general characteristics
Childhood hysteria (hysterical neurosis) is a state of extreme nervous excitement, accompanied by loss of self-control and inappropriate behavior. From the outside it looks ugly and scares everyone around. Most often used consciously to achieve what you want. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Attacks can be dictated by psychological trauma or diseases of the nervous system. In such cases, the help of neurologists and psychotherapists is required.
Despite the fact that most parents know how to stop children's tantrums (ignore them), not everyone succeeds. Sometimes adults take this advice too literally and do not carry out any work at all with a child prone to such attacks. In fact, ignoring is only used in the midst of a seizure. And before and after it, it is necessary to use the techniques and techniques offered by psychologists and psychotherapists.
Treatment of hysteria
Hysterical components can manifest themselves not only in personality disorders, but also in neuroses, and quite often in psychotic disorders.
As specialists, we recommend that if you begin to experience conditions where you cannot control your emotions, signs of hysteria, hysterical behavior begin to appear, immediately seek help from a good psychiatrist or psychotherapist for timely correction and treatment of hysterics . Do not allow the disease to become chronic and treatment becomes difficult.
Remember that in the early stages, treatment of hysteria responds well to therapeutic measures and adjustments. In the presence of chronic disorders with the manifestation of hysterical behavior, these conditions can also be treated, but this requires more time and effort, both on the part of the doctor and on the part of the patient himself and his environment.
A person is exposed to stress every day. If emotions do not find a way out for a long time, then at a certain moment, at the peak of nervous tension, a person begins to become hysterical, which can be difficult to stop. This manifests itself in uncontrolled behavior and an inadequate emotional reaction to an irritating factor.
Causes
The main reason for hysteria is a clash of interests between the child and parents. With age, he develops personal preferences and desires that diverge from the requirements of adults. If you fail to achieve your goal, hysteria begins. There are several typical situations that provoke this condition. They can be caused by psychological and physiological factors.
Psychological on the part of the child:
- lack of opportunity to verbally express dissatisfaction (when he still cannot speak),
- attracting attention that is lacking,
- an irresistible desire to achieve something,
- expression of protest,
- stubbornness,
- imitation of peers or adults,
- psychotrauma,
- weak, unbalanced type of nervous system.
Psychological from adults (parents, relatives, educators, teachers):
- overprotection, excessive severity,
- incorrect system of punishments and rewards or its absence,
- interruption of a favorite activity,
- violation of personal space,
- mistakes in education.
Physiological:
- lack of sleep,
- overwork, excessive physical or emotional stress,
- hunger,
- diseases of the nervous system,
- illness or rehabilitation period after illness.
To wean a child from hysterics, you must first understand the reasons that drive him. If these are ordinary whims (I want this, buy that), you can deal with them quickly and easily. If the education system is to blame, it needs to be reviewed and radically changed, otherwise there will be no progress. It will be much more difficult and longer to work if psychosomatics or health problems are to blame. In this case, a course of treatment from a neurologist or psychotherapist is inevitable.
Hysteria in a child aged 1.5 - 2 years
During this age period, the cause of the excited state is nervous tension and fatigue. The psyche can be called unstable. Closer to the age of two, whims can turn into real manipulation. The child understands exactly how to demand what he wants.
It is important to note: at 2 years old, the baby understands the meaning of the words “you can’t”, “I don’t want”, “no”. He manages to successfully use the learned forms of protest. It is unbridled behavior that should help the child in order to win the adult over to his side. Parents do not understand what to do when the baby hits his head against the wall and screams. Some make concessions just to stop such emotional manifestations. Someone cannot stand it, screams and hits the child in order to wean him from any desire to organize protests.
Signs
Each hysterical child behaves differently during an attack. Someone might just stomp their feet and yell loudly. Others start rolling on the floor. But the most dangerous are those who, by splashing out negativity and aggression, cause damage to themselves and others. Parents need to know how this happens to their baby. This will allow you to take the necessary security measures in a timely manner.
Before hysterics, many seem to “prepare” for the upcoming performance. If you manage to catch this moment, you can prevent an attack. This is signaled by special harbingers:
- slight whimpering
- sniffling, puffing, grumbling,
- pursed or trembling lips (someone sticks out their lower lip offended),
- a frowning glance from under his brows at the one on whom the satisfaction of desire depends,
- eyes full of tears,
- closed pose (arms clasped in front of you),
- methodical body rocking (sitting on a chair or just standing),
- nervous, sudden movements,
- red face.
