Childhood Neurosis: A Sign of Problems in the Family

Childhood neuroses are reversible mental disorders in a child whose main cause is psychogenic factors. In this condition it is not the structure of the brain's nerve cells that is disturbed but their function, so all types of neuroses are classified as functional disorders. As soon as you notice any sign of neurosis, even if it seems minor, do not put off seeing a doctor. If the condition is left untreated and no steps are taken to address it, a neurosis may only get worse over the years. The more time is lost, the lower the chance that the child's psycho-emotional state will be fully restored.

The modern methods used in our clinic help provide effective treatment and keep the risk of complications to a minimum.

Noticed signs of neurosis in your child? Book a consultation with a child psychologist or a child psychiatrist at CSM Clinic in Kyiv.

Book an appointment

How to Recognize Neurosis

Neurosis in children and teenagers is the most common form of psychoneurological pathology. These emotional disorders arise when family relationships are disturbed. This means it is a sign that something is wrong in the family, and the causes of the condition should be sought in the family. First of all, the disturbances are linked to the mother, who is the closest person to the child in the first years of life. In later years the father plays an important role in the development of neuroses if he has not been able to resolve his own problems related to his children's development.

The course of the condition and its severity depend on the child's sex and age, upbringing, body type, and temperament.

The symptoms of childhood neurosis are traditionally divided into biological and psychological ones. They depend to a large extent on the child's personality, the type of disorder, and the psychological or biological trauma that triggered it.

Psychological symptoms include:

• low mood and a general depressive state;
• irritability and abrupt mood changes;
• tearfulness, heightened emotional vulnerability and sensitivity;
• fears, phobias, a constant expectation that something bad will happen;
• strong emotional and motor reactions (tantrums).

Biological symptoms usually include:

• mutism;
• sweating;
• muscle pain;
• urinary or fecal incontinence;
• dizziness, migraines;
• sleep disturbances: interrupted sleep, insomnia, nightmares;
• lethargy, weakness, fatigue;
• motor disturbances, convulsions, nervous disorders;
• eating disorders: in young children appetite may decrease or vomiting may occur, and in teenagers anorexia or bulimia may develop.

Where Does Neurosis Come From?

Neurosis can develop for two reasons: a conflict (internal or external) and a person's pathological reaction to it. This means that under acute or chronic stress that strongly affects the child, the child's psyche reacts excessively.

There are also provoking factors:

1. Biological: a difficult pregnancy with complications, heredity, a difficult birth, somatic illnesses, chronic lack of sleep, excessive psychological or physical stress, common illnesses at an early age, especially with complications, and so on.
2. Psychological: the child's personality traits, temperament and character, as well as psychological trauma in childhood, illness of a parent, the loss of one or both parents, their divorce or conflicts, and so on.
3. Social: family problems, inadequate child-rearing, inappropriate parental attention and sex education, excessive strictness or too much freedom given to the child by adults, and so on.

All neuroses are usually divided into two large groups:

• Systemic: these include habitual pathological actions, such as when a child sucks their thumb, bites their nails, unconsciously touches their genitals, pulls out their hair, rocks or nods their head, and so on; neurotic disorders of appetite (anorexia) and sleep; enuresis (involuntary urination) and encopresis (fecal incontinence); and stuttering.
• General: hypochondriacal neurosis, fear neurosis, hysterical neurosis, depressive neurosis, obsessive-compulsive states, and neurasthenia.

We Are Often Asked: "How Are Neuroses Treated in Children?"

CSM Clinic in Kyiv recommends using micropolarization in such cases, aimed at the following:

• increasing creativity;
• improving cognitive functions (memory, attention, thinking);
• increasing self-control and self-organization;
• reducing anxiety;
• increasing stress resistance;
• reducing a negative emotional background;
• reducing emotional tension and learning relaxation skills;
• learning new behavior strategies and reinforcing them;
• suppressing excessive autonomic activity in response to external stimuli and normalizing the functional state of the nervous system.

Advantages of Treating Childhood Neuroses at Our Clinic:

1. The tCMP procedure is painless and safe.
2. We discuss the treatment with the parents and talk about the upcoming therapy, possible risks, and conclusions.
3. As a rule, a pediatric neurologist selects an individual program for each patient depending on the patient's initial condition.

Sources

• World Health Organization
• Ukrainian Wikipedia