Types of mental personality disorders - signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Decomposition of personality and inner life Moral decomposition of a person

Content

A person's personality traits become apparent after late adolescence and either remain unchanged throughout life or change slightly or fade with age. The diagnosis of personality disorder (ICD-10 code) is of several types mental pathologies. This disease affects all areas of a person’s life, the symptoms of which lead to significant distress and impairment. normal operation all systems and organs.

What is a personality disorder

Pathology is characterized by a person’s behavioral tendency, which differs significantly from the accepted cultural norms in society. A patient suffering from this mental illness experiences social disintegration and severe discomfort when communicating with other people. As practice shows, specific signs of a personality disorder arise in adolescence, so an accurate diagnosis can only be made at 15-16 years of age. Prior to this, mental disorders were associated with physiological changes in the human body.

Causes

Mental personality disorders arise from various reasons– from genetic predispositions and birth traumas to violence suffered in different life situations. Often the disease occurs against the background of parental neglect of the child, intimate abuse, or the child living in a family of alcoholics. Scientific research shows that men are more susceptible to pathology than women. Risk factors that provoke the disease:

• suicidal tendencies;
• alcohol or drug addiction;
• depressive states;
• obsessive-compulsive disorder;
• schizophrenia.

Symptoms

People who have a personality disorder are characterized by an antisocial or inappropriate attitude towards all problems. This provokes difficulties in relationships with other people. Patients do not notice their inadequacy in behavioral patterns and thoughts, so they very rarely seek help from professionals on their own. Most individuals with personality pathologies are dissatisfied with their lives, suffer from constant increased anxiety, bad mood, eating behavior. The main symptoms of the disease include:

• periods of loss of reality
• difficulty in relationships with marriage partners, children and/or parents;
• feeling of devastation;
• avoidance of social contacts
• inability to cope with negative emotions;
• the presence of feelings such as uselessness, anxiety, resentment, anger.

Classification

To make a diagnosis of a personal disorder according to one of the ICD-10, the pathology must satisfy three or more of the following criteria:

• the disorder is accompanied by deterioration in professional productivity;
• mental conditions lead to personal distress;
• abnormal behavior is pervasive;
• the chronic nature of stress is not limited to episodes;
• noticeable disharmony in behavior and personal positions.

The disease is also classified according to DSM-IV and DSM-5, which group the entire disorder into 3 clusters:

1. Cluster A (eccentric or unusual disorders). They are divided into schizotypal (301.22), schizoid (301.20), paranoid (301.0).
2. Cluster B (fluctuating, emotional or theatrical disorders). They are divided into antisocial (301.7), narcissistic (301.81), hysterical (201.50), borderline (301.83), unspecified (60.9), disinhibited (60.5).
3. Cluster C (panic and anxiety disorders). They are dependent (301.6), obsessive-compulsive (301.4), avoidant (301.82).

In Russia, before the adoption of the ICD classification, there was its own orientation of personality psychopathies according to P. B. Gannushkin. The system of a famous Russian psychiatrist, developed by a doctor at the beginning of the 20th century, was used. The classification includes several types of pathologies:

• unstable (weak-willed);
• affective;
• hysterical;
• excitable;
• paranoid;
• schizoid;
• psychasthenic;
• asthenic.

Types of Personality Disorders

The prevalence of the disease reaches up to 23% of all mental disorders of the human population. Personality pathology has several types, which differ in the causes and symptoms of the disease, the method of intensity and classification. Different shapes disorders require an individual approach in treatment, so the diagnosis should be treated with special care in order to avoid dangerous consequences.

Transitory

This personality disorder is a partial disorder that occurs after severe stress or moral shocks. The pathology does not lead to a chronic manifestation of the disease and is not a severe mental illness. Transistor disorder can last from 1 month to 1 day. Prolonged stress is provoked by the following life situations:

• regular overstrain due to conflicts at work, nervous conditions in the family;
• tedious journey;
• going through divorce proceedings;
• forced separation from loved ones;
• being in prison;
• domestic violence.

Associative

Characterized by the rapid flow of associative processes. The patient's thoughts change so quickly to each other that he does not have time to pronounce them. Associative disorder manifests itself in the fact that the patient's thinking becomes superficial. The patient is prone to switching attention every second, so it is very difficult to grasp the meaning of his speech. The pathological picture of the disease also manifests itself in a slowdown in thinking, when it is very difficult for the patient to switch to another topic and it is impossible to highlight the main idea.

Cognitive

This is a violation in the cognitive sphere of life. Psychiatry points to such an important symptom of cognitive personality disorder as a decrease in the quality of brain performance. With help central department In the human nervous system, comprehension, interconnection and interaction with the outside world occurs. The causes of cognitive impairment can be many pathologies, differing in the condition and mechanism of occurrence. Among them are a decrease in brain mass or organ atrophy, circulatory failure and others. Main symptoms of the disease:

• memory impairment;
• difficulty expressing thoughts;
• deterioration in concentration;
• difficulty in counting.

Destructive

Translated from Latin, the word “destructiveness” means destruction of structure. The psychological term destructive disorder indicates an individual's negative attitude towards external and internal objects. The personality blocks the release of fruitful energy due to failures in self-realization, remaining unhappy even after achieving the goal. Examples of destructive behavior of a metapsychopath:

• destruction of the natural environment (ecocide, environmental terrorism);
• damage to works of art, monuments, valuable items (vandalism);
• detonation public relations, society (terrorist attacks, military actions);
• purposeful decomposition of another person’s personality;
• destruction (murder) of another person.

Mixed

This type of personality disorder is the least studied by scientists. The patient exhibits one or another type of psychological disorder that is not persistent. For this reason, mixed personality disorder is also called mosaic psychopathy. The patient's instability of character appears due to the development of certain types of addiction: gaming, drug addiction, alcoholism. Psychopathic personalities often combine paranoid and schizoid symptoms. Patients suffer from increased suspicion and are prone to threats, scandals, and complaints.

Infantile

Unlike other types of psychopathy, infantile disorder is characterized by social immaturity. A person cannot resist stress and does not know how to relieve tension. In difficult situations, the individual does not control emotions and behaves like a child. Infantile disorders first appear in adolescence, progressing as we grow older. Even with age, the patient does not learn to control fear, aggression, and anxiety, so they are denied group work and are not accepted into military service or the police.

Histrionic

Dissocial behavior in histrionic disorder manifests itself in the search for attention and increased excessive emotionality. Patients constantly demand from those around them confirmation of the correctness of their qualities, actions, and approval. This manifests itself in louder conversation, louder laughter, and inadequate reaction in order to concentrate the attention of others on oneself at any cost. Men and women with histrionic personality disorder display inappropriately sexual clothing and eccentric passive-aggressive behavior, which is a challenge to society.

Psychoneurotic

The difference between psychoneurosis is that the patient does not lose contact with reality, being fully aware of his problem. Psychiatrists distinguish three types of psychoneurotic disorders: phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and conversion hysteria. Psychoneurosis can be provoked by great mental or physical exercise. First-graders often face such stress. In adults, psychoneurological shocks are caused by the following life situations:

• marriage or divorce;
• job change or dismissal;
• death loved one;
• career failures;
• lack of money and others.

Diagnosis of personality disorder

Main criteria differential diagnosis Personality disorder is poor subjective well-being, loss of social adaptation and performance, and disturbances in other areas of life. To make a correct diagnosis, it is important for the doctor to determine the stability of the pathology, take into account the cultural characteristics of the patient, and compare with other species. mental disorders. Basic diagnostic tools:

• checklists;
• self-esteem questionnaires;
• structured and standardized patient interviews.

Treatment for Personality Disorder

Depending on the attribution, comorbidity and severity of the disease, treatment is prescribed. Drug therapy includes taking serotonin antidepressants (Paroxetine), atypical antipsychotics (Olanzapine) and lithium salts. Psychotherapy is carried out in attempts to change behavior, make up for educational gaps, and search for motivation.

Video: Personality Disorders

Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give treatment recommendations based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Found an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we will fix everything!

Discuss

Types of mental personality disorders - signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

A Christian is a completely free master, not subject to anything. A Christian is a completely obedient servant, subordinate to everything.

Martin Luther

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6).

Sensuality

“Okay,” they will tell us. – Perhaps the evidence “from psychology” is exaggerated. But it is clear that non-Christian rock concerts breed violence. Sensuous rhythms undoubtedly excite passions that would otherwise lie dormant, and it is unwise to use such music for Christian purposes.”

Some claim that the American Medical Association recently linked "rock beat" to debauchery and drug abuse. As evidence, they cite newspaper reports about an article published in the Association's journal. But in this article, the authors do not establish a direct causal relationship between the style of music and bad behavior.

This message most likely warned about the possible influence of non-Christian rock bands that instilled an incorrect and unhealthy view of the world. It expresses concern about young people who have immersed themselves in the subculture " heavy metal"together with the groups "Slayer" or "Metallica". The bottom line is: “The available data are anecdotal, but generally suggest that these teens may be at risk for drug abuse or even involvement in satanic activities.”

