Noisy psychosis. Mass psychosis and other types of illness

Psychosis is one of the most common types of mental disorders and ranks second in incidence (after depression).

Pathology often develops in representatives of the stronger sex in young and middle age. However, women also suffer from psychosis, but their illness manifests itself somewhat differently. What do you need to know about the signs of the disease and how to recognize its development?

Psychosis is a deep mental disorder that is considered quite dangerous and serious disorder. The disease is expressed in an inadequate attitude towards life and the surrounding world, in radical change behavior and unwillingness to perceive reality. The development of psychosis prevents the awareness of existing problems, so patients cannot take measures to eliminate and solve them.

The general and main signs of this pathology are:

1. clouding of consciousness, incoherent thinking (delirium);
2. loss of self-awareness - depersonalization;
3. loss of contact with reality, alienation from the surrounding world - derealization;
4. auditory and visual hallucinations;
5. strange, inappropriate behavior.

The first reason for the development of psychosis and the appearance of these symptoms is alcohol intoxication body. As you know, alcoholism is more common among men, so women suffer from this mental disorder less often and tolerate it more easily.

Female psychosis and its causes

Risk factors for developing the disease among the fair sex include:

• organic brain damage;
• drug intoxication;
• somatic pathologies with a chronic course;
• prolonged depression;
• alcoholism;
• addiction.

In rare cases, pregnancy becomes a provoking cause for the exacerbation and occurrence of psychosis in women. Violation of vitamin balance, malfunctions endocrine system, heavy bleeding- phenomena that can lead to mental disorders. Etiological factors of female psychosis can also include toxicosis, decreased vascular tone, and various complications during pregnancy. Both pregnancy itself and childbirth contribute to increased sensitivity and susceptibility to traumatic situations. Therefore, young mothers are often diagnosed with reactive psychosis. It is worth noting that after childbirth, mental disorders in women are detected much more often than during pregnancy.

Manifestations of the disease

Let's take a closer look clinical picture mental disorders in women. With the development of pathology, the nervous system of patients loses resistance to stress, so any conflict situation may end in hysteria and scandal. Emotional sensitivity increases, difficulties arise in communicating with colleagues and family. Women with mental disorders tend to isolate themselves from the outside world and stop contacting friends and relatives. Female psychosis is characterized by a tendency towards something unusual and unnatural, a manifestation of interest in magic, religion and the like.

Symptoms of psychosis in women:

• sleep disturbance, which is expressed in insomnia or, conversely, in an excessive desire to sleep;
• decreased or complete lack of appetite;
• sudden mood swings;
• depression, apathy, depression;
• a clear decrease in mental and physical activity;
• presence of feelings of fear, phobia;
• loss of concentration;
• desire to isolate yourself from the world;
• distrust of loved ones and others.

Psychosis in pregnant women is accompanied by increased anxiety, a pronounced feeling of fear and anxiety, which are associated with the child’s own health and well-being. Women become lethargic and tearful, and constant worries lead to exhaustion of their body. Mental disorder in pregnant women resembles premenstrual syndrome, but the condition is more serious and can worsen every day. Disturbing feeling of confusion, confusion of thoughts, inability to concentrate. Psychosis during pregnancy most often develops in women prone to depression and neurosis.

Postpartum mental disorder must be distinguished from postpartum depression. Symptoms of psychosis in women during this period manifest themselves in hostility towards the baby, depressed mood, indifference, and anger. This psychotic state is quite dangerous and requires adequate treatment. Patients do not make contact with their husbands and emotionally distance themselves from the child and close relatives. Pathology can also be expressed in endless guardianship, excessive care for the baby, and strong fear about his health. Quite often, women suffering postpartum psychosis, they invent non-existent illnesses, see everything as a threat to the baby, protect him from communication with relatives and even with his father.

Symptoms of psychosis in women should not be ignored, because the sooner treatment is started, the greater the chance of a complete restoration of the nervous system!

Psychosis is serious illness, in which a person loses touch with reality, and the reaction to everyday life is dulled. There is mass psychosis, disorders associated with concomitant diseases, and much more.

General information

This disease, like many others, entails metabolic disorders. You should not assume that the patient is wrong or has uncontrolled behavior. It's the same thing, but in different manifestations. There is no need to be afraid of patients suffering from such an illness. This is a fairly common and widespread disease. It is believed that about 15% of patients in mental hospitals are patients with psychosis.

Various types of psychoses can be caused by certain diseases, such as asthma, epilepsy, vegetative atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, etc.

In addition, people who use drugs, alcohol, and medications are at great risk. In this regard, accurate recording of patients is impossible. There are cases when such a condition was caused by sound vibrations with a frequency of 1.5-2 Hz (ultrasound). For example, one rock band used ultrasound in their compositions to greater effect, which caused a mass disorder, later called “American psychosis.” People hastily left the concert, explaining that they felt fear and anxiety.

A person susceptible to this disease loses touch with reality. False images (hallucinations) may appear in the mind, and voices may be heard urging action or inaction. All these factors change the patient’s behavior: causeless crying or laughter, euphoria or anxious feelings. For some, this manifests itself as a mania of persecution, while a person may claim that someone is pursuing him, another will claim that he is capable of incredible acts, and a third pursues, for example, the object of his adoration, recognizing him as his property for no reason, and much more. other.

In mass psychosis, a mass (crowd) of people is affected, inspired by false judgments and ideas about what is happening. It can be religious worship, political dictatorship, mass hobby social networks And computer games, natural disasters etc. In cases of mass psychosis, mass suicides, self-immolations, and migration of people can also occur. People susceptible to mass psychosis lose the ability to evaluate the current reality objectively, which is a very dangerous consequence. Such crowds are subject to suggestion from individual sources, which can provoke the crowd to cruel and irreparable actions. But fortunately, not everyone is susceptible to mass psychosis.

Senile and manic psychoses

Senile psychosis occurs in older people (senile psychosis). People of any gender over 60 years of age are susceptible to it. It manifests itself as schizophrenia or a manic-depressive disorder. It does not lead the patient to dementia, as is commonly believed when comparing it with another illness (for example, senile dementia).

Manic psychosis is a very complex mental disorder, the manifestation of which is increased activity, spontaneous good mood, accelerated speech and motor activity. The frequency of manifestation is protracted and lasts from 3 months to 1.5 years. Moreover, it may refer to circular psychosis. Circular psychosis is a state of periodicity of psychosis occurring in different phases. At all stages of the disease the following symptoms appear:

1. High spirits appear for no reason; there is a surge of optimism, despite difficulties and failures. No psychotic syndrome is expressed. The person is very self-confident and feels a surge of energy. During this period, a person makes contact easily, is very sociable and helpful. But in an argument with such a person, sharp aggression and pickiness manifests itself.
2. Accelerated speech is caused by rapid train of thought and thinking in general. A person during this period is very productive, he has many plans and ideas. Many masterpieces were created during such periods by creative people. The disadvantage is that everything conceived and started by a person is very rarely completed. Due to the increased activity of the brain, attentiveness also increases, it is difficult for a person to concentrate, an involuntary change in direction occurs, and absent-mindedness occurs. In addition, memory improves, and involuntarily a person can remember a song or poem, or quote writers. Ideas related to work or hobbies may arise, but others do not understand the meaning and connection with actions and statements. During such a period, a person may make impulsive decisions, quit his job or change his place of residence. A woman often radically changes her appearance and dresses provocatively to attract the opposite sex. Increased sexual activity is also characteristic of these periods.
3. Increased physical activity. During the period of manic psychosis human body gets a hormonal surge. He is cheerful, strong, constantly on the move. It is difficult for a person to sit still, even after sleeping for only 3-4 hours, the body does not feel tired. Appetite increases, but weight does not increase, since all calories are burned by the activity of the brain and body. The person feels healthy, and it is very difficult to convince him. He will react violently to requests from family and friends to see a doctor.

Amphetamine, endogenous and hysterical psychoses

Amphetamine psychosis. Psychosis can occur both after long-term use and after the first increased dose. This psychosis is a mental disorder caused by brain intoxication. The patient loses touch with reality, sensitivity is impaired. Single use large dose amphetamine causes acute psychosis, the condition of which lasts up to one week, and long-term use leads to psychosis lasting a month or more.

Symptoms of such psychosis are:

• paranoid delusions;
• visual and vocal hallucinations;
• increased excitability;
• motor activity;

In this state, a person is dangerous both to himself and to others. During this period, it is impossible to contact the patient. The reaction will be inadequate even to family and friends (symptoms and course are similar to hashish psychosis).

