Lability: the concept, features, causes and methods of treatment

Knowledge of certain psychological conditions (deviations, disorders) is extremely important for any person. This fully applies to a condition such as lability. It is less known than depression or neurosis, but it does not become less dangerous.

In psychology, the term "mental lability" has a different meaning than in physiology. This is not the number of electrical signals transmitted through nerve fibers, but the rate of occurrence of the mental process plus the speed of switching between them. In any case, attention is paid not only to the level of lability at some particular moment, but also to the differences in this level in various situations.

In general, in science, lability is understood as:

• mobility or mobility (in a normal situation);
• instability (with pathological manifestations);
• variability (dynamics of certain processes).

Since all biological processes in the body are controlled by the nervous system, ultimately, general lability is associated with it. This applies to the frequency of oscillations of the heart, and to the number of breaths, and to body temperature. There is no question of mood. Therefore, there is a direct relationship between the severity of variability and the risk of pathologies. Many psychological and mental deviations can be corrected with due attention to the state of the autonomic nervous system. It shows stress tension much earlier than the brain.The activity of the main organs and systems is activated, the use of internal reserves begins. Only if the tense situation lasts a long time, the central nervous system is already connected.

It is often written that the lability of the psyche is definitely a negative point. This is not so, because such a property of a person allows you to adapt to a changing environment, switch. The lack of the possibility of mental mobilization, the unwillingness to reconfigure one’s behavior sometimes causes no less harm than instability. In the normal psyche, there must be both moments that appear only where they are appropriate. Difficulties and problems are associated with an excessive degree of both states. Usually, increased lability means that a person has a specific type of temperament. Choleric patients are distinguished by a given physiological level of an increased rate of emotional reaction.

Quite often, mood instability is associated with:

• neurotic conditions;
• mental trauma in the childhood;
• previous traumatic situation of similar content;
• human unpreparedness for certain social changes, violent upheavals in society.

It is important to understand that lability can also be triggered by purely physiological factors:

• organic brain disorder due to trauma;
• poisoning with psychoactive and narcotic substances;
• malignant neoplasms;
• vascular pathologies.

Therefore, determining the true causes of abnormal lability is very important. First of all, it is necessary to check and, if possible, exclude physiological factors. Severe pathological conditions often have to be eliminated in inpatient facilities. Organic personality disorder (the so-called asthenic syndrome) is accompanied by various negative manifestations, including rapid fatigue, increased sensitivity, decreased activity and dizziness. In any case, both in case of pathological and “conditionally normal” quick mood changes, there are common features (signs).

In acute and unreasonably strong manifestations of emotions, even in children and adolescents, it is required to use the help of professionals. Do not think that everything will pass by itself. Even if it is not a matter of pathologies (indicated above or some other), one can fear the formation of a labile personality type. People related to him are well recognized: their mood changes from seemingly insignificant factors. So, falling into the rain, not having time to get on the bus or breaking a cup, such personalities fall into deep gloom or tear off their irritation from those around them.

Psychotherapists and other specialists know for sure: in the process of an elementary test, people with a labile personality can change their mood inconsistently in just a minute. This entails:

• increased temper;
• impressive conflict potential;
• weakness of self-control;
• tendency to hysterical attacks.

The classification of character deviations developed by Lichko relates primarily to children. They are characterized as emotionally unstable and unpredictable in their behavior. It’s enough that someone “didn’t look at them” so that aggression or a deep decline in self-confidence occurs. On the other hand, seemingly insignificant praise can easily be used to manipulate such children. Both of these extremes must be reversed before they can cause negative consequences.

Even the most general characteristic of lability shows that it breaks up into a number of options.So, the labile accentuation of character in childhood and adolescence is often accompanied by infantilism and / or masked by it. Some experts believe that infantilism is a kind of basis for the formation of various psychopathies and other deviations. As a result of many years of psychiatric research, it was possible to prove that emotional lability in many cases is accompanied by paradoxical reactions, unmotivated acts. Having taken offense at someone for a trifling reason, a person breaks out in a fit of hysterical laughter, or, conversely, when some undeniably joyful event occurs, tears flow down the river.

Along with emotional, characteristic psychomotor processes are observed. So, at the moment of violent joy, there is invariably motor excitement. If the mood worsens, activity decreases sharply, up to a complete reluctance to do anything. Psycho-emotional lability almost inevitably gives rise to:

• increased sensitivity;
• frivolity;
• suspiciousness;
• high sensitivity to criticism of others;
• uncontrollable excitement.

The affectively labile type of character accentuation must be clearly distinguished from lability in the proper sense of the word. A feature of such accentuation is a rather high compensation of negative personality traits with its positive properties. But at the same time, a person is inclined to unlimited trust of various kinds of authorities, whether it be some well-known personalities, immediate environment, philosophical, religious and political doctrines, liked judgments. Importantly, cooling in relation to all this (often with the transition to opposite positions) can occur very easily and even repeatedly. It is easy to understand what consequences such inconsistency causes.

With a labile accentuation, almost everything depends on the current emotional state. Sometimes you can’t fall asleep, your appetite disappears, and an unexpected desire for solitude or stay in noisy companies appears. People with such accentuation can experience deep and long emotional attachments, form strong families and make friends with anyone for decades. However, much depends on the willingness of other people to put up with frequent quarrels and quirks. People with such a deviation of character are extremely difficult to tolerate separation from those to whom they are attached, it is doubly and three times more difficult to bear criticism and negative assessments from the object of their passion.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning intellectual lability (which is often forgotten, reducing everything to a purely emotional sphere). This property of the psyche allows you to process a huge number of facts, events, judgments, observations. Such processing occurs subconsciously. Intellectually labile individuals can:

• quickly switch from one source of information to another and vice versa;
• simultaneously process information of a different nature;
• instantly switch between individual tasks, even if their content is not connected in any way or even completely opposite.

