Wishful thinking is a disease. Do not wishful thinking Man is wishful thinking diagnosis

In the Welcome section to the question what is the name of the disease when wishful thinking asked by the author Yorgey Lysenko, the best answer is pseudology (pseudologia; pseudo- + Greek.

logos word, speech, presentation; syn. pathological deceit) a pathological tendency to report fictitious events, adventures, meetings, as a rule, with the aim of elevating one’s own personality in the opinion of others.

Mythomania (from the Greek mithos - legend) is a painful tendency to distort reality, lie, tell fictitious stories, author Dupre (1905). For young children, this tendency is quite natural, since they cannot yet confidently distinguish between the world of their own dreams and reality (imaginary deceit).

Primary source: Big Medical Dictionary, Psychological Dictionary.

What motivation drives people who engage in wishful thinking?

Making claims and accusations?

Or - unfounded allegations?

Thought is to some extent material, strong desires mobilize energetic forces, and the desire, supported by faith, becomes feasible. This position underlies auto-training. A sick person passionately desires to be healthy, inspires health into himself, and there is a chance of being cured even from cancer. This is an active, strong person, whose spirit is the master of not only the body, but also the soul.

A soulless and passive person’s wishes do not come true, and in order not to look like a loser, reality is replaced by fiction. In addition, they need self-consolation for mental comfort so as not to do anything at all.

What is desired is presented as real in order to deceive, make unfounded claims, abdicate responsibility, blame, show off, achieve something from another person, or in case of mental illness.

Fool yourself. The problem of self-deception in our lives

“Ah, it’s not difficult to deceive me!... I’m glad to be deceived myself!” (With)

Do people you know often fall into the so-called “self-indulgence”, deceiving themselves and not noticing the obvious? They model their own “unreal” reality to the point of oblivion, every day moving further and further from their loved ones into the world of illusions...

Illusions may be associated with a reluctance to notice the shortcomings of a partner, with unnaturally inflated self-esteem, the inability to abandon the remnants of the past in favor of the future...

The problem of self-deception has been known to humanity since time immemorial. But still, only interaction with reality allows us to maintain the integrity of the mind and improve the emotional space around us. Photo Credit: by Levon Baghramyan

Why do people wishful thinking?

Self-deception is a lie, the subject and object of which are one and the same person. The harm of this process is obvious - a person creates negative consequences for himself through his own actions. Before we begin to eradicate this phenomenon from our lives, we should understand why it occurs?

The most compelling reason is that we are representatives of the species homo sapiens, moreover, we are civilized people and in everyday life “position obliges.” Since childhood, the entire educational system instills in us common values ​​and standards that we, good boys and girls, sincerely want to meet up to a certain point.

We often receive a “ready-made” model of happiness from society. And we are very surprised when we find ourselves unhappy, having reached most of the “social” criteria. This is the price we have to pay to gain a favorable reflection in the eyes of the people around us. PhotoCredit: infidelityhelpgroup.com

A person not only does not want to lose, but is also afraid of the thought of “refusing to compete” - what if society simply throws him overboard? For the sake of winning, he sacrifices his nature, hangs the most colorful “feathers” on himself. Very soon he simply begins to wishful thinking, stubbornly trying to avoid any actual manifestations of reality, basking in the soothing waves of his own growing desires, sensory experiences and ambitions.

Unfortunately, this process of “blind pleasure” cannot be long - and a person inevitably plunges into the abyss of discontent, beginning to seem unworthy compared to those around him. All his own actual achievements seem insignificant to him, so he moves from one scale of blinding self-deception to another.

How to remove arguments of self-deception?

You need to learn to face the truth. At first glance, this is not difficult, but keep in mind that it is not easy for a person to be objective with himself. There is too strong a desire to believe that all troubles and misfortunes happen due to the fault of anything (and anyone), but not ourselves. You just need to make sure that the desire to justify your own shortcomings does not exceed the desire for true happiness.

Next, a person should find the answer to the question: “What exactly interferes with my happiness?” Few people can immediately answer this question: we need time to take responsibility for our own desires. The main thing is to believe that life has endowed us with everything we need to achieve happiness.

Then a person should get rid of the fear of worsening his situation. Our favorite argument is “it may be a swamp, but it’s our own, familiar.” But the longing for unfulfilled desires always turns out to be stronger than the fear of the unknown?

Let's summarize. Every time the problem of self-deception distorts reality, a person indulges only in his shortcomings (laziness, pride, fear, greed, etc.). Facing reality openly is not easy. But finding your own, and not illusory, happiness is worth any stress! Photo Credit: oki_jappo via Compfight cc

This is how a person falls into the traps of his own illusions. Knowing what hell is, he nevertheless prefers to see a luxurious life in it. And he turns out to be severely punished for wishful thinking.

Why does a person love to be in illusions so much?

This makes it easier to survive your imperfections. Deep down, many of us are convinced of our own insignificance. Women, as a rule, are not satisfied with their appearance, men - with their career or size (profit, talent, power, country house, penis, etc.)

Why traumatize yourself with the truth when you can successfully persuade your mind to do whatever you want. And if there are still people who will support you in your own illusions, that’s great. The desired becomes fixed in the consciousness. And if at first there were still some doubts that you, for example, are a genius of foreign policy, then after numerous flattering statements from people interested in your loyalty, you yourself are convinced that you are a genius.

By the way, falling into the net of flattery, which is nothing more than a trap for those who like to wishful thinking, they become victims of the manipulations of unscrupulous fellow citizens who build their careers and personal lives on their weaknesses. These cunning little people simply scour the world in search of gullible braggarts for whom the oil of lies is so sweet. Moreover, they have learned to deceive those who want to be deceived so skillfully that even the most blatant lie from their lips is perceived as a revelation. Remember the song of the fox Alice and the cat Basilio: “As long as braggarts live in the world, we must glorify our destiny, a braggart doesn’t need a knife, sing to him a little and do with him what you want.”

And among these braggarts there are smart people who are quite sensible and have a penchant for analysis. Why, when it comes to themselves, that is, an objective assessment of their personality, their efforts, talents and other merits, they turn into mere children who so love to come up with excuses for themselves.

A person is designed in such a way that he will always find an excuse for his unseemly actions, failures on the personal front, shortcomings of character and appearance. This is how the defense mechanisms of our psyche are structured; if it weren’t for this, we would probably have shot ourselves long ago from the awareness of our own imperfection. A saving lie elevates and consoles, preventing you from falling into depression and despondency. And at some point it even makes us happy. Not for long... But this happiness is as unreal as our fiction. Sooner or later, the fog clears and instead of a wonderful forest clearing with flowers and berries, we see a blank gray wall. Isn’t it better to immediately know that there is a wall there than to get hit on the head with a blow to the head, once convinced of its existence on your own forehead? Wishful thinking is not so bad; it’s much worse when you can’t pass off what you don’t want as invalid.

Bitter lie or saving truth

Many people think that living without illusions is boring and generally impossible. If you think the thought through to the end, then all we really do is invent ourselves. That is, we mentally create our reality. They even teach us this. "Think positive!" Indeed, what is the use of calling a spade a spade, when you do this, the world turns into a cesspool. You can look at it from a different angle and see only the good. In this case, you not only do not sin against the truth, but you also increase beauty and light in the world. How long can you remain in illusions about the world and yourself? Yes, even for the rest of your life! There's enough imagination for now. It’s good if your inventions concern yourself exclusively. They don’t bother anyone, they don’t embarrass anyone or make anyone unhappy.

It’s worse when those around you fall within the radius of your illusions. For example, a husband invented from tail to head. “I molded him from what was there, and then I fell in love with what was there.” It’s good if it’s molded from what was, most often they are molded from non-existent material, and then they are bitterly disappointed that it turns out to be not made from gingerbread, but from solid iron.

And if you are also exposed to power, those around you are simply forced to reckon with and suffer from the twists and turns of your imagination. Have you ever wondered why entire nations suffer when they are commanded by those who do not know how to face the truth? I'm not even talking about a simple family. Children, spouses, loved ones, neighbors who are forced to suffer because someone prefers to wishful thinking.

But it turns out to be a double-edged sword. If you look the bitter truth in the eye, then life becomes gray, boring and inhospitable. If we resort to saving lies, the world becomes better only in our imagination. After all, if it is as beautiful as we came up with, why change it. Let everything be as it is. And so good!

What's the solution?

First, understand that the truth is never bitter or sweet. Get this clear once and for all. It contains equal amounts of bitterness and sweetness. How to decipher this? Yes, very simple. Any phenomenon has two sides, like a coin or a piece of paper. Or maybe not even two, but many sides. Try to look at the world from all angles at the same time, then you will understand that your imperfection can be an advantage, a disadvantage can be an opportunity to get what you want, a problem can be a way of self-improvement. Therefore, the saving slogan: “Everything is for the better!” - this is not a slogan at all, it is simply a statement of fact for those who do not know how to look at life in a complex way.

Secondly, stop being a child who needs to protect himself from life by inventing fairy tales about it. When we face the truth and don't hide from it in the bushes, we grow up. We accept the world as it is and take responsibility for our own lives, for our mistakes and imperfections. In this case, of course, we have no one to blame for our failures. And we need a certain courage to be fully aware of what surrounds us and what is happening. At the same time, we can also be wrong. They say fear has big eyes. These huge eyes are also a kind of illusion. That's why…

Third, get rid of fears and self-doubt. Which have not be avoided. And fear is such an insidious thing that itself attracts bad things. What you fear most usually happens. According to the law of attraction. Self-doubt is the same fear that was born in childhood, when we were weak and helpless and required care and guidance. Self-doubt is a rejection of yourself as you are, dislike of yourself, fear of mistakes, ridicule, etc. The hardest thing to get rid of is childhood fears. But it is they who make us wishful thinking and deform our lives. Start by simply admitting to yourself your fears. This is already half the battle.

Wishful thinking is a disease

There are people obsessed with the desire to appear before others in a more favorable light, to stand out at any cost. As a rule, they tend to exaggerate or distort real events. And sometimes they get so into the role that they themselves have difficulty distinguishing what is fact in their life and what is fiction. What are the motives for this personality disorder, as psychologists believe? Does it interfere with a full-blooded life?