Endogenous psychosis is a mental illness. The reasons for this are factors of body malfunctions. These include schizophrenia, epilepsy and other psychoses. In manifestation it is associated with increased irritability, mood swings and increased performance. Low stress tolerance can cause the patient to feel persecuted and suicidal. Constant experiences force a person to turn to unconventional methods of deliverance (magic, religion). In this case, the person will not be aware of the events happening to him.

Hysterical psychosis is more of a person’s reaction to a stimulus. If the patient has various types Psychosis can also manifest a type of disorder that is characterized by expression in the form of screams, chaotic movements, flight, and stupor.

Epileptic, steroid and depressive psychoses

Epileptic psychosis is a psychosis that is observed in patients with epilepsy and manifests itself in 5% of patients on late stages diseases. In this condition, the patient may exhibit autonomic disorders, accompanied by fear, causeless aggression, and problems with movement. In late manifestations of psychosis, visual and auditory hallucinations are noticed.

Steroid psychoses are caused pathological processes high levels of hormones. This type psychosis is also called Cushing's syndrome. The cause may be an overdose or long-term use steroids while being treated for another disease, such as asthma. Taking steroids causes some organs to malfunction. Symptoms are similar to alcohol and drug psychosis.

Depressive psychosis is the opposite manic psychosis, in which there is a pathological decline in mood and activity. A person begins to evaluate his mistakes, thinking that he is doing everything wrong. He is bad at work, and in his family there is also a feeling of uselessness and helplessness in the current situation. A person is overcome by melancholy, laziness manifests itself, and he may experience attacks of suicide, but since intelligence is this period psychosis is preserved, he will never show such a desire and will hide his plans to the end.

In acute manifestation depressive psychosis sick people don't cry. They talk about how they want to cry, but they have run out of tears. Moreover, crying during such a period will mean an improvement in the condition.

All types of psychoses must be treated as early as possible. Remember that the patient is a danger not only to himself, but also to others. By contacting a psychiatrist, you will receive the proper attention, full treatment and privacy.

Psychosis is an acute mental disorder characterized by auditory and visual sensations, accompanied by delusions, obsessive thoughts, etc.

The patient at this moment is not aware of what is happening, cannot determine his position in the world and space, sometimes he is excited and aggressive, and sometimes falls into apathy and depression.

Sometimes he is in causeless euphoria and is ready to love the whole world, but he immediately boils with rage and hatred of others.

Psychosis is not a rare diagnosis. Studies have shown that of all patients who are registered in a psychiatric clinic, 20% have this diagnosis.

Moreover, there are approximately equal proportions of men and women diagnosed with psychosis, but the causes and symptoms of mental disorders are different for them.

About male factors and risk groups

Men are not as susceptible to hormonal fluctuations as women, so alcoholism (), drug addiction (drug aggression), head injuries, internal factors or hereditary predisposition play a large role in the manifestation of psychosis.

Who is at risk the most?

Psychosis affects representatives of the stronger sex of different age groups. Teenagers suffer from this disease more severely, and it is much more difficult to treat them. IN adolescence due to constant hormonal explosions, a mental disorder may develop with the appearance of signs of schizophrenia.

In young people, due to constantly making fateful decisions, they manifest themselves.

The risk group includes men of any age who are addicted to drinking alcohol or drugs. In this case, the so-called delirium tremens (type) may appear, accompanied by feverish delirium and.

A delusional idea differs sharply from reality, but the patient perceives it as truth. For any man, his self-esteem is very important, and if he is sure that he has not succeeded as the head of the family, spouse and father, then this can lead to the appearance of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and then to a crazy idea.

A person who is confident in the correctness of his delirium cannot be convinced by logical conclusions; he is completely confident in his arguments.

Mental disorders are often accompanied motor disorders. Arousal is more common for men. At the same time, movements become fast, sharp and as if unfinished, facial expressions are fast, speech is abrupt, accompanied by grimacing.

Diagnosis of the disease

The first signs of mental illness may appear several months before it occurs. acute manifestation. Relatives of the patient may notice gradual changes in his behavior, sudden changes in habits, loss of appetite or sleep, the appearance of anxiety, turning into real phobias, etc.

Only a specialist can make a diagnosis. Since psychosis is associated with a disorder in the functioning of the brain, or is prescribed, as well as other studies to assess brain activity.

Based on a conversation and psychological tests, the doctor can determine the presence of delusions, aggression or depression, hallucinations and other symptoms characteristic of the acute course of the disease.

Treatment approach

Exacerbation of any mental illness can only be treated in a hospital. At the first stage of treatment, the patient will be discharged psychotropic drugs, - and, as well as general strengthening agents.

How additional remedy Physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed: acupuncture, exercise therapy and others. They relieve the patient's emotional stress and produce positive outlook on the world around us.

The best results in the treatment of mental disorders can be achieved with the help of cognitive therapy: it makes it possible to strengthen your self-esteem, change your view of the world around you, etc.

In addition, psychological rehabilitation provides good results in the treatment of psychosis, which includes: group therapy, occupational therapy.

During your hospital stay, the doctor determines the cause of the disease and tries to eliminate it, if possible.

You cannot arbitrarily change the dose of medications prescribed by your doctor or stop taking them. Subordinate your entire life to a strict routine.

The support and understanding of the woman you love plays a huge role in the treatment of the disease.

Important Considerations on Your Mental Health Journey

Many men are ashamed to admit to any illness, believing that being sick is not courageous, and even more so, about mental disorders, considering them something shameful. This is a fundamentally wrong opinion; psychosis is the same disease as angina pectoris or diabetes mellitus, and also requires constant treatment and monitoring by specialists.

It is necessary to start treatment as early as possible, in this case it will go faster and there will be no fear of relapse.

To date, the exact cause that provokes the development of psychosis has not been established, so no one can be 100% excluded from the risk group. Heredity plays a special role in the development of the disease.

Melancholic people, suspicious people with phobias and susceptible to other people's opinions, insecure men with frequently changing moods, exhaust their nervous system constant worries and expose themselves to unnecessary danger.

It must be remembered that only in healthy body – healthy mind. It is important to strengthen your physical health: to lead healthy image life, exercise, do not drink or smoke.

Psychoses, known in medical literature How psychotic disorders- These are clearly manifested mental illnesses. In this case mental activity the person suffering from this illness does not correlate with reality, since reality is distorted in the consciousness. Manifestations are considered to be inappropriate behavior and symptoms that do not correspond to the norm.

Briefly about the disease

For the most part, psychoses are endogenous, that is, the causes of their occurrence are internal. Due to heredity, schizophrenia, diseases of an affective nature (depressive disorders), and schizoaffective psychosis can occur. Such diseases are the most severe and protracted. It seems to us that the identification of psychosis and psychosis is not entirely correct, since the former can be observed with large quantities mental illnesses such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, dementia, mental retardation, etc.

A transient psychotic state can be provoked either by taking medications or narcotic drugs, or be a psychogenic (reactive) psychosis, which is caused by severe mental trauma or shock (death of a relative or friend, threat to life). Science also knows other types and causes of psychosis: the so-called infectious (consequence infectious disease), somatogenic (cause - severe somatic damage to organs), intoxication (for example, alcoholic mental disorder called delirium tremens).

Psychoses- very common disorders of consciousness. Thus, endogenous psychoses are diagnosed in approximately 5% of the population. But since in different countries If unequal approaches are taken to defining such diseases, which are often very difficult to diagnose, then statistical data differ.

We also do not have accurate data on how many people suffer from exogenous psychotic disorders (those of external origin). This is understandable: most of these pathologies occur in drug addicts and alcoholics. The manifestations of psychosis reflect the boundless richness and versatility of the human psyche. Therefore, we can indicate only the most common manifestations:

1. . First of all, they are divided into auditory, optical, olfactory, gustatory and tactile - depending on the analyzer. Hallucinations are also divided into simple (noise, calling) and complex (speech). Most often, these are voices heard by a person and emanating either from the outside world or from the patient’s head. They are so natural that the patient has no doubt about their reality. The following danger is associated with this. Because they can threaten, accuse, or command, a person perceives them either as a call to action (the patient, by obeying, may harm himself or those around him) or as an emotional assessment, which can aggravate a mental disorder.
2. . These are thoughts and conclusions that do not correspond to the state of things in the real world. They completely take over a person’s consciousness, and there is no way to convince him, explain the situation, or correct this condition. Such ideas are varied, but most often they are like this:

• delusion of persecution - the patient believes that he is being watched in order to harm him in one way or another: to kill, defame, involve him in an adventure or conspiracy;
• delusion of influence - the patient believes that he is influenced by psychics, aliens, radiation from intelligence equipment, radiation, black magic, witchcraft, induced damage;
• delusion of damage - the patient thinks that they are trying to poison him, that things are being stolen from him, that they are being taken out of the house;
• hypochondriacal delusion - the patient diagnoses himself with very serious illness, often fatal, and does not believe the doctors who convince him that he is completely healthy.

In addition, delusions of jealousy, uniqueness, invention, foreignness, greatness, love, reformation and others are described.

• Movement disorders. In this case, the patient is either inhibited (in a stupor) or too excited. In the first case, he moves little, often freezes in some position, does not eat, and his gaze is riveted to one point. If the patient is susceptible psychomotor agitation, he, without ceasing, talks, moves, makes grimaces, teases people; in his actions he is subject to impulse and momentary desires, and then cannot explain his actions.
• Mood disorders, the manifestations of which are depressive and manic states. In case of depression, the patient’s mood worsens, a melancholy feeling occurs, depression occurs, movements are inhibited, intellectual activity decreases, the desire to do anything disappears, the person is consumed by pessimism, and suicidal thoughts appear. If a person manic state, then the mood is unmotivatedly high, muscle activity increases, mental activity accelerates, inflated self-esteem appears, unrealistic, even fantastic plans appear, the need for sleep disappears, but all desires are disinhibited, and the patient may begin to abuse alcohol or drugs, have sexual relations with many partners.

These are the so-called positive disorders, which got their name due to the fact that these symptoms seem to be added to mental state the patient as he was before the illness. Often, even after the symptoms of psychosis have completely disappeared, the patient begins to experience disorders called negative ones - in many cases they become the cause of very serious ones. social consequences rather than the psychotic state itself. Such disorders received such a definition due to the fact that a person’s character, basic personality traits, and huge layers simply disappear from the psyche. Such people lose initiative, in most cases life situations lethargic and passive.

It is often noted that the energy tone is significantly reduced, desires and the desire to perform any actions disappear, emotional dullness increases, the person seems to be fenced off from society, breaking off all contacts with other people. Often the former responsiveness, tactfulness, and sincerity are replaced by previously uncharacteristic anger, rudeness, and an unwillingness to coexist peacefully with loved ones. Thinking also undergoes serious changes: it becomes amorphous and loses its content. Such conditions in many cases lead to loss of ability to work and, consequently, to disability.

Course and prognosis of psychotic states

In most cases, especially with regard to endogenous diseases, a type of psychosis is diagnosed, which is called periodic. With it, at certain intervals, a person suffers from acute attacks illness caused by physical or psychological trauma or appearing unmotivated. The medical literature also describes a single-attack course of psychosis, which is more typical for young patients. Such people, after suffering one, but often very long attack, are cured after some time and never need the help of a psychiatrist.

But the course of the disease can also be chronic—symptoms appear throughout the patient’s life. If the case is not advanced and not complicated, the patient leaves the hospital after 6-8 weeks. During this time, doctors achieve complete disappearance of symptoms of psychosis and establish adequate supportive treatment. But if the manifestations of the disease are resistant to drugs, several courses of therapy are needed and, therefore, a stay in a hospital for six months or more. The patient’s family should not ask doctors to quickly discharge the patient - if the illness remains untreated, this poses a danger to both the person himself and his environment. Doctors believe that perhaps the most important factor improving the prognosis of psychosis is the timeliness and intensity of active treatment, combined with measures aimed at social rehabilitation.

Who is considered mentally ill?

Image of a man exposed mental illness, has long been formed and become stereotypical. Many people imagine him as an unkempt person with an inflamed, burning gaze, who is just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on someone. Such people are feared because they cannot understand the logic of their behavior and are unable to predict future actions. Such diseases are considered God's punishment not only for a person, but also for the entire family, so they cannot be gotten rid of. Stress, difficult life circumstances, family problems, and lack of a sexual partner are often cited as the cause.

