Mood swings as a result of emotional lability? Lability - what is it? The meaning of the concept in medicine and psychology
Surely, everyone had a friend whose mood could change several times a day and depend on external incidents, even those that seemed insignificant to you. This behavior may suggest psychological lability, a peculiarity of perception of the surrounding world that causes a quick and immediate reaction to any event.
Labile psyche
The concept of lability was proposed by the scientist Vvedensky, who used it to estimate the time for restoration of tissue performance after its excitation. Today the term is used not only in physiology, therefore the meaning is somewhat modified to suit the scope of application. For example, when we're talking about about the lability of the psyche, then imply its mobility or even instability. Some are inclined to consider this feature negative, seeing it as a weakness, but such an assessment is not entirely correct.
To put it bluntly general sense, That labile psyche- This is a survival mechanism. Without the ability to quickly react to external events and switch between them, a person would not have a chance to develop. But in some cases, psychological lability causes a lot of inconvenience to a person. Since this is not only about frequent changes mood, but also a significant depth of experience. And this affects sleep, performance, and well-being. If you are unable to cope with overly pronounced mental lability, various health problems may occur. In this case, consultation with a specialist is required, since there is no single way to adjust your worldview. But such extreme manifestations are not so frequent, most people with a labile type of psyche, if they experience inconvenience, are short-term and insignificant, and those around them consider them easy-to-communicate people, responsive and sensitive.
Publication date: 2014-10-01
Emotional lability- This pathological condition central nervous system, in which a person is subject to sudden and unconditional mood swings. How often can you hear “hysterical”, “abnormal”, “crazy” about those people who suffer from sudden mood changes. Unfortunately, we are still considered to be the “insignificance” of such sciences as psychology and psychosomatics. Meanwhile, a person who experiences emotional lability suffers more than those around him.
Many years passed before it was proven that emotional lability is not a whim of the patient, but a full-fledged disease. Moreover, it can be an independent disease caused by social factors, and a symptom of other diseases.
Moreover, it should be noted that diseases in which pathology manifests itself as a symptom are themselves formidable and dangerous:
- cerebral atherosclerosis;
- cerebral thromboangiitis;
- diseases associated with pressure changes;
- consequences of traumatic brain injury or surgical interventions;
- severe tumors (most often malignant) of the brain itself.
The situation is much more complicated with young patients, whose parents are so exhausted by changes in the child’s psyche that they turn to urgent help to pediatricians. There is a great danger here of confusing emotional lability with the child’s usual increased activity or passivity. The unstable psyche of a small patient has been studied very little, so a lot of practice is required to accurately determine the disease.
It is extremely difficult to work with children who exhibit hyperactivity or severe attention deficit disorder. Such children already behave unpredictably in attempts to gain the attention of adults, and if emotional lability is also layered on top of such a syndrome, then such a child will need to be treated by several specialists in collaboration with each other: a neurologist, a child psychologist and a child psychiatrist.
The peculiarity of this disease is that a person gives in and experiences extreme excitement in the face of minor obstacles. The latter may not be perceived as such in principle. However, for a patient with emotional lability, any step or action may turn out to be an insurmountable “stone” for imaginary overcoming. Sometimes this is how a severe form of vegetative-vascular dystonia manifests itself.
That is why it is impossible to find the cause on your own. Requires correct and professional work by a psychotherapist and neurologist.
Symptoms
Emotional lability can be suspected immediately if a person, at the first minor difficulties, falls into complete despondency, but it is important not to confuse this with the consequences thyroid gland. As a rule, such patients have no desire to resist; they are apathetic, lethargic, and tearful. Such people sincerely and sharply react to any negative source from the outside. Moreover, a film with a bad ending or the need to make some efforts for the next step can plunge them into a new phase of emotional lability with equal success.