Many people living near us have learned to get what they want and have achieved real success. Most of them are not necessarily super rich and famous, but are happy with what they have achieved. But there are others - sort of passive observers of the sweet life in movies and on TV, who only wonder why they are deprived of such joys as prosperity, a successful career, creative growth, love, pleasure.

Not knowing how to realize their desires, being disappointed and believing that such a life is available only to a select few, they begin to wishful thinking and attract the attention of other people to the significance and importance of their own person. By creating the illusion of success and believing that they are thereby raising their “rating” among others, they ultimately believe it themselves. And they simply don’t want to think about the destructive consequences of such self-deception. The politics of an ostrich with its head in the sand.

If in childhood deception is one of the methods of psychological defense and a completely natural mechanism, when a child begins to hide his fears, secrets, misdeeds, problems and unseemly deeds behind a lie, then in an adult, with already great scope for imagination, this method ceases to correspond true needs. Rather, on the contrary, conflict situations are created, a frivolous attitude towards the liar is formed, and even moreover, the trust of others, and in one’s own eyes, one’s own dignity catastrophically melts away.

In adults, lying serves the function of hiding an imperfect inner world, masking a state of anxiety, discomfort and dissatisfaction. Due to a number of reasons - chronic illness, short stature, physical weakness, low level of education, real or imaginary failures, inattention of loved ones or their excessive care, rejection by loved ones. and you never know what else - a persistent feeling of one’s own inferiority may appear.

As a result of the impossibility or inability to overcome the cause and solve the mental problem, it is displaced into the area of ​​the unconscious, forming a so-called complex that persists for a long time and dictates compensatory behavior to its owner. A person becomes uninteresting to himself for who he really is. Therefore, starting to embellish something in his life - inventing a different origin, the presence of talents, famous friends that he does not have and never had - he, let's say, borrows self-esteem.

Children's fantasy and deception are almost always motivated, and people with low self-esteem, knowing that lying is bad and understanding the harmfulness of their habit, still take the risk of lying. But the so-called mythomaniacs (or, as psychiatrists also call them, psephologists) experience a pathological desire to invent all sorts of fables about themselves, often without any specific goal and without pursuing a specific benefit. Their lies are disinterested and not designed to be believed.

Mythomaniacs are fascinated rather not by the desire to mislead others, but by the pleasure they receive from the activity of myth-making itself, as they say, the very process of presenting incredible fables. This is a deception “out of pure love for art.” However, by their behavior such lies greatly undermine their reputation. They are exposed very often.

Usually people with a hysterical personality type suffer from pseudology, i.e. those who need to constantly be the center of attention of others, to evoke their admiration and worship. If they cannot achieve this with their merits, then they invent them, wishful thinking, resorting to lies and boasting. A typical example is the eccentric Baron Munchausen.

How to understand who is in front of you - a pathological pseudologist or an “ordinary”, “non-clinical” lover of lying? Yes, it’s very simple: everything is fine as long as the lie does not interfere with the life of the deceiver himself or the people around him. If a person realizes that his deceit is a problem and wants to be treated, a psychologist or psychotherapist may well help him.

Wishful thinking is a disease

Take it and believe it! For her own good, what if everything comes true? And very good! That's why you are friends.

I have a friend, she also lied - like her boyfriend gives her expensive gifts: “He doesn’t feel sorry for anything for me!” And then we laughed at her))) Because when he buys something, they argue, he takes it back. In short, we laughed. And what do you think? So she found herself a millionaire! Yes, yes))) True, married, and not from our region. Nevertheless, thanks to him, she enrolled full-time (he paid for her tuition), quit her job as a waiter, studied and lived with him in a luxurious apartment that he rented. He brought her gifts, gave her money, bought a car and a fur coat (well, there were some scenes on her part, but still))). Time has passed. They separated, and she earns good money thanks to her education, and lives in a metropolis, has good acquaintances and connections. She's 30 now.

Therefore, do not judge, but rather support. Everyone wants happiness)

Topic: What are the signs of schizophrenia?

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Mental health, mental illness

First, some facts about the ratio of healthy and sick people.

The figures cited in the relevant literature are simply staggering. Thus, a recent survey of visitors to Moscow district clinics showed that every third of them could significantly improve their mental health by seeking advice from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

American studies have found that only 20 percent of the population can be considered completely mentally healthy. The rest could use some help from a psychologist.

It is known, for example, that in the United States every year there are about 60 million visits to psychiatrists: for help, for advice or consultation on a specific issue. The number of beds for mentally ill people in this country exceeds similar indicators for oncology and cardiovascular diseases combined.

Our compatriots, unfortunately, are not yet so careful about their physical and mental health.

Is there a clear line between a healthy person and a mentally ill person?

There is no such final limit, so making a diagnosis sometimes presents considerable difficulties for a specialist. But this can always be done based on an analysis of the patient’s actions: almost any action can be interpreted both as “normal” and as “neurotic,” depending on how the person is aware and how rationally he motivates it.

What are the main criteria for mental health?

The principles that guide a healthy person in his life are approximately the following: get joy and satisfaction from life (look around and count the number of happy faces - you won’t have many); set and achieve goals within your capabilities (do not consider yourself Napoleon or Caesar); be able to adapt to changing conditions; behave in a socially acceptable manner.

I would like to touch on the last principle. Does this mean that anti-fascists in Nazi Germany or dissidents in the USSR were entirely sick people? After all, they fought against the social system in which they lived, and therefore behaved “socially unacceptable”?

It is difficult to give a definite answer, at least in relation to former Soviet dissidents. As it turned out from a recent interview with the director of the Institute of Psychiatry. Serbsky, the percentage of mentally ill people among Soviet dissidents was indeed higher than normal. So the question of who is more “crazy” - the person or the state in which he lives - remains open for now. I am not talking now about those cases when absolutely healthy citizens were diagnosed with schizophrenia and put in psychiatric hospitals for their political views.

What about people with good mental health?

A healthy person sees the world as it is, and therefore does not engage in incorrect interpretations (“bells and whistles”). He does not experience suspicion, hatred or fear when there is no real reason for this. Such a person treats another as an individual and does not try to suppress it or impose something of his own. He is capable of love, and this feeling will not have the character of neurotic attachment.

Healthy people are not afraid to take responsibility for their actions. They prefer to think independently and do not experience any internal “pressure”. In a word, a healthy personality always leaves us with a feeling of authenticity, objectivity, and independence.

Let's move on to talking about the mentally ill. Should we be afraid of them?

As studies have shown, the percentage of crimes among such people was even lower than among healthy people. So there is no reason to be afraid, with the exception of acute delirium, in which the patient may behave unexpectedly.

Another thing is that other criminals, in order to escape punishment, seek to prove their insanity and in this way exchange prison for a psychiatric hospital. It is interesting that in the USA a criminal would rather prefer prison to an insane asylum, but in our country it is the other way around.

What are borderline states?

It is a state between health and illness. It would be completely wrong to think that the world is divided into absolutely healthy and absolutely sick people: the majority of citizens are between these two poles. In some people, certain personality traits seem to stick out and become stronger in comparison with others, and their owner may not realize this for a long time. But such “strengthening” of character traits - his accentuation - is quickly noticed by people around him, because they often suffer from it.

Is any accentuation definitely bad for a person?

Not certainly in that way. Character accentuation has not only negative, but also positive aspects. A streamlined, unaccentuated character is usually found among inconspicuous middle peasants who have not accomplished anything memorable in their lives. As for talented, creative people, among them there are many bright accentuators - individuals with uneven character and temperament. To some extent, these traits allow them to overcome “environmental resistance” and achieve extraordinary results in their activities. How many stories have we heard about how eccentric geniuses seemed to the people around them!

So the presence of character accentuation does not yet give reason to doubt a person’s mental health. Moreover, this term was more or less used only in two countries - the USSR and the GDR - and has now actually gone out of fashion. Most psychiatrists and psychotherapists, when they want to emphasize disharmonies or total “deformities” of a patient’s character, use the term “psychopathy.”

What kind of person is called a psychopath?

As a rule, these are people with a difficult character, very unpleasant to others. They cannot be classified as mentally ill, but they need the help of a psychotherapist. A psychopath is characterized by increased vulnerability, as a result of which emotions often get out of control. It is much more difficult for these people to adapt to life in society; they very painfully get used to new surroundings and changing conditions. The explosive nature of a psychopath leads to constant quarrels with others and, as a result, to frequent changes of place of work. Conflicts with the law are also common due to the weak moral qualities and lack of conscience of such a person. A psychopath is characterized by impulsive behavior, since emotions, as already mentioned, are poorly controlled by the mind.

Are psychopathy amenable to psychological correction or is it forever?

Since future deformities of character are usually formed at a very early stage of a child’s development due to the influence of various unfavorable factors, the likelihood of complete correction of the defect is low. At the same time, partial personality changes for the better may occur, since the psychopath himself gradually understands how difficult it is for others to tolerate him as he is. Compensation of character is also possible when a person learns to “cover up” his not very attractive sides. This is where a psychologist or psychotherapist should help.

What types of psychopathy are there?

I will give one of the most frequently encountered classifications1. The first type is excitable psychopaths. These are fighters, cruel, evil people who are in constant conflict with everyone. Because of their antisocial behavior, they often end up in prisons and psychiatric hospitals, since society is forced to protect itself from them.

Another type is epileptoid psychopaths: people are stingy, pedantic, overly careful with “stuck” thinking. The character of these people has something in common with the character of patients suffering from epilepsy, hence the name. Close to them are paranoids - people who have an extremely valuable idea and are fanatically striving to achieve it.

There are also schizoid psychopaths (not to be confused with schizophrenics). They are characterized by isolation from people, isolation, withdrawal into their inner world, paradoxical thinking, and unexpected reactions.

There are also so-called hysterical psychopaths, or hysterics. The main feature of these people is an insatiable thirst for recognition, a desire to attract the attention of others. For this purpose, they can embark on various adventures, lie recklessly, and wishful thinking. The driving force behind the actions of such individuals is vanity.

Many works of fiction are full of descriptions of psychopathic personalities.

How is psychopathy different from neurosis?

