a trigger.

The first symptoms of mental disorders

How do you understand that something is wrong with your psyche? When should you definitely contact a specialist? Any psychical deviations can be recognized by characteristic features even on the most early stage diseases. These include violations of the thought process, normal mood, as well as behavioral deviations that go beyond the boundaries of the concept of social norms and beliefs. Symptoms of mental disorders almost always negatively affect a person's family and professional life, interfere with daily functioning, and cause depression.

What do the signs of a mental disorder look like from the outside? For example, a person may hear or see something that does not exist, a tendency toward aggression, various abuses, or other reactions that were previously unusual for him or her may appear in behavior. At the cognitive level, difficulties in thinking clearly and logically become noticeable, and memory problems appear. The earliest signs of mental disorders include emotional disorders: anxiety, fear, sadness, despondency. Many mental disorders are accompanied by various somatic symptoms. These include problems with sleep, pain, fatigue, etc. If any of the described symptoms interfere with a person’s normal functioning, you should definitely consult a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Types of mental disorders

Since the time of E. Kraepelin (a famous German psychiatrist), it has been customary to divide mental illnesses into groups as nosological units. However, in modern psychiatry, when the boundaries of mental disorders are blurred, it is more important to distinguish them on a syndromological basis.

The international classification ICD-10 includes the following list of mental disorders and behavioral disorders (F00-F99):

• F00-F09 Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders ((dementia, memory impairment and other deviations of mental functions associated with organic brain damage);
• F10-F19 Mental and behavioral disorders associated with the use of psychoactive substances (alcohol and drug addiction and syndromes);
• F20-F29 Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders;
• F30-F39 Mood disorders (affective disorders) (depression, bipolar disorder, manic episodes);
• F40-F48 Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (the entire list of phobias, anxiety and dissociative disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, neuroses);
• F50-F59 Behavioral syndromes associated with physiological disorders and physical factors (disorders eating behavior, sleep, sexual functions);
• F60-F69 Personality and behavior disorders in adulthood (paranoid, schizoid and other psychopathies, various behavioral manias, sexual disorders);
• F70-F79 Mental retardation (oligophrenia);
• F80-F89 Disorders psychological development(speech, motor and other disorders of psychological development);
• F90-F98 Emotional disorders, behavioral disorders that usually begin in childhood and adolescence(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, childhood behavioral disorders, phobias and anxiety disorders);
• F99 Unspecified mental disorders.

Affective disorders

Emotional disorders are perhaps the most common among the entire spectrum of mental illnesses. Especially in recent decades, the number of patients with various depressions has increased many times. This is due to the accelerated pace modern life and a lot of daily stress. It is noteworthy that affective mental disorders are diagnosed in women almost twice as often as in men. The reason lies in the greater tendency of the female half to emotional experiences. The main disorders relate to the sphere of mood, which changes either in the direction of upliftment or depression. It is these symptoms that most clearly affect a person’s level of activity, and all other manifestations are secondary. Emotional disorders can have the character of a single depressive or manic episode, but they can also occur chronically with periodic exacerbations. Severe cases often accompanied by delusional and hallucinatory manifestations. If your altered mood is negatively affecting your performance and daily activities, it is best to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist to prevent the situation from worsening.

Mental disorders that fall into this category are mainly associated with deviations from generally accepted norms in human behavior and lifestyle. Some psychopathic behavioral patterns appear quite early, while others become pronounced in adulthood. People with personality disorders are characterized by a tendency to rigidity (lack of flexibility) of thinking, inability to construct interpersonal relationships and show appropriate feelings. The cause of profound personality changes can be the experience of a strong psychological trauma, a long period tension and stress or other mental disorder. Psychopathy differs from simply sharpened character traits by deeply ingrained patterns of behavior and reactions that manifest themselves in all areas of life, and not just in certain situations. If pathological personality traits disrupt a person’s social adaptation, a course of psychotherapy cannot be avoided.

Neurotic diseases

Neuropsychiatric disorders include all kinds of phobias, panic, anxiety, and dissociative states. Most diseases in this category are caused by psychological reasons and falls under the concept of neurosis. Most pronounced symptom of these disorders is a tendency to anxious feelings. With phobias, these emotions are accompanied by increased fear and become aggravated when a person feels the proximity of the object of his fears. Alarm when panic attacks can sharply intensify without visible external factors. Neurotic conditions in the body they cause reactions in which anxiety manifests itself at the somatic level. A person may feel various pains, nausea, dizziness, his heartbeat quickens, shortness of breath, sweating, and others. discomfort. Anti-anxiety medications and cognitive-behavioral techniques can help combat these conditions.

Symptomatic disorders of organic nature

The human psyche and brain are very closely interconnected, so it is not surprising that various organic damage to brain structures causes characteristic syndromes mental disorders. Most often, brain damage negatively affects memory, learning, intellectual abilities, functions of attention and consciousness. Although in this group of diseases there are also symptomatic mental disorders in which the leading signs are disturbances in the process of perception, the affective sphere, personality and behavioral traits, as well as a disorder of thinking. These include manic, hallucinatory and delusional manifestations caused by various injuries, infections, tumors and vascular damage to brain tissue. And yet, most of all, brain damage affects a person’s memory and intelligence. Therefore, included in this category different kinds dementia and amnestic syndromes, including acquired dementia caused by epilepsy, Pick's disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.

Mental illnesses occurring with psychosis

This group includes schizophrenia, various delusional and schizotypal states, as well as acute polymorphic psychotic disorder. Such diseases are characterized by vivid symptoms, complex mental and affective disorders. Such mental disorders are more common in men. Delusional ideas, eccentric behavior, and emotional outbursts that appear in a person during psychosis clearly indicate mental disorders, which rarely causes controversy in making a diagnosis. Separately, acute polymorphic psychotic disorder should be highlighted. From the name it is clear that in terms of the nature of psychosis it is very similar to schizophrenia, however, it differs in etiology and course. Schizophrenia is an endogenous disease, and polymorphic psychotic disorder always develops due to acute stress and severe emotional shock. It begins suddenly, with a sharp change in behavior and mood, however, it rarely lasts more than three months, and severe psychotic symptoms with adequate treatment decrease after a couple of weeks.

Many, especially endogenous mental disorders often lead to severe and irreversible consequences for a person. These diseases include various forms of schizophrenia, dementia, dementia, and deep depression and congenital mental pathologies that disrupt the natural mechanisms of personality and intelligence formation. Severe mental disorders make a person inadequate and often dangerous to others. However, in most cases such people are on inpatient treatment under the supervision of doctors and are rarely left to their own devices. In such situations, it is extremely important quality treatment using modern drugs and psychotherapeutic techniques. Good care and the support of loved ones make it possible in many cases to achieve a more or less acceptable level of adaptation of such a patient in society.

Attitudes towards mental disorders in society

A rumor about a mental illness in a neighbor or someone you know is frightening and makes you wary. Most people try to avoid contact with patients in psychoneurological clinics due to stereotypical attitudes. However, more often various options mental disorders create more difficulties for the patient himself than for the people around him. Some mental disorders can provoke a tendency towards antisocial behavior, even breaking the law. In this case, the person may be declared insane and sent for compulsory treatment. Even a mental disorder, which does not preclude sanity, serves as a mitigating circumstance in determining the degree of guilt, because the human psyche is a delicate and completely unknown matter. Outdated stereotypes cause complexes in people that do not allow them to openly turn to psychotherapists, while in Western cultures this is normal practice. No one is immune from mental disorders, so you should not ignore psychologists and other specialists who can help cope with psychological problems. Timely request for medical care allows you to avoid severe and irreversible consequences mental disorders.

Refers to a large number various pathological conditions. The appearance, course and outcome of a particular disorder largely depends on the influence of internal and external factors. To understand the essence of the disease - a mental disorder, it is necessary to consider the main signs of pathologies. Further in the article the most popular syndromes will be presented, their description will be described. clinical picture, the characteristic is given.

General information

Psychiatry studies this category. Diagnoses are made based on various factors. Studying, as a rule, begins with an introduction to the general pathological condition. Private psychiatry is then explored. Diagnoses are made after a thorough examination of the patient and identification of the causes that provoked the condition. Based on these data, it is selected required method treatment.

