The psychoneurosis are minor mental disorder characterized by inner struggles and disturbed social

relationship. Two essential features of psychoneurosis are that they are precipitated by emotional
stresses, conflicts and frustrations and that they are most effectively treated by psychological
techniques. They are not produced by physical disorders and do not respond to routine medical
attention.
Symptoms of Psychoneurosis
The symptoms of psychoneurotic are such that compulsory hospitalization or segregation is
unnecessary. A few patients voluntarily seek hospital treatment, but the majority lives at home and
usually continues with their customary business and social activity.
Psychoneurotic symptoms are extremely varied. Some of the more frequent psychological
complaints are

anxiety,

depressed spirits,

inability to concentrate, or make decisions, memory disturbances,

irritability,

morbid doubts,

obsessions,

irrational fears,

insomnia,

compulsions and inability to enjoy social relations.

Physical symptom which are generally essential bodily concomitants of strong emotions and
conflicts, include:

loss of voluntary control over certain sensory functions,

shortness of breathe,

persistent tension,

fatigue,

headaches,

gastrointestinal disturbances and

multiple aches and pains.

Incidence of psychoneurosis
Approximately 5-10 % of the populatio!1 exhibit psychoneurotic symptom at any given time. As many
as 20% of the people have shown or will show psychoneurotic reactions at critical moments in their
lives.
Etiology of Psychoneuroses:
1. Physical factors: Because of the close interdependence of mind and body it is incorrect to state
that physical factors play no role in the development of psychoneurosis for e.g. physical exhaustion
may so weaken the mental resources of the individual as to facilitate the appearance of neurotic
symptoms. However such instances are rare.
2. Constitution: Heredity and early environment and training are the main factors determining of
constitutional make-up. When unfavorable they present the development of a well-integrated sturdy
personality and thus facilitate the appearance of psychoneurotic reaction when the individual is
confronted with some disturbing or intolerable situation.
Classification of Psychoneuroses
The four types of psychoneurosis most generally recognized are:
1. hysteria,
2. neurasthenia,
3. anxiety and
4. psychasthenia
Facts and Tips about Psychoneurosis

Psychoneurosis is a neurological disorder or mental sickness.

Psychoneurosis shows instability in thinking, behavior and approach.

Nervousness, depression and stress are the causes of psychoneurosis.

Eat vitamin rich food and fruit juices for controlling symptoms of the psychoneurosis.

Think positive it may resolve your problem of instability.

Take advice from psychologist for psychotherapy or hypnotherapy.

Neurosis, plural neuroses, also called psychoneurosis or

plural psychoneuroses, mental disorder that causes a sense of distress and deficit in
functioning.
Neuroses are characterized by anxiety, depression, or other feelings of unhappiness or
distress that are out of proportion to the circumstances of a persons life. They may
impair a persons functioning in virtually any area of his life, relationships, or external
affairs, but they are not severe enough to incapacitate the person. Affected patients
generally do not suffer from the loss of the sense of reality seen in persons with
psychoses.
Psychiatrists first used the term neurosis in the mid-19th century to categorize
symptoms thought to be neurological in origin; the prefix psycho- was added some
decades later when it became clear that mental and emotional factors were important in
the etiology of these disorders. The terms are now used interchangeably, although the
shorter word is more common. Both terms, however, lack the precision required for
psychological diagnosis and are no longer used for that purpose.

Theories
An influential view held by the psychoanalytic tradition is that neuroses arise from
intrapsychic conflict (conflict between different drives, impulses, and motives held within
various components of the mind). Central to psychoanalytic theory, which was founded
by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, is the postulated existence of
an unconscious part of the mind which, among other functions, acts as a repository
for repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories that are disturbing or otherwise
unacceptable to the conscious mind. These repressed mental contents are typically
sexual or aggressive urges or painful memories of an emotional loss or an unsatisfied
longing dating from childhood.Anxiety arises when these unacceptable and repressed
drives threaten to enter consciousness; prompted by anxiety, the conscious part of the
mind (the ego) tries to deflect the emergence into consciousness of the repressed
mental contents through the use of defense mechanisms such as repression, denial, or
reaction formation. Neurotic symptoms often begin when a previously impermeable