A psychopath rarely realizes the disharmony of his character, since he has a defect almost from birth. At the same time, the onset of neurosis is always recognized by a person, since he has a characteristic painful reaction to certain situations. It usually manifests itself in the form of anxiety, irritability, and nervous tension. This reaction is accompanied by unpleasant physical sensations - pressure changes, shortness of breath, headaches, various concerns in the abdominal area (stabbing, aching, pulling.). Therefore, a neurotic often begins by visiting doctors of other specialties, who find nothing with him. The fact is that the physical symptoms of neurosis are caused by a psychological cause and disappear if this cause is recognized and eliminated. When working with the analysis of the reasons that caused neurosis, the help of a psychologist is precisely what is needed.

What are the main forms of neurosis?

One can distinguish obsessive states, phobias (fears), neurasthenia (irritable weakness syndrome), repression, hysterical neurosis. It should be remembered that at the basis of all neuroses lies some kind of psychological conflict that gives rise to internal anxiety and tension. From this point of view, for example, with obsessive states, a person performs some action many times, and with phobias, on the contrary, he avoids certain actions, both with the same goal - to reduce his anxiety. So, when working with any neuroses, a psychologist must get to the bottom of the cause of the internal conflict and help the client fully understand it, and then process it.

How does a person with obsessive disorders behave? How do they manifest themselves?

Obsessive states sometimes occur in healthy people when the same motif or line from a poem is repeated in the head. Usually the symptom goes away after a short period of time. If a person has developed obsessive-compulsive neurosis, then obsession becomes persistent and begins to predominate in thoughts and behavior. A patient can, for example, count windows on a certain floor of houses all day long, add or multiply the numbers of passing cars (here’s numerology for you without any mysticism). With obsessive actions, he can wash his hands twenty to thirty times a day, while counting the number of soap bubbles. Often the neurotic himself understands the meaninglessness of such actions, but cannot do anything about them. There are cases when patients were so focused on their obsessions that they did not even pay attention to messages about a mortal danger to life.

In such a person’s head, a kind of “mental chewing gum” is constantly going on - a fruitless grinding of the same words, facts, topics. If the external environment is favorable, people with obsessive disorders may differ little from those around them. Symptoms greatly intensify with increasing emotional stress - sometimes so much that the person is unable to do his job because he is busy with obsessive actions.

People's belief in various signs (“lucky” tram number; the order in which an athlete puts on his uniform before a competition), in all sorts of magical rituals and superstitions is also caused by internal anxiety and has a lot in common with obsessive states.

What are phobias and how do they arise?

A phobia is a fear of an object, action or person, and the fear is so acute that the patient feels literally paralyzed by the mere thought of the phobia. In fact, it is no longer just fear that arises, but “fear of fear.” Phobias are much stronger than the usual worry or anxiety that many people experience in threatening situations.

Most phobias are illogical: what is the logic here if an adult woman is afraid of a small mouse? The fact is that many fears are formed in childhood, when the child has little knowledge about the world around him and is not able to protect himself. Then the person grows up, acquires the strength and qualities of an adult, but the fear remains in the brain. So a phobia is most often the result of “wrong” learning in childhood or adolescence.

Is it possible to relieve fears?

The technique of neurolinguistic programming allows you to work with fears most quickly and successfully. If you want to understand the “basic” qualities of your personality, and do it long and deeply, psychoanalysis is suitable.

Let's not touch on hysteria, since it was discussed a little higher. What are the characteristic features of neurasthenia?

Doctors call neurasthenia “the disease of the century” due to the fact that many symptoms of this type of neurosis are caused by overwork and the accelerating rhythm of life. Another name for neurasthenia is “irritable weakness syndrome.” One of the first signs is headaches that get worse at the end of the day or in a stressful environment. There are also interruptions in the heart, insomnia, sweating, and intestinal disturbances. A person becomes irritable, overexcited, angry or, conversely, tearful. His feeling of fatigue increases, his memory and attention deteriorate.

The most interesting thing is that symptoms of neurasthenia, as a rule, do not occur in people who do work they love and achieve success in it, even if it is work “for wear and tear”. So this neurosis is also based on an internal psychological conflict - between the level of a person’s aspirations and his real capabilities.

Is neurosis a disease?

There are two main views on this problem, which can roughly be called “medical” and “psychological.” Doctors insist that this is a disease, which means the patient should be considered sick. Another point of view is more common in the West: such a client is considered not sick, but “a person with problems.” Accordingly, when working with a patient, the humanistic, psychological aspect (communication, conversational techniques) predominates in order to resolve personal conflict. Of course, analyzing a unique personality and helping her is much more difficult than prescribing a sedative and offering to spend more time in the fresh air.

Is depression also a type of neurosis?

Depressive states occur in a variety of illnesses and can even lead to suicide. A person sees everything in gloomy colors, life often seems meaningless and gray. A client with depression is easy to recognize: he speaks quietly, moves slowly, and appears depressed. Depression often occurs as a person’s reaction to the loss of an important loss: husband, wife, job, and so on.

What psychological mechanism underlies depression?

Scientists believe that depression is caused by anger directed inward. Therefore, when working with such a client, the psychologist needs to bring this anger out and even direct it towards himself - so that the patient reacts his suppressed emotions outward. This is usually followed by improvement, in any case, for some time thoughts of suicide will fade into the background. You will have time to “get in” and begin psychological correction. Once again I want to say that work of this kind can last a long time, but does not always lead to absolute recovery. Nevertheless, the duty of a psychologist is to help a person get through this difficult stage of life.

What are psychosomatic illnesses?

These are physical diseases that have a psychological cause. The irritation that a person experiences is, as it were, suppressed by him and, as a result, directed towards his own body. Emotions of this kind look for the “place of least resistance” in the body - the weakest organ, which they affect. A diseased organ becomes a channel for the “release” of negative emotions. In this regard, a paradox arises: when such a person is physically ill (and psychosomatic diseases are just as serious as ordinary ones and can lead to death), he can have a good mood and perceive life much easier than when he is “healthy” and the channel anger release is blocked. Therefore, doctors must understand this relationship between the soul and the body, especially if they are going to prescribe a surgical operation and remove a diseased organ. It is clear that with such an outcome, emotions will begin to look for a new object in the human body. So here, too, the help of a psychologist is needed to strengthen the patient’s personality.

What psychosomatic diseases are most common?

Most often it is colitis, stomach ulcers, asthma, migraines, eczema. Surprisingly, with eczema, the patient can be pleased with the rashes that appear: by scratching them, he seems to “attack” his body. With clear skin, such a person can become depressed.

Let's move on to “big” psychiatry and talk about serious mental illnesses. In such cases, they usually say that the person has experienced psychosis. How is it characterized?

The psychotic seems to live not in the real, but in a fictional world, and therefore behaves strangely and unpredictably. Usually, even before the onset of psychosis, a person only “appears” to be who he is. Often such people are not able to establish close, warm relationships with others; they appear distant, isolated and live in their fantasies.

From the point of view of psychoanalysis, the onset of psychosis is characterized by a “breakthrough” of unconscious instincts into consciousness and their complete dominance. Consciousness, as it were, can no longer perform its regulatory functions. In general, psychosis is always a qualitatively different level of behavior, which cannot be deduced from a person’s past experience.

How do delusions and hallucinations relate to psychosis?

These are two essential signs of psychosis. A patient's delusion is a “theory” that allows one to “explain” certain life phenomena.

With hallucinations, a person sees, hears or feels something that is not really there. Similar conditions occur not only in psychotics, but also in alcoholics and drug addicts, and are associated with exposure to intoxicants.

How to distinguish a crazy idea from a scientific hypothesis?

A patient with a delusional idea is deaf to the arguments of reason and does not want any objective verification of his constructions. As psychiatrists note, such a patient is not able to distinguish the important from the secondary and therefore can spend a lot of time explaining some unimportant detail in his “concept”. This trait of the patient’s behavior is called thoroughness.

Since those around him do not accept the patient’s delusional ideas, it begins to seem to him that he is surrounded by ill-wishers and enemies.

In this case, some political ideas and religious concepts.

And I don’t deny it.

Is it possible to give examples of delusional ideas at the “everyday” level?

Here is an example from R. Lideman’s book “Beyond Mental Health,” in which not only delusions occur, but also various kinds of hallucinations.

“From childhood, the patient grew up capricious, withdrawn, uncommunicative, read a lot, loved to fantasize, imagine himself in the role of heroes of the books he read. Nineteen years old was wounded in the head during the accident and lost consciousness for a short time. Later he became irritable and often came into conflict with his immediate superiors. From the age of 25, he began to notice the onset of periods when he was obsessed with dreams of interplanetary travel, of extraordinary rays with the help of which he could conquer the world. At this time, he worked mechanically, not noticing his surroundings, and was immersed in his fantasies. One day, during lunch in the dining room, it seemed to him that the cook looked at him strangely and sensed a special taste in the food. About two hours later, a feeling appeared as if a saw was starting to work in the stomach and chest, but this “sawing did not give off pain, but some kind of weakness.” “I guessed” that this was someone else’s influence. A little later I heard a “voice” coming from outside, which “said” that there are “reactivist hypnotists”, they are conducting research of national importance and after an “internship”, if he passes the tests, he will be able to be accepted into this society. This was followed by “training”, when “lingering feelings of laughter, anger, fear, melancholy” successively replaced each other. Odors appeared emanating from the upper jaw and eyes. Somewhat later, he realized that the “voices” were reading his thoughts.

At first, the patient willingly submitted to research. Then he noticed that the “hypnotists” began to treat him like a hooligan, the coherent voices stopped, and only screams, howls, whistles, and curses remained. The patient began to “mentally” ask to be left alone, to give him rest, since he was completely exhausted. He began to campaign among his comrades against the “hypnotists.” Due to loss of ability to work, he was admitted to the clinic.

The patient categorically refuses treatment, claiming that he is healthy. Everything he feels is explained not by the disease, but by the “impact” on him. I am convinced that not only he, but almost the entire population is under the influence of “hypnotists” and that a huge number of crimes are committed at their will. The patient continuously experiences the actions of “hypnotists”. Their “voices” can sound in any part of the body. "Voices" discuss a wide variety of topics, but more often it is "chatter devoid of any meaning."

The most painful thing is the intervention of “hypnotists” in the mental process. They not only read his thoughts, but also “duplicate them,” putting in him “other people’s thoughts.” Sometimes “hypnotists” direct “blows” to the head.” And so on.

