Neurasthenia

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Neurasthenia

Neurasthenia (pronounced: noor-uh-sthee-nee-uh) is a term that was first used in the late 19th century to denote a condition characterized by general lassitude, irritability, lack of concentration, worry, and hypochondria.

Etymology

The term "Neurasthenia" is derived from the Greek words "neuron" meaning nerve and "asthenia" meaning weakness. It was first coined by American neurologist George Miller Beard in 1869.

Definition

Neurasthenia is a psychological disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and weakness, loss of memory, and generalized aches and pains, formerly thought to result from exhaustion of the nervous system. It is not commonly used in modern medical or psychiatric parlance.

Symptoms

Symptoms of neurasthenia can include fatigue, anxiety, headache, impotence, neuralgia and depressed mood. Other symptoms may include a lack of ambition or drive, insomnia, and a general sense of disinterest in activities or life.

Related Terms

  • Psychasthenia: A psychological disorder characterized by phobias, obsessions, compulsions, or excessive anxiety.
  • Asthenia: Weakness. Lack of energy and strength. Loss of strength. The word asthenia is not much used in medicine today, although it is a part of myasthenia, a loss of muscle strength, as in myasthenia gravis.
  • Neurosis: A class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms.

See Also

External links

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