Metaphysical intoxication is a psychological pathology, the main symptom of which is resonance. In other words, a person argues a lot and inappropriately. And his thoughts do not have a clear focus. Patients can immerse themselves in reading on topics of interest, but this lesson does not enrich their knowledge.
Historical summary
In the middle of the 17th century, half a century before the transformation of psychiatry into an independent science, metaphysical intoxication was first described. This definition within the framework of philosophical teachings was derived by David Hume.
Philosophical intoxication as a syndrome was first characterized by Theodore Ziegen in 1924. This discovery was largely influenced by the work of Hume, which he read during his student days.
Metaphysical intoxication belongs to the category of overvalued ideas. And according to the theory of K. Wernicke, they are based on a real life event, which is inadequately evaluated. The philosophical analogy does not have such a basis. Therefore, it is compared with paranoid delirium. Only in it there is no struggle for the implementation of plans.
Nature of the disease
Experts adhere to three concepts regarding the emergence of metaphysical intoxication:
- Schizophrenic disorders.
- Puberty crisis conditions. They can appear in people with various psychopathies.
- Affective pathology.
Schizophrenic basis
A well-known specialist in psychiatry, A. E. Lichko, deduced several characteristics in this matter. And signs of metaphysical intoxication with schizophrenia, according to its concept, are:
- The absurd content of ideas. It is completely contrary to logic. For example, a patient, schizophrenic at the age of 17, claimed that world peace is possible only when all people become vegetarians. And because of the meat and its products, a person becomes furious. At the same time, the teenager was sure that Hitler adhered to a similar diet.
- Foggy presentation of thoughts or repetition of identical patterns. Example: a 15-year-old patient, having read the treatises of Nietzsche and Spencer, thought about building “universal anarchism”. But when the symptoms of the disease became dangerous, he decided to kill himself with poisoning. The attempt failed, because the guy was placed in a psychiatric clinic. There he told doctors that he wanted to be a superman.
- Weak activity in the popularization of their ideas. Patients are not looking for like-minded people or quickly refuse to search. The patient in the example of paragraph 2, did not at all look for fellow believers. He spread his views among obvious opponents: communists, teachers of sociology, etc.
- Violation of social adaptation. People with the disease are skipping school or work. Their performance is sharply reduced, they are alienated from close relatives.
According to identical principles, metaphysical intoxication occurs in patients who are diagnosed with schizotypic and schizophreniform disorders.
About forecasts
If schizophrenia and the indicated symptoms are detected, treatment in most cases ends successfully. For example, in only 20% of situations based on schizotypal disorder, schizophrenia, which belongs to the progressive category, begins to form.
40% of cases are marked by the onset of almost complete remission. According to the materials of L. B. Dubnitsky, in a patient’s life, it can appear only once. But this implies another type of disorder - schizophreniform.
Symptomatology
According to statistics, metaphysical intoxication is more susceptible to citizens aged 12 to 19 years. Suspicions of this disease are justified when a person constantly philosophizes about:
- dilemmas of society;
- the essence of being and death;
- the cumulative purpose of humanity;
- self-development, achievement of some peaks;
- methods for eliminating threats hanging over people;
- correlation of consciousness and thoughts;
- different measurements and their mixing.
In practice, patients cover a much wider range of topics. But these are the most common types.
A sick person, plunged into thoughts and fantasies, puts forward his own unique (in his opinion):
- philosophical laws;
- ethical criteria;
- social reforms.
These are symptoms of metaphysical intoxication. And the main signs of judgment are simplicity and isolation from the conditions of the real world. Such theories are completely stupid, chaotic and contradictory. But it is difficult for the patient to realize this on his own.
The essence of this intoxication
The essence of the disease lies in reflection and a burden for philosophizing. The patient is not active. In this, it differs from people suffering from outwardly similar pathologies. In them, it is activity — not thought — that is the dominant attribute.
The intentions of invention should not be included in the syndrome of metaphysical intoxication, because then the understanding is excessively expanded and can be interpreted incorrectly. Such a mistake was made in 1977 by Lev Dubnitsky. As part of intoxication, he considered the work of adolescents obsessed with abstract inventions. For example, they could spend a lot of time on chemical experiments. It is extremely difficult for people with this disease to be active. They are closed and detached from reality. Their thoughts resemble delusional fantasies.
Effect on adolescents
This category is most susceptible to metaphysical intoxication. She, as a separate symptom, can form in other mental pathologies.
As a syndrome, it is perceived when it becomes dominant. Its manifestations are often found in adolescents suffering from single-schizophrenic schizophrenia. In these situations, patients take on other people's points of view and beliefs. They try to convince everyone that they are the authors of certain ideas, they can describe in detail the conditions in which these ideas arose. In rare cases, attempts take a very aggressive form.
A similar syndrome, according to psychiatric reports, most often manifests itself in guys 15-19 years old. Reason: it is this period that is characterized by metaphysical intoxication of abstract type of thinking. Its development takes on distorted forms. This is especially true in people with schizoid and psychasthenic symptoms. They begin to think a lot, learn new knowledge. In this case, reasoning is constantly used.
In the indicated period, a person realizes himself, trying to find his vocation and place in life. His goal is to create spiritual masterpieces and make them known to the whole world. But due to poor life experience and a modest arsenal of knowledge, all such aspirations lead only to primitive judgments and a distorted worldview.
Treatment questions
Therapy is usually prescribed individually based on the results of examinations. General trends are such that inpatient treatment of metaphysical intoxication is more effective than the outpatient form.
In the initial stages of therapy, psychopharmacotherapy is given priority. To achieve better results, specialists are based on the dominant affect, the specifics of the disease and the patient's response to the drugs. At the first stages of treatment, tricyclic antidepressants positively established themselves.
They rule out suicidal threats. Gradually, doctors reduce their dosage to a minimum. At the same time, serotonic antidepressant, fluvoxamine, is included in the therapy. Since the largest percentage of patients are depressed, antipsychotics with a combined antipsychotic effect are used in their treatment. For example, trifluoperazin.
For the effective elimination of youthful pathologies, the use of drugs necessarily complement psychological correctional therapy. It is based on the specifics of the disease and the patient's beliefs. It includes cognitive and existential methods that are complemented by family psychological correction. At the stage of remission, the main task of doctors is the social and labor adaptation of the patient.