Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Suffering from exhaustion of the mental faculties, indicated by various morbid impulses, superstitious observances, abnormal fears, causeless anxieties, etc.
  • noun One who suffers from psychasthenia.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • As a rule the properly so-called psychasthenic has only disorders of the reflection; he doubts but he does not rave.

    A Psychiatric Milestone Bloomingdale Hospital Centenary, 1821-1921 Various

  • Also from what Sartre would say about the most common cause of all psychasthenic ailments being grounded in fear his points seems logically concise, as the old saying goes fear controls.

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008

  • Certain individuals pass in a few years from psychasthenic depression with doubts and obsessions to psychasthenic deliriums with stubbornness and negativism, then to asthenic insanity with irremediable and complete want of power.

    A Psychiatric Milestone Bloomingdale Hospital Centenary, 1821-1921 Various

  • These are very curious facts that one observes in the oscillations of the mind, in particular when the psychasthenic depression becomes more serious and transforms itself in psychasthenic delirium, which is more frequent than one generally imagines.

    A Psychiatric Milestone Bloomingdale Hospital Centenary, 1821-1921 Various

  • Whatever be the disorders you may consider, aboulias, hysterical accidents, psychasthenic obsessions, periodical depressions, melancholics, systematized deliriums, asthenic insanity, you will always find a number of facts resulting from this general perturbation.

    A Psychiatric Milestone Bloomingdale Hospital Centenary, 1821-1921 Various

  • With keen insight and scientific direction, they will teach the beginning paranoic, melancholic, neurasthenic, clairvoyant and psychasthenic the truth about themselves and the first hint of disassociation will be replaced by association, and rest homes, asylums and sanitarium doors will close forever!

    Freedom Talks No. II Julia Seton

  • This psychasthenic state, the folie du doute of the French, is accompanied by fear, restlessness and an oppressive feeling of unreality.

    The Foundations of Personality 1921

  • This picture may be further complicated by so-called neurasthenic, psychasthenic, hysterical or other reactions.

    The Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1916

  • The groundwork for added states (hysteric, psychasthenic, and others) is here very fertile.

    The Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1916

  • We should therefore appreciate the need of early recognition and treatment of tics and fixed habit movements, especially since there is a tendency to spread, for the tics to multiply, and for mental symptoms and reactions of a hysterical and psychasthenic nature to appear, if they do not already exist or have not existed before the onset of the tic.

    The Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1916

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