defense mechanism breaks down and a forbidden drive or impulse threatens to enter
consciousness. See also psychoanalysis.
While the psychoanalytic theory has continued to be influential, another prominent view,
associated with behavioral psychology, represents neurosis as a learned, inappropriate
response to stress that can be unlearned. A third view, stemming from cognitive theory,
emphasizes the way in which maladaptive thinkingsuch as the fear of possible
punishmentpromotes an inaccurate perception of the self and surrounding events.

Treatment
Psychiatrists and psychologists treat neuroses in a variety of ways. The psychoanalytic
approach involves helping the patient to become aware of the repressed impulses,
feelings, and traumatic memories that underlie his symptoms, thereby enabling him to
achieve personality growth through a better and deeper self-understanding. Those who
hold that neuroses are the result of learned responses may recondition a patient
through a process known asdesensitization: someone afraid of heights, for example,
would be gradually exposed to progressively greater heights over several weeks. Other
learning approaches include modeling more effective behaviour, wherein the patient
learns by example. Cognitive and interpersonal approaches include discussing thoughts
and perceptions that contribute to a patients neurotic symptoms, eventually replacing
them with more realistic interpretations of external events and the patients internal
responses to them. Many psychiatrists prefer physical approaches, such as
psychotropic drugs (including antianxiety agents and antidepressant and antipsychotic
drugs) and electroconvulsive (shock) therapy. Many psychiatrists advocate
combinations of these approaches, the exact nature of which depend on the patient and
his complaint.

Somatoform disorders are mental illnesses that cause bodily symptoms, including pain.
The symptoms can't be traced back to any physical cause. And they are not the result of
substance abuse or another mental illness.

People with somatoform disorders are not faking their symptoms. The pain and other
problems they experience are real. The symptoms can significantly affect daily
functioning.
Doctors need to perform many tests to rule out other possible causes before they
diagnose a somatoform disorder.
A diagnosis of a somatoform disorder can create a lot of stress and frustration for
patients. They may feel unsatisfied that there's no known explanation for their
symptoms. Stress often leads patients to become more worried about their health. This
creates a vicious cycle that can persist for years.
A somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a somatoform disorder,[1][2][3] is a mental
disorder characterized by physical symptoms that suggest physical illness or injury symptoms that
cannot be explained fully by a general medical condition or by the direct effect of a substance, and
are not attributable to another mental disorder (e.g., panic disorder).[4] In people who have a somatic
symptom disorder, medical test results are either normal or do not explain the person's symptoms,
and history and physical examination do not indicate the presence of a medical condition that could
cause them. Patients with this disorder often become worried about their health because doctors are
unable to find a cause for their symptoms. This may cause severe distress. Preoccupation with the
symptoms may portray a patient's exaggerated belief in the severity of their ill-health. [5] Symptoms
are sometimes similar to those of other illnesses and may last for several years. Usually, the
symptoms begin appearing during adolescence, and patients are diagnosed before the age of 30
years.[6] Symptoms may occur across cultures and gender.[6] Other common symptoms include
anxiety and depression.[6] In order for an individual to be diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder,
they must have recurring somatic complaints for at least 6 months. [6]
Somatic symptom disorders are not the result of conscious malingering (fabricating or exaggerating
symptoms for secondary motives) or factitious disorders (deliberately producing, feigning, or
exaggerating symptoms) sufferers perceive their plight as real.[7] Various laboratory tests, physical
examinations, and surgeries on these individuals show no evidence supporting the idea that these
exaggerating symptoms are present.[6] Mental disorders are treated separately from physiological or
neurological disorders. Somatic symptom disorder is difficult to diagnose and treat since doing so
requires psychiatrists to work with neurologists on patients with this disorder.[6] Those that do not
pass the diagnostic criteria for a somatic symptom disorder but still present physical symptoms are
usually referred to as having "somatic preoccupation". [5]
The somatoform disorders are a group of psychological disorders in which a patient experiences physical
symptoms that are inconsistent with or cannot be fully explained by any underlying general medical or