Precursors are not always demonstrated - attacks often begin unexpectedly and abruptly. What does a child usually do when hysterical?
- crying,
- screams loudly until hoarse,
- swings his legs and arms,
- stomps, jumps,
- throws objects around
- breathing heavily, intermittently,
- coughs forcefully and for a long time,
- scratches, bites himself and others,
- hits and pushes those nearby,
- bangs his head against the wall,
- unable to adequately respond to what is said and communicate,
- rolls on the floor
- lying on the floor, arches his back - the so-called “hysterical bridge” pose, which is involuntary convulsions.
At the same time, he can shout the most offensive things for the person at whom his hysteria is directed: “go away,” “you are bad,” “I don’t love you anymore,” “I hate you.”
At this moment, the child experiences several powerful emotions at once:
- anger, rage, malice, indignation,
- irritation, dissatisfaction,
- aggression,
- despair, bitter disappointment,
- offense.
This is a state of passion during which it is impossible to restrain emotions and control behavior and motor skills. Therefore, even with self-harm (when he hits his head against the wall, bites and scratches himself), the pain is practically not felt.
Watching all this is quite scary. Therefore, adults who witness such scenes should know how to properly respond to a child’s tantrums.
We act independently
And in order for the situation not to reach the point of absurdity, or to the help of a specialist, there are several ways “how to deal with hysteria” on your own:
- Firstly, you need to get rid of negative thoughts, which subsequently give rise to the stress that we talked about earlier. They get rid of them in different ways. Someone sits in front of the mirror and tells it about their problems. Some people try to free themselves from them by shouting in an open space. Some people just try to forget about them. In general, this is a personal matter for everyone. After the stress has been released, try to spend as much time as possible with your family and friends. After all, the benefits of this are colossal: you will think less about your problems, and you will also simply delight your loved ones with your communication.
- No matter how trivial it may seem, counting during a hysteria also helps. Try to calm down and count to 10, while maintaining even, deep breathing. In these ten seconds, a million thoughts will flash through your head that may help resolve the situation.
- Think about what happens next. That is, during a hysteria, inappropriate words and actions are possible, which, of course, may not show you from your best side. So, it’s worth thinking about what your family, perhaps friends, relatives or bosses will think of you.
- If this condition happens to you from time to time, then there is one wonderful effective method. Do yoga! It will not cause harm, but it will restore the nervous system and improve your body’s health. There are special exercises aimed at proper breathing, promoting calm and stress reduction. After all, suppressing negativity in yourself is not entirely easy. Perhaps proper breathing will help you calm down at the most opportune moment.
- Try getting a pet, and possibly pets. After all, it has long been proven that caring for someone relieves stress. Moreover, pets are very heat-loving and are able to give you their positive energy in response to your care, which, of course, can also calm down. It could be an aquarium with fish, a cat, a dog, hamsters, or anyone.
What to do
The instructions include several steps.
Interception attempt
To avoid hysteria, you need to:
- Study the precursors (they are individual for everyone).
- Be able to recognize an approaching attack in advance.
- Urgently distract, switch attention to something exciting, interesting.
As distractions, you can use bright books, favorite toys, pets, watching what is happening on the street, looking for goodies in the kitchen, etc. Parents know their baby better and should be aware of what might really interest him. The technique is effective only if the hysteria has not yet begun. It is useless to use it during an attack.
Problem Identification
When the child calms down, it is necessary to find out the cause of his disorder and, having clearly formulated, talk about the problem that has arisen. For example: “You’re angry because I didn’t buy you a doll,” “You’re offended because you weren’t allowed to go out for a walk yet.” First, it will allow him to realize what happened. Secondly, it will teach you to talk about your own feelings.
After this, an explanatory conversation is held about why he did not get what he wanted: “We agreed that we would buy a doll for his birthday,” “We still need to have dinner, wash and play - we wouldn’t have time to do all this if we stayed for a walk.”