Right! Right! I wholeheartedly agree and will repeat these warnings in Chapter 12 when talking about the bad things that many popular musicians have done. However, the article does not say anything about the fact that musical rhythms and styles are harmful in themselves, by their nature. They don't even consider Christian rock. Talking about the negative impacts of Slayer and Metallica and then concluding that Petra is also harmful is like taking a study of the effects of over-17 movies and concluding that "Bambi" also causes harm.

The only study I know of that compared teens who listened to contemporary Christian music with teens who preferred mainstream music found that the former tended to have higher average scores.

The expectations of the audience, provoking the behavior of the performers, and the atmosphere of the concert

I found no research linking sensuality to a particular musical style or to drum rhythm itself. Apparently, the atmosphere of unbridled excitement that occurs at some non-Christian rock concerts suggests to some critics that the musical style is to blame. Or maybe the frantic reaction is caused mainly by a combination of sensual lyrics, audience expectations and the lifestyle of the performers?

People go to a Rolling Stones concert not only for the music, but also for the atmosphere of unbridled excitement. When they get there, they are already determined to spend the evening accordingly. They enter the concert hall, and there are thousands of people who came with the same expectations. The performers support and “warm up” the atmosphere with their words and actions. Prince seduces and captivates the public with his hedonistic philosophy and sexually explicit antics. Cher dresses to impress the public. The group "Doors" indulges the spirit of protest and rebellion. It seems to me that a musical style in itself no more causes an ugly reaction from the public than "country" music causes people to drink and dance in a "country" night club. The audience's reaction is determined more by the aspirations of the people who are "turned on" by the performers than by the style of the music.

Many anthropological studies confirm this. People of the same culture certain type music in a special environment causes strong emotions, some even lose consciousness, and the same music may not have any effect on people of another culture. To confirm this hypothesis, let us compare the reaction to the music of the Beatles at the time they performed with the reaction today. Opponents drew attention to the fact that the Beatles confuse, excite, excite, which means that rock excites the sensual nature. Watching how calmly the Beatles listen now, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. If it’s a matter of style, then people would still react to it the same way they did in the 60s. We see again that the problem is not what kind of music is, but how people treat it and what they expect. Of course it has to do with how the band performs. I admit that most rock music does excite, but arousal in itself is not evil. We have already said that the worship of God in the Old Testament is often accompanied by an unrestrained but healthy excess of feelings. Excitation is neutral; and a rock musician has the opportunity to direct it in a positive or negative direction.

The spoken word has great power. According to the Book Proverbs (18:22), “death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and Hitler channeled the excitement generated by his charismatic speeches to push his terrible cause forward. The medium (captivating speech) is not to blame. Blame the content. Most people present at the concert of the group “Carmen” (“Sagtap” - “Driver”) cannot sit still. The atmosphere is electric, but the emotions are directed towards what should cause excitement: the fight for the cause of Christ with "principalities" and "powers" (Eph. 6:12) and solemn chanting of the coming victory.

Syncopated rhythm and sensuality

The syncopated drum rhythm is often considered to be the crux of the problem. In fact, syncopation can be found in many types of music, including classical (choral works) and established hymn books (“When Jesus Came into My Heart”). Are critics willing to throw all such music overboard? We found no studies linking syncopation to negative affect. In addition, the drum beat of rock music often matches the drum beat of softer music played in doctors' waiting rooms or department stores. For the most part, drums are accepted by our society. Many of those who deplore the percussion rhythm of rock music may accept a gentler form of the same rhythm in easy listening music. In fact, many church music pieces incorporate this rhythm. It is inconsistent to acknowledge the drum beat in one style of music and condemn it in another when it is essentially the same rhythm. It is interesting to note that soft and pleasant music stimulates sensuality more than heavy music. Filmmakers are good at pairing suitable music with a scene from a film. Soft and pleasant music usually accompanies love scenes so that the audience feels united with what is happening on the screen.

We will see in Part 3 of the book that the combination of popular musical styles with secular (non-Christian) activities has often led Christian leaders to mistakenly assume that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the two. There was a period in the history of the Church when certain musical intervals were considered sensual. The Babylonian Talmud believes that a woman's voice arouses lust. Early Church forbade men and women to sing together, seeing this as a symbol of sexual union. Karlstat said: “Send organs, pipes and flutes to the theater. One deeply felt prayer is better than a thousand cantatas based on the words of psalms. The voluptuous sounds of the organ awaken worldly thoughts.” He felt that way, but he was wrong. Others, for the same reason, condemned Martin Luther's lute, the violin (it was directly called the devil's) and other musical instruments. Let's be more careful in our assessments so as not to repeat the same mistake forever.

Demonic influences

They will also tell us: “Do you know about the children of missionaries who brought modern Christian music to where their parents work? When people from the primitive tribes that have survived to this day heard it, they wondered why children summoned demons.” Al Menconi, an author, workshop leader and expert on contemporary music, tracked down the album of music that offended Aboriginal people and discovered that its musical style was far from what would be called rock today. It was recorded in the early 70s and includes songs such as “Roll Call” and “He is everything to me.” Performers: Cliff Barrows and Ralph Carmichael. Speaking about the song "He's My Everything," Menconi said, "If this song is demonic, then almost every Christian choir in America is in danger."

But other evidence has emerged in favor of the theory of a demonic drum rhythm, and therefore a more reasoned answer is needed. Stephen Maphosah grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa. During cult rituals, he played drums to summon evil spirits. After converting to Christianity, he selected ten of the most popular contemporary Christian music albums and called them "inappropriate, disgusting and offensive." Let's assume he's right. After all, he grew up in a tribe that used a special drumming rhythm to summon demons. Does this prove that drumming is demonic in nature and evokes evil spirits regardless of situation or culture? To confirm such a hypothesis, it must be shown that the same rhythm is used in many isolated cultures for the same purpose. If so, the theory would be credible. To reach this conclusion, it would be necessary to seek the opinion of someone familiar with the music of many cultures to determine whether the "demonic drum rhythm" is indeed repeated from one tribe to another.

J. William Supplee, associate professor of music at Columbia Bible College and Seminary, grew up in India; he has taught and studied music from over 50 different cultures. Exploring the theory of "demonic rhythm", he isolated the drumming rhythm used to worship demons in one tribe, and discovered that, in addition to the rhythms that were used to summon demons, melodies, chants, and even colors played a role in this ritual. When he compared these additional elements with those used by other tribes, he discovered that, for example, one tribe living just below the slope of the mountain range used the same chant in the game that that first tribe used to summon demons.

What did he deduce from here?

Having studied many cultures, carefully and painstakingly recording and comparing drum rhythm structures and styles, Supplee could not find any cross-cultural drum rhythm used specifically for summoning demons. In fact, this evocation is associated with various rituals. In one culture, a certain sequence of notes may be used for it. There is simply no such thing as a “demonic drum beat” that is the same across different cultures. Gilbert Rouget, head of the ethnomusicology department at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, has extensively explored the connection between obsession and music. His work would be a good read for anyone who believes in the “demonic drum rhythm.” In the book "Music and Trance" Rouget, carefully selecting documentary evidence, shows that in the world there are a variety of types of music associated with trance and possession, and offers several important insights.

First, Rouget agrees with Supplee - there is no "demonic drum rhythm" that is found across cultures. The drum rhythms associated with the infusion of spirit into a person vary greatly from culture to culture. Secondly, in many cultures, other musical instruments besides drums are associated with spirit possession. Some use a sacred bell, others a violin, others a rattle made of dried bottle gourd, fourth - quiet singing with a zither, fifth - flute, sixth - oboe, seventh - lute, eighth - rattle. Some rituals are accompanied by singing alone, without any instruments. Rouget comes to the following conclusion: “There are many different types of music associated with the possession of spirits in humans, just as there are various cults associated with spirit possession.”

Apparently, Maphosah used a drum rhythm for his pagan cult that was reminiscent of the rhythms of some rock songs. From childhood he had learned the connection of the corresponding rhythm with a certain cult, and when he discovered the same rhythm in some Christian songs, he was obviously surprised and embarrassed. If a member of the Vandau tribe in Mozambique heard a flute used in Christian music, he might well say, “Why do you please and appease the spirits?” - after all, in his tribe the flute is used precisely for this. If Maphosah reacts negatively to a drum rhythm simply because his tribe uses that rhythm in demonic rituals, one cannot assume that it is the rhythm itself that attracts demons.

Stumbling blocks

At first glance, if we take into account the problem of “stumbling blocks,” disputes about music are resolved very simply. First premise: The Bible states that it is a sin to offend and provoke fellow believers. Second premise: Believers testify that contemporary Christian music offends and confuses them. Therefore: it is sinful to use contemporary Christian music. To properly appreciate this view, we must take a closer look at what Scripture says about the relationship between “weak brethren” who consider some neutral action to be sinful and “stronger brethren” who understand that some actions are morally neutral and one can participate in them with a clear conscience (cf. Rome. 14:1-15:7 and 1 Cor. 8-10). Let's say that modern Christian music in itself is not evil, but it is a stumbling block for some who consider it evil.

