In the human psyche, a variety of emotional processes that are part of his being will certainly occur. We are sad from losses, rejoice at the onset of pleasant moments and yearn for parting with 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 occasionally experience mood swings. And this is a completely natural process. After all, man 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, aggravating stressful situations, changes in internal biochemical processes, as well as other negative factors, can become the causes of all kinds of mood disorders. What kind of disturbances occur in the emotional sphere? What are their symptoms? How can a person regain mental health?
Affective 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 the most diverse 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 is not only within the framework of independent mental pathology. Affective emotional syndromes are often complications of neurological as well as various somatic diseases.
Based on the available data, similar disorders to 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. Those patients whose depression is seasonal in nature and only worsens from time to time, usually in the winter, are in no hurry to consult a doctor.
Causes
Why do affective pathology syndromes arise? 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 should have a certain predisposition in the form of unbalanced central nervous system, schizoid and anxiety-manic character traits. All the reasons that contribute to the development of affective instability syndrome are divided into several groups. Among them:
- Adverse psychogenic factors. 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. It provokes the occurrence of dysfunction of the nervous system or endocrine glands, which are produced by 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 an ailment in the form of disability or the likelihood of death.
- Heredity. Affective disorder syndromes are sometimes caused by a genetic predisposition to them. It is expressed in such physiological reasons as the structure of brain structures, as well as the focus 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 with menopause. The resulting imbalance of the hormonal level affects the work of those parts of the brain that are responsible for the emotional reactions of a person.
The most common mental disorders
According to the ICD-10 International Classification of Diseases, affective understand pathologies, the main violation of which is a change in mood and emotions towards depression (with or without anxiety), as well as uplifting. All this is accompanied by a decrease or increase in human activity. Other symptoms, as a rule, are secondary for the affective syndrome. Or they can be easily explained by changes in activity and mood.
The occurrence of such syndromes is a sign of a transition to the next level of mental disorder in the human depth. After all, such a condition 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 mental disorders in these conditions are depression and mania. It is they who are in first place in the frequency of their occurrence in psychiatric practice. Often depression and mania are also noted in the case of borderline mental illness.
Depressive syndrome
This condition is sometimes called melancholy. The following main symptoms are characteristic of depressive affective syndrome:
- A feeling of longing with an unreasonably depressed and lowered mood.
- Psychomotor retardation.
- Slowed pace of thinking.
- Vegetative and somatic disorders.
Depressive affective syndrome manifests itself most often in the form of depressed mood. The patient loses interest in the environment and experiences heaviness on the soul, and also feels it in the head and in 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.
With sufficient severity, a depressing depressive effect captures the entire consciousness of the patient. He begins to determine his behavior and thinking. Such people in their surroundings see only the bad. Patients begin to perceive the whole world only in gloomy colors. In all the failures they blame only themselves and do not see any way out of this situation.
Such a serious state of mind corresponds to the appearance of the patient. His head is lowered, his body is bent, his eyes are extinguished, and only a mournful expression can be seen on his face. Having reached such a state, a person ceases to rejoice at even the best events, which are very important for him.
Inhibition of movements is also quite pronounced in such patients. They lie or sit a lot, certainly in a bent posture. People suffering from depression complain of weakened memory and lack of desire. The slowdown of their thinking and the course of associative processes becomes clearly expressed. Such patients are more silent. If they start talking, then only in a low voice. People who are depressed respond to questions with either a nod of the head, or they give an answer 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 with unexpected stresses. These are situations of separation, death of relatives or a dangerous disease. Affective endogenous syndrome becomes a consequence of a person’s internal disease. Its cause is a decrease in 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 nobody needs him in this world. At the same time, he has a feeling of worthlessness, oppression and extreme apathy.
The most vulnerable category for the development of affective-endogenous syndrome are people whose nature has such features as integrity and responsibility, modesty and self-doubt, as well as a sense of duty. Often hostages of this type of depression become melancholy and phlegmatic.