This side of lability first attracted the attention of psychologists only in the second half of the twentieth century. The giant acceleration of the rhythm of life has made it the only possible way to adapt people to the modern world. Intellectually labile people can, for example, while traveling in transport think about the upcoming report at the meeting, not forgetting where they need to change trains, where to leave and so on. Calls, noise, conversations do not distract from solving such problems.

Having become acquainted with the negative impact of emotional lability on everyday life, it is easy to understand - timely diagnosis of such a deviation in children is extremely important.Only by promptly correcting behavior can one increase the level of socialization and avoid subsequent problems. The great difficulty, however, is associated with the absence of usually specific deviations up to 10-12 years. Even experienced psychologists observing a game or everyday communication find it difficult to identify any suspicious signs. But you can pay attention to such a risk factor as diseases of various organs of the body, provoked by conditionally pathological microorganisms.

Localization of the infectious focus does not matter: it can be pulmonary pathologies, and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and digestive disorders, and deviations in the liver, endocrine glands. Sometimes other pathologies can also provoke negative psychological changes. At the same time, the common feature is that the diseases are relatively easy, but delayed and can quickly return. Studies that will clarify the role and importance of each syndrome for the formation of lability are yet to come. But it is already clear that they are, if not the direct cause of the deviations, then the background.

The severity of manifestations of lability in adolescents is greater than in children. This is due to the more developed and differentiated psyche, which in a number of properties is already approaching the psyche of adults. But psychologists have to overcome another difficulty: from 12 to 17 years, and sometimes a little later, emotional instability occurs in almost every case. Here, just parents, older relatives, classmates, and generally everyone who communicates with problem teenagers can provide invaluable help. The first sign that allows us to talk about folding lability is an excessively frequent and extremely abrupt change of mood without good reason.

A slightly reduced grade at school, a negative grade from peers (said in passing) and similar events can permanently worsen mood. But at the same time, an approving exclamation is enough for it to improve for a long time. Often, emotionally unstable adolescents “catch on fire” with certain hobbies, but can also quickly become disappointed in them. Another sign is the enthusiasm for popular performers, creative figures. This enthusiasm can go as far as recklessness.

All such manifestations are most easily noticed just in the family, at school. Therefore, they have a decisive role in early diagnosis. Qualified psychologists necessarily interview everyone to confirm or refute the assumption of emotional lability. Teenagers prone to it feel good in the family if they are surrounded by attention and appreciated. But in an unfavorable situation, one must be wary of the outgrowth of a simple desire for independence in the steady rejection of all relatives.

Lability of minors almost completely eliminates claims to leadership in both the formal and informal circles of communication. This type of personality has other characteristic manifestations:

• a clear understanding of your emotional instability and related problems;
• the desire to offer oneself to others without a fundamental “alteration”, without adjustment to someone’s opinion;
• the ability to understand what other people think of them (from the first seconds of communication);
• adequate response to this relationship (necessarily demonstrated openly).

Sometimes lability is intertwined with hysterical accentuation. In this case, a certain degree of egocentrism is manifested, but the emphasized demonstrative nature of actions is excluded. The ability to empathize with other people and emotionally become attached to them remains. Unlike a purely hysterical character, there is no sophisticated, energetic adventurism, the desire to attract people's attention at all costs.Instead of claims to exclusiveness, dreams of peace and pacification (including for your friends, inner circle) are typical.

It should be noted that the labile personality type can also have a cycloid hue. The peculiarity of such accentuation is, as its name implies, in cyclical mood swings. As a result of special studies, other deviations from the norm can be detected, although they are relatively rare. It is possible to assume the presence of lability in adults due to usually concomitant circumstances:

• lack of attention;
• severe mental shocks;
• long and / or very serious life failures;
• established defects in education;
• systematic stress exposure.

When diagnosing, you must also collect information about:

• hormonal changes;
• vitamin deficiencies;
• insufficient or excessive intake of trace elements important to the nervous system.

Having dealt with the general features and with the characteristic signs of lability, we must now find out: how to behave around those who are inclined towards it, what mistakes cannot be made. Emotionally unstable personalities can plunge into a kind of depression and sometimes even express thoughts of suicide. But this negative mood is quickly passing, and raising the alarm once again is undesirable.

It is important to understand that a labile personality in adults is usually non-living, can “explode” from any rudeness, or even just from criticism. In families, too, increased authoritarianism and a craving for scandals are likely. All that remains is to show goodwill. It is necessary to avoid retaliatory anger and rage, because this will only worsen the matter. It is also recommended to exclude conversations on obviously unpleasant and provocative topics, not to get personal.

The root causes of limited stability of the nervous system and psyche can be:

• stress
• organic brain defects and other neurological pathologies;
• psychoses and psychopathies;
• dementia;
• mistakes in education and a bad example of parents, older children.

Only professionals can choose a treatment! The fight against lability due to emotional overload is carried out by psychologists. In more serious cases, sedatives, sometimes tranquilizers or antidepressants, are prescribed. It is necessary to teach patients methods of a conflict-free consistent reaction, to train attention and volitional qualities. Prevention includes:

• normalization of family relations;
• timely and complete treatment of somatic diseases;
• the exclusion of bad role models;
• minimizing stress, relieving emotional stress.

Experts in the field of psychology recommend that a thorough examination is always carried out if there is a suspicion of lability. Healthy sleep and proper nutrition, relaxing massage, walks in the fresh air are very important. Any self-medication is unacceptable, even if the diagnosis is accurately confirmed. On the part of others, sensitivity and attention are very important. At the same time, they must also reject false “humanism”, promptly seeking help.

What is emotional lability, see the next video.