In our difficult time, situations often occur when an event simply does not fit into the head. An emotional hole can become so deep for a person that it is not possible to get out of it on your own. In such circumstances, the nervous system fails, and a reactive disorder occurs. The result may be pseudo-dementia. What is this disorder, what are its symptoms, types and how to treat it?
Why there is a violation
The main cause of reactive psychosis is the loss of any values by a person. They may relate to the life and he alth of the patient and his loved ones, material well-being, personal freedom, social status. When a person is deprived of these benefits or there is a serious risk of losing them, such a situation begins to strongly contradict his emotional state, which causes a psychogenic illness.
The main cause of the disorder is a reaction to stressfulcircumstances. It occurs when a person experiences a serious emotional upheaval. At the same time, those people who have suffered brain injuries in the past, have a hysteroid temperament, suffer from sleep disorders or alcohol addiction, fall into the risk group. Especially vulnerable during a stressful situation are adolescents and people in menopause. After all, a vegetative factor is imposed on the state of the psyche.
Also, the disease can occur due to:
- Alcohol abuse.
- Comorbid somatic disorders.
- Lack of sleep and chronic fatigue.
- Conscription to the army without the desire of the conscript.
- Job loss.
- Unresolved family problems for a long time.
- Treason and betrayal by loved ones.
- Deaths of loved ones (there are cases of exacerbation caused by the death of a pet).
- Theft, assault, threats to life and he alth by offenders.
- Diagnosing cancer. It is believed that approximately 85% of patients develop a psychogenic illness after diagnosis. At the same time, a depressed state makes one refuse even a hypothetical chance of recovery. This only brings death closer.
- Disaster response.
What is the disease dangerous?
With protracted forms, the primary stage in patients (usually depression) goes unnoticed by most people around. On the backgroundaffective disorder is a permanent defeat of the functions of the psyche. If recovery does not occur, then a complex of negative symptoms is formed, which can be characterized in the diagnosis as delusions and hallucinations. Their main danger lies in committing suicide or causing harm to the sick himself through negligence. Most often, protracted forms are observed against the background of a shock situation.
In an unprepared person, psychosis develops quite quickly. The control for which the frontal lobes are responsible is weakened. The configuration of nerve connections undergoes changes. The human brain is trying to solve a difficult situation for him. The degradation of the psyche can reach pseudo-dementia and puerilism, when a person demonstrates the behavior of an infant. The most severe consequence is a paranoid state, in which hallucinations and delusions come to the fore in the mind of the patient.
Diagnosis
As a rule, it is possible to diagnose this disorder within a few hours after the trauma has occurred. With adequate treatment, the prognosis is usually favorable. The likelihood of elimination of symptoms is indicated by the lability of symptoms, the absence of cases of schizophrenia in the family. Disorders such as drug poisoning, withdrawal, schizophrenia, delusional and affective disorders should be differentiated.
Main categories
This condition has another name - psychogenic disorders. According to the nature of the flow, there are two typesdata violations:
- Hypokinetic - a condition in which a person develops a hysterical stupor - he immobilizes, loses the ability to speak.
- Hyperkinetic - on the contrary, it is distinguished by the manifestation of strong physical overexcitation. However, in both forms of the disorder, consciousness becomes clouded, and vegetative symptoms are also noted: tachycardia, pressure drops.
According to the nature of the symptoms, the following types of reactive psychoses are distinguished:
- Acute - occur as a result of exposure to serious stressful circumstances. For example, it could be a threat to a person's life or news of the death of a loved one.
- Subacute - most common in psychiatric practice. Awareness of ongoing events covers a person gradually. Often, paranoid states, stupor, and depression develop. The condition is characterized by depression, sensitivity, irritability and aggression. Patients may become overly touchy and theatrical in their behavior as they try their best to get attention.
- Lingering. The main sign of reactive psychosis of this type is its duration (six months, a year or more). Most often, the patient gradually develops symptoms of pseudodementia, delusional fantasies. Puerile syndrome may also occur.
In psychiatric practice, there are several variants of hysterical reactive psychosis, the symptoms of which are described below.
Ganser Syndrome
Represents a clouding of consciousness,in which a person gives answers to questions completely out of place. He behaves defiantly, and also cannot navigate in time and place.
