The term neurosis includes a variety of psychological disorders. Nowadays this term is not usually used in the clinical setting; disorders that were previously classified as neuroses are now commonly categorized as neurotic. Among these disorders are: post-traumatic stress disorder, somatic disorders, anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessive-compulsive, adaptive and dissociative disorders. Specifically in children, these would be anxiety disorders, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this PsychologyFor article, we are going to explain the types of childhood neuroses as well as we will also highlight the importance of good mental health in childhood.
Neurosis and infantile hysteria, are they correct terms?
There are authors who suggest that the term neurosis, defined from the works of Freud, should be used with great caution when it comes to children. This is because this term assumes a relatively stable personality which is not possible in a child who is constantly developing, going through and overcoming a series of successive evolutionary stages. For this reason it is preferable to talk about neurotic disorders since this name does not refer to a fixed underlying structure of personality and is therefore more appropriate for an evolutionary stage with continuous changes such as childhood.
Neurotic disorders in children
Some of the neurotic disorders in childhood are:
Anxiety disorders
Generalized anxiety
Children with generalized anxiety disorder worry excessively and uncontrollably about events in daily life. Their worries include fear that bad things may happen in the future: parental divorce, not being on time for an important event, making mistakes, a loved one getting sick or dying, not doing well in school, natural disasters, etc. .
Separation anxiety disorder
Many children experience separation anxiety between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. At these ages it is normal to feel anxious when a parent moves away or disappears from the child’s field of vision. Children can usually be distracted from these feelings if another adult gets their attention. If your child cries on the first day of school or when he or she has to face new situations, it is completely normal. But if he is older and you cannot leave him with another family member when you cannot be with him or he takes longer to calm down than other children his age when you are away from him, then we could be talking about childhood anxiety disorder. disappearance, common in children between seven and nine years old.
When a child has separation anxiety disorder, they experience excessive anxiety when they are away from their home or parents. Other symptoms may include refusing to go to school, camp, etc. Children with separation anxiety worry about bad things that happen to them or that may happen in the future to their parents or significant figures.
Syndrome hypochondriac
Although it is not a disorder, the child presents excessive anxiety related to health (somatic, physical symptoms, illness…). In children, these excessive and uncontrollable concerns about health usually manifest themselves in numerous frequent visits to the doctor and in the continuous need for comfort from their parents or relatives due to exaggerated fears of being ill.
Phobias
Fears and phobias are characterized by being persistent, excessive and irrational fears towards objects or situations. These fears interfere with his life and the child is not able to control them. Some common phobias in children are dogs, insects, needles, loud noises…
Children will avoid situations or things they fear, and if faced with those situations they would face anxious feelings such as crying, tantrums, headaches, and stomachaches. Unlike adults, children generally do not recognize that their fear is irrational.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
This disorder is characterized by a series of unwanted and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and by a series of rituals and routines (compulsions) that the child is forced to do to try to relieve anxiety. Most children with obsessive-compulsive disorder are diagnosed around age 10, although the disorder can affect children as young as 2 or 3 years old. Boys are more likely to develop this disorder before puberty while girls tend to develop it during adolescence.
Neurosis: psychological treatment in children
The psychological and emotional well-being of children is as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children to develop the resilience necessary to cope with whatever life throws at them and become healthy, balanced adults.
Some things that can help children stay mentally balanced are:
Good physical health, good nutrition and perform regular physical exercise
Have leisure to do things outdoors and at home
Be part of a balanced family and stable
Practice group activities
Feeling lovely protected, supported and understood by significant figures
Be able to learn and have opportunities for it
Have a feeling of belonging to the family, school, environment…
Have the strength to face bad things and the ability to solve problems
Most children grow up mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that in recent years there has been an increase in mental health problems in children. This may be due to changes in the way we live now and how that affects the development of children.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of childhood neuroses we recommend that you enter our Clinical Psychology category.