Such open, confidential conversations bring children closer to their parents, contribute to the establishment of closer contact, teach them to think logically and be aware of the presence of limiting boundaries that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.
Not everything will work out the first time - at first the child will argue and defend his rights, but gradually realizes the futility of such rebellions and his own wrongness.
Keeping Calm
If you couldn’t prevent the approaching thunderstorm, you can try to stop your child’s hysteria by following these instructions:
- Do not prove anything to him, do not explain, do not educate him, since at this moment he is not able to adequately perceive speech and communicate normally.
- Do not raise your voice under any circumstances.
- Do not use physical force: pulling the arm, shaking, slapping the butt, slapping the head - this will only worsen the situation.
- Do not regret, do not panic that he is in pain (due to the lack of motor control, pain is not felt).
While remaining calm, you need to lean towards the child or sit down in front of him so that your eyes are at his level (in no case should you communicate from top to bottom while hanging over him). In an even, peaceful voice, quietly say the key phrase: “I understand that you are offended, but you can’t behave like that.” She kills several birds with one stone:
- you show him your involvement: you understand him,
- you formulate the problem, helping him to realize his own emotion (resentment),
- remind you of the rules of behavior that should already be instilled.
The peaceful tone of voice and emotional equanimity of an adult should also have a calming effect. If you manage to capture attention, a hug and a kiss on the cheek will help you finally cope with a child’s hysteria. If educational measures were taken before, such actions on the part of an adult will be enough to stop the attack. But what to do if you couldn’t stop it?
Ignoring
If the hysteria continues despite all your actions, the only correct way out of the current situation is to ignore it. This is the most difficult thing for parents. After all, it seems to them that:
- The child is about to have a heart attack, he is screaming so loudly,
- he will break and scratch his head and hands until they bleed,
- everyone looks at him and judges him,
- it will never end.
These thoughts need to be discarded. It’s easy to cope with such a panicky mood if you make sure once that a child’s hysteria does not lead to serious consequences (a heart attack or a concussion). Abrasions on the arms and forehead will go away quickly. As for those around you, if everything happens in a public place, think about the fact that you are seeing all these people for the first and last time, so their opinion does not matter. If there is someone you know among them, you can quietly apologize to him. An adequate person will understand that this happens to many people in childhood.
As soon as the child understands that the hysteria had no effect and the adult remained indifferent, he will stop screaming and hitting the floor. When a means to achieve a goal turns out to be useless, he needs to look for a replacement, which he will do, thinking over a new plan.
Attention! The behavior of an adult requires adjustment if the hysteria occurred in a public place where:
- a huge number of people, a tightly packed crowd (in public transport, for example),
- there are old people, disabled people, other small children, pregnant women near you,
- silence is required (at a performance).
You need to understand that in such situations the child interferes with others and may even accidentally harm them (kick, bite, hit, scratch). The adult’s task is to prevent this from happening and take him away or urgently distract him. The most effective maneuver is the effect of a sudden switch of attention: “Wow! Look who's flying in the sky! Over there! Don't you see? Don’t know who it is?”, “Oh, where did your scarf go? I definitely remember you wearing it! Where could he have disappeared to? You know?". But keep in mind: every time you need to come up with something new. Children are unlikely to fall for the same trick twice.
Summarizing
After the hysteria ends, you should not immediately start scolding the child, educating him, or expressing your displeasure. You need to wait some time. At the same time, try to pay minimal attention to it. But don’t ignore if he asks something and tries, as they say, to build bridges. Be sure to answer, but in monosyllables, reluctantly, demonstrating with your appearance that you are unhappy with what happened.
Psychologists recommend waiting a pause of 15 minutes after a hysteria. If it drags on, it will be useless to talk: short-term memory is responsible for children’s emotions, so 20-30 minutes after the incident they may not remember why it happened and what exactly they are to blame for. It also makes no sense to start a conversation earlier, since the resentment and dissatisfaction will still be too fresh and everything could happen again.
First, the problem is identified and formulated: “You were offended / angry / upset because.” This technique was described in detail above for stopping hysteria at the initial stage.
After this, it is necessary to draw the child’s attention to the consequences of the hysteria he threw:
- “Look: you scratched your hands / hurt your forehead.”
- “You really scared the girl who was standing next to you.”
- "You made me sad".
- “What you did is bad - you can’t behave like that, you and I have already talked about this. Therefore, you will have to be punished."
He must understand that this cannot be done. Don’t be afraid to punish for tantrums - the carrot and stick system gives its results in education. Of course, this should not be physical violence or deprivation of a walk (= fresh air). What is allowed:
- place for 5-7 minutes (depending on age) in a corner,
- leave him alone for a while to think about his behavior (if there are adults in neighboring rooms),
- deprive of sweets,
- replace your phone (tablet/TV) with a book with an instructive tale,
- go to bed earlier.
If a child learns exactly why he is being punished, believe me, next time he will think carefully before throwing another tantrum.
Related article: What to do if your child doesn’t listen
How to help fight hysteria?
This question is quite relevant in our time. It worries ordinary people, busy people, families, students and others. But there are still ways and tips to combat it. Hysteria gains momentum due to previously accumulated stress. They don't need to be kept to yourself. You should get rid of them as quickly as possible and start taking things easier.
If you find yourself next to a person who has become hysterical, you have the opportunity to help him. This needs to be taken very seriously, so we can say that you decide the fate of a person and perhaps help change the situation directly related to the future. You just need to switch his attention to something else, distract him from his problem, perhaps make him laugh. But this is a matter of chance. It all depends on the victim of the hysteria, as well as your ability to calm down.
In most cases, people who are faced with hysteria, that is, who have experienced an emotional outburst, feel very lonely and empty for a long time. After awakening, they react differently to what happened, and at some points it is even unclear what was happening to them at that time.
Very often, the person who was nearby makes a lot of mistakes directly related to calming the individual. In the worst case scenario, this may result in even more inappropriate behavior. Therefore, it is recommended to calm the panicker and give him a sedative or herbal tea and try to put him to bed as quickly as possible.
Age characteristics
The most striking hysterics occur at 2-3 years, when the child is still learning to behave, assimilates behavioral norms, tries to assert himself and become independent. However, it is at this age that, with the correct attitude of adults, they quickly stop and do not return (only in extreme cases, under the influence of severe stress). It is much more difficult to cope if they appear later.
2 years
The age when the first real hysterics begin. If before the baby could simply cry, now he does it with defiance and trying to identify the problem. Therefore, it usually all starts with the words: “give, let, buy, want, leave, I won’t...”. He already understands the meaning of the words “no” and “impossible” and tries to protest against them. The speech apparatus is still too poorly developed, so the persuasive power of the word is not available, and with such attacks he tries to convey his desires to adults.
Parents are strictly prohibited from:
- rush to immediately satisfy all his demands, just to stop the hysteria - he will grow up capricious and spoiled,
- screaming and hitting - fear will appear, complexes will develop, or, even worse, physical violence will lead to psychological trauma.
You need to hug the baby, show him your love that you are nearby, ask him to calm down, or simply distract his attention. Usually, such techniques work at 2 years of age. If it doesn’t work, start ignoring it. Next, indicate your dissatisfaction and say that this cannot be done. As a rule, after 5-6 hysterics, when their uselessness is realized, everything ends.
Parents should be wary if, even after all this work, their two-year-old child is constantly hysterical. Most likely, these are no longer just whims, but something psychosomatic. Perhaps he is overtired or feels some kind of discomfort. Review your daily routine and nutrition. Maybe this is how the stress on the kindergarten is expressed. If necessary, undergo a medical examination.
3 years
In psychology there is the concept of “three-year crisis.” The clash of interests between “fathers and sons” is reaching its peak. It seems to him that he is already an adult, he can do everything himself. But he constantly comes across a system of restrictions (you can’t have a lot of ice cream, you can’t sit for a long time at a tablet, you can’t walk through puddles) and the desire of your parents to help with everything (tie your shoelaces, get dressed, make the bed, pour tea). A pronounced protest against all these rules and guardianship begins. Even previously obedient children begin to throw tantrums. Age-related features of attacks:
- The reason can be absolutely any, even the most insignificant situation (mom straightened her shirt collar),
- often parents don’t even understand why it all started,
- up to 10 attacks occur per day,
- the most striking, frightening manifestations of adults.