When reading this passage, one is reminded of theories popular in some circles about energy vampirism, dark and light energies.

Psychiatrists have long established that a considerable part of the activity of mentally ill people is spent fighting in support of various non-traditional, esoteric, occult teachings and methods of “healing”. As the famous psychiatrist, Professor M. Buyanov noted in an article in Izvestia: “No country in the world has such general madness based on superstitions, mysticism, the most outright deception, as in today’s Russia. In all countries and at all times there have been individuals with an unreacted thirst for power and popularity; they really wanted to be in the public eye at any cost, to show their importance and involvement in historical events. These are, as a rule, poorly educated people who come from the lower social classes; due to their upbringing and the lack of noticeable talents, except for the ability to play tricks and mystify, they cannot occupy a position in society that corresponds to their ambition. They declare themselves academicians, professors, masters, the most impudent ones call themselves honorary generals of the medical service, grand dukes, and so on. Most of them kept silent fifteen years ago, because they were registered with psychiatrists for pathological deceit and other psychoneurological disorders. Now these subjects are actively involved in politics. ”

Is it possible to suggest that in this kind of “non-traditional” gatherings the percentage of people with mental disabilities is much higher than usual?

Without any doubt. This primarily concerns religious sects, circles of astrology, dianetics, extrasensory perception, parapsychology, black and white magic. A separate chapter will be devoted to all this. In a sense, it can be argued that these directions are guides to the life of thinking of a schizophrenic, who tries to find a “special” meaning in everything.

Let's talk about schizophrenia?

This disease affects one percent of the world's population, which is a very high figure. According to medical statistics, schizophrenia is approximately six times more common than such a common disease as diabetes.

The magazine “Diabetic” is published in Minsk and sells out well. Does this mean that the possible publishers of the magazine “Schizophrenic” are doomed to success in advance?

Of course, and success will be truly scandalous.

Let's get back to the serious conversation. How does the disease itself progress?

A person gradually retreats into his inner world and ceases to perceive and adequately respond to external influences. Some schizophrenics can freeze in the same position for days and months (catatonic stupor), as if they are afraid that the universe will collapse at their slightest movement. The thinking of such a person becomes abstract, incomprehensible to others, and at the same time, sometimes it is able to capture the “hidden” properties of things. It is known, for example, that the task of balancing scales with objects, where in order to achieve a solution it is necessary to light a candle standing on one of the cups, schizophrenics solve it faster than ordinary people. At the same time, the figurative meaning of proverbs and sayings may become completely incomprehensible to them. If you ask a patient to explain the proverb “lost in three pines,” you may hear something like: “It says here that a person can get lost in three pines. “Among this category of people there are gifted people - artists, poets - whose activities take place precisely in the “fictional” world.

Does this mean that schizophrenia “polishes talent”?

In no case. Any mental illness only destroys talent, as it leads to mental dysfunction. The achievements of some artists who suffered from schizophrenia took place not because of the disease, but in spite of it. The creative process should not be confused with the chaos reigning in the head of a schizophrenic.

Many artists create “their own worlds,” but they (unlike a schizophrenic) understand that these worlds are not reality.

What types of schizophrenics are there?

There are few basic types. In catatonic people, the whole body is involved in psychosis: they perform some stereotypical actions or, as already mentioned, freeze for a long time in a certain position. Hebephrenics laugh at any reason and behave like clowns. Paranoid schizophrenics can be very persistent in some of their “ideas” and the actions resulting from it. They are very suspicious of others, often thinking that someone wants to hit them or harm them. Such people can write letters to different authorities for years, complain about insignificant matters to the courts, and so on. There are cold “aristocrats” who soar at the “peaks of the spirit” and, conversely, aggressive destroyers of everything and everyone.

Since schizophrenia is so diverse, is it possible to find a common mechanism in this disease?

There are different concepts that explain the occurrence of schizophrenia - biological, genetic, and so on. As a psychologist, I find extremely interesting the theory of the Scottish psychiatrist Ronald Laing, whose books have long become bestsellers abroad, but have not been translated here. Now I would like to talk about the psychological mechanisms of schizophrenia, the “logic” of the patient’s actions.

“A schizophrenic, or schizoid,” Laing believes, “is a person who has not only problematic relationships with the outside world, but also a disturbed relationship with himself. He feels completely isolated from others, and he himself is more or less “split.”

Why is such isolation from other people dangerous and why does Laing use the term “isolation”?

Interpersonal relationships can develop between people who are autonomous, separate, but not isolated from each other. This means that their psyche, on the one hand, “has boundaries,” and at the same time, it is permeable to information from the outside world and from other people. “Isolation” of a schizoid means that his psyche gradually becomes inaccessible to outside influence. A person develops his own intricate hierarchy of values,” as a result of which he loses the ability to share his experience with other people and begins to live in “his own world.”

Does this mean that a schizophrenic is afraid to let in contradictory information from the reality around him?

Absolutely right. In this regard, Laing identifies typical fears inherent in schizophrenics, for example, the fear of being “understood” and “destroyed,” even when people around him are simply looking at the patient. Or the fear of being “absorbed” by another person, turning into a “thing” and thereby, as it were, “losing” one’s own life.

Does this mean that a schizoid (schizophrenic) is definitely afraid of the world around him?

Not so simple. On the one hand, this is so, but, on the other hand, a schizoid, like all other people, needs “feeding” from the outside. It is as if he wants to receive a certain “dose” of communication (even confirmation of his “vitality”), but in no case “overdose”, otherwise reality will “destroy” him.

Indeed, it is not an easy task to “walk between two fires.” And how does a person deal with it?

Such people come up with various kinds of “maneuvers” in advance that are used in communication. They may demonstrate outward “agreement” with others in order to “not stand out.” Or hidden manipulation is possible in order to make sure that others behave “like robots.” Let's say a schizophrenic tells you a joke, you laugh, and at that moment he thinks that he has your reactions under control, since you react “like an automaton” (do what he intended).

“Having a secret view of another as a thing,” Laing writes, “one can seem like a person to oneself. A schizophrenic, for example, steals other people's things, but not with the goal of getting rich, but in order to “control the situation.” Here is one interesting example that a schizoid (and not only he) can resort to: “absorbing” another with his love, so as not to be “absorbed” himself.”

A very figurative comparison.

Thus, the life of a schizoid moves along an axis, the stripes of which are isolation and complete fusion, and in a healthy person such poles can be called autonomy (separateness) and the ability to relate. A healthy person always understands that “I am me, and you are you.”

How does the psyche of a schizophrenic work, from Laing’s point of view?

Since it is extremely important for a schizophrenic to “keep a distance” from the world around him, his psyche is divided into two parts: “true self” and “false self”. The body is the shell of the latter. The “false self” serves as a means of communication with other people. The “true self” of a schizoid, Laing believes, is a special, “superconscious” entity that only observes, controls and criticizes the actions of the “false self,” while remaining beyond the reach of others. But since it is the “false self” that acts in the external world, any activity becomes meaningless and false for the schizophrenic.

Therefore, a schizoid often “behaves well” not because of his own desire, but because of the fear of deviating from the standard and being “revealed.” Thus, the “false self” tries to always be in agreement with the expectations of others or with ideas about these expectations. Hence the absurdities that arise in the behavior of such a person.

Possible automatic submission to other people, imitation of their behavior, echolalia (repetition of other people's words and sentences). Often, difficult behavior looks like a parody and caricature, and it occurs in completely inappropriate situations and is obsessive in nature.

What is the further dynamics of the relationship between the “true” and the “false self”?

Since the “false self” of the schizoid operates in the outside world and is responsible for “consent” with others, it gradually acquires more and more characteristics of these people and thereby evokes hatred from the “true self.” This hatred can splash out in a violent form on others (the beginning of psychosis) or burn like a hot fire inside a person.

In the latter case, the relationship between the two “I”s acquires a sadomasochistic character. A schizoid may, for example, begin to “punish” his body and the “false self” contained in it, because he both hates and fears it. Variants of this behavior can be all kinds of fasting, prayers, mutilation, the use of a huge amount of cosmetics (with the help of lipstick you can symbolically “attack” your face), suicide. For the sake of “punishing” her body, a woman can go to the panel, and a man can become a passive homosexual.

Exactly the same logic underlies the behavior of a schizophrenic who is frozen in a motionless position (stupor). The goal is to get away from any external behavior that is “foreign” to the “true Self.”

Truly, the life of a schizoid cannot be called sweet. Make so much effort and come up with so many different defenses.

The same patterns push a person to choose extravagance of clothing - in order to distract the attention of others from his “true self”. Or various kinds of unusual “unearthly” hobbies (astrology, magic, parapsychology, occultism, cosmogony), which again allow you to escape from external activity. Gradually, the “true self” becomes more and more isolated and pales from the lack of external experience. One of the paradoxes of a schizophrenic arises: the feeling of “omnipotence” is adjacent to the feeling of emptiness.

Can a schizophrenic overcome his fear of the outside world?

He can undertake various maneuvers for this. For example, by “playing roles,” such a person partially overcomes his own shyness and vulnerability. In general, a schizophrenic can only be himself when he is not himself - and this is another paradox of this disease. A schizophrenic feels more comfortable when he remains incognito, anonymous. For this purpose, some patients never go more than once or twice to the same library or clinic; they do not have close relationships with the opposite sex. In fact, a schizoid can only establish “contacts” with things, with animals or with the objects of his fantasies.

How can a specialist work with such patients?

If a psychiatrist works, he will most likely choose drug treatment methods that can quickly block the acute manifestations of the disease (although they do not cure it). The psychologist must first of all establish contact with the patient’s “true self” and, as Laing figuratively writes, “nurture him for real life.” The task, of course, is not easy, and it is necessary to begin to solve it by establishing trust between the psychologist and the patient.

So, schizophrenia is incurable?

Doctors, as a rule, do not talk about a cure for schizophrenia, but about remission (disappearance of symptoms) of the disease. However, doctors, although rarely, report cases of complete recovery: a person seems to go through psychosis and come out on the “other shore” greatly changed. Some foreign psychiatrists even began to argue that schizophrenia is not a disease at all, but a kind of “protection” of the patient from the abnormal environment that surrounds him. It is no coincidence that schizophrenia in children develops in families where there are frequent quarrels between parents and the child does not know which side to choose. As a result, the well-known “split personality” arises. So Shakespeare was probably right when he said, “There is a system to all this madness.”