The "weak" brother spoken of in Chapter 14 of Romans, believed that eating meat was a sin, but the fact that he was wrong does not give the stronger brother the right to treat him with contempt (see. Art. 3-10) or insult him (see. Art. 13-15). Rather, the stronger brother needs to be careful, attentive, and take care that what is good for him does not become a spiritual obstacle for the weaker. In other words, a person can listen to modern Christian music before God, but there are situations in which he must renounce this right. The whole point is whether he will harm the weaker brother, who will be offended or forced to listen to music that he considers sinful. This raises the question: Should the stronger brother give up any activity that hurts others or offends believers? As we read the Bible carefully, we will discover some limitations that must be taken into account.

1. Geographical or social distance limits liability. Paul advised the Corinthian community to “eat whatever is for sale” ( 1 Cor. 10:25). However, he knew that there were people in Rome who did not eat everything ( Rome. 14:2). Obviously, their temptations and doubts should concern only those with whom they come into contact, and not all believers in general. Believers living in Cuba do not play dominoes. Members of the Amish sect do not wear ties. Many people strongly and firmly claim that the King James Version of the Bible is the only true English Bible. But none of these groups are bothered by the fact that I disagree with them and do not follow their rules in my own local context; I don't have to limit my freedom like they do. Likewise, if contemporary Christian music is listened to by those who have no problem with it, there is no stumbling block.

2. If the problem is only a difference of tastes, this should not limit our freedom. Some people who condemn Christian rock aren't really bothered by the theoretical debate. They just don't like "offensive and disgusting" music. No church can please every member. Some enjoy a more formal liturgical service; others want more praise choirs; still others are more traditional hymns or “good old gospel music.” Although people's preferences must be taken into account when planning a church service, we must recognize that this is not an issue of strong and weak brothers. A truly weak brother believes that some activity is not only impractical or inappropriate, but sinful.

3. Sometimes, for the spiritual strengthening and growth of an overly scrupulous person, adapting to him is not the best way. As a general rule, we should not “offend either the Jews or the Greeks, or the church of God” ( 1 Cor. 10:32), but the basic principle is to seek “the benefit of many, that they may be saved” ( 1 Cor. 10:33). Sometimes our desire to adapt does not benefit the person. Jesus deliberately offended and irritated (a Greek word meaning "to cause a stumbling block" in another context) the Pharisees by saying that all food was clean ( Matt. 15:12). Although He knew that someone would be hurt and offended, it was obviously more important in this case to correct the false theology. If Jesus had submitted to the dietary rules of the Pharisees, He would have reinforced a tradition that emphasized outward cleanliness at the expense of inward holiness (cf. Matt. 15:17-18).

Jesus shocked the spiritual elite of his time by associating with sinners, dealing with Samaritans, and “breaking” the Sabbath. Sometimes our concessions may distort the truth from the point of view of outside observers. In such cases the weaker brethren need to grow up, and it is our duty to train and train them and argue with them mercifully, rather than to accommodate their whims and whims, which are sometimes caused by immaturity. Our main principles are to instruct and teach believers, to persuade and convince those who are mistaken. Many who worship today testify to the positive impact contemporary Christian music has had on their lives. Al Menconi had received more than 3,500 such testimonies when I began writing this book. If 95% of the congregation testifies that choral praise and contemporary music draw their hearts to God, why discard these forms because of the complaints of a few dissatisfied? What if by changing our form to appease 5% of the community, we prevent the other 95% from worshiping God? Of course, this is unwise.

Perhaps the church leadership should educate this small group by teaching them that this form of music is completely legitimate. If the group remains in its own way, then we must learn what Scripture says when talking about weaker brothers and stronger ones - not to judge ( Rome. 14:3), do not cause splits ( Rome. 14:19) etc., in order to preserve the unity of the Church.

4. Conflicting doubts can make it impossible to adapt. Many Baptists believe that a call to repentance and follow Christ should be given at the end of every service. Many Calvinists (some of them are Baptists) believe with the same conviction that there is no need to make any calls. Some believe that the best church music is traditional hymns; others also believe that the church must reach out to each individual culture. Some argue that musical instruments distract from the worship of God; others argue that the Bible commands us to use these instruments. Obviously, we cannot calm and appease everyone at one service. Whether we use musical instruments or not, if both disputing groups are in the same community, one of them may be offended.

5. If you try to scrupulously fulfill all the prohibitions and restrictions, then the very essence of Christian life may be distorted. Some believers strongly believe that jeans should not be worn (they are considered a symbol of rebellion), that men should not wear long hair or beards, that women should not wear trousers or wear lipstick, and that it is inappropriate to use any musical instruments in church (including pianos and organ), it is unacceptable to read new translations of the Bible (that is, any translation made after 1611), it is unacceptable to sing church hymns (only psalms are allowed). When there is more than one person in a community, there are different opinions, and they are defended with all sincerity. If we are too concerned with rules and regulations, then the essence of the Christian life ceases to be what God intended it to be. Christ set us free so that we would be free, and not so that we would return to slavery ( Gal. 5:1).

Many Christians, because of unfavorable associations with their pre-Christian life, feel uneasy about certain activities in which other people engage freely. Due to personal associations, “stumbling blocks” may arise in what is in itself neutral. One consultant says that even a rope can evoke vicious thoughts in a sadomasochist. Of course, we must take his problem into account when we enter into any relationship with him. But should all summer camp youth groups give up tug of war? If such an association were widespread, then perhaps yes. But before we limit the use of ropes, we need to understand the scale of the problem. Within a nation it affects many, but at the local level perhaps no one suffers from it. One man associated classical music with a vice that he suffered from before coming to Christ, and he felt that he had no right to listen to it. Some people stopped playing sports, say football, because sports instruction in high school was so focused on winning that even now, when they participate in a game, the “killer instinct” awakens in them.

However, such associations are so individual and so varied that, in essence, it is impossible to refuse everything that in practice causes them. Out of love for my brother, who associates classical music with the spirit of this world, I would happily abstain from it when he is visiting me or in my car. But I don't feel obligated to burn my classic cassette tapes and never listen to them again. Some people associate rock with a non-Christian lifestyle. We must please our brother in a situation that concerns him personally, but his weakness should not keep us from rock music in all situations without exception.

6. Finally, the examples from the Bible that we use to convince and persuade the erring may lead us to practices or lifestyles that some believers may find questionable. How do we decide when to exercise our freedom and when to limit ourselves? For the apostle Paul, the decision depended in part on whether he could influence the lost ( 1 Cor. 9). He became like a Jew in order to better influence the Jews; he became like those who live without the law, in order to influence those who live without the law ( 1 Cor. 9:20-21). In the first century, many used the detailed law of the Pharisees to condemn others and promote salvation through works. Others used their freedom from the law to make it easier to sin. Paul knew that following the law or disregarding it is in itself neither false nor right; but imagine the problems others might have faced. If a Gentile saw that Paul strictly observed all Jewish laws, he would easily associate his lifestyle with the legalism that was widespread at that time. On the other hand, a Jew might see Paul associating with a lawless pagan and be tempted by the fact that he is neglecting the laws that are important to the Jews. Then he himself could neglect them, although they were important to him and his conscience would be uneasy. However, Paul took a risk to influence a Gentile who might interpret keeping the law as legalism.

Now there are non-believers who stumble over traditional church music, considering it outdated. There are also zealous, active Christians for whom the traditional style of worship prevents them from worshiping God. Perhaps they found salvation through evangelism, during which they just so happened to play modern music. They now mistakenly associate traditional music with dullness, monotony, lifelessness and hypocrisy, and they believe that such worship is harmful to their spiritual life. This is not a hypothetical situation. There are many possible real examples. By removing a barrier to those who do not approve of contemporary Christian music, we can place a barrier to those who do not approve of traditional music. Jesus ate with sinners, knowing very well that many believers and pious people would be offended, but he saw that it was not the most important thing to please the overly scrupulous and scrupulous Pharisees. He was concerned about finding the lost coin, He was looking for one lost sheep, leaving ninety-nine others.

Because of individuals who believe that a style of music is to blame for their downfall, we cannot paralyze evangelism, which through its music touches the hearts of many. If we did this, there would be a danger of creating a stumbling block for many people who might not respond to any other style of evangelism. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, some churches required men who wanted to join to have their hair cut short so that their hair would not cover their ears. At least one church has gone so far as to install a barber's chair to ensure this. I wonder how many people this chair has scared away as they pondered the preacher's gracious word? The famous English preacher Charles G. Spurgeon was harshly condemned for using the London music hall Surrey Gardens for his services, but something more important was at stake: the churches could not accommodate the people who came to hear him. Despite the opposition and hostility, he remained in this room.

Some people were offended that William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, used secular tunes and musical instruments. But in this case, we were also talking about something more important: to touch the hearts of all those who did not respond to traditional forms of evangelical preaching. There were a lot of people who were converted thanks to Booth's preaching, but the church leadership did not yet understand the primacy of evangelical preaching in choosing methods of ministry. Today, innovating churches are touching the hearts of many people through contemporary music concerts and church services that reach parts of our society that have not yet been reached by the gospel. If, out of respect for the dissatisfied, there had been no concerts, it is generally very doubtful that the gospel preaching would ever have reached these unbelieving people.

Brief summary

We have seen that our answer to those who object to modern types of music is not at all as simple as many people think. Our the main objective– growth and strengthening of fellow believers, harmony and peace, conviction of the lost. For all this, we sometimes have to sacrifice our own rights.

