Depressive disorders are one of the most prevalent groups of disorders, that is, they have the greatest impact among the population. According to the World Health Organization, they affect more than three hundred million people in the world and are the main global cause of disability.
The severity of depression can even extend to the appearance of suicidal behavior, making it a problem of special importance. Fortunately, there are treatments that have been shown to be effective for depressive disorders.
One of these depressive disorders is depressive neurosis, a term that, although it has become obsolete, encompasses a pathological condition that continues to appear in our society. In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about Depressive neurosis: what it is, symptoms and treatmenteither.
What is neurosis
William Cullen, a Scottish doctor, used the term neurosis to refer to disorders that seemed to have their cause in neurological system problems although they had no organic cause.
On the other hand, the American Psychiatric Association defines neurosis as the set of mental disorders that are characterized by the presence of significant anxiety or other emotional symptoms of distress such as the following:
- Persistent and irrational fears.
- Compulsive acts.
- Dissociative states.
- Somatic and depressive reactions.
The same organization indicates that in psychoanalysis neurosis generally refers to the individual’s exaggerated and unconscious methods of coping with internal conflicts and the anxiety that derives from them. Next, we focus on one type of neurosis, the depressive neurosis. We will see what it is, its symptoms and how to treat it.
What is depressive neurosis
The definitions of neurosis set out above, together with the label “depressive”, lead us to think that depressive neurosis refers to the appearance of depressive symptoms without an organic cause.
The term depressive neurosis has been replaced by dysthymia, or persistent or recurrent depressive disorder, in the latest versions of the main diagnostic manuals DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association) and ICD-11 (World Health Organization).
Dysthymia can refer, according to the American Psychiatric Association, to a low mood whose severity is medium or moderate. It can also refer to dysthymic disorder in which the symptoms are longer lasting, but less severe than in major depressive disorder.
Symptoms of depressive neurosis
The symptoms of depressive neurosis, currently called dysthymia, or persistent depressive disorder, would be the following:
- depressed mood: This sadness must be present for a minimum of two years in adults and one year in children and adolescents to be able to make the diagnosis. It must be taken into account that it can manifest as irritability in the child and adolescent population.
- Eating disorders: This would be affected by excess (overfeeding) or by defect (little appetite).
- Sleep disturbance: It can be altered by excess (hypersomnia) or by defect (insomnia). If it happens to you, don’t miss this article with .
- Fatigue: The person experiences fatigue or low energy.
- Low self-esteem. In this article, we tell you.
- Difficulties in concentration It is another of the characteristics of depressive neurosis. Discover .
- Difficulties in decision-making: another symptom of a person with depressive neurosis is the inability to decide.
- They are present feelings of hopelessness.
- Cognitive slowing: slowness when thinking and speaking.
- Apathy: an alteration of motivation that produces disinterest and indifference. In the following article, you will find more information about .
- Abulia: lack of will and initiative to carry out an action or activity. Here you can see more about .
- Low self-esteem: a negative image of oneself. Here you can read the .
Causes of depressive neurosis
Although the traditional, psychological and biological hypotheses are cited below, the truth is that the causality of depression should be seen from a biopsychosocial perspective and consider that there is no single cause behind its appearance. The main causes of depressive neurosis are:
- Biological hypotheses: they look for the origin fundamentally in genetic causes, abnormalities in neurotransmission systems and endocrine problems. Discover .
- Psychological hypotheses: the cause explained through the psychodynamic perspective, the behavioral explanation focused on aspects such as decrease in positive reinforcement and the cognitive explanations where we find Beck’s theory and the theory of learned helplessness.
Treatment of depressive neurosis
Since the cause of depressive neurosis, dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder is multifactorial, treatment must also address all these areas. Following Carrobles, JA, below, we cite the treatments used in the treatment of depression.
Medical and/or psychiatric therapies
One of the treatments for depressive neurosis is medical and/or psychiatric therapies. Let’s see what they are:
- Drug therapy: especially antidepressants that act on the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
- Brain stimulation with electroconvulsive therapy: consisting of the administration of small electric shocks. In the following article, you will find more information about .
- New brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or magnetoconvulsive therapy.
- Lithium administration.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of depression. This therapy groups a series of techniques that the therapist will choose based on each case and on an individual basis. Among them we find:
- Behavioral activation-pleasant activities program.
- Training in social skills.
- Depression self-control therapy.
- Problem solving therapy.
- Behavioral couples therapy.
- Beck’s cognitive therapy of depression.
- Depression coping program (Lewinsohn).
In this article, you will find more information about the .
Interpersonal therapy
Interpersonal therapy also has sufficient evidence about its effectiveness in the treatment of depressive neurosis. It is a therapy structured through phases and objectives and, specifically, it is based on psychosocial aspects.
Psychodynamic therapy and systemic therapy
Regarding psychodynamic therapy and systemic therapy, it should be noted that these are in the experimental phase. This does not mean that they are not effective, their effects on depressive neurosis have simply not yet been experimentally demonstrated.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online 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.
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References
- American Psychiatric Association (2014). DSM-5. Reference guide to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5-Breviary. Madrid: Panamericana Medical Editorial.
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision. Recovered from https://icd.who.int/es
- Carrobles, JA (2014) Depressive Disorders. En Caballo, VE, Salazar, IC and Carrobles, JA (2014) Manual of Psychopathology and Psychological Disorders. Madrid. Pyramid.
Bibliography
- Gómez, G. (2008). Freud: nervous diseases, anguish and stress. Or the status of the body involved in the subject’s ailments. Affectio Societatis. 5 (9) Recovered from https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/affectiosocietatis/article/view/5330
- World Health Organization (2020) Depression. Data and numbers. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
- Rivera Salazar, JL, Murillo Villa, JA and Sierra Rubio, MA (2007). William Cullen’s concept of neurosis as a scientific revolution. Teaching and Research in Psychology. 12 (1), 157-178.