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Reconsideration of Psychasthenia- Two Cases

  • Lim, Hyun-Jung (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hospital of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center) ;
  • Kwon, Yong-Ju (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hospital of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center) ;
  • Lee, Jae-Eun (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hospital of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center) ;
  • Cho, Seung-Hun (Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hospital of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center)
  • Received : 2013.08.21
  • Accepted : 2013.09.03
  • Published : 2013.09.30

Abstract

Objectives : Psychasthenia is a psychological disorder that is characterized by phobias, obsessions, compulsions, or excessive anxiety. Their thoughts can be scattered and require significant effort to organize, often resulting in sentences that do not come out as intended, making little sense to others. Methods : Two Patients with psychasthenia are unable to resist specific actions or thoughts, regardless of their maladaptive nature and have insufficient control over their conscious thinking and memory, sometimes wandering aimlessly and/or forgetting what they were doing. Results : The constant mental effort induces physiological fatigue, which worsens the condition. Nevertheless, psychasthenia has become a forgotten disorder. We observed two cases that are worthy of the original definition of psychasthenia. Conclusions : It can be concluded that patients with psychasthenia complain of sinking because of a reduction in psychological tension or an effort to recover the reduction in tension.

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References

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