If a traditionally oriented church community has made it abundantly clear to the innovating pastor that popular forms of music are interfering with the worship of its members, the pastor would be wise to avoid using modern forms, either by limiting them to special services addressed to a specific audience, or, finally, by moving to another church in which these forms are possible.

Sometimes the question of what music is appropriate and what is not must be decided based on the specific situation related to the preaching of the Gospel. And sometimes an overly scrupulous brother has to be raised for the good of the entire Church.

Is Christian rock a stumbling block? Yes, it happens. But the same can be said about the organ, ties, classical music and dominoes. Only if we prayerfully do in every situation everything that God's Word recommends to us can we count on living and acting in complete harmony with God's will.

After all, he completely loses the ability to develop and improve. It is so important to establish the root cause and try to eliminate it (of course, if this is possible).

Personality degradation

In a broader sense, this concept means a person’s loss of mental calm, efficiency, sober mind and the ability to think logically. Moreover, not the best character traits are shown: irritability, passivity, and often aggressiveness. The ability to concentrate gradually fades away, feelings become dulled, and the person lives his own life, understandable only to him. Personality degradation can cause a complete loss of connections with the outside world, and most importantly serious consequence– dementia.

How to recognize degradation?

It is very important to notice any deviations in behavior in time in order to be able to help a loved one. Signs of personality degradation concern both external appearance and internal state. In this condition, less and less attention is paid to what a person looks like and what he says. Speech becomes quite simplified, no one tries to convey their thoughts in publicly accessible words (this also requires quite active brain activity). The social circle is becoming narrower, those who cause trouble simply disappear from life. The main phrase becomes “I want,” and detachment from everything, family, children develops. A person does not want to think or care about someone, he seems to fade and plunge into himself, moving away from loved ones.

Causes of personality destruction

It is not only important to notice the signs of personality degradation, but also to understand the reasons. Undoubtedly, a serious tragedy can cause such a state. Depression and mental anguish can completely change consciousness and lead to the destruction of moral foundations and principles. Often retirement is the trigger for this disorder. After all for a long time the person was needed, was in the team, and now he is being forced to rest. Feelings of guilt, apathy and even banal laziness can make changes in consciousness. IN modern world where money plays a significant role, material values, the struggle for them and the opportunities they give often lead to spiritual destruction. And, of course, drug addiction and alcoholism are the main causes of mental disorders. Alcoholic personality degradation is a fairly common occurrence, and this becomes a serious danger. The human appearance is completely lost, thoughts are directed only to where to get poison. You need to know that personality degradation due to alcoholism is irreversible; there are no drunkards who have not lost their normal moral character. It doesn’t matter the type of alcoholic drink; even beer that seems light at first glance can become a source of personal destruction.

Stages of personality degradation

If personality degradation is caused by depression, strong emotional experiences, then the following stages are observed. First, a person loses his ideals, his purpose in life. Then moral principles and internal norms are lost. He becomes unable to overcome the difficulties that arise in life. life path. Among the feelings, envy, aggressiveness, and apathy predominate. Then the ability to actively act and think, to understand others, disappears. A person simply repeats other people's thoughts and actions. And finally it all comes to an end total loss sense of reality. The main argument of such people is to argue over any issue; to achieve their short-term goals, they are capable of vile acts. Very often they try to live at the expense of others, but the relationships that such people are able to create are pathological and destructive. Anyone who stops appreciating and respecting himself is unable to appreciate another. Interestingly, women are less at risk of completely degenerating; their maternal instinct saves them.

Alcoholism and stages of destruction of moral character

To maintain moral character and normal functioning serious danger represents alcohol. Personality degradation occurs quite quickly. At the initial stage, there is a psychological dependence on alcoholic drinks; it is more comfortable, more fun, and easier to find a common language with. A characteristic feature is that large doses of drinks are tolerated quite easily, so their quantity is poorly controlled. But quality requirements are decreasing. The second stage is characterized by the development of physical dependence, a hangover syndrome appears. In addition, temporary memory loss is possible. Very often at this stage, all sorts of injuries arise during a drunken state, professional qualities deteriorate, quarrels do not stop in the family (and often it simply falls apart). Aggression increases, psychosis is possible. Alcohol degradation reaches its maximum level at the third level. Binge drinking, amnesia, decreased tolerance to strong drinks, nervous disorders - these are symptoms that the personality is losing its normal appearance. Over time, the ability to work is completely lost.

How to help?

Personality degradation can stop. First of all, you should take a critical look at yourself from the outside and adequately evaluate your actions. To escape from heavy thoughts, you need to spend as much time as possible with people, go to the cinema, to exhibitions, and read more books. You shouldn't be alone with yourself. Help people - good deeds add meaning, you will experience the pleasure of knowing that someone needs you. An active life position, a favorite job, a lot of hobbies - this is the guarantee that personality destruction will bypass. Don’t be shy about asking your loved ones for help; they will happily surround you with warmth and attention.

Treatment of alcoholism

With alcohol degradation, things are somewhat more complicated. After all, a person does not admit that he is sick and needs help. In addition, there are often cases when there is no one in particular to help him. The greater the dependence, the more often all social ties are destroyed. On last stage In addition to mental problems, there is also a huge intoxication of the body. Therapy should be carried out by both a narcologist and a psychotherapist. At the same time, it is very important to ensure that the patient understands all the destructive effects of alcohol and changes his attitude towards its use. And, of course, help remove toxic substances from the body and relieve withdrawal symptoms. Gender, the amount drunk, and mental condition. The sooner treatment is started, the higher the likelihood that a person will return to a normal lifestyle. And even reasonable doses of alcohol drunk in the future will not cause binge drinking or other negative reactions.

Dementia - causes, forms, diagnosis, treatment, answers to questions

What is dementia syndrome?

Causes and types of dementia

• Alzheimer's disease;
• dementia with Lewy bodies;
• Pick's disease, etc.

In other cases, damage to the central nervous system is secondary, and is a complication of the underlying disease (chronic vascular pathology, infection, trauma, intoxication, systemic damage to nervous tissue, etc.).

In some cases, dementia develops from multiple causes. A classic example of such a pathology is senile (senile) mixed dementia.

Functional and anatomical types of dementia

1. Cortical dementia is a predominant lesion of the cerebral cortex. This type is most typical for Alzheimer's disease, alcoholic dementia, and Pick's disease.

2. Subcortical dementia. With this type of pathology, the subcortical structures are primarily affected, which causes neurological symptoms. A typical example is Parkinson's disease with predominant defeat neurons of the substantia nigra of the midbrain, and specific motor disorders: tremor, general muscle stiffness (“doll gait”, mask-like face, etc.).

3. Cortical-subcortical dementia is a mixed type of lesion, characteristic of pathology caused by vascular disorders.

4. Multifocal dementia is a pathology characterized by multiple lesions in all parts of the central nervous system. Steadily progressing dementia is accompanied by severe and varied neurological symptoms.

Forms of dementia

Lacunarnaya

Total

Basic classification of presenile and senile dementias

1. Alzheimer's (atrophic) type of dementia, which is based on primary degenerative processes in nerve cells.

2. Vascular type of dementia, in which degeneration of the central nervous system develops secondarily, as a result of severe circulatory disorders in the vessels of the brain.

3. Mixed type, which is characterized by both mechanisms of disease development.

Clinical course and prognosis

Severity (stage) of dementia

Mild degree

Moderate degree

Severe dementia

Diagnostics

1. Signs of memory impairment – ​​both long-term and short-term (subjective data from a survey of the patient and his relatives are supplemented by an objective study).

2. The presence of at least one of the following, characteristic of organic dementia violations:

• signs of decreased ability for abstract thinking (according to objective research);
• symptoms of decreased criticality of perception (discovered when making real plans for the next period of life in relation to oneself and others);
• triple A syndrome:

• aphasia – various types of disorders of already formed speech;
• apraxia (literally “inactivity”) – difficulties in performing purposeful actions while maintaining the ability to move;
• Agnosia – various disturbances of perception while maintaining consciousness and sensitivity. For example, the patient hears sounds, but does not understand the speech addressed to him (auditory agnosia), or ignores a part of the body (does not wash or put on one foot - somatoagnosia), or does not recognize certain objects or faces of people with intact vision (visual agnosia). and so on.;

personal changes (rudeness, irritability, disappearance of shame, sense of duty, unmotivated attacks of aggression, etc.).

3. Violation of social interactions in the family and at work.

4. Absence of manifestations of delirious changes in consciousness at the time of diagnosis (there are no signs of hallucinations, the patient is oriented in time, space and his own personality, as far as his condition allows).

5. A certain organic defect (results of special studies in the patient’s medical history).

Differential diagnosis of organic dementia

Alzheimer's type dementia

Concept of dementia in Alzheimer's disease

Risk factors for developing the disease

• age (the most dangerous limit is 80 years);
• the presence of relatives suffering from Alzheimer's disease (the risk increases many times if the relatives develop the pathology before the age of 65);
• hypertonic disease;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes;
• obesity;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• diseases occurring with chronic hypoxia (respiratory failure, severe anemia, etc.);
• traumatic brain injuries;
• low level of education;
• lack of active intellectual activity throughout life;
• female.