Puerilism
This disorder is characterized by childish behavior, when the patient retains some of the skills of an adult (smoking, using cosmetics, etc.), but in general, his mannerisms become similar to children's. He burrs, distorts words, plays with toys, cannot answer simple questions or perform any actions. The term "puerilism" was first introduced by E. Dupre at the end of the 19th century, who studied the types of acute reactive psychosis.
Sometimes puerilism occurs simultaneously with hypochondriacal symptoms, when the patient begins to look for signs of a dangerous somatic disorder. In a separate form, such a variant of the course of psychosis, like puerilism, is relatively rare.
Syndrome "wild"
It can also be one of the effects of stress. The behavior of the patient with this disorder resembles the habits of an animal, there is a twilight state of consciousness. A person can completely lose control over himself, start growling, crawling, eating with his hands. Such symptoms are usually observed in the last stages of reactive psychosis and have a general degenerative effect on the psyche.
It should be noted that acute affective-shock reactions often occur in people who face a prison sentence or are under judicial supervision.
Pseudo-dementia
Otherwise, this disorder is called false dementia. Its symptoms are very similar to those of ordinary dementia, but there are still differences. As for pseudodementia, it occurs abruptly and immediately. Its cause, as a rule, are some stressful situations. Pseudo-dementia is characterized by impaired memory and speech, poor affect. There is no meaning in the phrases uttered by the sick. As a rule, a person with a similar diagnosis is poorly oriented in space, looks completely inadequate. He may wear pants over his head or try to eat raw food.
Psychogenic depression
It can also be one of the serious consequences of stress or prolonged hard experience. It is expressed in increased emotional sensitivity of a person, suspiciousness, pedantry. Patients tend to be completely focused on the negative situation. It makes them look worried, tense.
Features of psychogenic stupor
With this disorder, as a rule, disorders develop rapidly due to the strongest emotional experience. A person is completely immobilized, loses the ability to move, speak. Subsequently, he does not remember anything from what happened.
Psychogenic psychopathy
When this disorder occurs, the person is clearly in an agitated state. He may alternately have affective signs of completely opposite emotions. For example, with tragic events, it can be joy, and withpositive - longing. Often, when psychopathy occurs, patients begin to engage in violent and often completely unnecessary activities.
Delirium-like fantasies
This is one of the possible consequences of stress, in which a person has fantastic thoughts and ideas of delusional content. He begins to actively share with others the details of his flight to the moon and other fantastic things. Can plan to accomplish completely unrealistic things. Often, such a psychosis occurs in those serving a prison term, because their psyche cannot come to terms with reality.
Other symptoms
In addition to these disorders, patients may experience:
- Chronic fatigue, lethargy, decreased ability to work.
- Eating disorders.
- Insomnia.
Depending on individual characteristics, violations can be expressed to a greater or lesser extent. Often the patient can "play" in an energetic and active person. The course of the pathology is usually smooth, with periodic exacerbations after traumatic memories.
Therapy
Treatment of reactive psychosis should be aimed at eliminating the causes that caused the attack in the first place. If this succeeds, then it is very likely that the patient's symptoms will decrease significantly, and he will recover. The affective state does not need treatment, since the symptoms go away on their own after the traumatic situation has resolved. When the shock passesin more prolonged disorders, the help of a psychiatrist is needed. In such situations, hospital treatment is indicated:
- Therapy should be carried out only after examination and only under the supervision of the attending physician.
- In case of psychomotor agitation, the patient is prescribed Chlorpromazine or Levomepromazine.
- With reactive depression - drugs from the category of tranquilizers. These are "Medazepam", "Diazepam" and so on. Antidepressants can also be prescribed - Sertraline, Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine.
- For paranoid disorders, antipsychotics are prescribed, such as Haloperidol.
- In hysterical psychosis, both antidepressants and antipsychotics are indicated.
Drug treatment is carried out only as prescribed by a doctor, before using drugs, you must consult a specialist.
Prevention of relapse of reactive psychosis
It is believed that about 80% of cases of patients suffer the symptoms of the disorder again. However, some measures can prevent relapse:
- The constant use of medicines prescribed by the attending physician. This is one of the main points to get rid of the disorder. After the first manifestation of psychosis, it is necessary to take medication for about 12 months.
- Regular psychotherapy. Helps to recover from psychosis, restore their condition.
- Timely rest, limiting coffee consumption. For this it is necessarymake the right daily routine.
Psychosis is a highly treatable illness. Do not be afraid or feel ashamed because of your condition. After all, a timely appeal to a qualified doctor will be a reliable guarantee of a cure.
