In the human psyche, a wide variety of emotional processes will certainly occur, which are part of his being. We grieve at losses, rejoice at the onset of pleasant moments, and yearn when we part with our loved ones. Feelings and emotions are not only the most important component of the personality, but also have a significant impact on its motivation, decision-making, perception, behavior and thinking. Based on the current situation, people periodically experience mood swings. And this is a completely natural process. After all, a person is not a machine, and he is not able to smile around the clock. Nevertheless, it is emotionality that makes the psyche of people the most vulnerable. In this regard, escalating stressful situations, changes in internal biochemical processes, as well as other negative factors can cause all kinds of mood disorders. What are the emotional disturbances? What are their signs? How can a person regain his mentalhe alth?
Mood Disorders
In medicine, psychological disorders are distinguished, which are characterized by a change in the emotional state of a person in the direction of either oppression or uplift. This group of pathological phenomena includes a variety of forms of mania and depression, dysphoria, lability, increased anxiety and manic-depressive psychosis.
The prevalence of these ailments is quite extensive. The fact is that their formation occurs not only within the framework of an independent mental pathology. Affective emotional syndromes are often complications of neurological and various somatic diseases.
Based on available data, such disorders in varying degrees of severity occur in 25% of the world's population. However, only the fourth honor of these people turns to a specialist and receives qualified help. Do not rush to consult a doctor and those patients whose depression is seasonal and worsens only from time to time, usually in winter.
Reasons
Why do affective pathology syndromes occur? They are caused by both external and internal causes. Their origin may be neurotic, endogenous or symptomatic. But regardless of the source of the pathology, for its formation, a person must have a certain predisposition in the form of an imbalance of the central nervous system, schizoid and anxious-manic character traits. All the causes that contribute to the development of affective instability syndrome,subdivided into several groups. Among them:
- Unfavorable psychogenic factors. An affective syndrome can be triggered by prolonged stress or a traumatic situation. The most common causes of this group are violence and quarrels in the family, loss of financial stability, divorce, death of loved ones (parent, spouse, child).
- Somatic diseases. Affective syndrome is sometimes a complication of another pathology. Provokes its occurrence dysfunction of the nervous system or endocrine glands that produce neurotransmitters and hormones. Severe symptoms of the disease in the form of weakness and pain can worsen mood. Negative emotions also arise with an unfavorable prognosis of the disease in the form of disability or the likelihood of death.
- Heredity. Syndromes of affective disorders are sometimes caused by a genetic predisposition to them. It is expressed in such physiological causes as the structure of brain structures, as well as the purposefulness of neurotransmission. An example of this is affective bipolar disorder.
- Natural hormonal changes. An unstable state of affect is sometimes associated with endocrine changes that occur during puberty, during pregnancy, after childbirth or during menopause. The resulting imbalance of hormonal levels affects the work of those parts of the brain that are responsible for the emotional reactions of a person.
Most common mental disorders
According to the International Classification of DiseasesICD-10, affective pathologies are understood as pathologies, the main violation of which is a change in mood and emotions towards depression (with or without anxiety), as well as towards elation. All this is accompanied by a decrease or increase in human activity. Other symptoms, as a rule, are secondary to the affective syndrome. Or they can be easily explained by changes in activity and mood.
The occurrence of such syndromes is a sign of the transition to the next level of human mental disorder in its depth. After all, such a state is accompanied by a change in the functioning of the brain, which leads to a negative change in the biotonus of the whole organism. The most common psychiatric disorders in these conditions are depression and mania. They are in the first place in terms of the frequency of their occurrence in psychiatric practice. Often, depression and mania are also noted in cases of borderline mental illness.
Depressive syndrome
This condition is sometimes called melancholy. Depressive affective syndrome is characterized by the following main features:
- Feeling of longing with unreasonably depressed and depressed mood.
- Psychomotor retardation.
- Slow pace of thinking.
- Autonomic and somatic disorders.
Depressive affective syndrome manifests itself most often in the form of depressed mood. The patient loses interest in the environment and feels heaviness in the soul, andalso feels it in the head and in the region of the chest and neck. He is haunted by a feeling of longing. Such a person suffers from mental pain, which he experiences more painfully than physical discomfort.
When sufficiently pronounced, the dreary depressive effect captures the entire consciousness of the patient. It begins to determine his behavior and thinking. Such people in the space around them see only the bad. Patients begin to perceive the whole world only in gloomy colors. They blame only themselves for all the failures and see no way out of this situation.
Such a heavy state of mind corresponds to the appearance of the patient. His head is lowered, his body is bent, his eyes are dimmed, and only a mournful expression can be seen on his face. Having reached such a state, a person ceases to enjoy even the best events that are very important for him.
The retardation in movements is also quite pronounced in such patients. They lie or sit a lot, always in a bent posture. People suffering from depression complain of a weakening of memory and a lack of desire. The slowdown of their thinking and the course of associative processes become clearly expressed. Such patients are more silent. If they begin to speak, it is only in a low voice. Depressed people respond to questions either with a nod of the head or with a long delay.