Sick patients exhibit symptoms of emotional lability such as restlessness, lack of patience, acute and negative reactions when it comes to assessing their own actions and personality as a whole. They cannot think constructively and are subject to lightning-fast mood swings. They can show aggressiveness, especially in those cases when others show them a way out of the situation.
Such people cannot stand criticism, and if a person does not react aggressively, then another phase of complete despondency and apathy has begun. Such conditions are extremely dangerous for general health, since they seriously destroy the psyche and affect general health. It has been proven that people with unstable emotions and frequent depression often have problems with their internal organs.
Treatment methods
If the treatment concerns small patients, then strict individual approach and continuous monitoring of performance. Young children with increased activity or depression cannot be prescribed standard circuits treatment. More often, children are prescribed medications on a natural basis with mild sedative effect. This could be motherwort, valerian or special herbal children's syrups with natural ingredients.
As the child grows up, parents will have to teach how to cope with attacks of lability, feel and promptly recognize the onset of an exacerbation. Important: teach small child don't be afraid of your condition. This is important because over time, a factor such as a panic attack may be added. The latter is difficult to bear even for adults, so parents should take this into account and be prepared to have a calming conversation on this topic.
Treatment for adults with emotional lability begins with an assessment. It is necessary to find the cause of this condition, and if this is successful, then all efforts are directed towards treating the main disease. Although in such cases emotional lability is a symptom, prescribed sedatives, strengthening therapy and antidepressants.
An antidepressant is prescribed only by a specialist, based on the patient’s complaints and the symptoms that manifest themselves. If anxiety, fear and panic attacks occur, the help of a neuropsychiatrist is recommended. In general, people who have similar problems are strongly recommended to regularly visit a neuropsychiatrist and have him family doctor.
Emotional lability in psychology is a pathology of the nervous system, characterized by instability of mood, its sudden changes for no apparent reason. This condition can occur in both adults and children. different ages. A personality characterized by this feature, reacts equally sharply to negative and positive stimuli. Emotional lability syndrome often accompanies vascular pathologies and organic diseases of the brain, and also occurs in asthenic conditions.
A person’s mental reaction in response to any stimulus is stimulated by the cerebral cortex. When the nervous system is weakened, emotional lability arises, provoking a lightning-fast reaction to even the most insignificant stimulus. A person with this pathology is able to cry bitterly with happiness or laugh hysterically with resentment. In psychology, there is also the opposite concept - rigidity, characterized by emotional scarcity. It is worth noting that, according to experts, the absence of positive and negative emotions affects mental health much worse than their excessive manifestation.
Predisposing factors
This nervous breakdown how emotional lability can have quite various reasons. Most often, the development of the pathological condition is facilitated by:
- prolonged emotional stress;
- frequent stressful situations;
- lack of attention from others or, conversely, constant being in the spotlight;
- psychological trauma experienced in childhood or as an adult;
- somatic diseases, in particular endocrine pathologies and hormonal imbalances, which occur, for example, in pregnant women or during menopause;
- vitamin deficiency.
In some cases, increased emotionality acts as a symptom. Thus, it can accompany tumor diseases of the brain, cerebral atherosclerosis, hypertension, organic pathologies of the brain, asthenia, traumatic brain injury, etc.
Signs
Symptoms of emotional weakness usually include impulsivity, lack of self-control, and taking rash actions without considering possible consequences. negative consequences. Manifestations of pathology depend on the warehouse and characteristics of a particular individual. Psychology distinguishes between two types of emotional lability: impulsive and borderline. In the first case, signs of the disease manifest themselves in dysphoria, that is, in a melancholy and even angry mood, constant dissatisfaction, quarrelsomeness, and sudden outbursts of anger. People with this disorder, in a fit of rage, can commit violent acts towards others. It is worth noting that in the absence of progression, the disease tends to smooth out over the years. In women, this usually occurs due to hormonal changes in the body after childbirth.
The borderline type of emotional lability is characterized by excessive impressionability, developed imagination, and enthusiasm. People with this disease are usually very easily suggestible, often change interests, and are restless. Individuals with this disorder are usually said to go from one extreme to another.
Manifestations in childhood
IN modern society The generally accepted point of view is that the capriciousness of children is always the result of errors in upbringing. However, this statement can be considered true only partially. The fact is that there is a clear connection between the development of pathologies of the nervous system in a child and the lack of attention from adults and peers. High excitability in children can gradually lead to nervous exhaustion, which further aggravates the symptoms of emotional weakness.
A child with such a disorder constantly demands attention, and in the absence of it, throws tantrums and makes scenes. At the same time, the condition of such children can be aggravated by both overly strict upbringing with constant prohibitions and punishments, and indulgence in whims. Emotional lability in childhood may be a sign of the development of neurosis.
In adolescent children, weakness of the nervous system does not always indicate illness. Here, circumstances typical for teenagers come to the fore: hormonal changes in the body, difficulties with socialization. Here it is important to determine whether the existing manifestations of emotional lability fit into the criteria of the norm; however, these criteria have rather blurred boundaries.
Correction
Emotional lability can be corrected, but it is worth considering that the therapeutic course is always selected depending on the root cause of the pathological condition. To find out the cause, the patient must undergo comprehensive examination, after which the doctor will select adequate therapy. First of all, treatment is prescribed for the underlying disease that caused emotional lability. As a rule, patients are prescribed a course of restorative therapy, and, if necessary, antidepressants or other drugs that stabilize mental activity. Correction can also be carried out with the help of psychotherapy, it is especially important if the pathology is based on a certain mental disorder.
The treatment of children requires a special approach, since standard regimens are not applicable for young patients. If there is a need for drug therapy, children are usually prescribed safe sedatives for plant based. As the child grows up, constant work should be carried out with him, aimed at teaching him to effectively cope with attacks of lability and, most importantly, not to be afraid of his condition. Otherwise, emotional lability can lead to panic attacks.
Emotional lability presented as a pathological condition of the nervous system, in which mood is characterized by instability and sudden, causeless changes
Age and gender predisposition have no effect on the occurrence of the disorder. The personality, at the same time, demonstrates the same reaction to both positive and negative provoking factors. Emotional lability often acts as a symptom accompanying organic brain diseases, vascular pathologies and asthenic conditions.
It is in the cerebral cortex that the patient’s mental reaction in response to the pathogen originates, but if the nervous system is weakened, the pathology in question takes place.
Even the most insignificant irritant can provoke a violent emotional reaction, resentment can cause hysterical laughter, and happiness provokes a person to sob. It is worth mentioning the opposite concept, the so-called rigidity, when the patient’s emotions are scarce. This condition causes less harm to the human body than excessive expression of emotions.
Provoking factors
The causes of the disorder in question are quite extensive and among the most active provoking factors it is worth highlighting the following:
- periodic stress or constant nervous tension;
- excess or lack of attention from others;
- childhood or current psychological trauma;
- hormonal imbalance, endocrine pathologies and other somatic ailments;
- avitaminosis.
As already mentioned, emotional lability can play the role of a symptom in the presence of cerebral atherosclerosis, tumor diseases, traumatic brain injury, asthenia, organic brain pathologies or hypertension.
Symptoms of emotional lability
- lack of self-control;
- excessive impulsiveness;
- action without considering the consequences.
Because emotional lability can be borderline and impulsive, other symptoms should be considered within these two categories.
Signs of impulsive lability:
- , angry-sad mood;
- sudden outbursts of anger and constant dissatisfaction;
- hostility and violence towards others.
Over the years, the pathological condition smoothes out if the disease does not progress. In the female part of patients, such changes occur after childbirth or other hormonal changes.
Signs of borderline type:
- excessive enthusiasm and impressionability;
- too well developed imagination;
- frequent changes of interests and opinions under the influence of others;
- poor perseverance;
- the actions of such patients can be characterized by the expression “from one extreme to another.”