Parents must understand that a 3-year-old child should have partial independence and the right to choose in some situations (which toy to go to bed with, which shorts to wear). If he hears several times a day how independent and mature he is, he will no longer need to assert himself. The blip in the subconscious will be eliminated - and the hysterics will stop.
4 years
At this age, whims become more conscious and purposeful. In most cases, they are dictated by an incorrect education system. Children 4 years old are smart and observant. Does your mother forbid you to do something? Then you need to achieve this from your grandmother, who will allow her beloved grandson everything, as long as he does not bang his head against the wall. In such cases, it is necessary for all relatives to gather and once again discuss the lists of permitted and taboo items.
Sometimes it happens that a child usually behaves well, understands prohibitions and the word “no”, does not go beyond what is permitted, but from time to time he still throws tantrums for the most insignificant reasons (sometimes even without them). At the same time, he himself cannot clearly formulate his requirements. In most cases, this indicates psychosomatic disorders that require the intervention of a neurologist.
If the disease is not identified, the cause must be sought in relationships with adults. Perhaps he has a conflict with his stepfather or teacher. Family problems cannot be discounted: divorce, constant quarrels between parents, etc. Psychotrauma often manifests itself through hysteria. In these cases, it is necessary to make an appointment with a psychotherapist.
5-6 years
At 5 years old, according to psychologists, the second age crisis occurs. Not as powerful as at 3 years old, but sometimes manifested quite clearly. It is characterized by:
- isolation (stops sharing secrets, increasingly wants to be alone, locks himself in his room),
- self-doubt, fears, phobias, panic attacks,
- mood swings, the appearance of irritability, sudden attacks of aggression and anger (most often causeless),
- tearfulness,
- blindly copying parents, imitating life situations,
- standing up for your rights.
All these factors can become fertile ground for hysteria. Sometimes literally little things are enough to cause an attack. Maybe someone came into the room when they wanted to be alone. Or he behaved like his parents (said a bad word), and he was punished for it. Often ordinary tears develop into a seizure.
According to psychologists, tantrums at 5 years old are in most cases dictated by a lack of parental love and attention. Look at your family from the outside: do you spend all day at work, do you have dinners together, how often do you go out together? To prevent this from happening again, it’s enough to carve out time for your child in your busy schedule.
As for the attacks themselves, self-harm can no longer be left unattended, as in 2-4 years, because it can result in serious injuries. It is urgent to pick up the child from the floor, move him away from the wall, holding him tightly by the hands, and take him somewhere quiet. At the same time, there is no need to babysit (he is already big enough for this) and try to explain something. Wait until he calms down and then have a conversation.
Psychologists advise that if you have constant hysterics at the age of 5-6 years, make an appointment with a psychotherapist.
7 years
Tantrums at 7 years old are most often situational in nature. The first situation that provokes an attack is the need to attend school. The child is faced with a bunch of rules, requirements and restrictions: he has to do his homework, sit still for 40 minutes, follow the bell schedule, listen to the teachers. At the same time, your social circle changes, classmates, new acquaintances, and friends appear. The causes of hysteria are usually:
- basic fatigue
- emotional stress,
- the authoritarian nature of the teacher’s teaching, if the parents raised the child at home in a calm and gentle manner,
- uncomfortable environment and poor discipline in the classroom, when everyone around is shouting and fighting,
- blindly copying one of your classmates if he threw a tantrum at school.
In this case, you just need to talk with the teacher and school psychologist. They will help resolve the current situation. If the tantrums continue and you are sure that the school is to blame, you should think about changing it.
Related article: School maladjustment
The second situation that provokes an attack is the family situation. By this time, relations between parents may deteriorate (no one has canceled family crises), or another child appears, or someone dies. The causes of hysteria are:
- open conflicts between parents, quarrels in raised voices,
- drunkenness, assault, fights,
- jealousy of the younger child, lack of attention and love,
- psychotrauma due to the death of someone close.
In this case, it is strongly recommended to make an appointment with a family therapist.
8-9 years
If hysterics began at such a late age, this is an alarming signal. He has already formed attitudes and rules of behavior: what is possible and what is not. Surely he will not demand a toy in the store in this way. Adaptation to school also ends by this period. The reason most often becomes some kind of psychotraumatic situation: conflict with peers, problems in mastering a subject, nervous breakdown, exhaustion, injustice.
