Emergency services are often faced with situations they don’t know how to handle. For example, some people arrive suffering from seizures that resemble epileptic seizures. However, medical tests do not reveal a neurological origin. Some people also experience temporary blindness, loss of voice, and temporary immobility of their limbs.
These unusual symptoms can last from hours to weeks. Plus, they tend to disappear as soon as they come. That said, people who suffer from these outbreaks are very likely to experience them more than once. behind the overwhelmingly stressful events of the species.
The problem is that people who suffer from these types of conditions feel misunderstood. For example, it may seem rather suspicious that a teenager cannot speak on Monday and has to go back to school.
But in any case, we need to listen to those who appear to be in pain or suffer sudden physical limitations. After all, not everyone is inclined to invent plays and stories. Human suffering always finds specific channels that indicate specific problems. Sometimes these can be the most unfavorable kind.
A comprehensive neurological evaluation can rule out certain medical problems. It often leads to the diagnosis of a psychological condition.
psychogenic neurological symptoms
psychogenic neurological symptoms A condition that presents with neurological symptoms but has a psychological origin. They are now known as conversion or dissociative disorders.
In the 19th century, Sigmund Freud named these conditions “hysteria”. He defined them as situations in which the victim exhibits unresolved internal conflicts.
Today, we have a better understanding of these types of disorders. The first fact to keep in mind is that they are not voluntary or conscious actsIndeed, people who claim to have severe pain in their hands or are suffering from sudden seizures (in the absence of an obvious neurological condition) are usually not doing it for attention. is not.
A study conducted by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich (Germany) confirms that these events are not as frequent as we might imagine. In fact, of her 4,470 patients with neurological problems in hospital emergency rooms, 405 (9%) were found to have psychogenic dysfunction. So the symptom trigger was mental.
Let’s find out a little more about this often-unknown clinical reality.
Psychogenic neurological symptoms are the result of current stressors and past traumatic events.
Patients with quadriplegia and speech impairment
The University of Melbourne and King’s College, London (UK) studied the striking case of a 23-year-old woman. Originally from South Asia, she used to live in Melbourne. Her psychogenic neurological symptoms could not have been more extraordinary when she arrived at her emergency room. One moment she showed her quadriplegia, the next intermittent mutism.
After a complete neurological examination, she was diagnosed with conversion disorder and referred to psychotherapy. When she started working with a psychologist, she no longer showed any symptoms, only claiming she felt some tension in her jaw. As her treatment progressed, the stressful situation she was in became clear.
As a matter of fact, the young woman had little recollection of her past and was now dominated by family and partner pressures, as well as a severe identity crisis.In fact she Neuropsychogenic symptoms were responses to unaddressed trauma And a life that doesn’t suit her needs.
Development of psychogenic neurological symptoms
Psychogenic or conversion disorders manifest themselves in a variety of ways. The most obvious feature is that these symptoms are very noticeable and, as a rule, have a neurological origin.
- Coordination and balance issues.
- Sudden paralysis in any part of the body. They often have trouble walking, moving, etc.
- Dysphagia.
- loss of voice.
- Power outage.
- Epileptiform seizures.
- Double vision.
- It sounds different.
- Loss of touch.
- Urinary incontinence problem.
origin
Psychogenic neurologic symptoms always appear suddenly. The duration is also short, ranging from a few hours up to two weeks.
In either case, ruling out neurological origin is paramount. In fact, whenever a professional makes a diagnosis of psychogenic or conversion disorder, the cause must be established.
- As a rule, the trigger for psychogenic disorders is psychological trauma. Also, a stressful life can lead to these conditions.
- Personality disorders such as avoidant disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) can also be triggers.
- Symptoms are most prevalent in women with a family history of conversion disorder.
most appropriate treatment
People with psychogenic symptoms often have to deal with misunderstandings from othersFor example, there was a case where a Marine was paralyzed and needed a wheelchair. But they could walk backwards. The arbitrariness of these psychogenic neurological symptoms is enormous and can mean that the patient is suspicious.
These patients need to understand and validate their feelings. Denial of their reality exacerbates their suffering and, in the short term, their symptoms. There must be an absolute framework of understanding regarding each sensation of pain, physical limitation, or expressed problem.
As a result, the therapeutic approach becomes interdisciplinary.
- Psychotherapy is essential. For example, if trauma is present, cognitive-behavioral approaches and EMDR therapy.
- Physical therapy can also help. This allows the patient to maximize physical function and prevent further problems. It also promotes the much-needed harmonious interaction of mind and body.
- A doctor’s consultation is essential for the administration of psychotropic drugs and other possible treatments.
Finally, patients benefit from understanding that behind their limiting physical symptoms are emotional triggers that need to be treated. Understanding what is happening to them reduces their distress. This will prompt you to commit to psychotherapy.
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