First signs

Characteristics of the advanced stage of progressive dementia of the Alzheimer's type

These signs are called senile (senile) personality restructuring. In the future, against their background, a very specific type of Alzheimer’s dementia may develop. delirium of damage: the patient accuses relatives and neighbors of constantly robbing him, wishing for his death, etc.

• sexual incontinence;
• gluttony with a special penchant for sweets;
• craving for vagrancy;
• fussy, disorderly activity (walking from corner to corner, shifting things, etc.).

At the stage of severe dementia, the delusional system disintegrates, and behavioral disorders disappear due to extreme weakness of mental activity. Patients plunge into complete apathy and do not experience hunger or thirst. Movement disorders soon develop, so that patients cannot walk or chew food normally. Death occurs from complications due to complete immobility, or from concomitant diseases.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's type dementia

Treatment

• homeopathic remedy ginkgo biloba extract;
• nootropics (piracetam, cerebrolysin);
• medicines that improve blood circulation in the vessels of the brain (nicergoline);
• stimulator of dopamine receptors in the central nervous system (piribedil);
• phosphatidylcholine (part of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, therefore improves the functioning of neurons in the cerebral cortex);
• actovegin (improves the utilization of oxygen and glucose by brain cells, and thereby increases their energy potential).

At the stage of advanced manifestations, drugs from the group of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, etc.) are prescribed. Clinical studies have shown that the use of this type of medication significantly improves the social adaptation of patients and reduces the burden on caregivers.

Forecast

Vascular dementia

Dementia due to cerebral vascular lesions

1. Hemorrhagic stroke (vascular rupture).

2. Ischemic stroke (blockage of a vessel with cessation or deterioration of blood circulation in a certain area).

What disease can cause vascular type dementia?

Risk factors

• hypertension, or symptomatic arterial hypertension;
• increased levels of lipids in blood plasma;
• systemic atherosclerosis;
• smoking;
• cardiac pathologies (coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, heart valve damage);
• sedentary lifestyle;
• overweight;
• diabetes;
• tendency to thrombosis;
• systemic vasculitis (vascular diseases).

Symptoms and course of senile vascular dementia

1. Pseudobulbar syndrome, which includes impaired articulation (dysarthria), changes in voice timbre (dysphonia), less often - impaired swallowing (dysphagia), forced laughter and crying.

2. Gait disturbances (shuffling, mincing gait, “skier’s gait”, etc.).

3. Decline motor activity, so-called “vascular parkinsonism” (poor facial expressions and gestures, slowness of movements).

Treatment

Senile dementia with Lewy bodies

• orthostatic hypotension ( a sharp decline blood pressure when moving from a horizontal to a vertical position);
• fainting;
• arrhythmias;
• disruption of the digestive tract with a tendency to constipation;
• urinary retention, etc.

Treatment for senile dementia with Lewy bodies is similar to treatment for dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Alcoholic dementia

Epileptic dementia

How to prevent dementia - video

Answers to the most popular questions about causes, symptoms and

Are dementia and dementia the same thing? How does dementia occur in children? What is the difference between childhood dementia and mental retardation?

Is unexpected untidiness the first sign of senile dementia? Are symptoms such as untidiness and sloppiness always present?

What is mixed dementia? Does it always lead to disability? How to treat mixed dementia?

Treatment of mixed dementia is aimed at stabilizing the process, and therefore includes combating vascular disorders and mitigating the developed symptoms of dementia. Therapy, as a rule, is carried out with the same drugs and according to the same regimens as for vascular dementia.

Among my relatives there were patients with senile dementia. How likely am I to develop a mental disorder? What is the prevention of senile dementia? Are there any medications that can prevent the disease?

1. Prevention and timely treatment of diseases leading to circulatory disorders in the brain and hypoxia (hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus).

2. Dosed physical activity.

3. Constantly engaged in intellectual activity (you can make crosswords, solve puzzles, etc.).

Personality degradation

The term “degradation” is used in each branch of science with a special meaning, but the essence of the concept remains the same. Degradation is regression, that is, the process opposite to progress. Degradation - decline, decay, deterioration in quality.

Personality degradation is a concept used in psychology to denote the process of destruction of personality structure, replacement of positive qualities and properties with negative ones. If the development of personality, its growth is a movement forward and upward, then degradation is a descent, a fall down.

Degradation as a psychological phenomenon

The degradation of a person is noticeable from the outside, but is rarely realized by him. It can be difficult to notice for a subject whose society and environment can be called degrading. When everyone around you behaves immorally and basely, it seems that this is normal behavior.

The problem of personal degradation is connected with the problem of societal degradation.

Degradation does not happen instantly; it is a prolonged loss of a person’s “human appearance.” A person gradually stops paying attention to how he looks, what he says and what he does. He ceases to take into account those around him and care about their interests. He also doesn’t care what happens to himself.

Personality degradation manifests itself as:

• deterioration in the ability to think, concentrate, perceive, remember;
• impoverishment of vocabulary, problems with speech;
• loss of ability to work, unwillingness to work;
• fading of positive qualities, manifestation of negative ones;
• communication difficulties, inability to communicate and negotiate;
• emotional incontinence and lack of will;
• aggressiveness or withdrawal;
• selfishness and eccentric thinking.

All signs of degradation may appear at once. It is impossible to talk about personality degradation based on only one sign. Thus, problems in the emotional-volitional sphere do not always indicate the development of degradation. A self-actualizing person also experiences difficulty regulating his emotions and behavior.

Why does it happen that a person “goes down”? Is it always his own fault?

To answer these questions, you need to understand the causes of the phenomenon of personality degradation.

There are many reasons for human degradation:

Inaction is also an action. A person decides to be uninitiative, apathetic, lazy and bored, instead of moving forward and developing. He does not know how to motivate himself and set achievable goals.

The social role “Child” is a dangerous life position. It’s nice and joyful to entrust problems and concerns to someone, but without the ability to overcome difficulties on your own, there is no personal development. Regression is a psychological defense mechanism for returning to childhood behavior that underlies this cause of degradation.

This mental disorder can have many causes, such as trouble, grief, illness, psychological trauma and other suffering. Being in a state of mental devastation and a feeling of the meaninglessness of life for a long time, the personality stops developing. Depression is a serious and complex condition and a kind of personal suicide.

Another heavy negative feeling. It gives rise to a feeling of one’s own insignificance, depravity, and hopelessness. A person decides that there is no point in working on himself: “Everything is my fault! I’m bad and I can’t be corrected.”

The desire to develop is stimulated by higher emotions and socially conditioned feelings. If a person feels useless to anyone, he does not understand for whom and for what to become better. He decides for himself that he will wait until he is loved, and then he will begin to develop as a person. The individual for whom it is always worth developing is the person himself. Self-love gives rise to the love of others.

A feeling of powerlessness, injured pride, hidden resentment, uncertainty in one’s abilities, in the ability to reach heights of development and self-fulfillment have a negative impact on self-esteem and deprive a person of the desire to work on oneself and change.

Abuse of anything negatively affects brain function. Harmful chemical compounds destroy the brain, and subsequently the personality degrades. It has been proven that the brains of alcoholics are literally the word dries out, decreases in size, voids form in it, and the convolutions of the cerebral cortex are smoothed out. Injuries and dysfunctions of the brain lead to the loss of the ability to be a full-fledged person. The brain is the organ responsible for the functioning of the psyche. For normal functioning brain, you need to eat right, get rid of bad habits, and engage in mental and physical labor.

A person who commits offenses and crimes suppresses positive human qualities and abilities, depriving himself of the opportunity to reveal his potential in activities useful to society.

In old age, irreversible changes occur in the human body and brain: the ability to think logically is lost, memory, attention deteriorate, and so on. Decline in work performance or loss of mental function in older adults has been shown to be associated with retirement. Hence the conclusion: if you want to maintain a sober mind longer, you need to remain a socially active person.

Development requires work on oneself, and to degrade it is enough to do nothing.

Human degradation is the path of least resistance, because growing above oneself and striving for self-realization is more difficult than falling down.

How to stop personality degradation

The sooner the degradation that has begun is revealed, the sooner the personality regression will stop. With significant changes in the structure of the personality and the functioning of the brain, the help of specialists is needed: psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors.

On initial stages degradation, everything is in the hands of the individual. Every person has noticed a stop in development, but not everyone perceived this as a signal to start working on themselves.

Personality degradation can be stopped and reversed through one’s own efforts.

A person who managed to rise, develop and grow above himself, even if his environment did not contribute to this, deserves respect. Any work on yourself is worthy of praise.

An individual who got rid of a bad habit, overcame fear, received additional education, mastered the new kind labor activity or committed another volitional act not under coercion, but under at will, left my comfort zone and rose one step higher in the development of my own personality.

To stop personality degradation you need:

1. Realize the fact of personality disintegration, find real reasons for this. Write down the reasons in a concise form: uninteresting work with no prospects for professional growth; bad Company, Negative influence friends; pathological laziness; lack of incentive for development, etc.
2. Identify development paths, identify ways to change behavior and thinking, and write them down in the form of a correction plan. If it is difficult to do this on your own, you need to contact a loved one, a psychologist, or read the relevant literature.
3. Start corrective work. Working on yourself is the most hard work. It involves changing the way of life, the usual way of thinking and behavior. This is a change in priorities, principles, attitudes, attitudes towards oneself and life, a change in worldview.

