Is VSD a Mental Illness or Not: What's the Difference

A familiar feeling: your heart suddenly beats faster, it becomes stuffy, your head spins, and there is no explanation. Many have heard the word "VSD" from a doctor and were left wondering what it means and whether it relates to mental disorders. Let's sort this out calmly, without frightening labels.

VSD: what it is and why it is not a separate diagnosis

Vegetovascular dystonia is not a disease but a collective name for a complex of symptoms associated with dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The term was proposed by the Soviet academician Savitsky in the late 1950s. There is no such diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases. Foreign doctors do not use it; instead, they name the specific condition underlying the complaints. VSD symptoms can mimic various diseases: on the part of the nervous system, heart and blood vessels, breathing, gastrointestinal tract, thermoregulation and sweating. Headache is cited as the leading symptom by frequency.

Is VSD a mental illness or not

The term VSD itself does not mean a mental illness. But autonomic disturbances are often secondary: they arise against the background of mental disorders or somatic diseases, in organic lesions of the central nervous system, due to hormonal shifts in adolescence. When such symptoms are linked to the psyche, the matter concerns somatoform, anxiety and depressive disorders. That is, the question is not about the label but about what exactly causes the complaints.

Autonomic neurosis and vegetovascular neurosis: what they are

Vegetoneurosis is one of the names for the same range of conditions. In ICD-10, the close diagnosis of somatoform autonomic dysfunction of the nervous system is coded F45.3 and belongs to neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders. For the neurological part of the picture, there are separate codes for disorders of the autonomic nervous system. Practice shows that in CIS countries the diagnosis of VSD is often made in childhood without consultation with a psychiatrist, and syndromic formulations are convenient because they allow one not to look for a specific cause.

VSD and panic attacks: how they are related

A panic attack is a sudden period of intense fear or discomfort without real danger. During it there may be palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, nausea. An attack can last from several minutes to an hour or more. One or two panic attacks in a lifetime do not mean a disorder. Panic disorder is spoken of with recurring attacks and a constant fear of a new attack, because of which a person begins to avoid places where it happened. It is precisely such autonomic panic attacks that are often hidden behind the word VSD.

VSD, anxiety disorder, depression and OCD

In generalized anxiety disorder, a person worries about various things for long periods and with difficulty controlling it, and this interferes with life. Among the symptoms are sleep disturbances, irritability, difficulty concentrating, rapid fatigability, tension, stomach problems, noticeable palpitations, dizziness, low mood. The diagnosis is discussed if anxiety troubles the person most of the time for at least six months. Anxiety disorders are more common in women. Panic disorder without treatment sometimes leads to depression and substance use disorders. Different anxiety disorders often coexist.

When symptoms require examination

For complaints of palpitations, shortness of breath or chest pain, the doctor may perform an examination, order blood tests, including for thyroid problems, and heart examinations to rule out another cause. If panic disorder or anxiety disorder is suspected, the person may be referred to a mental health specialist. People consult a family doctor with such complaints, and then follow his or her referral.

• Constant worry that is difficult to control
• Recurring attacks of intense fear
• Physical symptoms without a clear cause
• Low mood against a background of anxiety
• Avoiding places and situations due to fear of an attack

This in itself is not a reason to call an ambulance. Call 103 or 112 if there are signs of a life-threatening condition: severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, confusion, signs of stroke.

This material is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation: only a specialist can help determine what is causing your symptoms.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer