Are neurotic depression and depressive neurosis the same? Psychiatrists often face difficulties in making a clear diagnosis due to the fact that one patient may experience symptoms that are typical of several different mental disorders. A person with a depressed mood may struggle with anxiety disorders at the same time - such a compilation of ailments is sometimes found in both neurotic depression and depressive neurosis. Read what the differences between these two units are and whether their separation is really important for some reasons.

Contents:

  1. Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis: basic differences
  2. Causes of neurotic depression and depressive neurosis
  3. Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis have different symptoms
  4. Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis: similar diseases, different treatment

Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis: basic differences

Although the names of both mentioned units sound similar, in fact the differences between them are significant.Neurotic depressionbelongs to the group of affective disorders, i.e. those in which mood disorders are the dominant symptom in patients. This term is now used less and less often, nowadays neurotic depression is rather referred to as dysthymia (also known as chronic depression).

The classification ofdepressive neurosisis different. This type of disorder is treated as a neurosis, in which the leading ailment is anxiety and the phenomena related to it.

Which diagnosis will be made in a given patient depends on the predominant ailments. It may happen, however, that it will not be possible to make an unequivocal diagnosis of neurotic depression or depressive neurosis. This situation occurs in those patients with affective and anxiety symptoms of similar intensity - mixed anxiety-depressive disorders are then diagnosed.

Causes of neurotic depression and depressive neurosis

The differences between the described units include their etiology (causes of formation). Some of the factors contributing to the occurrence of both disorders are similar, as is the case with traumatic life events (e.g.rape, assault), which may be factors that initiate neurotic depression or depressive neurosis.

The main differences in the causes are as follows: in the case of neurotic depression, the most important are chronic abnormalities in the functioning of the neurotransmitter systems in the brain.

In turn, the most important factor in the development of depressive neurosis are psychological aspects, such as exposure to severe, chronic stress or the inability to meet the requirements of the environment and the related internal, psychological conflict (the presence of which patients are usually not aware of).

Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis have different symptoms

In the case ofneurotic depression , affective symptoms prevail, such as:

  • depressed mood,
  • not being happy (anhedonia),
  • sleep disorders,
  • loss of life drive,
  • appetite disorders,
  • problems with making decisions,
  • concentration and attention disorders,
  • sense of meaningless world,
  • suicidal thoughts (but much less frequently and less severe than in typical depression).

The symptoms listed above may also appear in the course of depressive neurosis, however, they are much less intense than in neurotic depression.

The leading ailments in the case ofdepressive neurosisare:

  • unjustified fear (concerning both specific situations, e.g. loss of job or place of residence, but also anxiety not associated with any specific situation),
  • constant feeling of fatigue,
  • anxiety,
  • irritability, mood swings.

Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, patients with depressive neurosis may struggle with unexplained ailments of a somatic nature, such as frequent headaches and abdominal pain, heart dysfunction, back pain or dysfunction of the sexual organs.

Neurotic depression and depressive neurosis: similar diseases, different treatment

Both described problems can significantly disturb the daily functioning of patients so much that their occurrence should prompt them to visit a specialist and undertake treatment. Although the range of ailments related to depressive neurosis and neurotic depression is sometimes similar, these entities should definitely be differentiated.

The reason why the accuracy of diagnosis in the described problems is so important are the differences in the treatment of both conditions.

In the case of depressive neurosis, it plays a fundamental rolepsychotherapy, in turn, people with neurotic depression are offered pharmacotherapy as the first-line treatment. The combined use of both methods of treatment (pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy) is not uncommon in the treatment of both depressive neurosis and neurotic depression, however - as mentioned above - it is very important which of these methods is chosen as the basic type of therapeutic effect.

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About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

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Category:

Psychiatry