Pathology groups

The importance of endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external) factors is important. It is different for certain violations. On the basis of this, in fact, the classification of mental disorders is carried out. Thus, two broad groups of pathologies are distinguished - endogenous and exogenous. The latter should include disorders provoked by psychogenic factors, exogenous organic brain (vascular, traumatic, infectious) damage, and somatic pathologies. Schizophrenia, mental retardation- These are endogenous mental disorders. The list of these pathologies can also be continued with affective states, senesopathies, and hypochondria.

Separation by etiology

Division by clinical manifestations

Depending on the nature of a particular symptom of a mental disorder, it is classified into one of the existing categories. In particular, neuroses are distinguished. Neurotic is a mental disorder that does not exclude sanity. They are closer to normal states and sensations. They are also referred to as borderline mental disorders. This means that their manifestations can be controlled without the use of radical methods. There is also a group of psychoses. These include pathologies accompanied by severe thinking disorders, delusions, changes in perception, severe inhibition or agitation, hallucinations, inappropriate behavior, and so on. In this case, the patient is not able to distinguish his experiences from reality. Next, we will consider some features of mental disorders of various types.

Asthenic syndrome

This is a fairly common condition. The main symptom of mental disorder is increased fatigue. A person feels a decrease in performance, internal exhaustion. People with mental disorders may behave differently. With asthenia, for example, they are characterized by impressionability, instability of mood, tearfulness, and sentimentality. Such people are very easily moved, they can quickly lose their composure over little things. Asthenia itself can act as a symptom of a mental disorder, which, in turn, accompanies conditions after severe infectious lesions, operations and so on.

Obsessions

These include conditions in which, against the will, some fears, thoughts, doubts appear. People with mental disorders of this type accept all these manifestations as their own. Patients cannot get rid of them, despite a rather critical attitude towards them. Doubt is the most common symptom of this type of mental disorder. So, a person can check several times whether he has turned off the light or closed the door. At the same time, moving away from home, he again feels these doubts. As for obsessive fears - phobias, these are quite common fears of heights, open space or enclosed spaces. In some cases, to calm down a little, remove internal tension and anxiety, people perform certain actions - “rituals”. For example, a person who is afraid of all kinds of pollution may wash his hands several times or sit in the bathroom for hours. If something distracts him during the process, he will start the procedure again.

Affective states

They are quite common. Such conditions manifest themselves in a persistent change in mood, usually a decrease in mood - depression. Affective states are often noted during initial stages mental illnesses. Their manifestations can be observed throughout the pathology. At the same time, they often become more complicated, accompanying acute mental disorders.

Depression

The main symptoms of this condition are considered to be deterioration in mood, the appearance of a feeling of depression, melancholy, and oppression. In some cases, a person may physically feel chest pain or heaviness. This condition is extremely painful. It is accompanied by a decrease in mental activity. A person in this state does not immediately answer questions and gives monosyllabic, short answers. He speaks quietly and slowly. Very often, people with depression note that it is somewhat difficult for them to understand the essence of a question or text, and complain of memory deterioration. They have difficulty making decisions and have difficulty switching from one type of activity to another. People may experience lethargy, weakness, and talk about fatigue. Their movements are constrained and slow. Except listed symptoms, depression is accompanied by feelings of guilt, sinfulness, despair, and hopelessness. This is quite often accompanied by suicide attempts. Some relief of well-being may occur in the evening. As for sleep, with depression it is superficial, with early awakening, with disturbing dreams, and intermittent. The state of depression may be accompanied by tachycardia, sweating, feelings of cold, heat, constipation, and weight loss.

Mania

Manic states manifest themselves by accelerating the pace mental activity. A person has a huge number of thoughts, desires, various plans, ideas of increased self-esteem. In this condition, as during depression, sleep disturbances are noted. People with manic mental disorders sleep very little, but a short period of time is enough for them to feel rested and alert. At mild flow mania, a person feels an increase in creative power, increased intellectual productivity, increased tone and efficiency. He can sleep very little and work a lot. If the condition progresses and becomes more severe, then these symptoms are accompanied by poor concentration, distractibility and, as a result, decreased productivity.