Is it possible to cite any case of complete recovery?

There is a known case when the English nurse Mary Berne fell ill with schizophrenia and was in the Kingsley Hall shelter, organized by Ronald Laing. Three years later, self-healing occurred, and this woman began to draw beautiful pictures and wrote a book about her illness. Such cases made it possible for Laing to argue that it was time for psychiatrists to change their functions: they should become, as it were, “stalkers” - benevolent guides, guiding a person into his inner space and time, and after the end of psychosis, leading him back to the outside world.

In general, schizophrenia leads to a gradual, albeit subtle, deterioration in the functions of thinking and perception, and to emotional impoverishment.

How does schizophrenia manifest in children?

A child can become autistic - lose contact with reality, plunge into the world of his fantasies and inner experiences. His speech turns from a dialogue into a monologue. Such children often depict inanimate objects in games and compose meaningless poetry. The child loses the ability to respond emotionally and stops paying attention to his appearance. The patterns, as we see, are the same as in an adult.

Why, of all mental illnesses, is schizophrenia the one that attracts increased attention from specialists?

This mental disorder is the most common and allows us to better understand the boundaries of health and the boundaries of illness due to the variety of symptoms encountered.

In addition to schizophrenia, “sick psychiatry” includes manic-depressive psychosis and epilepsy. Is it possible to give a brief description of these diseases?

Manic-depressive psychosis is characterized by the alternation of two periods of opposite emotional sign - manic and depressive. In the manic stage, a person is in a constantly high spirits, starts a bunch of things (although none of them are completed), makes a lot of new acquaintances, to whom he promises great prospects, and so on. Such a person on the street attracts everyone's attention with his noisy and extravagant behavior and excited appearance.

After a certain period of time, the sign of emotions changes and the stage of depression begins, when all the feelings and motor activity of a person are in a depressed state. Then the cycle repeats.

How to distinguish a manic patient from an ordinary cheerful young man?

As already mentioned, a manic patient does not complete any task he has started or even forgets about it. Oddly enough, at the same time his self-esteem and sense of self-worth grows. In a word, all or most of the activity of such a person turns out to be completely meaningless from the point of view of ultimate goals. There are, of course, people with a mental predisposition to certain diseases, but the disorders do not always reach the level of psychosis.

What can you say about epilepsy? Is an epileptic seizure dangerous?

Epilepsy is a disease that is usually accompanied by seizures with convulsive muscle twitching. The seizure itself is dangerous only by the possibility of injury that a person can receive when falling. During the seizure itself, all that needs to be done is to insert an object into the patient's mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue. The seizure usually lasts several minutes.

People with epilepsy may have a number of specific personality traits that should be kept in mind when communicating with them. We are talking about the so-called “viscosity” of thinking (when it seems to be “stuck” on certain objects), pedantic accuracy, frequent morning dysphoria (a gloomy background of mood), resentment and vindictiveness.

Both manic-depressive psychosis and epilepsy are treated with pills (it is also known that electric shock helps with depression), but here, too, great opportunities open up for the psychologist in terms of working with the personal characteristics of patients.

How does a diagnosis, for example, “schizophrenia,” affect a person’s subsequent life? Isn't this some kind of “violence” against the individual?

This is a very difficult issue, about which there has long been fierce debate in the West. I’ll tell you about an experiment conducted by the American scientist Rosenhan to prove that such a diagnosis can be made even to a healthy person. Several pseudo-patients turned to different psychiatric hospitals and complained to doctors about “voices” coming from inside (one of the symptoms of schizophrenia). Otherwise, according to them, everything was in order. All but one were hospitalized. Once in the hospital, each of the pseudo-patients stated that their “inner voice” symptom had gone away. During their stay in the hospital, these people were engaged in “neutral” activities - they kept notes in a diary. As a result, everyone received a diagnosis of “schizophrenia in remission,” although even many patients in these hospitals told the pseudo-patients that they were absolutely healthy and were writers collecting material for a book.

When the experiment was completed, there was a huge fuss in the press. Rosenkhan was objected that this diagnosis was made because the thinking of doctors is oriented towards the “type two error” (it would be more likely to call a healthy person sick), since it is more important for the doctor not to miss the patient. (The first type of error is to call a sick person healthy.) Then another experiment was conducted: the staff of a large psychiatric hospital were told that within three months they would be “allowed” one or more pseudo-patients (healthy people). Each member of staff was asked to point them out. After three months, of the facility's 193 patients, 41 were identified as pseudopatients by at least one staff member, 23 were identified by one of the psychiatrists, and 19 were identified by one psychiatrist and one staff member. In fact, not a single pseudo-patient was sent to hospitals during this period.

The results of the experiments gave Rosenhan the basis to assert that any healthy person can receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and subsequently this “sticker” acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy, affecting a person’s entire life and his relationships with others.

The point of view, although original, is highly controversial. Now, as far as we know, obtaining such a diagnosis has become much more difficult. By the way, there are many cases in history when the presence of a diagnosis allowed warring factions to settle scores, and the authorities to close “shady” criminal cases.

What are these cases?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, two famous psychiatrists - the Frenchman Binet-Sanglet and the American William Hirsch - analyzed the Bible and diagnosed Jesus Christ himself with religious paranoia. Paranoia, as the reader remembers, means that a person has an overvalued idea that subjugates all his thoughts and leads to fanatical behavior. Two years later, the answer came: the doctor Albert Schweitzer, who later became famous for his work in Africa, defended a medical dissertation in which he proved the opposite, “rehabilitating” Jesus. He found only two symptoms, the presence of which was clearly not enough to diagnose Christ with mental illness: his very high self-esteem and a visual hallucination of the heavens opening during his baptism in the Jordan River.

As far as we know, Adolf Hitler also had a sharply negative attitude towards the mentally ill.

Absolutely right. The first victims of the gas chambers in 1939-1941 were not Jews, as is now commonly believed, but fifty thousand Germans suffering from mental illness. Gas chambers were built right next to psychiatric hospitals and were “masked” as souls. A program of euthanasia - an easy death - was launched. This program was called “hygienic”, and there were lists of people with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases on the way.

Is the case of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy also associated with a diagnosis of mental illness?

The presidential assassin named Lee Harvey Oswald was placed in prison, where a few days later he was also killed by his cellmate, Jack Ruby. This case was presented by the American press as “a showdown between two crazy people.” Ruby was also accused of working for Cuban President Fidel Castro, whom the newspapers had previously diagnosed as paranoid. Thanks to all this pseudo-medical hype, the case was closed.

After Kennedy's death, Barry Goldwater was supposed to serve as president, but over a thousand members of the American Psychiatric Association declared him incapable of such activities due to his diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

Truly, the psychiatrist has enormous power, and diagnosis is a deadly weapon in his hands.

Absolutely right. Domestic psychiatrists somehow do not mention this, so we will refer to foreign ones. Moreover, in the USA, for example, there are much more psychiatrists and psychologists, and they have already encountered many difficult ethical problems. In addition, abroad, in parallel with psychiatry, there is an anti-psychiatric movement, which the reader would be interested to know about.

What is the ideology of the anti-psychiatry movement?

“Anti-psychiatrists” argue that it is not the individual who is sick, but society itself. Mental illnesses as such do not exist. A person’s “strange” behavior is only an attempt to defend himself, a reaction to abnormal environmental conditions. Professor Laing examined and interviewed a large number of families in which children had schizophrenia. The results of the surveys allowed Laing to argue that in such families there was a special pathological atmosphere. In particular, each parent demanded from the child something opposite to what the other parent told him. Or, for example, one of the elders forced the child to do something, and when the child took up the task, he was instilled with the idea that he was doing it badly. In a word, “schizophrenia” (or what is called this word) allowed the child to go into his own world, away from. idiocy of adults - “pull the cord out of the socket.” Ronald Laing, Thomas Zhazh and other psychiatrists, having revised the “traditional” views of doctors, began to argue that since such conditions in people are not a disease, then the patient cannot be treated as a “sick person” - sent to a hospital, stuffed with stupefying drugs and etc.

However, the peak of the antipsychiatric movement is already behind us, but its representatives expressed many valuable thoughts.

Which ideas of the “anti-psychiatrists” are most important?

An extremely interesting book by T. Zhazh, which translated into Russian can be loosely called “The Production of Madness,” published in the USA in the mid-70s. Zhazh compares the then situation of “searching out” the mentally ill with the medieval hunt of the Inquisition for heretics and witches. We will touch on the topic of “witches” in the next chapter. According to the author of the book, psychiatrists do not have the right to evaluate other people’s problems in any way (let alone make a diagnosis). They should simply give man the opportunity to be the master of his own destiny.

That is, Zhazh emphasizes the illegality of the state psychiatrist’s intrusion into the patient’s personal life?

Samuel Butler’s statement is interesting in this regard: “Life is a process of constant adaptation to changing conditions. When we barely succeed in this, we are stupid; when we fail badly, we are crazy; when we briefly lose this ability, we sleep; when we stop trying, we die.”

Back in the 18th century in Europe, it was noticed that individuals imprisoned in mental hospitals were “learned” to behave like crazy people and could actually go crazy. So someone's goal may be to call a person “abnormal” and greatly harm him.

What to do if a person’s behavior poses a danger to others?

According to Zhazh, ordinary measures are needed with which society can protect itself, but not a humiliating medical examination and stultifying treatment for the patient. The psychiatrist himself thus “creates” patients in relation to whom he can act in his own interests and justify the “necessity” of his profession.

“Without following the rules,” writes Zhazh, “there is no social life. However, you cannot be a unique individual without violating some of the “rules” of society. A person both follows the rules and breaks them.” Therefore, you just need to learn to accept a potential “patient” in all his uniqueness, and this is not easy to do. Rather, it is not the mentally ill person who is dangerous to society, but rather society is dangerous to him due to various repressive measures and offensive ridicule at the everyday level.

We can conclude that American psychiatrists are very aggressive by nature and are actively looking for new victims.