neurologic condition. Medically unexplained physical symptoms account for as many as 50% of new medical
outpatient visits.[1] Physical symptoms or painful complaints of unknown etiology are fairly common in pediatric
populations.[2] Many healthy young children express emotional distress in terms of physical pain, such as
stomachaches or headaches, but these complaints are usually transient and do not effect the child's overall
functioning. The somatoform disorders represent the severe end of a continuum of somatic symptoms.
Somatization in children consists of the persistent experience and complaints of somatic distress that cannot be
fully explained by a medical diagnosis. They can be represented by a wide spectrum of severity, ranging from
mild self-limited symptoms, such as stomachache and headache, to chronic disabling symptoms, such as
seizures and paralysis. These psychological disorders are often difficult to approach and complex to
understand. It is important to note that these symptoms are not intentionally produced or under voluntary
control.
In somatoform disorders, somatic symptoms become the focus of children and their families. They generally
interfere with school, home life, and peer relationships. These youngsters are more likely to be considered
sickly or health impaired by parents and caretakers, to be absent from school, and to perform poorly in
academics. Somatization is often associated temporarily with psychosocial stress and can persist even after
the acute stressor has resolved, resulting in the belief by the child and his or her family that the correct medical
diagnosis has not yet been found. Thus, patients and families may continue to seek repeated medical
treatment after being informed that no acute physical illness has been found and that the symptoms cannot be
fully explained by a general medical condition. When somatization occurs in the context of a physical illness, it
is identified by symptoms that go beyond the expected pathophysiology of the physical illness.
Recurrent complaints often present as diagnostic and treatment dilemmas to the primary care practitioner
(PCP) who is trying to make sense of these symptoms. The PCP may feel poorly prepared and/or may have
little time to assess or treat the somatic concerns. While the more disabling somatic complaints are more likely
to be referred to a mental health professional, these youngsters presenting with these disabling physical
symptoms bridge both medical and psychological domains and present a puzzling quandary for professionals
from either field if working with them alone.[3] The nature of these symptoms requires an integrated medical and
psychiatric treatment approach to successfully decrease the impairment caused by these disorders. [4]

What is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a mental process that causes a lack of connection in a persons
thoughts, memory and sense of identity. Dissociation seems to fall on a continuum
of severity. Mild dissociation would be like daydreaming, getting lost in a book, or
when you are driving down a familiar stretch of road and realize that you do not
remember the last several miles. A severe and more chronic form of dissociation is
seen in the disorder Dissociative Identity Disorder, once called Multiple Personality
Disorder, and other Dissociative Disorders.

How Common is Dissociation?

Transient and mild dissociative experiences are common. Almost 1/3rd of people
say they occasionally feel as though they are watching themselves in a movie, and

4% say they feel that way as much as 1/3rd of the time. The incidence of these
experiences is highest in youth and steadily declines after the age of 20.
7% of the population may have suffered from a dissociative disorder at some time.
But these disorders are difficult to identify and may go undiagnosed for many years.

Other Forms of Dissociation

Other dissociative disorders include psychogenic amnesia (the inability to recall
personally significant memories), psychogenic fugue (memory loss characteristic of
amnesia, loss of ones identity, and fleeing from ones home environment), and
multiple personality (the person has two or more distinct personalities that alternate
with one another. This is also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder or Multiple
Personality Disorder).

Treatment
When dissociative experiences are the central, chronic, and overwhelming problem,
treatment usually demands long-term individual psychotherapy. People with these
disorders often have good reasons to mistrust authority as well as a lifelong habit of
keeping secrets from themselves and others. A working alliance must be established
with an often demoralized and suspicious person who believes the world is unjust or
that he/she is an evil person.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/dissociation-and-dissociativedisorders