Synestopathies

These conditions are characterized by very different and unusual sensations in the body. In particular, it may be burning, tingling, tightening, twisting, and so on. All these manifestations are in no way related to pathologies internal organs. When describing such sensations, patients often use own definitions: “there was a rustling sound under the ribs,” “it seemed like the head was coming off,” and so on.

Hypochondriacal syndrome

It is characterized by a persistent preoccupation with one's own health. A person is haunted by thoughts of having a very serious, progressive and probably incurable disease. Patients present somatic complaints, presenting ordinary or normal sensations as manifestations of pathology. Despite the doctors' reassurances, negative results tests, people regularly visit specialists and insist on conducting additional, more in-depth studies. Often, hypochondriacal conditions appear against the background of depression.

Illusions

When they appear, a person begins to perceive objects in an erroneous - altered form. Illusions can accompany a person with a normal mental state. For example, a change in an object can be observed if it is placed in water. As for the pathological condition, illusions can appear under the influence of fear or anxiety. For example, in a forest at night, a person may perceive trees as monsters.

Hallucinations

They act as a persistent symptom of many mental disorders. Hallucinations can be auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, visual, muscular, and so on. Often there is a combination of them. For example, a person can not only see strangers indoors, but also to hear their conversation. Patients call verbal hallucinations “voices.” They may have different content. For example, it could be simply calling a person by name or entire sentences, dialogues or monologues. In some cases, the “voices” are imperative. They are called A person can hear orders to kill, remain silent, or harm himself. Such conditions are dangerous not only for the patient himself, but also for those around him. Visual hallucinations can be objective or elementary (in the form of sparks, for example). In some cases, the patient can see entire scenes. Olfactory hallucinations are the sensation unpleasant odor(rotting, some kind of food, decay), less often pleasant or unfamiliar.

Rave

This disorder, according to many experts, is one of the main signs of psychosis. It is quite difficult to define what nonsense is. The conclusions of doctors when assessing the patient’s condition are quite contradictory. There are a number of signs delirious state. First of all, it always appears on a painful basis. Delusion cannot be dissuaded or corrected from the outside, despite a fairly clear contradiction with reality. A person is absolutely convinced of the truthfulness of his thoughts. Delusions are based on erroneous judgments, incorrect conclusions, and false beliefs. These thoughts are of great significance for the patient, and therefore, to one degree or another, determine his behavior and actions. Delusions may be associated with:

Delusional disorders are different various shapes. Thus, interpretive nonsense stands out. In this case, a person uses one-sided interpretations of daily facts and events as evidence. This disorder is considered quite persistent. In this case, the patient’s reflection of the cause-and-effect relationship between events and phenomena is disrupted. This form of delirium always has a logical basis. The patient can endlessly prove something, debate, give reasons. The content of interpretative delirium can reflect all of a person’s experiences and feelings. Another form of this disorder can be figurative or sensory conviction. Such delirium appears due to anxiety or fear, hallucinations. In this case, there are no logical premises or evidence; a person perceives everything around him in a “delusional” way.

Derealization and depersonalization

These phenomena often precede the development of sensory delirium. Derealization is a feeling that the world has changed. Everything that is around a person is perceived by him as “unreal”, “rigged”, “artificial”. Depersonalization manifests itself in a feeling of change in one’s personality. Patients characterize themselves as having “lost face,” “lost the fullness of sensations,” and “become stupid.”

Catatonic syndromes

These conditions are characteristic of disorders motor sphere: or, on the contrary, excitement. IN the latter case repetition, lack of purpose, and randomness of some movements are noted. Moreover, they may be accompanied by shouting of individual words or remarks or silence. The patient may freeze in an awkward, unusual position, such as raising a leg, extending an arm, or raising the head above a pillow. Catatonic syndromes are also observed against the background of clear consciousness. This indicates a greater severity of the disorder. If they are accompanied by confusion, then we can talk about a favorable outcome of the pathology.

Dementia

I also call it dementia. Dementia manifests itself in a deep impoverishment of all mental activity and a persistent decrease in intellectual functions. Against the background of dementia, the ability to learn new knowledge worsens, and in many cases is completely lost. In this case, a person’s adaptability to life is disrupted.