Zhazh argues that making a psychiatric diagnosis has become, as it were, a ritual ceremony, since it is really about a positive or negative social evaluation. If in the jungle the law is “Eat, or they will eat you,” then in society it sounds like this: “Put a label (diagnosis) on others, otherwise they will label you.” In such conditions, a person with a label can turn into an “extreme”, into a “scapegoat” for someone’s mistakes. In different centuries and in different countries, groups of people or entire nations became such “scapegoats”.

Thus, “doctor” and “mentally ill” have become two categories that must mutually confirm the existence of each other. The book provides facts that people who turn to a psychiatrist begin to be rejected by friends and acquaintances, not because of health problems, but because the very contact with a psychiatric hospital defines them as “crazy” or, what the same as “mentally ill”.

How, then, should we treat the previously mentioned figure about 60 million annual visits by US citizens to psychiatrists?

It should not be discounted that Thomas Zhazh's book was written 20 years ago and since then psychiatry has become more liberal. In addition, as I already said, a considerable proportion of specialists are psychoanalysts and psychologists (words about appeals specifically to “psychiatrists” are given in the book of one domestic psychiatrist, who, perhaps, is thus popularizing his specialty). As you know, psychologists and psychoanalysts use purely conversational methods of treatment. And finally, the last very important point. Zhazh points to the “cold bureaucracy” of state psychiatrists, who actually work not for the patient, but for the hospital. He sees an alternative to this in contract psychotherapy, when the doctor and patient decide to work on a specific psychological problem and discuss all the details. For a contract therapist, the author believes, the presence or absence of a patient’s diagnosis (that is, his “illness”) does not matter at all, since the work is focused on specific life difficulties. It can be assumed that of the 60 million annual requests from Americans for help, only a certain percentage concerns psychiatrists, and government psychiatrists in public clinics. Private psychotherapists have no less level of knowledge, but, apparently, treat the patient more warmly and become his “allies” rather than “judges”.

You brought up such contradictory views on psychiatry. What should we believe now?

Every person has the right to the most complete information possible and learns to draw conclusions from it. We must not forget that psychiatrists and anti-psychiatrists personify polar views on the problems of mental illness, and the truth should be sought somewhere in the middle. I touched on some possible approaches related to the work of private psychotherapists and psychologists when answering the previous question. The arguments of representatives of the anti-psychiatric movement (and, which is extremely important, it includes eminent psychiatrists) were practically not published in our press, and the work of psychiatrists is largely shrouded in secrecy. I hope that in the future such problems will be discussed more actively and comprehensively.

1 M.I. Buyanov, Conversations about child psychiatry. - M., “Enlightenment”, 1986.

First, some facts about the ratio of healthy and sick people.

The figures cited in the relevant literature are simply staggering. Thus, a recent survey of visitors to Moscow district clinics showed that every third of them could significantly improve their mental health by seeking advice from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

American studies have found that only 20 percent of the population can be considered completely mentally healthy. The rest could use some help from a psychologist.

It is known, for example, that in the United States every year there are about 60 million visits to psychiatrists: for help, for advice or consultation on a specific issue. The number of beds for mentally ill people in this country exceeds similar indicators for oncology and cardiovascular diseases combined.

Our compatriots, unfortunately, are not yet so careful about their physical and mental health...

Is there a clear line between a healthy person and a mentally ill person?

There is no such final limit, so making a diagnosis sometimes presents considerable difficulties for a specialist. But this can always be done based on an analysis of the patient’s actions: almost any action can be interpreted both as “normal” and as “neurotic,” depending on how the person is aware and how rationally he motivates it.

What are the main criteria for mental health?

The principles that guide a healthy person in his life are approximately the following: get joy and satisfaction from life (look around and count the number of happy faces - you won’t have many); set and achieve goals within your capabilities (do not consider yourself Napoleon or Caesar); be able to adapt to changing conditions; behave in a socially acceptable manner...

I would like to touch on the last principle. Does this mean that anti-fascists in Nazi Germany or dissidents in the USSR were entirely sick people? After all, they fought against the social system in which they lived, and therefore behaved “socially unacceptable”?

It is difficult to give a definite answer, at least in relation to former Soviet dissidents. As it turned out from a recent interview with the director of the Institute of Psychiatry. Serbsky, the percentage of mentally ill people among Soviet dissidents was indeed higher than normal. So the question of who is more “crazy” - the person or the state in which he lives - remains open for now. I am not talking now about those cases when absolutely healthy citizens were diagnosed with schizophrenia and put in psychiatric hospitals for their political views.

What about people with good mental health?

A healthy person sees the world as it is, and therefore does not engage in incorrect interpretations (“bells and whistles”). He does not experience suspicion, hatred or fear when there is no real reason for this. Such a person treats another as an individual and does not try to suppress it or impose something of his own. He is capable of love, and this feeling will not have the character of neurotic attachment.

Healthy people are not afraid to take responsibility for their actions. They prefer to think independently and do not experience any internal “pressure”. In a word, a healthy personality always leaves us with a feeling of authenticity, objectivity, and independence.

Let's move on to talking about the mentally ill. Should we be afraid of them?

As studies have shown, the percentage of crimes among such people was even lower than among healthy people. So there is no reason to be afraid, with the exception of acute delirium, in which the patient may behave unexpectedly.

Another thing is that other criminals, in order to escape punishment, seek to prove their insanity and in this way exchange prison for a psychiatric hospital. It’s interesting that in the USA a criminal would rather prefer prison to an insane asylum, but in our country it’s the opposite.

What are borderline states?

It is a state between health and illness. It would be completely wrong to think that the world is divided into absolutely healthy and absolutely sick people: the majority of citizens are between these two poles. In some people, certain personality traits seem to stick out and become stronger in comparison with others, and their owner may not realize this for a long time. But such “strengthening” of character traits - its accentuation - is quickly noticed by people around them, because they often suffer from it.

Is any accentuation definitely bad for a person?

Not certainly in that way. Character accentuation has not only negative, but also positive aspects. A streamlined, unaccentuated character is usually found among inconspicuous middle peasants who have not accomplished anything memorable in their lives. As for talented, creative people, among them there are many bright accentuators - individuals with uneven character and temperament. To some extent, these traits allow them to overcome “environmental resistance” and achieve extraordinary results in their activities. How many stories have we heard about how eccentric geniuses seemed to the people around them!

So the presence of character accentuation does not yet give reason to doubt a person’s mental health. Moreover, this term was more or less used only in two countries - the USSR and the GDR - and has now actually gone out of fashion. Most psychiatrists and psychotherapists, when they want to emphasize disharmonies or total “deformities” of a patient’s character, use the term “psychopathy.”

What kind of person is called a psychopath?

As a rule, these are people with a difficult character, very unpleasant to others. They cannot be classified as mentally ill, but they need the help of a psychotherapist. A psychopath is characterized by increased vulnerability, as a result of which emotions often get out of control. It is much more difficult for these people to adapt to life in society; they very painfully get used to new surroundings and changing conditions. The explosive nature of a psychopath leads to constant quarrels with others and, as a result, to frequent changes of place of work. Conflicts with the law are also common due to the weak moral qualities and lack of conscience of such a person. A psychopath is characterized by impulsive behavior, since emotions, as already mentioned, are poorly controlled by the mind.

Are psychopathy amenable to psychological correction or is it forever?

Since future deformities of character are usually formed at a very early stage of a child’s development due to the influence of various unfavorable factors, the likelihood of complete correction of the defect is low. At the same time, partial personality changes for the better may occur, since the psychopath himself gradually understands how difficult it is for others to tolerate him as he is. Compensation of character is also possible when a person learns to “cover up” his not very attractive sides. This is where a psychologist or psychotherapist should help.

What types of psychopathy are there?

I will give one of the most frequently encountered classifications1. The first type is excitable psychopaths. These are fighters, cruel, evil people who are in constant conflict with everyone. Because of their antisocial behavior, they often end up in prisons and psychiatric hospitals, since society is forced to protect itself from them.

Another type is epileptoid psychopaths: people are stingy, pedantic, overly careful with “stuck” thinking. The character of these people has something in common with the character of patients suffering from epilepsy, hence the name. Close to them are paranoids - people who have an extremely valuable idea and are fanatically striving to achieve it.

There are also schizoid psychopaths (not to be confused with schizophrenics). They are characterized by isolation from people, isolation, withdrawal into their inner world, paradoxical thinking, and unexpected reactions.

There are also so-called hysterical psychopaths, or hysterics. The main feature of these people is an insatiable thirst for recognition, a desire to attract the attention of others. For this purpose, they can embark on various adventures, lie recklessly, and wishful thinking. The driving force behind the actions of such individuals is vanity.

Many works of fiction are full of descriptions of psychopathic personalities.

How is psychopathy different from neurosis?

A psychopath rarely realizes the disharmony of his character, since he has a defect almost from birth. At the same time, the onset of neurosis is always recognized by a person, since he has a characteristic painful reaction to certain situations. It usually manifests itself in the form of anxiety, irritability, and nervous tension. This reaction is accompanied by unpleasant physical sensations - pressure changes, shortness of breath, headaches, various concerns in the abdominal area (stabbing, aching, pulling...). Therefore, a neurotic often begins by visiting doctors of other specialties, who find nothing with him. The fact is that the physical symptoms of neurosis are caused by a psychological cause and disappear if this cause is recognized and eliminated. When working with the analysis of the reasons that caused neurosis, the help of a psychologist is precisely what is needed.

What are the main forms of neurosis?

One can distinguish obsessive states, phobias (fears), neurasthenia (irritable weakness syndrome), repression, hysterical neurosis. It should be remembered that at the basis of all neuroses lies some kind of psychological conflict that gives rise to internal anxiety and tension. From this point of view, for example, with obsessive states, a person performs some action many times, and with phobias, on the contrary, he avoids certain actions, both with the same goal - to reduce his anxiety. So, when working with any neuroses, a psychologist must get to the bottom of the cause of the internal conflict and help the client fully understand it, and then process it.

How does a person with obsessive disorders behave? How do they manifest themselves?

Obsessive states sometimes occur in healthy people when the same motif or line from a poem is repeated in the head. Usually the symptom goes away after a short period of time. If a person has developed obsessive-compulsive neurosis, then obsession becomes persistent and begins to predominate in thoughts and behavior. A patient can, for example, count windows on a certain floor of houses all day long, add or multiply the numbers of passing cars (here’s numerology for you without any mysticism). With obsessive actions, he can wash his hands twenty to thirty times a day, while counting the number of soap bubbles. Often the neurotic himself understands the meaninglessness of such actions, but cannot do anything about them. There are cases when patients were so focused on their obsessions that they did not even pay attention to messages about a mortal danger to life.