Emotional lability in a child
Children's capriciousness, according to most people in society, is the result of gaps in upbringing, but such a statement is not always true. There is a direct relationship between lack of attention from peers and adults and pathologies of the nervous system.
If emotional lability is observed in a child, the result may be nervous exhaustion, due to which the symptoms will not stop getting worse. Young patients will constantly demand attention, and in the absence of it, scenes and hysterics cannot be avoided - these are the main signs of this disorder among children.
Not only prohibitions, punishment and other signs of despotic upbringing, but also incessant indulgence in any whims and caprices can have a detrimental effect on the state of the psyche. At a young age, it can act as a symptom initial stage neurosis.
If we consider adolescence, in this situation the mentioned model of behavior does not always indicate pathology, since it is worth taking into account other circumstances - problems of socialization, hormonal changes in the young body.
Standard criteria in case adolescence have extremely blurred boundaries, so it is very difficult to determine whether the observed picture is adequate. Often parents are forced to resort to the help of a psychologist from educational institution where the child is educated.
Treatment and correction
The pathology in question can only be corrected if the root causes of the disorder were taken into account when planning the therapeutic course. In this regard, a comprehensive examination before selecting therapy is mandatory.
Adult Treatment
Treatment should be aimed primarily at combating the underlying disease, which played the role of a provoking factor. This may be general restorative therapy and medicines, the action of which is aimed at stabilizing mental activity. Treatment may also involve psychotherapy, especially if it is a mental disorder that has caused emotional weakness.
Treatment of children
As for the treatment of children, an individual approach in such a situation is the basis. Monitoring of results should be continuous. The presence of depression and increased activity assumes the impossibility of using traditional treatment regimens, therefore, as effective means natural medicines with a slight sedative effect act.
Examples include herbal baby syrups, valerian or motherwort.
As a small patient grows up, he must learn to control attacks of lability and recognize their onset in time. He should not be afraid of such conditions and believe that something is wrong with him, otherwise, over time, they will be added to the basic symptoms. Even adults have a very difficult time with such conditions, so it is worth making every effort to ensure that a calming conversation with the child gives the necessary result.
Treatment of elderly patients
Formation of the considered disorder in old age requires the use medicines, the action of which is based on improving the blood circulation of the brain. If organic lesions The central nervous system has become the cause of the pathology, treatment should be aimed at the underlying disease, which neurologists and neurosurgeons do an excellent job of.
- All types of emotional instability allow the use of over-the-counter nootropic drugs.
- Plant-based sedatives also provide the desired effect.
- The use of antidepressants is permissible only as prescribed by a doctor and only after a thorough examination of the patient’s symptoms and complaints.
The help of a psychoneurologist will not be superfluous if the basic picture of the disease is complemented panic attacks, fears and anxiety. A specialist in this area should become a family doctor for the patient. Be healthy!
Emotional lability is a disorder and, to a certain extent, even a pathology of the nervous system, characterized by unstable mood. People who have this trait react excessively emotionally to any events and especially difficulties, although these events do not imply such a strong reaction at all.
From the point of view of the physiology of nervous activity, emotion means an urge to action. By the way, the term “emotion” itself is derived from the Latin verb “emovere,” which translates as “I excite.”
The object of stimulation in relation to emotions is the cerebral cortex - it awakens a mental reaction. Any motivation, according to the teachings of academician Peter Anokhin, is generated by emotion. And before the launch functional system any emotion is considered negative until it is achieved positive result. In the same case, when the goal turns out to be unattainable, the emotion remains negative. If a person’s nervous system is weakened by any factors, emotional lability occurs, characterized by an instant reaction to any stimulus. And it doesn’t matter at all whether it is positive or negative, an emotionally labile person reacts equally sharply to all types of stressors. A person can cry with happiness, but resentment, on the contrary, causes hysterical laughter. Any changes can provoke an immediate and violent reaction. This is where emotional lability manifests itself. However, doctors believe that this condition is not as serious as rigidity, since the absence of emotions is much more dangerous to health.