Blackout

Such disorders can occur not only in mental disorders, but also in patients with severe somatic pathologies. Clouding of consciousness is characterized by difficulty in perceiving the environment and a severance of connections with the outside world. Patients are detached and cannot realize what is happening. As a result, their contact with other people is disrupted. In addition, patients have poor orientation in time, in their own personality, in specific situation. People are not able to think logically and correctly. In some cases, incoherent thinking is observed.

Psychosis - serious disorder psyche, such a deep disturbance of the mental, emotional and affective components is considered quite dangerous for patients.

The disease manifests itself in a sharp change in the patient’s behavior, loss of an adequate attitude towards life and others, and a lack of desire to perceive the existing reality. At the same time, they interfere with the awareness of the presence of these very problems; a person cannot eliminate them on his own.

Due to the emotional component, hormonal explosions and susceptibility, other mental disorders occur twice as often in women (7 versus 3%, respectively).

What are the reasons and who is at greatest risk?

The main reasons for the development of psychosis in females are as follows:

One of the main reasons is increased emotional excitability or availability similar disease in the family of women, mothers, sisters, that is, a genetic component.

Who's at risk

The root cause of psychosis is often alcohol abuse and subsequent intoxication of the body. In most cases, men are most susceptible to alcoholism, so women suffer from it much less often and tolerate it faster and easier.

But there is also a reason that is specific only to women, which increases the risk of the disease. This is pregnancy and childbirth. TO physical factors the appearance of psychosis in this case can be attributed to toxicosis, vitamin deficiency, decreased tone of all body systems, various diseases or complications due to difficult pregnancy and childbirth.

Psychological ones include fear, anxiety, increased emotional sensitivity, and unpreparedness to become a mother. At the same time, postpartum mental disorders are more common than during pregnancy.

Features of behavior

Women with mental disorders are characterized by such changes in behavior and life activity (with symptoms noticeable only from the outside, the patient herself has no idea that she is sick):

• lack of resistance to, which often leads to scandals;
• the desire to isolate yourself from communication with colleagues, friends and even loved ones;
• there is a craving for something unreal, supernatural, interest in magical practices, shamanism, religion and similar areas;
• the emergence of various fears and phobias;
• decreased concentration, sluggish mental activity;
• loss of strength, apathy, reluctance to show any activity;
• sudden changes in mood for no apparent reason;
• disturbances in sleep patterns, which can manifest themselves in both excessive drowsiness and insomnia;
• reduction or complete absence desire to eat food.

If a woman herself was able to detect any signs of psychosis or her loved ones noticed them, then she urgently needs to seek qualified help.

Types of deviations in mental state

Psychoses can be divided into two large groups:

1. Organic. In such cases, this is a consequence of a physical illness, a secondary disorder after disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.
2. Functional. Such disorders are initially caused by a psychosocial factor and the presence of a predisposition to their occurrence. These include disturbances in the process of thinking and perception. Among others, the most common:, schizophrenia,.

Separately, we can highlight it, it appears in 1 - 3% of women in the first months after the birth of a child, in contrast to the more common postpartum depression, psychotic deviation does not go away on its own and requires treatment under qualified supervision of specialists.

Symptoms:

• decreased appetite and rapid weight loss;
• constant anxiety, sudden mood swings;
• desire for isolation, refusal to communicate;
• violation of the level of self-esteem;
• thoughts about committing suicide.

Symptoms appear individually, for some they may appear within a day after birth, for others after a month.

The reasons for this type of psychotic deviation may be different, but they are not fully understood by scientists. What is reliably known is that patients who have a genetic predisposition are susceptible to it.

Mental failure may be accompanied by various states, which provoke disruptions in the functioning of a woman’s entire body.

Violation of diet, activity and rest, emotional tension, taking medications. These factors “hit” the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and endocrine systems. Manifestation concomitant diseases individually.

Who should I turn to for help?

Self-medication in this case is contraindicated. You should also not contact familiar doctors of various specialties, psychologists, traditional healers. Treatment should only be carried out by government or private doctor- highly qualified psychotherapist!

Unfortunately, a woman suffering from psychosis cannot seek help herself because she does not notice the signs of her illness. Therefore, the responsibility falls on the mother’s relatives and friends. It is necessary to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.

The specialist will examine the patient, refer her for additional tests and, based on their results, prescribe treatment and the necessary medications.

Treatment can take place in a hospital setting with the participation of medical staff, or at home. When treating at home mandatory measure safety will be caring for the baby with the least intervention from the mother (in case of postpartum mental failure). The nanny or relatives should take on these concerns until all the symptoms of the disease disappear in the patient.

Treatment usually consists of a complex, which includes:

• medications, usually;
• psychotherapy – regular sessions with a psychotherapist and family psychologist;
• social adaptation.

It is not immediately possible for the patient to fully understand and accept her condition. Relatives and friends must be patient to help the woman return to her normal lifestyle.

The consequences of lack of therapy are extremely unfavorable. The patient loses touch with reality, her behavior becomes inappropriate and dangerous not only for own life and health, but also for others.

A person is suicidal and may become a victim or cause of violence.

How to prevent mental breakdown?

Preventive measures include:

Prevention should be a priority, especially for those women who are susceptible to emotional disturbances or have hereditary predisposition to psychotic disorders.

Sometimes it seems that a loved one has gone crazy.

Or it starts to go away. How to determine that “the roof has gone crazy” and it’s not your imagination?

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

There is a joke among people: “There are no mentally healthy people, there are underexamined ones.” 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 corresponding symptoms in 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, which 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, promiscuity or laziness, when in fact they are manifestations of illness.

In particular, depression is not considered by many to be a disease requiring serious treatment. “Pull yourself together! Stop whining! You are a weakling, you should be ashamed! Stop digging into yourself and everything will pass!” - this is how relatives and friends exhort the patient. And he needs specialist help and long-term treatment, otherwise you won’t 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 bad character, but in fact it's time to start looking for a caregiver to look after the patient.

How can you determine whether you should worry about a relative, colleague, or friend?

Signs of a mental disorder

This condition can accompany any mental disorder and many somatic diseases. Asthenia is expressed in weakness, low performance, mood swings, hypersensitivity. A person begins to cry easily, becomes instantly irritated and loses self-control. Asthenia is often accompanied by sleep disturbances.

Obsessive states

The 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 cleanliness or the performance of certain actions.

Under power obsessive-compulsive disorder a person may return home several times to check whether he has turned off the iron, gas, water, or whether he has locked the door. An obsessive fear of an accident may force the patient to perform certain rituals, which, according to the sufferer, can ward off trouble. If you notice that your friend or relative washes their hands for hours, has become overly squeamish and is always afraid of getting infected with something, this is also an obsession. The desire to avoid stepping on cracks in asphalt, tile joints, avoiding certain types of transport or people wearing clothes of a certain color or type is also an obsessive state.

Mood changes

Melancholy, depression, a desire for self-recrimination, talk about one’s own worthlessness or sinfulness, and about death can also 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, chaotic thinking.
• Heightened self-esteem.
• Projecting.
• Increased sexuality, extinction of natural shyness, inability to restrain sexual desires.

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

Hypochondria

Expressed in manic preoccupation with the state of one’s own health. Examinations and test results may indicate the absence of diseases, but the patient does not believe it and requires more and more examinations and serious treatment. A person talks almost exclusively about his well-being, does not leave clinics and demands to be treated as a patient. Hypochondria often goes hand in hand with depression.

Illusions

There is no need to confuse illusions and hallucinations. Illusions force a person to perceive real objects and phenomena in a distorted form, while with hallucinations a person perceives something that does not really exist.

Examples of illusions:

• the pattern on the wallpaper seems to be a tangle of snakes or worms;
• the size of objects is perceived in a distorted form;
• the patter of raindrops on the windowsill seems like the careful steps of someone scary;
• the shadows of the trees turn into terrible creatures creeping up with frightening intentions, etc.

If outsiders may not be aware of 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 he sees, hears and feels seems completely real. He may not believe that those around him do not feel, hear, or see all this. He may perceive their bewilderment as a conspiracy, deception, mockery, and become annoyed that he is not understood.

At auditory hallucinations man hears various kinds noise, fragments of words or coherent phrases. “Voices” can give commands or comment on the patient’s every action, laugh at him or discuss his thoughts.

Gustatory and olfactory hallucinations often cause the sensation of an unpleasant property: a disgusting taste or smell.