In such a person’s head, a kind of “mental chewing gum” is constantly going on - a fruitless grinding of the same words, facts, topics. If the external environment is favorable, people with obsessive disorders may differ little from those around them. Symptoms greatly increase with increasing emotional stress - sometimes so much that the person is unable to do his job because he is busy with obsessive actions.

People's belief in various signs (“lucky” tram number; the order in which an athlete puts on his uniform before a competition), in all sorts of magical rituals and superstitions is also caused by internal anxiety and has a lot in common with obsessive states.

What are phobias and how do they arise?

A phobia is a fear of an object, action or person, and the fear is so acute that the patient feels literally paralyzed by the mere thought of the phobia. In fact, it is no longer just fear that arises, but “fear of fear.” Phobias are much stronger than the usual worry or anxiety that many people experience in threatening situations.

Most phobias are illogical: what is the logic here if an adult woman is afraid of a small mouse? The fact is that many fears are formed in childhood, when the child has little knowledge about the world around him and is not able to protect himself. Then the person grows up, acquires the strength and qualities of an adult, but the fear remains in the brain. So a phobia is most often the result of “wrong” learning in childhood or adolescence.

Is it possible to relieve fears?

The technique of neurolinguistic programming allows you to work with fears most quickly and successfully. If you want to understand the “basic” qualities of your personality, and do it long and deeply, psychoanalysis is suitable.

Let's not touch on hysteria, since it was discussed a little higher. What are the characteristic features of neurasthenia?

Doctors call neurasthenia “the disease of the century” due to the fact that many symptoms of this type of neurosis are caused by overwork and the accelerating rhythm of life. Another name for neurasthenia is “irritable weakness syndrome.” One of the first signs is headaches that get worse at the end of the day or in a stressful environment. There are also interruptions in the heart, insomnia, sweating, and intestinal disturbances. A person becomes irritable, overexcited, angry or, conversely, tearful. His feeling of fatigue increases, his memory and attention deteriorate.

The most interesting thing is that symptoms of neurasthenia, as a rule, do not occur in people who do work they love and achieve success in it, even if it is work “for wear and tear”. So this neurosis is also based on an internal psychological conflict - between the level of a person’s aspirations and his real capabilities.

Is neurosis a disease?

There are two main views on this problem, which can roughly be called “medical” and “psychological.” Doctors insist that this is a disease, which means the patient should be considered sick. Another point of view is more common in the West: such a client is considered not sick, but “a person with problems.” Accordingly, when working with a patient, the humanistic, psychological aspect (communication, conversational techniques) predominates in order to resolve personal conflict. Of course, analyzing a unique personality and helping her is much more difficult than prescribing a sedative and suggesting more time in the fresh air...

Is depression also a type of neurosis?

Depressive states occur in a variety of illnesses and can even lead to suicide. A person sees everything in gloomy colors, life often seems meaningless and gray. A client with depression is easy to recognize: he speaks quietly, moves slowly, and appears depressed. Depression often occurs as a person’s reaction to the loss of an important loss: husband, wife, job, and so on.

What psychological mechanism underlies depression?

Scientists believe that depression is caused by anger directed inward. Therefore, when working with such a client, the psychologist needs to bring this anger out and even direct it towards himself - so that the patient reacts his suppressed emotions outward. This is usually followed by improvement, in any case, for some time thoughts of suicide will fade into the background. You will have time to “get in” and begin psychological correction. Once again I want to say that work of this kind can last a long time, but does not always lead to absolute recovery. Nevertheless, the duty of a psychologist is to help a person get through this difficult stage of life.

What are psychosomatic illnesses?

These are physical diseases that have a psychological cause. The irritation that a person experiences is, as it were, suppressed by him and, as a result, directed towards his own body. Emotions of this kind look for the “place of least resistance” in the body - the weakest organ, which they affect. A diseased organ becomes a channel for the “release” of negative emotions. In this regard, a paradox arises: when such a person is physically ill (and psychosomatic diseases are just as serious as ordinary ones and can lead to death), he can have a good mood and perceive life much easier than when he is “healthy” and the channel anger release is blocked. Therefore, doctors must understand this relationship between the soul and the body, especially if they are going to prescribe a surgical operation and remove a diseased organ. It is clear that with such an outcome, emotions will begin to look for a new object in the human body. So here, too, the help of a psychologist is needed to strengthen the patient’s personality.

What psychosomatic diseases are most common?

Most often it is colitis, stomach ulcers, asthma, migraines, eczema. Surprisingly, with eczema, the patient can be pleased with the rashes that appear: by scratching them, he seems to “attack” his body. With clear skin, such a person can become depressed.

Let's move on to “big” psychiatry and talk about serious mental illnesses. In such cases, they usually say that the person has experienced psychosis. How is it characterized?

The psychotic seems to live not in the real, but in a fictional world, and therefore behaves strangely and unpredictably. Usually, even before the onset of psychosis, a person only “appears” to be who he is. Often such people are not able to establish close, warm relationships with others; they appear distant, isolated and live in their fantasies.

From the point of view of psychoanalysis, the onset of psychosis is characterized by a “breakthrough” of unconscious instincts into consciousness and their complete dominance. Consciousness, as it were, can no longer perform its regulatory functions. In general, psychosis is always a qualitatively different level of behavior, which cannot be deduced from a person’s past experience.

How do delusions and hallucinations relate to psychosis?

These are two essential signs of psychosis. A patient’s delusion is a “theory” that allows one to “explain” certain life phenomena.

With hallucinations, a person sees, hears or feels something that is not really there. Similar conditions occur not only in psychotics, but also in alcoholics and drug addicts, and are associated with exposure to intoxicants.

How to distinguish a crazy idea from a scientific hypothesis?

A patient with a delusional idea is deaf to the arguments of reason and does not want any objective verification of his constructions. As psychiatrists note, such a patient is not able to distinguish the important from the secondary and therefore can spend a lot of time explaining some unimportant detail in his “concept”. This trait of the patient’s behavior is called thoroughness.

Since those around him do not accept the patient’s delusional ideas, it begins to seem to him that he is surrounded by ill-wishers and enemies.

In that case, some political ideas and religious concepts...

And I don't deny...

Is it possible to give examples of delusional ideas at the “everyday” level?

Here is an example from R. Lideman’s book “Beyond Mental Health,” in which not only delusions occur, but also various kinds of hallucinations.

“From childhood, the patient grew up capricious, withdrawn, uncommunicative, read a lot, loved to fantasize, imagine himself in the role of heroes of the books he read. Nineteen years old was wounded in the head during the accident and lost consciousness for a short time. Later he became irritable and often came into conflict with his immediate superiors... From the age of 25, he began to notice the onset of periods when he was obsessed with dreams of interplanetary travel, of extraordinary rays with which he could conquer the world. At this time, he worked mechanically, not noticing his surroundings, and was immersed in his fantasies. One day, during lunch in the dining room, it seemed to him that the cook looked at him strangely and sensed a special taste in the food. About two hours later, a feeling appeared as if a saw was starting to work in the stomach and chest, but this “sawing did not give off pain, but some kind of weakness.” “I guessed” that this was someone else’s influence. A little later I heard a “voice” coming from outside, which “said” that there are “reactivist hypnotists”, they are conducting research of national importance and after an “internship”, if he passes the tests, he will be able to be accepted into this society. This was followed by “training”, when “lingering feelings of laughter, anger, fear, melancholy” successively replaced each other. Odors appeared emanating from the upper jaw and eyes. Somewhat later, he realized that the “voices” were reading his thoughts.

At first, the patient willingly submitted to research. Then he noticed that the “hypnotists” began to treat him like a hooligan, the coherent voices stopped, and only screams, howls, whistles, and curses remained. The patient began to “mentally” ask to be left alone, to give him rest, since he was completely exhausted. He began to campaign among his comrades against the “hypnotists.” Due to loss of ability to work, he was admitted to the clinic.

The patient categorically refuses treatment, claiming that he is healthy. Everything he feels is explained not by the disease, but by the “impact” on him. I am convinced that not only he, but almost the entire population is under the influence of “hypnotists” and that a huge number of crimes are committed at their will. The patient continuously experiences the actions of “hypnotists”. Their “voices” can sound in any part of the body. "Voices" discuss a wide variety of topics, but more often it is "chatter devoid of any meaning."

The most painful thing is the intervention of “hypnotists” in the mental process. They not only read his thoughts, but also “duplicate them,” putting in him “other people’s thoughts.” Sometimes “hypnotists” direct “blows” to the head.” And so on.

When reading this passage, one is reminded of theories popular in some circles about energy vampirism, dark and light energies...

Psychiatrists have long established that a considerable part of the activity of mentally ill people is spent fighting in support of various non-traditional, esoteric, occult teachings and methods of “healing”. As the famous psychiatrist, Professor M. Buyanov noted in an article in Izvestia: “No country in the world has such general madness based on superstitions, mysticism, the most outright deception, as in today’s Russia. In all countries and at all times there have been individuals with an unreacted thirst for power and popularity; they really wanted to be in the public eye at any cost, to show their importance and involvement in historical events. These are, as a rule, poorly educated people who come from the lower social classes; due to their upbringing and the lack of noticeable talents, except for the ability to play tricks and mystify, they cannot occupy a position in society that corresponds to their ambition. They declare themselves academicians, professors, masters, the most impudent ones call themselves honorary generals of the medical service, grand dukes, and so on. Most of them kept silent fifteen years ago, because they were registered with psychiatrists for pathological deceit and other psychoneurological disorders. Now these subjects are actively involved in politics...”

Is it possible to suggest that in this kind of “non-traditional” gatherings the percentage of people with mental disabilities is much higher than usual?

Without any doubt. This primarily concerns religious sects, circles of astrology, dianetics, extrasensory perception, parapsychology, black and white magic. A separate chapter will be devoted to all this. In a sense, it can be argued that these directions are guides to the life of thinking of a schizophrenic, who tries to find a “special” meaning in everything.

Let's talk about schizophrenia?