There is a point of view that mentally ill people are weak individuals who simply do not want or are not able to change their lives. But they can also be maniacs, prone to serial murders and mass rape. It is believed that such people do not realize that they are unhealthy and are not aware of the need for medical help. It is unfortunate that the patient's relatives often share these views, find them advantageous, and behave in accordance with such misconceptions. They try in every possible way to hide the misfortune from others and do not turn to specialists. But this only aggravates the disease and leads to complete isolation of the mentally ill. Mental disorders are diseases that should not be ashamed, but treated like other ailments. They have biological reasons- they are caused by metabolic disorders in the brain. This makes mental illness similar to diabetes or other chronic illnesses.

A mental disorder is not a sign of weakness of character; it cannot be eliminated either by desire or willpower, just as hearing or vision cannot be corrected using similar methods. Such diseases cannot be contagious and are not transmitted from sick to healthy in any way. And it is important that statistics say that mentally ill people are less prone to aggression than healthy people. Hereditary factor in such patients it does not appear more often than in those suffering oncological diseases or diabetes mellitus. If both parents are ill, the risk of having an unhealthy child is about 50%, if only the mother or father is ill - 25%. Most mentally ill people are aware of their status and want to get medical care, although they initially do not accept this situation. The position of the family is important here, which will greatly help the patient if it supports his desire for treatment.

In addition, it is important to remember that many creative people suffered from mental disorders, which did not prevent them from being realized in life and even enriching the world with discoveries and masterpieces.

Symptoms of incipient psychosis or its exacerbation

Relatives of mentally ill people would do well to familiarize themselves with information about how psychosis begins or what the symptoms of the advanced stage of the disease are. No less important are recommendations regarding the rules of behavior and style of conversation with a person who is in a state of illness. In everyday life, it is not easy to immediately understand what is happening to the psyche of a family member, especially if he is afraid, does not trust others, and does not complain of any discomfort.

Attention to indirect symptoms can be a decisive factor in determining a person's condition. Psychosis is a disease with very complex structure, during its course there may be hallucinations, delusions, and emotional disorders. The following symptoms may appear either all together, or one of them predominates. Signs of auditory and optical hallucinations:

1. The person talks to himself, as if answering someone’s questions or remarks.
2. The patient laughs for no apparent reason.
3. The patient suddenly becomes silent, as if listening.
4. The person appears anxious or extremely preoccupied and is unable to concentrate on a conversation or task at hand.
5. An impression is created that a person sees and hears something inaccessible to others.

Signs of delirium:

1. The attitude towards friends and relatives changes, unmotivated hostility and secrecy appear.
2. The person speaks directly about implausible things (persecution, self-importance, or guilt).
3. Constantly curtaining the windows, carefully locking the doors, severe fear, anxiety and even panic.
4. Frequently expressing thoughts that danger had come over him and his family.
5. A person often makes statements that are completely incomprehensible to others and attaches special importance to his words.
6. The patient either refuses to eat or requests food testing.
7. Active litigation - complaints to various authorities about everything and everyone.

Correct response to the behavior of a mentally ill person

1. You should not ask or clarify the details of such statements and maxims.
2. You cannot enter into arguments with him or try to convince him or prove him wrong - there will be no positive effect, you can only do harm.
3. When a person is not irritated and wants to get medical help, listen to his speech, if possible, calm him down, support his desire to be treated.

Prevention of suicidal actions

Almost always, with depression, a person has desires to commit suicide. In this regard, the most dangerous thing is depressive states, complicated by delirium. Such patients are most prone to, which has the following manifestations:

• A person often says that no one needs him or that he is very guilty before someone.
• Looks into the future with pessimistic sentiments and does not make plans.
• The patient hears voices calling for suicide.
• Self-diagnosis of an incurable disease.
• A sudden onset of calm after long-term melancholy or anxiety. This can deceive relatives, who will consider such a symptom a sign of improvement in the patient’s condition. In fact, he simply decided to leave and is putting his earthly affairs in order.

Measures to prevent suicide

• Do not neglect the patient's conversations about suicide - they can reveal the seriousness of his intentions.
• Contact a professional immediately if you suspect that a person is preparing to commit suicide.
• Deprive the person of the opportunity to get hold of a possible suicide weapon - a knife, medicine, rope, and also do not let them onto the balcony, lock the windows.

