A supposed psychological reaction to injury affected by the prospect of financial compensation. In some cases, the condition may delay physical recovery.
A general term applied to mental or emotional disturbance in which, as opposed to PSYCHOSIS, there is no serious disturbance in the perception or understanding of external reality. However, the boundaries between neurosis and psychosis are not always clearly de?ned. Neuroses are usually classi?ed into anxiety neuroses, depressive neuroses, phobias (see PHOBIA), HYPOCHONDRIASIS, HYSTERIA and obsessional neuroses.
Anxiety neurosis, or anxiety state, constitutes the most common form of neurosis; fortunately it is also among the most responsive to treatment. Once the neurosis develops, sufferers are in a state of persistent anxiety and worry, ‘tensed up’, always fatigued and unable to sleep at night. In addition, there are often physical complaints – for example, palpitations, sweating, apparent discomfort on swallowing (‘globus’), and headache.
Obsessional neuroses are much less common and constitute only about 5 per cent of all neuroses. Like other neuroses, they usually develop in early adult life. (See MENTAL ILLNESS.)... neurosis
Obsessional fear about the state of the heart. It tends to occur after a heart attack and may result in the patient’s experiencing the symptoms of another attack.... cardiac neurosis
In medical parlance, a term applied to the counterbalancing of some defect of structure or function by some other special bodily development. The body possesses a remarkable power of adapting itself even to serious defects, so that disability due to these passes o? after a time. The term is most often applied to the ability possessed by the heart to increase in size, and therefore in power, when the need for greater pumping action arises in consequence of a defective valve or some other abnormality in the circulation (see also HEART, DISEASES OF; CIRCULATORY SYSTEM OF THE BLOOD). A heart in this condition is, however, more liable to be prejudicially affected by strains and disease-processes, and the term ‘failure of compensation’ is applied to the symptoms that result when this power becomes temporarily insu?cient.
Compensation also refers to the ?nancial compensation awarded to an individual who has been injured or made ill as a result of wrongful action or inaction by another individual or organisation. NHS trusts are increasingly being sued for compensation because patients believe that they have had unsatisfactory or damaging treatment. This is costing the NHS over £1 billion a year. (See RISK MANAGEMENT.)
Compensation neurosis Compensation neurosis or ‘traumatic’ neurosis is a psychological reaction to the prospects of compensation. It is a condition about which specialists disagree. Su?erers complain of a range of symptoms that may be a genuine consequence of their condition or an exaggerated response.... compensation
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