At 8-9 years old, a child already knows how to control his emotions, so experts in such cases abandon the term “hysteria” and talk about a clinical diagnosis - hysterical neurosis. If attacks occur more than 2 times in a short period of time, you must immediately go to a psychotherapist or neurologist.
Correct response to a child's tantrums
Most often, an attack begins with a whim: “Give it quickly, buy it, I don’t want it, I won’t, go away...”. If you were unable to quickly resolve this problem, you should not try to calm the child down, scold him, persuade him, or scream. He will be happy to continue the hysteria. You should not leave your child completely alone in the room. It is better to be nearby, without letting the baby out of sight. This will keep him confident that parents will never abandon their child, no matter what happens.
If a child throws a tantrum to achieve what he wants, in no case should you give in to him. The child will develop this form of behavior if his wishes are fulfilled. Be prepared for tantrums to happen again and again. If you resort to physical punishment, the baby's condition will only worsen. He may start to stutter and be afraid of his parent. It is best to ignore his emotional attacks so that the child calms down on his own. The child will discover that such behavior does not bring the desired result. It should not be repeated in the future.
It is important to hug your baby tightly and hold him for a while. You need to repeat to him about your love when the child breaks free, tries to throw himself on the floor and scream loudly. If the child does not calm down, you should let him go. You should not allow your baby to control your parents. If the hysteria does not stop, you can leave the room to deprive the “actor” of the audience. Under no circumstances should you provoke the child, try to make him even more emotional, or shame him.
Situations often occur when a child throws a tantrum in a public place. Adults are inclined to give in to the child, just to avoid falling under the judgmental glances of other people. It is important to understand that the behavior will become ingrained in your son or daughter. He will act up again and again while visiting stores. It is best to warn your child in advance that you can buy one chocolate bar or doll. There is no need to limit your child completely. As a last resort, it is necessary to avoid temptations.
If hysteria does happen, forget about the looks of people around you. You need to wait out the performance, show attention and affection to the child. He must understand that no one will leave him, despite his capriciousness. You should find out what upset the baby. Make it clear that next time the trip to the store will not take place, because “some people don’t know how to behave.” Believe me, children want to imitate adults, and therefore tend to exhibit more reasonable behavior.
When to see a specialist
Parents do not always successfully cope with children's tantrums, even if they do everything right. This occurs in cases where attacks are dictated by persistent disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system or psychological trauma. They require the mandatory intervention of specialized specialists - a psychotherapist or neurologist. What signals indicate the need for such a step? If hysterics:
- continue, despite all the measures taken by adults, which turn out to be ineffective,
- are arranged daily,
- characterized by excessive, uncontrolled aggression, directed at everyone indiscriminately who happens to be nearby,
- accompanied by loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, shortness of breath, vomiting,
- get a job after 4 years,
- last more than 20 minutes,
- occur at night, accompanied by nightmares and panic attacks,
- end in serious injury and damage to oneself and others.
Night hysterics are considered especially dangerous, requiring immediate intervention from a specialist. Parents should also be wary if, after the attack ends, the child remains in a state of complete apathy for some time, lies down, does not react to anything, is pale and lethargic. This can last 1.5 hours or more.
Help with a hysterical attack
Severe hysteria can provoke a fainting state. A person under the influence of his emotions does not hear those around him. First aid for hysterics is:
- use ammonia;
- sprinkle cold water on your face;
- try to give the patient privacy.
First aid to stop a hysterical attack involves abruptly removing a person from a state of prostration, when he does not hear or see anything around him, but is concentrated only on his own emotions. This can be done with any sudden movement or sound. Use short phrases when communicating. Upon completion of the attack, a rollback effect begins, which is accompanied by drowsiness and inhibition of reactions. After a hysterical attack, a person may begin to clean the apartment and continue vigorous activity for several hours. Don't touch it in this state. The body itself is looking for ways to release energy; if you pester the patient with questions and offer to talk, this will provoke a new breakdown.
You need to gradually bring a person out of hysteria.