With tactile hallucinations, the patient thinks that someone is biting, touching, strangling him, that insects are crawling on him, that some creatures are inserting themselves into his body and moving there or eating the body from the inside.

Externally, susceptibility to hallucinations is expressed in conversations with an invisible interlocutor, sudden laughter or constant intense listening to something. The patient may constantly shake something off himself, scream, look around himself with a worried look, or ask others if they see something on his body or in the surrounding space.

Rave

Delusional states often accompany psychosis. Delusion is based on erroneous judgments, and the patient stubbornly maintains his false belief, even if there are obvious contradictions with reality. Delusional ideas acquire super-value, significance that determines all behavior.

Delusional disorders can be expressed in erotic form, or in conviction of one's great mission, in descent from a noble family or aliens. The patient may feel 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.

Hoarding or excessive generosity

Yes, any collector can be under suspicion. Especially in cases where collecting becomes an obsession and subjugates a person’s entire life. This may be expressed in the desire to drag things found in garbage dumps into the house, hoard food without paying attention to expiration dates, or pick up stray animals in quantities that exceed the ability to provide them with food. normal care and correct content.

The desire to give away all your property and excessive spending can also be regarded as a suspicious symptom. Especially in the case when a person has not previously been distinguished by generosity or altruism.

There are people who are unsociable and unsociable due to their character. This is normal and should not raise suspicions of schizophrenia or other mental disorders. But if a born cheerful person, the life of the party, a family man and good friend suddenly begins to destroy social connections, becomes unsociable, shows coldness towards those who were recently dear to him - this is a reason to worry about his mental health.

A person becomes sloppy, stops taking care of himself, and in society can begin to behave shockingly - commit acts that are considered indecent and unacceptable.

What to do?

Very hard to accept correct solution in the event that there are suspicions of a mental disorder in someone close to you. Perhaps the person is simply going through a difficult period in his life, and that is why his behavior has changed. 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 illness that needs to be treated. In particular, oncological diseases brain in most cases lead to one or another mental disorder. Delay in starting treatment can be fatal in this case.

Other diseases also need to be treated in a timely manner, but the patient himself may not notice the changes happening to him, and only those close to him will be able to influence the state of affairs.

However, there is another option: the tendency to see everyone around as potential patients of a psychiatric clinic may also turn out to be a mental disorder. Before calling emergency psychiatric help 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?

“Every joke has some humor in it” ©

Asthenia is a whole complex of disorders that characterize initial stage mental disorder. The patient begins to quickly get tired and exhausted. Performance decreases. There is general lethargy, weakness, and mood becomes unstable. Frequent headaches, sleep disturbances and constant feeling fatigue - requiring detailed consideration. It is worth noting that asthenia is not always the main sign of a mental disorder and rather refers to a nonspecific symptom, as it can also occur with somatic diseases.

Suicidal thoughts or actions are a reason for emergency hospitalization patient to a psychiatric clinic.

A state of obsession. The patient begins to have special thoughts that cannot be gotten rid of. Feelings of fear, depression, uncertainty and doubt increase. The state of obsession may be accompanied by certain rhythmic actions, movements and rituals. Some patients wash their hands thoroughly and for a long time, others repeatedly check whether the door is closed, the lights are turned off, the iron is turned off, etc.

Affective syndrome is the most common first sign of a mental disorder, which is accompanied by persistent changes in mood. Most often, the patient has a depressed mood with a depressive episode, much less often - mania, accompanied by an elevated mood. At effective treatment mental disorder depression or mania disappears last. On the background affective disorder there is a decrease. The patient has difficulty making decisions. In addition, depression is accompanied by a number of somatic symptoms: indigestion, feeling hot or cold, nausea, heartburn, belching.

If the affective syndrome is accompanied by mania, the patient has an elevated mood. The pace of mental activity accelerates many times over, and you spend a minimum of time on sleep. Excess energy can be replaced by severe apathy and drowsiness.

Dementia – last stage mental disorder, which is accompanied by a persistent decline in intellectual functions and dementia.

Hypochondria, tactile and visual hallucinations, delusions, substance abuse - all this accompanies mental illness. Close relatives of the patient do not always immediately understand