To prevent personal decline and as ways to develop personality, the following recommendations are suitable:

• develop culturally: read classical, scientific, educational literature, attend cultural events and places, take an interest in art;
• communicate and make friends with educated, respected, positive people;
• engage in creativity, do something with your own hands, draw, master the game of musical instrument, work not for the sake of reward, but for the sake of receiving pleasure from work;
• lead an active and healthy lifestyle: work, study, play sports, be in nature;
• love yourself and life: enjoy life, see its positive sides, be a confident person and your abilities, be responsive, kind, caring, make friends and love.

For a person who has the desire to be happy and the awareness that this is a real goal, nothing is impossible.

Signs of Personality Decay

Personality degradation is a reverse development, regression, loss of stability, weakening of activity, decline in performance and mental balance. Simply put, a personality loses its inherent traits simultaneously with the impoverishment of all skills and qualities: judgments, feelings, talents, activity.

We can identify such symptoms of personality degradation as increased irritability, narrowing of interests, dysfunction of memory and attention, and decreased adaptive capabilities. Also, the violation in question can be expressed in the development of carelessness, complacency, and weak character.

The most severe type of personality degradation is considered to be insanity, which manifests itself in carelessness, dementia, loss of contact with the environment, and complete indifference to the environment. Common cause The disorder described is alcoholism, accompanied by severe somatic disorders and neurological dysfunctions caused by the abuse of alcohol-containing liquids. Alcoholics lose social connections, professional functioning and work activity also suffer.

Causes of personality degradation

It is believed that the human subject completely degrades if he ceases to develop spiritually, since the brain atrophies due to “uselessness”. There are many reasons for personality degradation that cause the individual to lose faith in himself, which gives rise to a loss of interest in existence. Such people stop developing intellectually and monitoring current events. They forget their previous hobbies. Also, the decline in interest in one’s own existence can be affected by the death of a loved one, the collapse of hopes, or due to a series of failures. Lonely people are more susceptible to personal disintegration.

The listed factors, for the most part, do not in themselves threaten personality degradation. The described disorder is caused by people’s desire to seek oblivion in alcohol. Such a harmful “hobby” sooner or later degenerates into binge drinking.

Spiritual degradation of the individual is an urgent problem in modern society. Often, personal decline occurs in people of an older age group as a result of resignation or retirement. Many psychologists are convinced that ending professional activity with retirement is harmful for people. The lack of need to load the brain with responsibility and duties gradually leads to a weakening of personal qualities.

Along with this, there are many elderly people who have retained their mental alertness and clarity of thought. If an individual in his old age tries to remain a multifaceted personality, constantly comes up with new entertaining activities for himself, if retirement age is not a death sentence, but only frees up time and opportunities for new achievements, then such a person is not in danger of degenerating his personality. In addition, the disorder in question may be a consequence of mental illnesses or organic pathologies of the brain (epilepsy, schizophrenia, trauma).

A frequent cause of regression in personal development is a feeling of guilt. Individuals who feel useless and superfluous often experience a loss of their best qualities. In addition, if a subject has ceased to believe in his own potential due to several consecutive failures, then the likelihood of personality degradation is also high.

We can identify a number of factors that contribute to the weakening of personal qualities, namely drug addiction, lack of will, cruelty, senile insanity, banal laziness and procrastination (the tendency to put off unpleasant things or important tasks). However, first of all, the spiritual degradation of the individual occurs due to the lack of compassion, intelligence, love and sincerity. It is these listed components that make a person out of a human subject.

Senile insanity, which is considered a severe form of personal degradation, is a progressive illness that is an irreversible mental disorder. The reason for its onset lies in the atrophy of the processes that occur in the brain, resulting from the pathology of the capillaries. A hereditary factor may aggravate the situation.

The disease gradually develops. Oddities in behavioral patterns are not immediately visible. At first, the individual becomes absent-minded, a little forgetful, grumbling, greedy and self-centered. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become brighter. Memory deteriorates, false memories appear about incidents that did not happen. One can identify the main symptoms of personality degradation during insanity as complete indifference to what is happening and carelessness.

Signs of personality degradation

To be able to react in time and help your loved one, it is necessary to promptly notice any behavioral deviations.

Social degradation of the individual is revealed both in the external appearance of the human subject and in changes in his internal state. A degrading subject pays less attention to spoken words, his own appearance, neatness and neatness. His speech becomes more simplified, and his circle of contacts becomes limited. Patients avoid people who bring unnecessary trouble into their existence. The defining motto of a declining personality becomes the phrase “I want.” Detachment from relatives, family and other concerns gradually develops.

A person who has chosen the path of degradation does not want to think or care about others. He seems to fade and plunge into himself, moving away from his loved ones. Long before the complete destruction of personality, the first harbingers of approaching degradation appear. The range of hobbies narrows, mainly in general cultural terms: they do not attend concerts and theater performances, they stop reading and watching TV shows. They become characterized by frivolity, flat humor, frivolity, carelessness at the same time as capriciousness, inconstancy, dissatisfaction and grumbling. A declining individual turns into a familiar, annoying subject, whose judgments are characterized by superficiality and frivolity, and whose behavior is characterized by swagger, cynicism, a decrease in disgust and a sense of shame. Traits such as egocentrism, selfishness and deceit progress.

As symptoms escalate, intellectual impairment becomes more pronounced. The character of such a person is transformed. A declining individual becomes hot-tempered and irritable. A negative worldview, a prejudiced attitude towards everything that happens, anxiety and internal fear become the dominant features. In addition, the individual experiences a decrease in memory, narrowing of interests, and impoverishment of judgment. The ability to concentrate deteriorates sharply.

Signs of personality degradation are lack of will, carelessness and excessive complacency. Personality destruction can be noticed with the naked eye by the sloppy appearance, stooped appearance, indifferent look, inappropriate behavior.

The famous psychologist A. Maslow argued that social degradation of personality is characterized by next stages progression:

The formation of the “pawn” psychology is the phenomenon of “learned helplessness” (a person feels completely dependent on circumstances or other forces);

The emergence of a lack of basic goods when initial needs become dominant (food, survival, sexual satisfaction);

The formation of a “pure” surrounding society (society is divided into good individuals and bad, “insiders” and “outsiders”), the social world for them becomes like black and white;

The emergence of increased self-criticism - the so-called cult of “self-criticism” (the subject admits himself guilty even of actions that he did not commit);

Depletion of vocabulary (the subject uses elementary phrases in his own speech, it is difficult for him to describe something, the selection of adjectives is especially difficult, since they express human feelings and emotions);

Defense of the “sacred bases” (the individual absolutely does not want to think about the fundamental prerequisites of the worldview, he has no doubts about his own “sublime foundations”, such a person is unable to look at them skeptically, that is, the person considers his own opinion to be the only correct one);

The emergence of various dependencies.

Below are twelve life aspects that neutralize the threat of personality degradation:

Reading, because it is the book that contains the age-old wisdom of people, which trains the “gray matter” and does not allow the brain to dry out;

Taking care of your appearance even in the most difficult periods of life;

Fighting bad habits ( overconsumption alcoholic beverages, excessive incontinence in food, smoking marijuana - activities unworthy of a well-mannered, developed personality;

Faith in the best (saddened pessimists are the first candidates for degeneration);

The feeling of love (you need to love your parents and other relatives, pets, partner, life), a loving person will never give up;

Stop worrying about trifles, you don’t need to suffer just because the world is unfair and people are unhappy, if the problem can be solved, then it doesn’t exist, and if there is no solution, then worry and anxiety still won’t help get rid of it;

Self-development (learning new things, watching educational videos, attending various trainings, reading, getting a second education - all this will not allow a person to give up);

Belief in inevitable retribution for bad deeds committed (most criminals commit offenses because of the conviction of their own exclusivity and, accordingly, impunity, both before a posthumous court and before the current legislation);

Following moral standards (lying, stealing, envy, gossiping, committing meanness and nasty things - destroys the personality);

You should not abuse obscene language, since obscenities and obscene words destroy the soul;

Following the rules of decency (public scratching of the genitals, public picking of the nose, slurping, licking fingers or plates are considered signs of personal degradation);

While the human subject is alive, one should not give up, because only after death nothing can be changed, so one must fight under any, even the most insurmountable circumstances.

Personality degradation in alcoholism

Many people have suffered from this serious illness. However, the terrible statistics do not stop anyone. Everyone believes that alcoholism will not happen to them and that intoxicating drinks will not be pulled into their own snares. At first, a person only tries alcohol, choosing the one he likes, then he begins to abuse intoxicating drinks, which gives rise to a harmful addiction. At the same time, the drinker is not able to comprehend that excessive libations of alcoholic beverages are called this terrible word - alcoholism.

A mental progressive disorder called alcoholism belongs to the category of chronic illnesses that are a type of substance abuse. It manifests itself as a gradual increase in alcohol dependence, decreased self-control regarding the use of alcohol-containing liquids, progressive development of somatic dysfunctions, increased irritability, often aggressiveness, superficial thinking, decreased critical perception of one’s own actions, and imprecise movements. The last stages of the disease are characterized by loss of social contacts, severe ataxia, and destruction of personality.