What to do if one of your relatives is sick?

Naturally, the family’s first reaction to such a misfortune is confusion and fear, a refusal to believe the facts. Then people start looking for someone who can help. And at that time, many make the mistake of turning not to psychiatrists, but either to doctors of another specialization, or to healers, homeopaths, psychics, and herbalists. This happens because society has a deeply rooted myth about doctors who practically conduct experiments on patients. Even a consultation with a psychiatrist raises concerns - according to people, troubles follow: restriction of legal capacity, registration, impossibility of traveling abroad, deprivation of a driver's license, loss of prestige. In addition, many are convinced that the disease is caused by somatic, often neurological, causes, that such ailments cannot be cured by modern medical science. We should not forget that some patients and their relatives do not understand the severity of the situation, which leads to refusal of treatment. For the most part, such fears are unfounded. Only an appointment with a psychiatrist and special treatment, prescribed to them, give a real chance of healing or significant improvement in condition. More than ten years ago, registration with the psychoneurological dispensary was canceled.

There is consultative and therapeutic assistance and dispensary observation. This real help patients who suffer from mild or short-term mental disorders. They are treated in the case when they voluntarily and independently came to the doctor, asked to prescribe treatment and agreed to take it. Minor patients under 15 years of age are treated with the consent or at the request of their parents or guardians. The dispensary observation population includes patients who have been diagnosed with severe, persistent or worsening mental disorders.

Dispensary observation can be established in accordance with the decision medical commission psychiatrists and not depend on the consent of the person susceptible to mental disorders. Such observation involves regular examinations of the patient by specialists working in psychoneurological dispensaries. This form of monitoring a person’s condition can be canceled in the case when the patient is either completely healed or there is a noticeable, lasting improvement in his condition. In most cases, dispensary observation is terminated if the patient has not had any exacerbations of the disease for five years. An important point is that as soon as the first signs of mental disorders are noticed, frightened family members paint a terrible picture - their close person suffers from schizophrenia. However, they do not know that psychosis can be caused by other factors. Thus, you should not try to make a diagnosis yourself - each patient should be carefully examined by specialists in the field of psychiatry.

Often, timely consultation with a doctor can prevent very severe consequences, since the doctor can identify psychotic conditions caused by tumors in the brain, stroke or other somatic causes. Staging correct diagnosis is possible only by a highly qualified specialist who uses both traditional and innovative diagnostic methods. Naturally, people who practice alternative medicine, do not have the necessary equipment or experience in identifying and treating mental illness. Accordingly, refusal drug treatment in favor of dubious methods often causes consequences that can no longer be corrected even by qualified doctors.

When a patient refuses a timely visit to a doctor, and relatives do not show due attention and persistence, the patient does not receive timely consultation with a psychiatrist. As a result, he may end up in a psychoneurological clinic in a state of either acute psychosis, or at an advanced stage of mental illness. The time it took to treat the disease was early stage, is missed, and the disease has either become chronic or is in a form that is difficult to treat. If a person suffers from psychotic disorders and wishes to receive qualified medical care, this is possible in a psychoneurological dispensary in his city, in research institutes specializing in relevant diseases, or in psychotherapeutic or psychiatric care, which are available in district and city clinics, and by psychiatrists working in departmental clinics.

Treatment

As world medical practice shows, the most effective treatment for psychoses is the use of medications. When prescribing medications, template kits are not used - the prescription is purely individual. In this case, the doctor takes into account the patient’s gender and age and determines whether there are other diseases that could affect the course of treatment. Mutual trust between doctor and patient is of great importance. Only in this case can you inspire a suffering person, instill in him faith in a favorable outcome of therapy, overcome the fear of the psychotropic substances used, convince him not to change the treatment regimen under any circumstances, and comply with the requirements of specialists. If such contact is not established, the patient may violate the dosage regimen established by doctors and change the dosage of medications. In addition, it is very important to develop a social rehabilitation program for the patient, and in some cases, conduct psychotherapeutic and psychopedagogical consultations with the family.