As soon as the energy runs out, the person needs to be given the opportunity to sleep. Do not relieve symptoms with alcohol. Do not support the patient's inappropriate actions, but also do not insist that he is wrong. Try not to point out to a person his inadequacy. It is important that those around you understand that in the current circumstances such a reaction is the norm. You can talk to the patient only after he has had enough sleep and will adequately perceive the information provided.
Frequently repeated attacks require medication and correctional psychological treatment.
It is recommended to stop hysterics of an everyday nature, that is, feigned ones, by indifference on the part of the listener. The fewer witnesses to such manipulations, the faster they will end. A clear example of this behavior can be seen in children who throw a tantrum on the street or in a store, demanding a toy, chocolate, etc. The more strangers there are around the child, the stronger the hysterical attack.
Additional recommendations
If a child is hysterical, this is the first signal to parents to change their attitude towards him, their education system and their daily routine. What measures will help:
- Maintaining a daily routine.
- Ensuring proper, healthy nutrition in an age-appropriate manner.
- Sports activities.
- Adequate rest without overwork.
- Respectful attitude starting from a very young age.
- Allocating sufficient time for games, walks, leisure, and favorite activities.
- Allows you to show independence (in extreme cases, you can then re-tie your shoelaces and wash the plate).
- Provide the right to choose (wear a yellow or blue T-shirt, go for a walk with your mother or grandmother).
- Organize a calm atmosphere before bed (if he falls asleep hysterically).
Do not deviate from the education system. Among all adults in the family, its main points must be agreed upon. If it is not allowed to sit in front of the TV after ten in the evening, then neither grandparents nor anyone else should violate this rule. The moments at which a child is deprived of the right to choose should be:
- clearly and correctly formulated: it is advisable to avoid the words “must” and “impossible” - they act like a red rag to a bull, but the pronoun “we” is welcome,
- voiced,
- pronounced in a firm voice that does not tolerate argument, but not rudely or harshly,
- constant: they must be regularly repeated in the same wording every time the corresponding situation arises.
For example: “We’re eating porridge,” “Let’s go home,” “We’ll buy it next time,” etc. Every time a child hears such phrases, he will form behavioral patterns that parents need. He must understand that at such moments it is useless to argue and hysteria. This idea needs to be instilled in him constantly. At first, of course, he will protest, but soon he will learn the rules and will treat restrictions, rules and requirements more calmly.
Hotel cases
It’s incredible, but it’s a fact that men and women deal with hysterics and stress differently.
Men also tend to “get hysterical,” but not everyone is ready to admit it. During unforeseen situations, they are mostly completely calm, but this is not because men do not experience stress or negativity, but only because they are actually quite timid and prefer to simply wait out the storm in a “warm place.” without really thinking about the situation.
As for women, in a hopeless situation they begin to cry and become very cold-blooded. They behave completely opposite to the behavior of men. A woman in hysterics is capable of much.
Hysteria happens to people when they see no way out of the situation, when a person lacks attention, when he is not heard and his opinion is not listened to. Absolutely anyone, both men and women, is susceptible to this. Very often there are cases of children's hysterics, which require a special approach from parents, as well as the help of a psychologist, if necessary.
So let’s be less irritated over trifles, harbor anger and stress, because all this has such a negative impact on our health, as well as on the people close to us.
Hysteria often happens to sensitive people. They explode with emotions of grief and resentment, start screaming, accuse, burst into tears and gesticulate wildly.
They often shout “it was you who brought me down!”, “you are to blame!” "I can not take it anymore!". In addition, the violent state is uncontrollable, and a person can unwittingly cause harm to himself and others. Therefore, you need to know how to calm a hysteria?
Often attacks of hysteria occur in young children, adolescents, women in the first years of family life especially, and in older people. It is easy to see that these periods are transitional, filled with instability and anxiety.
A hysterical person always needs an audience. For what? To attract attention, to get what you want, to arouse pity and sympathy. Hysteria also helps to prove that you are right or to hide something unpleasant about yourself.
Hysteria: a result of stress or a simulation?
Hysteria, a hysterical attack, is a manifestation of hysteria, which is listed in the ICD-10 reference book as dissociative conversion disorder. Psychiatrists call hysteria “the great malingerer,” but this does not mean that a person consciously and so violently feigns how bad he feels. No, he actually feels so bad and is unable to control his body. And when doctors talk about simulation, they mean a disease that miraculously imitates other pathologies. At the same time, the patient shows remarkable persistence in feeling sick. Doctors often say that it is easier to agree with the patient than to prove to him that he is not sick with all the diseases that appear during hysteria.