The problem of personality degradation and chronic alcoholism are inextricably interconnected. In a person who abuses intoxicating drinks, intellectual activity is impaired, memory decreases, and self-criticism disappears. Alcoholics blame the surrounding society or circumstances for all their troubles. People suffering from alcoholism become rude, overly self-confident, unresponsive, soulless, incorrect, and cynical. Their sleep is disturbed and characterized frequent awakenings. As the doses consumed increase and become more frequent, the circle of hobbies among alcoholics narrows. All their thoughts are only about alcohol; nothing else can interest them. Alcoholics do not perceive the meaning of many everyday situations; the surrounding society does not affect them. People who abuse strong drinks stop reading books, attending theaters or other public cultural events. This is how personality degradation debuts.

Responsibility and duty to relatives, children, partners, teams, friends, and society for alcoholics either weakens or disappears altogether. They lose disgust, a sense of shame and guilt, as a result of which they become unkempt, familiar, annoying, and do not understand the ridiculousness or wrongness of their actions. An alcoholic often turns into a mercantile subject who is not required in his professional activities. He is unable to learn new things, concentrate, and separate the important from the unimportant.

The drinker's movements accelerate due to the relaxation of braking impulses, inaccuracies and defects in work appear. The consequence of this is loss of qualifications, dismissal or demotion, loss of social connections. Alcoholics do not realize their own downfall, making unrealistic false promises, trying to impress and embellish reality. The humor of drunkards is permeated with flat jokes on important topics. Alcoholics pester others with their sentimentality and obsessive frankness. Surrounded by drinking buddies, they extol each other and convince each other of mutual selflessness and devotion. They condemn people who avoid their company and discuss them with hostility.

In the workplace, alcoholics try with all their might to evade their official responsibilities without losing material benefits. Behind their endless demagogy, drinkers try to hide their formal approach to work and their laziness.

The first symptoms of personality regression become noticeable approximately six to eight years after the beginning of systematic abuse of alcohol-containing liquids.

Some drinkers become easily excitable, others become carefree and complacent, frivolous, capricious, grumpy, others become apathetic, depressed and inert, and others become intimately disinhibited. Often one condition can be replaced by another. Some drinkers in life are timid and insecure subjects who consider themselves worse than everyone else. Such patients have low self-esteem. However, the state of intoxication transforms them, turning them into boastful and picky individuals. They tend to make scandals and get offended for no reason. Such people, when sober, are rather quiet subjects, but when intoxicated, they turn into brawlers and brawlers. Most often, such behavior manifests itself in family relationships, when there is no need to restrain oneself and control.

Alcohol degradation has a destructive effect on the individual, it destroys families. It brings suffering to the drunkard’s relatives, inconvenience to neighbors, and problems in the work environment. Reverse personality development caused by alcohol disfigures the life of the drinking individual and society. Alcoholism is a serious illness that leads to loss of personality and causes social death of the individual. Therefore, timely treatment of personality degradation caused by excessive libations is so important. Excessive cravings for alcohol-containing drinks must be treated, since every person has the right to a healthy and fulfilling existence.

Personal degeneration and the consequences of personality degradation can be eliminated provided that there is an absolute refusal to consume alcohol-containing liquids.

Treatment of personality degradation caused by alcoholism is the responsibility of psychotherapists, and the elimination of dependence on alcoholic beverages is the responsibility of narcologists. The most important conditions adequate therapeutic effects are the drinker’s awareness of the destructive effects of alcohol or other intoxicating liquids and the patient’s desire to stop consuming alcohol-containing drinks in the future. Compliance with the above conditions will make the task of doctors as easy as possible, which will have a beneficial effect on the therapy itself, and will also contribute to the speedy relief from manifestations of degradation.

Treatment activities focused on eliminating the consequences of destruction of an individual’s personality not only include complete failure from alcohol, but also require psychological help, as well as support from loved ones. The alcoholic's relatives and immediate circle should pay more attention to him. Individuals who have decided to forever free themselves from destructive cravings need the help of those closest to them. And they certainly don’t need their condemnation. It is often quite difficult for recent alcoholics to stop thinking about drinking. Therefore, the task of the family is to distract them from the destructive attraction. You can come up with a hobby that can not only interest a sick relative, but also that will distract him and take up his free time and thoughts. Otherwise, there is a high risk of failure. Without the support of family and friends, it is almost impossible for an individual suffering from alcoholism to free himself from this terrible illness.

Popular psychology

Characteristics of psychosis

Psychosis is one of the most serious mental problems. A person suffering from psychosis undergoes a number of striking changes in thinking, behavior and emotions. The basis of these changes is the loss of normal perception of reality, characteristic in a situation of psychosis. Here are examples from observations of a number of patients with psychosis that show what this “falling away from reality” represents (Torrey, 1988).

Everything is in pieces. In your head you put together a picture from these pieces. It's like putting together a torn photograph piece by piece. Scared to move.

I feel like I can set the weather to suit my mood, even control the movement of the sun.

For the last week I was with a girl, and suddenly she began to seem larger and larger to me, like a monster that was getting closer and closer.

Psychotic thinking. Psychoses are erroneous beliefs that extend to all obvious facts. People suffering from psychosis insist that their hallucinations are true, despite the fact that the facts contradict this. An example is a 43-year-old man with schizophrenia who was confident that he was pregnant (Mansouri & Adityanjee, 1995).

Here are some common types of delusions: 1) depressive delusions, in which people feel that they have committed terrible crimes or sinful acts; 2) somatic delusion, in which a person thinks that his body is decomposing or that it emits a foul odor; 3) delusions of grandeur, in which a person imagines himself to be a particularly important person; 4) delusion of influence, in which people feel that they are being controlled or influenced by other people or invisible forces; 5) delusion of persecution, when a person thinks that someone wants to catch up with him; and 6) delusions of relationships, in which events not related to individuals are assigned personal significance. For example, a person may think that a television program is a special message to him or her personally (DSM - IV, 1994).

Hallucinations and sensations. Hallucinations are imaginary sensations when a person sees, hears and smells objects that are not really there. The most common type of psychotic hallucination is auditory hallucination. Sometimes audible voices command a person to harm himself. Unfortunately, many obey them (Kasper, Rogers & Adams, 1996).

Less common are people with psychosis, in which it seems to them “that insects are crawling under their skin,” or patients feel the taste of “poison” in their food or the smell of “gas” with which “enemies” are going to “finish off” them. Sensory changes such as anesthesia (loss of sensation) or increased sensitivity to heat, cold, pain, or touch also occur.

Emotional disturbances. Emotions can fluctuate wildly between being overly elated and depressed. A person with psychosis may be over-emotional, depressed, emotionally flat, or apathetic. For example, with the flattening affect, it is almost impossible to detect any emotions. Usually there is a frozen, empty expression on the person’s face. However, behind their “frozen masks,” psychotic individuals continue to experience emotions as strongly as before (Sison et al., 1996).

Communication breakdown. Some psychotic symptoms may be considered a primitive form of communication. By their actions, many patients say: “I need help” or “I can’t handle this anymore.” Nonverbal pleas for help are sometimes necessary because the violation verbal communication is a classic psychosis syndrome. Psychotic speech can be distorted and chaotic. Sometimes it sounds like “verbal okroshka.”

Personality disintegration. Most disorders such as those just discussed (as well as additional problems related to thinking, memory and attention) lead to a breakdown of personality and a disconnect from reality. Personality disintegration is associated with a loss of coordination between thoughts, actions and emotions. As a result, there is a serious deterioration in work performance, including social relations and self-care. When psychotic disturbances and personality fragmentation are observed over a period of several weeks or months (often including a period of deterioration, an active phase and a residual phase), the person suffers from psychosis (DSM - IV, 1994).

Indeed, the description given above is somewhat exaggerated. It is rare for all these changes to occur simultaneously. You may be disappointed by a visit to a psychiatric ward if you expect to encounter unusual, dramatic, or incomprehensible behavior. Extreme psychotic behavior occurs as a brief episode. Symptoms of psychosis come and go, most of the time the symptoms are quite mild.

Exist Various types psychosis.

Organic psychosis is based on brain pathologies - organic brain diseases, gunshot wounds, trauma and other physical causes. Conversely, functional psychosis is caused by unknown reasons or psychological factors.

As we will see later, functional psychoses can also lead to physical changes in the brain. It turns out that all psychoses are partly organic. However, the term "organic psychosis" is usually used for disorders associated with a clear brain disorder or disease of the brain.

Organic psychoses

Psychotic disorders are sometimes directly related to brain diseases. One example is progressive paralysis, which occurs when syphilis attacks brain cells. In cases of developing but untreated syphilis, the patient's behavior may become disorganized and uncontrollable. This can lead to profane and indecent behavior - the "dirty old man" syndrome.