Affective endogenous pathopsychological syndrome sometimes occurs unexpectedly. Sometimes against the background of complete family well-being. For such a condition, the following manifestations are characteristic:
- mood swings during the day (longing in the morning and her absence in the evening);
- sleep disturbance in the form of early awakenings at 4-5 in the morning;
- somatovegetative failures.
With endogenous depression, appetite decreases sharply or completely disappears. This leads to a decrease in body weight of patients. Their skin turns pale, their face becomes earthy, their mucous membranes lose moisture. Inhibition of sexual and other instinctive impulses. For women during the period of depression, amenorrhea is characteristic, and for men, the absence of libido. Doctors describe the presence of a triad characteristic of such patients, including constipation, dilated pupil, and tachycardia.
With affective-endogenous syndrome, the secretory functions of the glands decrease, which leads to the absence of tears. Patients also complain of brittle nails and hair loss.
The most dangerous symptom of such a 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 conditions may arise. There is a development of an affective-delusional syndrome, accompanied by ridiculous statements. A similar condition, in turn, is classified into several pathologies that have their own distinctive features. Let's consider some of them in more detail.
Delusions of poisoning and stalking
Similar statements are characteristic of affective paranoid syndrome. In this case, a person who has a disorder of thinking is haunted by the idea that they are being followed or want to poison. Moreover, all these actions are performed either by one person (being), or by a group of persons. Patients are firmly convinced that they are being spied, monitored and plotted to harm them. In this case, the persecutors can be neighbors, relatives, friends or fictitious persons. Such patients become suspicious and withdrawn. They have anxiety and the ability to adequately assess what is happening disappears.
The cause of this affective-delusional syndrome is mental diseases of an endogenous nature, intoxication effects on the central nervous system, as well as degenerative neurotic pathologies. The factors predisposing to this condition include:
- psychosis caused by drug poisoning, alcohol dependence or paranoid schizophrenia;
- personal predisposition in the form of initial suspicion and incredulity;
- negative experience gained as a result of acts of humiliation, violence and psychological pressure.
Hallucinations
Affective-delusional syndrome, accompanied by the fantasies of the patient, may be chronic or acute in nature. In the first version of the course of the pathology, a growing aggravation is characteristic of it. As for the acute affective hallucinatory syndrome, it is quickly eliminated with timely treatment.
A similar kind of depression is accompanied by delusional perception of the world. Acute sensory hallucinations also occur.
The cause of the depressive-affective syndrome of this kind is many mental disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, encephalitis and other ailments. Infectious pathologies are another cause of this disorder. Often the delusional perception of the world around us occurs with sexually transmitted diseases and neurosyphilis, affecting the brain. In this case, the patient develops auditory hallucinations. The patient hears abuse, insults, and sometimes sexual cynical reproaches. In the future, to such manifestations, a person sometimes becomes uncritical. He believes that he is pursued by killers or thieves. In such cases, another affective state of mind occurs. It is expressed in the appearance of delusions of persecution.
Affective hallucinatory syndrome sometimes occurs with organic brain damage. Similar processes develop with cerebral atherosclerosis. Hallucinations occur in some somatic diseases. So, confusion occurs in humans with psychoses. Hallucinations are possible with sepsis caused by a non-healing wound 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.
Mental disorders, accompanied by hallucinations, are also observed with poisoning of a person with bromine. With this intoxication, patients hear voices that discuss their intimate experiences. Visual hallucinations also occur.
Manic syndrome
Elevated mood of a person, accompanied by his inexplicable optimism, is characteristic of affective disorders of this orientation. In the presence of this syndrome, an acceleration of mental activity occurs. The patient has excessively active body movements.
The cause of the development of mania are diseases of the central nervous system. 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 distraction. Patients with 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 criticisms addressed to them. Often they act senselessly and thoughtlessly. With general excitability, they may increase appetite, sleep disturbance, or sudden weight loss.