Hysteria imitates only complex pathologies. This means that patients with hysteria never complain of a broken leg or pneumonia, which are 100% guaranteed to be detected during examination. But such difficult-to-define conditions as nephroptosis (prolapse of the kidney), collagenosis (systemic connective tissue diseases), false pregnancy, etc. are a fertile field for the subconscious of a person suffering from dissociative conversion disorder. Moreover, usually the patient agrees to “suffer” from gastroenterological or cardiac problems, but categorically does not want to associate himself with diseases of the nervous system. By the way, if the “required” disease cannot be detected, then they become hysterical about this and want to continue the examination, being confident that they are still seriously ill.
Hysteria is based on dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The latter ensures the manifestation of the patient’s emotions at the bodily level - surges in blood pressure, weakness, abdominal pain. Another characteristic sign is that all these manifestations of hysteria develop in situations that are unpleasant for a person, thus giving him the opportunity to avoid stress. Doctors talk about the so-called conditioned pleasantness syndrome: the experience of illness and real physical suffering allows you to distance yourself from the need to deal with some kind of life problem. For example, stomach pain can be a reason not to go to work. The need to write an article causes acute spasmodic pain in the arm. The requirement to provide a report causes migraines.
Interestingly, on a subconscious level, the hysteric resists treatment. Doctors note that prescribing medications to such patients leads to a large-scale manifestation of all possible side effects, and it is extremely difficult to convince the patients themselves of the need for drug therapy. They do not seek treatment, since they receive considerable social dividends from the role of a sick person, especially if the people around them follow their lead. In practice, we can say that their illness is a form of adaptation to the difficulties of life.
People prone to hysterical fits are described by clinical psychologists as being demonstrative and theatrical, having rich facial expressions, being extremely concerned about their appearance, trying to appear younger, and using cosmetics excessively. Among the main patterns of their behavior are “everyone owes me”, “take everything from life”, etc.
A person in a state of hysteria experiences causeless bouts of crying or laughter, coordination of movements is impaired, his heartbeat quickens, and his hands tremble. During severe attacks, convulsions may develop, up to temporary paralysis of certain parts of the body with a feeling of tissue numbness. The patient suffers from difficulty breathing, a feeling of constriction in the throat and insurmountable weakness in the legs.
This condition can last from several minutes to several hours and is difficult for a person to tolerate.
Treatment of hysterical neurosis
Psychocorrection and strengthening of the nervous system will help cure hysterical neurosis. At psychotherapy appointments, the doctor does not pay much attention to complaints, otherwise seizures will become more frequent. The goal of treatment is to correct the perception of oneself and one’s place in society, to find and eliminate the root causes.
Drug treatment boils down to taking general strengthening drugs. Increased excitability requires treatment with plant-based sedatives. “Valerian”, “Motherwort”, “Persen”, “Hawthorn” are suitable. Tranquilizers help quickly calm a person who is hysterical. They are used in particularly difficult cases, for example, when a person has suffered a significant loss (a loved one has died, witnessed an emergency, etc.).
To restore normal activity of the nervous system, vitamin complexes and nootropic drugs containing active acids necessary for the construction of nerve cells are indicated.
Water massage for healing
To treat hysteria, treatment with water jets was introduced; relieving tension through water jets of a certain power turned out to be productive. This is how a method of treating hysteria in women and men with water massage appeared.
Treatment of hysteria with water massage involves a fairly intense effect on the entire body, bordering on pain. Today such procedures are rarely used. The patient can independently perform a shower massage for relaxation or take baths with herbal infusions. Before taking a shower, it is advisable to scrub your body. It relaxes muscles well and invigorates a contrast shower, especially after physical activity.
Treatment methods have been refined and modernized. When the functioning of the central nervous system is impaired, the muscles of the collar zone, spine, and limbs spasm; exposure to water helps relieve cramps. It is important to be careful, such a massage involves sadistic actions that cause pain, this can provoke more serious deviations.