Lead or mercury poisoning may be a particular cause of organic psychosis causing anxiety. Although rare, poisoning can affect the brain and cause hallucinations, delusions, and loss of emotional control. Old buildings that were painted with lead paint are especially dangerous. Lead tastes sweet. Therefore, small children may be tempted by chipped pieces of lead paint and eat them like candy. Children who eat lead paint may become psychotic or developmentally delayed (Dyer, 1993; Mielke, 1999). Lead paint can release lead dust into the air. Children may inhale or ingest dust after touching contaminated toys. Other sources containing lead include sealed water pipes, old drinking fountains lined with lead, lead-glazed cookware, and lead from automobile exhaust. More broadly, another type of “poisoning,” in the form of drug abuse, can also cause psychosis (DSM IV, 1994).

The most common organic problem is dementia - severe mental disorder associated with deterioration of brain function. In dementia there are underlying impairments in memory, thinking, judgment, impulse control and personality. This combination of disturbances typically leaves the person confused, suspicious, apathetic, or withdrawn (Larson, 1990). One of the main causes of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Other causes may be poor circulation, repeated strokes, general shrinkage or atrophy of the brain.

The three main types of functional psychoses are delusional disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders.

Causes of human degradation in modern society

What does the word "degradation" mean? The word “degradation” comes up quite often. It is used when talking about the gradual deterioration, decline, loss of valuable qualities and properties observed in various areas of life - culture, society, art, environment. This term is also used in relation to physical, chemical and biological processes: degradation of soils, proteins, etc.

Psychologists use it when they talk about the destruction of personality - the narrowing and impoverishment of interests, feelings, talents and judgments, a decrease in mental activity and performance, up to complete indifference and loss of contacts with environment. Personality degradation is also called mental dullness. One of severe forms personality degradation - insanity, or profound dementia. Personality degradation is an integral part of a deeper breakdown of the human psyche: dementia, or dementia.

How does personality degradation manifest itself?

The first signs of degradation appear long before the complete collapse of the personality. The range of interests of such people narrows, mainly in the general cultural aspect: they stop watching films, reading books, and attending concerts. They are characterized by frivolity, flat humor, carelessness along with capriciousness, discontent and grumbling. They become annoying and familiar. Their judgments are frivolous and superficial, and their behavior is characterized by swagger, a tendency toward cynicism, and a decreased sense of shame and disgust. Such qualities as selfishness, deceit, and egocentrism develop.

As the disease progresses intellectual disorders are growing. The character changes for the worse: the person becomes irritable and hot-tempered. Its main features are a negative worldview - an attitude towards all events with a negative prejudice, internal fear and anxiety. Memory deteriorates, interests narrow, and judgments and feelings become impoverished. It becomes difficult for a person to concentrate his attention on anything.

Another manifestation of personality degradation is lack of will, excessive complacency and carelessness. Carelessness and complete indifference to the surrounding world are observed in a severe form of degradation - insanity. Personality degradation also affects a person’s appearance. Characteristic changes in appearance are visible, one might say, to the naked eye: sloppiness, stooping, an indifferent look, inappropriate behavior. That’s what they say about such people – degenerate ones.

The American psychologist Maslow identified several qualities, inherent in people with personality degradation:

• treating yourself as a pawn on which nothing depends either in public or in personal life;
• the main thing in their life becomes the satisfaction of basic primary needs;
• They divide the world into “us” and “strangers” and try to protect themselves from “strangers”;
• they believe that their opinion is unshakable and is not subject to criticism and discussion;
• their language is poor, they use elementary figures of speech. Their brains don't want to expend effort on verbal functions.

Why does personality degradation occur?

A person degrades when he stops developing spiritually. His brain seems to begin to atrophy “as unnecessary.” There can be many reasons why a person gives up and loses faith in himself, he becomes uninterested in life, he stops following events, develops intellectually, and forgets about his previous hobbies. This happens to someone when they lose a loved one, someone loses their taste for life after a collapse of hopes or a series of failures. The most susceptible to personality degradation are lonely people who feel like losers and useless to anyone.

But these factors in most cases threaten degradation not in themselves, but because a person begins to seek solace and oblivion in alcohol and sooner or later goes on a drinking binge. The concepts of alcoholism and personality degradation are inseparable. Moreover, alcoholism can be both the cause of degradation and its consequence.

Unfortunately, quite often personality degradation develops in older people after retirement. Psychologists even say that retirement is very harmful. Lack of duties, responsibility, and the need to load the brain lead to gradual spiritual death.

At the same time, there are many elderly people who have retained a lively and clear mind. If a person remains a multifaceted personality in old age, does not sit idle, if retirement frees up time and energy for new activities, then he is not in danger of personality degradation. Personality degradation may be a consequence mental illness or organic diseases of the brain (schizophrenia, epilepsy, intoxication, trauma, etc.).

Senile insanity as a form of personality degradation

Senile insanity is a progressive disease that is irreversible mental disorder. The reason for it is the atrophy of all processes that occur in the brain, and this happens mainly due to pathological changes in his blood vessels. Heredity also aggravates the situation.

The disease develops gradually, over years, and others do not immediately notice strange behavior. The person just becomes distracted, forgetful, grumpy, stingy and self-centered. But as the symptoms progress, they become more and more pronounced, and it is no longer possible not to notice them. Memory deteriorates, false memories arise of events that did not happen. Eventually, a person stops recognizing loved ones, loses self-care skills, and needs constant monitoring and help.

Alcoholism and personality degradation

Another example of complete personality degradation is alcoholism. For an alcoholic, alcohol is the main need of life, and his brain works with one goal - where and how to get alcohol. An alcoholic's thoughts are superficial, phrases and words are simple and unpretentious.

Symptoms of personality degradation in alcoholics appear already in the first stages of alcoholism. They are emotionally unstable: tearfulness, touchiness, and pessimism can suddenly give way to excitability, irritation and anger. They lack a sense of guilt and understanding of their actions, but they experience carelessness, euphoria, and underestimation life difficulties. Their actions are inadequate and unpredictable. Alcoholics become rude, deceitful and selfish.

How to avoid personality degradation?

Unfortunately, no one is immune from the risk of spiritual degradation - it threatens any person who “goes with the flow” and does not engage in self-development. If you don’t improve and don’t invest time and effort into your development, spiritual death may occur before physical death. Another poet N. Zabolotsky wrote:

“Don’t let your soul be lazy!

So as not to pound water in a mortar,

The soul must work

And day and night, and day and night!

If you decide to cut her some slack,

Freeing from work,

She's the last shirt

He will rip you off without pity.”

People who overcome their passivity, maintain an active physical state, are interested in everything that happens in the world, and are active life position, personality degradation is unlikely to threaten. The immediate environment is also important: to have people nearby who would infect you with their desire for new knowledge and skills.

As for senile insanity, it is impossible to cure it completely, but at an early stage it can be corrected. Therefore, when the first signs appear, it is worth examining: if its cause is vascular diseases of the brain, for example atherosclerosis, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. B vitamins, in particular B6 and folic acid, and Ginkgo biloba extract or capsules will help stop the development of senile insanity.

Moral decay- ♦ (ENG moral corruption) the state of people who are so strongly influenced by sin that they are unable to make the right ethical choices when solving moral problems...

moral corruption- Moral decay... Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

Demoralization- moral decay, decline of morality, discipline, spirit. When personnel are reduced, troops lose the necessary fighting qualities. D. are usually subjected to armies waging an unjust, aggressive, reactionary war, the goals of which ... ... Glossary of military terms

Demoralization Glossary of terms on general and social pedagogy

DEMORALIZATION- moral decay, loss of moral criteria, loss of spirit, discipline... Pedagogical dictionary

- (French demoralisation, from de from, and Latin moralis, from mosmoris morality). Corruption of morals, decline of morality. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. DEMORALIZATION, corruption of morals, decline... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

AND; and. [French démoralisation] 1. Decline of morality, moral decay. D. society. D. youth. D. morals. 2. Decline of discipline, fortitude, loss of ability to act. D. enemy troops. D. team. * * * DEMORALIZATION… … encyclopedic Dictionary

I. Literature of the gentry of Poland. 1. Medieval Poland (X-XV centuries). 2. Noble Poland (late 15th and 16th centuries). 3. Decomposition of the gentry (XVII century). 4. Decomposition of the gentry state (XVIII century). II. Polish literature of modern times. 1.… … Literary encyclopedia

A story with the subtitle “A Monstrous Story.” During Bulgakov's lifetime she was not published. For the first time: Student, London, 1968, nos. 9, 10; Grani, Frankfurt, 1968, no. 69; Bulgakov M. dog's heart. London, Flegon Press, 1968. For the first time in the USSR: ... ... Bulgakov Encyclopedia

- [de], demoralization, pl. no, female (French demoralisation) (book). 1. Decline of morality, moral decay. Bribery indicated the complete demoralization of employees. 2. Decline of spirit, discipline, decay. Demoralization of the royal... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

This term has other meanings, see Dulles Plan (meanings). The Dulles Plan (Dulles Doctrine), described in a popular conspiracy theory in Russia, is a plan of action for the United States against the USSR during the Cold War era, consisting of a hidden... ... Wikipedia

Books

• Eliza Ozheshko. Collected Works (set of 4 books), Eliza Ozheshko. Eliza Orzeszko (1841-1910) - Polish writer of Belarusian origin. The work of Eliza Orzeszko together with the works of her talented contemporaries Henryk Sienkiewicz and Boleslaw Prus...