Endogenous depression
All depressed mental states are divided into two groups. These are reactive and endogenous (circular). The first of them arise under unexpected stresses. This issituations of separation, death of relatives or a dangerous illness. Affective-endogenous syndrome becomes a consequence of an internal disease of a person. Its cause is a decrease in the level of hormones, including norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Their insufficient amount in the body leads to the appearance of ridiculous thoughts. A person begins to think that no one needs him in this world. At the same time, he has a feeling of worthlessness, oppression and severe apathy.
The most vulnerable category for the development of an affective-endogenous syndrome are people whose character has such traits as integrity and responsibility, modesty and self-doubt, as well as a sense of duty. Often, melancholic and phlegmatic people become hostages of this type of depression.
Affective-endogenous pathopsychological syndrome occurs sometimes unexpectedly. Sometimes against the backdrop of complete family well-being. Such a state is characterized by the following manifestations:
- mood swings during the day (sadness in the morning and its absence in the evening);
- sleep disturbance in the form of early awakenings at 4-5 am;
- somatovegetative failures.
With endogenous depression, appetite sharply decreases or completely disappears. This leads to a decrease in body weight of patients. Their skin turns pale, the face becomes earthy, the mucous membranes lose moisture. There is oppression of sexual and other instinctive urges. For women in the period of depression, the development of amenorrhea is characteristic, and for men - the absence of libido. Doctors describe the presence of a characteristicfor these patients, the triad of constipation, pupillary dilation, and tachycardia.
With affective-endogenous syndrome, the secretory functions of the glands are reduced, which leads to the absence of tears. Patients also complain of brittle nails and hair loss.
The most dangerous symptom of this depressive state is the presence of suicidal thoughts. They are preceded by a reluctance to live, which is not accompanied by specific plans. This is the initial stage of suicidal thoughts, which is passive.
Affective-delusional syndromes
Often, against the background of a dreary mood, special states can occur. There is a development of an affective-delusional syndrome, accompanied by ridiculous statements. Such a condition, in turn, is classified into several pathologies that have their own distinctive features. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Delirium of poisoning and persecution
Such statements are characteristic of the affective-paranoid syndrome. In this case, a person who has a thinking disorder is haunted by the idea that he is being watched or that they want to poison him. Moreover, all these actions are performed either by one person (creature), or by a group of persons. Patients are under the firm belief that they are being spied on, followed, and plotted to harm them. The stalkers in this case can be neighbors, relatives, friends or fictitious persons. Such patients become suspicious and withdrawn. They develop anxiety and the ability to adequately assess what is happening disappears.
Causeendogenous mental illness, intoxication effect on the central nervous system, as well as degenerative neurotic pathologies become such an affective-delusional syndrome. Factors predisposing to this condition include:
- psychosis caused by drug poisoning, alcohol addiction or paranoid schizophrenia;
- personal predisposition in the form of initial suspicion and incredulity;
- negative experience resulting from acts of humiliation, violence and psychological pressure.
The occurrence of hallucinations
Affective-delusional syndrome, accompanied by the fantasies of the patient, may be chronic or acute. In the first variant of the course of the pathology, it is characterized by an increasing aggravation. As for the acute affective-hallucinatory syndrome, it is quickly eliminated with timely treatment.
This kind of depression is accompanied by a delusional perception of the world around. Acute sensory hallucinations also occur.
Depressive-affective syndrome of this kind is caused by many mental disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, encephalitis and other ailments. Another cause of this disorder is infectious pathologies. Often, a delusional perception of the world around us occurs with sexually transmitted diseases and neurosyphilis that have affected the brain. In this case, the patient has auditory hallucinations. The patient hears swearing, insults, and sometimes sexual cynicalreproaches. In the future, to such manifestations, a person sometimes becomes uncritical. He believes that he is being pursued by assassins or thieves. In such cases, another affective state of the psyche arises. It is expressed in the appearance of delusions of persecution.
Affective-hallucinatory syndrome sometimes occurs with organic brain damage. Similar processes develop in cerebral atherosclerosis. Hallucinations also occur in some somatic diseases. So, clouding of consciousness occurs in a person with psychosis. Hallucinations are also possible with sepsis caused by a wound that does not heal for a long time, as well as with pellagra, one of the types of vitamin deficiency caused by a lack of nicotinic acid and proteins.
Disorders of the psyche, accompanied by hallucinations, are also observed when a person is poisoned with bromine. With such intoxication, patients hear voices that discuss their intimate experiences. There are also visual hallucinations.
Manic Syndrome
For affective disorders of this direction is characterized by a person's high spirits, accompanied by his inexplicable optimism. In the presence of this syndrome, there is an acceleration of mental activity. The patient has excessively active body movements.