Social rehabilitation is a series of events combined into comprehensive programs, which teach people with mental disorders how to behave correctly in a hospital setting and in everyday life after discharge. In addition, it helps to acquire or restore lost skills of cooperation with family and strangers. Considerable attention is also paid to teaching such a person ordinary household chores: how to shop, clean the house, manage finances, take care of himself, cook food, travel to public transport. There are programs that give you a new profession or help you return to your previous job. If we're talking about about young patients, they are provided with assistance in obtaining secondary or higher education.

To enhance the effect of treatment, auxiliary psychotherapy is often prescribed, which changes the patient’s attitude towards himself and instills faith in his own capabilities and strengths. It is especially indicated for those who consider themselves an inferior person or deny the very presence of an illness. Psychotherapy provides an opportunity to adapt to reality and learn to cope with everyday difficulties. Individual classes alternate with work in self-help groups, when patients with similar diseases inspire each other.

Neuroleptic drugs as part of the treatment system for psychotic disorders

Neuroleptics (antipsychotics) are considered essential drugs that cure psychosis. In the 1090s, atypical antipsychotics were invented - a group of drugs that exert selective neurochemical effects. This was a real breakthrough in the treatment of psychosis, since it is now possible to influence only individual nerve receptors. These medications are both much more effective and much better tolerated. Such substances have almost no side effects extrapyramidal in nature.

The most designated and included in the “List of Essential Vitals” medications"are (azaleptin) and rispolept (). Zyprex and . The first two of these drugs have shown to be very effective in the treatment of many psychotic conditions. In this case, practicing doctors prescribe Rispolept first, and Leponex is used in cases where previously prescribed treatment did not bring the desired results. This is due to certain features of azaleptin, the specificity side effects and complications. Their identification and correction involve regular testing of the patient.

Supportive and preventive treatment

The lion's share of psychotic disorders are psychoses that developed as a consequence of endogenous diseases. The course of such diseases is much longer and causes a greater number of relapses. In this regard, the worldwide accepted recommendations for the treatment of psychotic conditions describe in detail the timing of all types outpatient treatment: both supportive and preventive. For example, if a patient has had a seizure psychotic disorder To prevent relapse, small doses of medication are prescribed for a year or two.

If the exacerbation recurs, then the duration of taking the drug is from three to five years. But if the doctor determines that the disease is showing signs of a chronic nature, then maintenance therapy can last an unlimited amount of time. It is for this reason that practicing doctors are confident that when a patient is hospitalized for the first time (less often for outpatients), it is necessary to carry out the longest course drug therapy. This will help avoid relapses and give confidence in favorable outcome. In addition, the most effective and complete course of social rehabilitation should be carried out. This is a colossal effort that will not be in vain. In most cases, successful first treatment helps to avoid repeated hospitalizations, because each subsequent psychosis increases the number of negative disorders, which are becoming increasingly difficult to treat.

Preventing relapse of psychosis

In order to reduce the number of relapses of mental disorders, a person must lead a measured life, avoid excesses and stress. Regular but not exhausting physical activity has a good effect on mental health. good rest, a well-designed daily routine, proper nutrition, complete cessation of alcohol and drug intake, compliance with the doctor’s instructions regarding the intake of medications necessary for maintenance therapy.

Below we list the most striking signs of an impending relapse:

• Any serious changes in a person’s behavior, daily routine or activity (sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, excessive irritability, causeless anxiety, different social circle, etc.).
• The same behavior as before the previous exacerbation of the disease.
• The occurrence of strange or uncharacteristic thoughts and speech.
• Difficulty doing usual things.
• Termination of consultations with a doctor and unauthorized refusal to take prescribed medications.

If you notice such nuances of behavior, you should as quickly as possible:

1. Tell your doctor about this so that he can prescribe a new treatment regimen.
2. Relieve an unhealthy person from stress and anxiety.
3. Reduce changes to your usual routine as much as possible.
4. Ensure that the patient is in a calm environment free of unpredictable changes.

In order to avoid exacerbation, the patient should try to avoid:

• Early termination of maintenance treatment.
• Changes in medication regimen and reduction in dosage without the knowledge of the doctor.
• Nervous shocks and stressful situations both in the family and outside the home.
• Excessive physical activity, including sports, and too heavy housework.
• Various kinds.
• Too much severe overheating body (on the beach, in the steam room).
• Intoxication of the body in any way.
• Sudden climate change while traveling.