Symptoms of emotional lability
Disorders of an emotionally labile personality are characterized by a violent reaction to what is happening, impulsiveness and spontaneity of actions, lack of self-control and consideration possible consequences. Moreover, outbursts of passion arise for any reason, even the most insignificant.
Symptoms of emotional lability depend on its type, and it can be impulsive or borderline.
From the point of view of the physiology of nervous activity, emotion means an urge to action. By the way, the term “emotion” itself is derived from the Latin
1. With impulsive disorder, a person experiences a state of dysphoria, which is characterized by an angry-sad, tense affect with severe irritability, interspersed with outbursts of anger and aggressiveness.
Such people often change jobs because they do not get along in teams, as they constantly claim to be a leader, without taking into account their abilities.
IN family life these individuals express dissatisfaction with everyday chores, because they consider them not worthy of attention, which entails frequent conflicts, even to the point of using physical strength towards family members. Emotionally unstable people are uncompromising, vindictive and vengeful.
If the disease does not progress, then by about 30-40 years of age, emotional lability smoothes out; such men are said to have “gained life experience, wiser." In women, violent emotional outbursts usually disappear after the birth of children, which is due to changes hormonal levels during pregnancy.
If a person with impulsive emotional lability finds himself in unfavorable conditions, he begins to lead a chaotic life, often abuses alcohol, which ultimately leads to the commission of antisocial aggressive acts.
2. Borderline type disorder is characterized by increased enthusiasm, vividness of imagination, special impressionability, extreme sensitivity to obstacles on the path to self-realization, and functioning at the maximum of one’s capabilities. Even to trivial events, the reaction of such individuals can become hyperbolic.
Already in adolescence These people are highly suggestible and prone to fantasizing, and cannot establish stable relationships with peers. Their areas of interest change very quickly, but they do not pay attention to the rules and regulations, including those established by their parents. Therefore, even with good intellectual possibilities children with emotional lability demonstrate poor academic performance.
Such people in most cases lead an uneven life - periodic changes are observed in it, and quite often they, as they say, go from one extreme to another. For example, an all-consuming passion is abruptly replaced by a loss of interest, and violent feelings are suddenly replaced by a sudden separation. However, these emotionally unstable individuals are able to adapt to new circumstances and find a way out of a difficult situation.
Emotional lability in children
Capricious children are the result of poor upbringing; this point of view is accepted in society. But this is only partly true, since there has been a correlation between the development of neurasthenia syndrome in a child and lack of attention. Emotional lability in children leads to nervous exhaustion, which further intensifies the mental reaction. Demanding increased attention, the child makes “scenes.” Moreover, not only strict upbringing causes protest, which increases emotional instability, but also indulgence in whims leads to a similar result.
Causes and treatment of emotional lability
A nervous system disorder can develop as a result of a variety of factors, including as a consequence of:
- Prolonged emotional stress: insufficient or excessive attention from others, a series of failures and stress, psychological trauma, constant prohibitions, etc.;
- Somatic disorder: lack of certain vitamins and minerals, hormonal imbalance, age-related hormonal changes.
Emotional lability can also accompany certain diseases:
- Hypertension or hypotension;
- brain tumors;
- Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
- Obliterating cerebral thromboangiitis;
- Organic brain damage;
- Asthenic conditions;
- Vascular diseases of the brain;
- Consequences of traumatic brain injuries.
In these cases, the disorder is seen as one symptom of another serious illness.
To treat emotional lability caused by emotional overstrain, you should seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist. In all other cases priority is to eliminate the underlying disease.
The doctor may also prescribe sedatives with emotional lability. If a person is experiencing anxiety attacks, tranquilizers may be indicated. If the patient is constantly depressed, antidepressants are used. Persons with high level excitability, a course of treatment is prescribed antipsychotic drugs from emotional lability.