Pathology in children
Affective disorders of the emotional sphere are possible not only in adults. Small patients also suffer from them. In affective syndrome in children, the description of the 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 sphere, as well as somatic abnormalities.
Very often, affective disorders in childhood are combined with tics and obsession. After 3 years of age, in addition to these signs of pathology, hallucinatory, catatonic and depersonalization phenomena also arise.
Indicated in the ICD is the affective-respiratory syndrome, which is one of the types of mood disorders. It represents seizures that develop in a child after excessive exposure to the nervous system of a physical or emotional stimulus. In a small patient, breath holding occurs and its short-term stop occurs. The attacks that occur with affective respiratory syndrome in children go away, as a rule, without consequences. Nevertheless, such patients require the supervision of a cardiologist and a neurologist.
From such pathological phenomena, babies suffer, whose age ranges from 6 months to 1.5 years. Sometimes they can occur in children in 2-3 years.
The main causes of affective respiratory syndrome in children are hereditary. At risk for the occurrence of pathology are children who are already too excited from birth, and most likely their parents also experienced similar conditions in infancy.
Factors that provoke the affective-respiratory syndrome are:
- Fright
- neglect by adults of the requirements that the child makes;
- stress;
- fatigue;
- excitation;
- family scandals;
- burns and injuries;
- communication with relatives who are unpleasant for the child.
Diagnostics
The psychiatrist is involved in identifying the affective syndrome. He examines the medical history and finds out from the patient a family predisposition to mental disorders. To clarify the symptoms of the pathological condition and its initial manifestation after stressful situations, the specialist performs a clinical survey of the patient’s closest relatives who can provide objective and more complete information. If there is no pronounced psychogenic factor in the development of deviations, examinations of specialists such as a therapist, endocrinologist and neurologist are prescribed to identify the true causes of the existing condition.
Apply to patients and specific research methods. These include:
- Clinical conversation. During its conduct, the psychiatrist learns from the patient about the symptoms disturbing 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, especially gestures, focus and activity of motility, as well as vegetative symptoms. So, the lowered corners of the eyes and mouth, the stiffness of movements and grief on the face will indicate the presence of depression, and an excessive smile and increased tone of the facial muscles - on mania.
- Psychophysiological tests. Similar studies are conducted to assess the stability and severity of emotions, their quality and orientation. Tests will confirm the existing psycho-emotional disorders due to the system of unconscious choices.
- Projective techniques. These techniques are designed to assess the emotions of the patient due to the unconscious personal qualities that take place in social relations, as well as character traits.
- Questionnaires. The use of these techniques provides the patient with the ability to evaluate his own character traits, emotions, health status and characteristics of 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 cause of the problem if possible, and also conduct social and psychotherapeutic work with the patient.
As part of drug treatment, patients suffering from depression are prescribed antidepressants. Symptoms of anxiety can be eliminated with anxiolytics. To get rid of manic moods, normotimics are used. Antipsychotic drugs are intended to eliminate hallucinations and delusions.
Psychotherapeutic care for patients with affective syndrome is the conduct of individual sessions of cognitive as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy with the gradual inclusion of the patient in group classes. For increased anxiety, patients are encouraged to master the techniques of relaxation and self-regulation, as well as to work with erroneous settings.
An important role in the recovery of patients with affective syndrome is assigned to social rehabilitation. To work in this direction, the psychotherapist and psychologist hold meetings in 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 affairs, conducting joint walks and sports.
Prevention
How to avoid the development of affective syndrome? In case of disorders caused by hereditary factors, the patient is shown periodic treatment courses. This will help maintain normal health and avoid relapses.
Among preventive measures is also the abandonment of existing bad habits, the observance of a rational regime of the day, which provides for a good sleep, alternating work and rest, allocating time for interesting activities, and maintaining trusting relationships with loved ones.