Diseases of the central nervous system become the reason for the development of mania. Patients with this syndrome feel groundless joy and happiness. Often they overestimate their strengths and capabilities, which leads to megalomania. The acceleration of the emergence of updated ideas and thoughts is accompanied by constant distractibility. Patients with an affective-manic syndrome have quite active speech and a great desire to expand their activities, despite the existing obstacles. People with this diagnosis react very aggressively to critical remarks addressed to them. Often they act senselessly and thoughtlessly. If they are generally irritable, they may have an increase in appetite, sleep disturbance, or sudden weight loss.
Pathology in children
Affective disorders of the emotional sphere are possible not only in adults. Little patients also suffer from them. With an affective syndrome in children, the description of symptoms is similar to those observed in the older generation. This is depression and a decrease in mood or its increase. All this is accompanied by a decrease or increase in the activity of the motor and speech spheres, as well as somatic deviations.
Very often affective disorders in childhood are combined with tics and obsessions. After 3 years of age, in addition to these signs of pathology, there are also hallucinatory, catatonic and depersonalization phenomena.
Indicated in the ICD and affective respiratory syndrome, which is a type of mood disorder. It is a seizure that develops in a child after excessive exposure to the nervous system of a physical or emotional stimulus. In a small patient, there is a delay in breathing and a short-term stop occurs. Attacks that occur with affective-respiratory syndrome in children usually pass without consequences. Nevertheless, such patients require the supervision of a cardiologist and a neurologist.
Babies, whose age ranges from 6 months to 1.5 years, suffer from such pathological phenomena. Sometimes they can appear in children at 2-3 years old.
The main causes of affective respiratory syndrome in children are hereditary. At risk of developing pathology are children who are already too excitable from birth, and, most likely, their parents also experienced similar conditions in infancy.
Factors that provoke affective-respiratory syndrome are:
- fright;
- ignoring by adults the demands that the child puts forward;
- stress;
- fatigue;
- excitement;
- family scandals;
- burns and injuries;
- communication with relatives who are unpleasant to the child.
Diagnosis
The psychiatrist is engaged in revealing the affective syndrome. He examines the medical history and finds out the patient's family predisposition to mental disorders. To clarify the symptoms of a pathological condition and its initial manifestation after the onset of stressful situations, a specialist conducts a clinical survey of the patient's next of kin, who can provide objective and more complete information. If there is no pronounced psychogenic factor in the development of deviations, examinations of such specialists as a general practitioner, endocrinologist and neurologist are prescribed to identify the true causes of the existing condition.
Applied to patients and specificresearch methods. These include:
- Clinical conversation. During its implementation, the psychiatrist learns from the patient about the symptoms that disturb him, and also reveals some speech features that may indicate the presence of an emotional disorder.
- Observation. The doctor in a conversation with the patient evaluates his facial expressions, features of gestures, focus and activity of motor skills, as well as vegetative symptoms. So, the lowered corners of the eyes and mouth, stiffness of movements and grief on the face will indicate the presence of depression, and an excessive smile and an increase in the tone of facial muscles will indicate mania.
- Psychophysiological tests. Similar studies are conducted to assess the stability and severity of emotions, their quality and direction. Tests will confirm existing psycho-emotional disorders thanks to a system of unconscious choices.
- Projective techniques. These techniques are designed to assess the patient's emotions through his unconscious personal qualities, existing social relationships, as well as character traits.
- Questionnaires. The use of these techniques provides for the patient's ability to assess his own character traits, emotions, state of he alth and especially relationships with loved ones.
Treatment
Affective disorders are eliminated by therapeutic methods, which must be prescribed by a doctor individually for each patient and take into account the clinical manifestations of the disease, the nature of the course and etiology. In general, the doctor seeks to stop acute symptoms, eliminate the causes of the problem, if possible, andconduct social and psychotherapeutic work with the patient.
Antidepressants are prescribed as part of drug treatment for patients suffering from depression. Anxiety symptoms can be relieved with anxiolytics. To get rid of manic moods, normotimics are used. Antipsychotic drugs are designed to eliminate hallucinations and delusions.
Psychotherapeutic assistance to patients with an affective syndrome is the conduct of individual sessions of cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapy with the gradual inclusion of the patient in group sessions. Patients with increased anxiety are encouraged to master relaxation and self-regulation techniques, as well as to work with erroneous attitudes.
An important role in the recovery of patients with an affective syndrome is given to social rehabilitation. To work in this direction, the psychotherapist and psychologist hold meetings at which the patient's family is present. They discuss the issues of proper nutrition and physical activity of the patient, his gradual involvement in household chores, joint walks and sports.
Prevention
How to avoid the development of an affective syndrome? In case of disorders caused by hereditary factors, the patient is shown periodic courses of therapy. This will allow you to maintain normal he alth and avoid relapses.
Among the preventive measures is also the rejection of existing bad habits,adherence to a rational daily routine, which provides for a good sleep, alternating work and rest, allocating time for interesting activities, as well as maintaining trusting relationships with loved ones.