This disease affects one percent of the world's population, which is a very high figure. According to medical statistics, schizophrenia is approximately six times more common than such a common disease as diabetes.

The magazine “Diabetic” is published in Minsk and sells out well. Does this mean that the possible publishers of the magazine “Schizophrenic” are doomed to success in advance?

Of course, and success will be truly scandalous...

Let's get back to the serious conversation. How does the disease itself progress?

A person gradually retreats into his inner world and ceases to perceive and adequately respond to external influences. Some schizophrenics can freeze in the same position for days and months (catatonic stupor), as if they are afraid that the universe will collapse at their slightest movement. The thinking of such a person becomes abstract, incomprehensible to others, and at the same time, sometimes it is able to capture the “hidden” properties of things. It is known, for example, that the task of balancing scales with objects, where in order to achieve a solution it is necessary to light a candle standing on one of the cups, schizophrenics solve it faster than ordinary people. At the same time, the figurative meaning of proverbs and sayings may become completely incomprehensible to them. If you ask a patient to explain the proverb “lost in three pines,” you may hear something like: “It says here that a person can get lost in three pines...” Among this category of people there are gifted people - artists, poets - whose activities are precisely takes place in a “fictional” world.

Does this mean that schizophrenia “polishes talent”?

In no case. Any mental illness only destroys talent, as it leads to mental dysfunction. The achievements of some artists who suffered from schizophrenia took place not because of the disease, but in spite of it. The creative process should not be confused with the chaos reigning in the head of a schizophrenic.

Many artists create “their own worlds,” but they (unlike a schizophrenic) understand that these worlds are not reality.

What types of schizophrenics are there?

There are few basic types. In catatonic people, the whole body is involved in psychosis: they perform some stereotypical actions or, as already mentioned, freeze for a long time in a certain position. Hebephrenics laugh at any reason and behave like clowns. Paranoid schizophrenics can be very persistent in some of their “ideas” and the actions resulting from it. They are very suspicious of others, often thinking that someone wants to hit them or harm them. Such people can write letters to different authorities for years, complain about insignificant matters to the courts, and so on. There are cold “aristocrats” who soar at the “peaks of the spirit” and, conversely, aggressive destroyers of everything and everyone.

Since schizophrenia is so diverse, is it possible to find a common mechanism in this disease?

There are different concepts that explain the occurrence of schizophrenia - biological, genetic, and so on. As a psychologist, I find extremely interesting the theory of the Scottish psychiatrist Ronald Laing, whose books have long become bestsellers abroad, but have not been translated here. Now I would like to talk about the psychological mechanisms of schizophrenia, the “logic” of the patient’s actions.

“A schizophrenic, or schizoid,” Laing believes, “is a person who has not only problematic relationships with the outside world, but also a disturbed relationship with himself. He feels completely isolated from others, and he himself is more or less “split.”

Why is such isolation from other people dangerous and why does Laing use the term “isolation”?

Interpersonal relationships can develop between people who are autonomous, separate, but not isolated from each other. This means that their psyche, on the one hand, “has boundaries,” and at the same time, it is permeable to information from the outside world and from other people. “Isolation” of a schizoid means that his psyche gradually becomes inaccessible to outside influence. A person develops his own intricate hierarchy of values,” as a result of which he loses the ability to share his experience with other people and begins to live in “his own world.”

Does this mean that a schizophrenic is afraid to let in contradictory information from the reality around him?

Absolutely right. In this regard, Laing identifies typical fears inherent in schizophrenics, for example, the fear of being “understood” and “destroyed,” even when people around him are simply looking at the patient. Or the fear of being “absorbed” by another person, turning into a “thing” and thereby, as it were, “losing” one’s own life.

Does this mean that a schizoid (schizophrenic) is definitely afraid of the world around him?

Not so simple. On the one hand, this is so, but, on the other hand, a schizoid, like all other people, needs “feeding” from the outside. It is as if he wants to receive a certain “dose” of communication (even confirmation of his “vitality”), but in no case “overdose”, otherwise reality will “destroy” him.

Indeed, it is not an easy task to “walk between two fires.” And how does a person deal with it?

Such people come up with various kinds of “maneuvers” in advance that are used in communication. They may demonstrate outward “agreement” with others in order to “not stand out.” Or hidden manipulation is possible in order to make sure that others behave “like robots.” Let's say a schizophrenic tells you a joke, you laugh, and at that moment he thinks that he has your reactions under control, since you react “like an automaton” (do what he intended).

“Having a secret view of another as a thing,” Laing writes, “one can seem like a person to oneself. A schizophrenic, for example, steals other people's things, but not with the goal of getting rich, but in order to “control the situation.” Here is one interesting example that a schizoid (and not only he) can resort to: “absorbing” another with his love, so as not to be “absorbed” himself.”

A very figurative comparison.

Thus, the life of a schizoid moves along an axis, the stripes of which are isolation and complete fusion, and in a healthy person such poles can be called autonomy (separateness) and the ability to relate. A healthy person always understands that “I am me, and you are you.”

How does the psyche of a schizophrenic work, from Laing’s point of view?

Since it is extremely important for a schizophrenic to “keep a distance” from the world around him, his psyche is divided into two parts: “true self” and “false self”. The body is the shell of the latter. The “false self” serves as a means of communication with other people. The “true self” of a schizoid, Laing believes, is a special, “superconscious” entity that only observes, controls and criticizes the actions of the “false self,” while remaining beyond the reach of others. But since it is the “false self” that acts in the external world, any activity becomes meaningless and false for the schizophrenic.

Therefore, a schizoid often “behaves well” not because of his own desire, but because of the fear of deviating from the standard and being “revealed.” Thus, the “false self” tries to always be in agreement with the expectations of others or with ideas about these expectations. Hence the absurdities that arise in the behavior of such a person.

Which for example?

Possible automatic submission to other people, imitation of their behavior, echolalia (repetition of other people's words and sentences). Often, difficult behavior looks like a parody and caricature, and it occurs in completely inappropriate situations and is obsessive in nature.

What is the further dynamics of the relationship between the “true” and the “false self”?

Since the “false self” of the schizoid operates in the outside world and is responsible for “consent” with others, it gradually acquires more and more characteristics of these people and thereby evokes hatred from the “true self.” This hatred can splash out in a violent form on others (the beginning of psychosis) or burn like a hot fire inside a person.

In the latter case, the relationship between the two “I”s acquires a sadomasochistic character. A schizoid may, for example, begin to “punish” his body and the “false self” contained in it, because he both hates and fears it. Variants of this behavior can be all kinds of fasting, prayers, mutilation, the use of a huge amount of cosmetics (with the help of lipstick you can symbolically “attack” your face), suicide. For the sake of “punishing” her body, a woman can go to the panel, and a man can become a passive homosexual.

Exactly the same logic underlies the behavior of a schizophrenic who is frozen in a motionless position (stupor). The goal is to move away from any external behavior that is “foreign” to the “true Self.”

Truly, the life of a schizoid cannot be called sweet. To put so much effort and come up with so many different defenses...

The same patterns push a person to choose extravagance of clothing - in order to distract the attention of others from his “true self”. Or various kinds of unusual “unearthly” hobbies (astrology, magic, parapsychology, occultism, cosmogony), which again allow you to escape from external activity. Gradually, the “true self” becomes more and more isolated and pales from the lack of external experience. One of the paradoxes of a schizophrenic arises: the feeling of “omnipotence” is adjacent to the feeling of emptiness.

Can a schizophrenic overcome his fear of the outside world?

He can undertake various maneuvers for this. For example, by “playing roles,” such a person partially overcomes his own shyness and vulnerability. In general, a schizophrenic can only be himself when he is not himself - and this is another paradox of this disease. A schizophrenic feels more comfortable when he remains incognito, anonymous. For this purpose, some patients never go more than once or twice to the same library or clinic; they do not have close relationships with the opposite sex. In fact, a schizoid can only establish “contacts” with things, with animals or with the objects of his fantasies.

How can a specialist work with such patients?

If a psychiatrist works, he will most likely choose drug treatment methods that can quickly block the acute manifestations of the disease (although they do not cure it). The psychologist must first of all establish contact with the patient’s “true self” and, as Laing figuratively writes, “nurture him for real life.” The task, of course, is not easy, and it is necessary to begin to solve it by establishing trust between the psychologist and the patient.

So, schizophrenia is incurable?

Doctors, as a rule, do not talk about a cure for schizophrenia, but about remission (disappearance of symptoms) of the disease. However, doctors, although rarely, report cases of complete recovery: a person seems to go through psychosis and come out on the “other shore” greatly changed. Some foreign psychiatrists even began to argue that schizophrenia is not a disease at all, but a kind of “protection” of the patient from the abnormal environment that surrounds him. It is no coincidence that schizophrenia in children develops in families where there are frequent quarrels between parents and the child does not know which side to choose. As a result, the well-known “split personality” arises. So Shakespeare was probably right when he said, “There is a system to all this madness.”

Is it possible to cite any case of complete recovery?

There is a known case when the English nurse Mary Berne fell ill with schizophrenia and was in the Kingsley Hall shelter, organized by Ronald Laing. Three years later, self-healing occurred, and this woman began to draw beautiful pictures and wrote a book about her illness. Such cases made it possible for Laing to argue that it was time for psychiatrists to change their functions: they should become, as it were, “stalkers” - benevolent guides, guiding a person into his inner space and time, and after the end of psychosis, leading him back to the outside world.

In general, schizophrenia leads to a gradual, albeit subtle, deterioration in the functions of thinking and perception, and to emotional impoverishment.

How does schizophrenia manifest in children?

A child can become autistic - lose contact with reality, plunge into the world of his fantasies and inner experiences. His speech turns from a dialogue into a monologue. Such children often depict inanimate objects in games and compose meaningless poetry. The child loses the ability to respond emotionally and stops paying attention to his appearance. The patterns, as we see, are the same as in an adult.

Why, of all mental illnesses, is schizophrenia the one that attracts increased attention from specialists?

This mental disorder is the most common and allows us to better understand the boundaries of health and the boundaries of illness due to the variety of symptoms encountered.

In addition to schizophrenia, “sick psychiatry” includes manic-depressive psychosis and epilepsy. Is it possible to give a brief description of these diseases?

Manic-depressive psychosis is characterized by the alternation of two periods of opposite emotional signs - manic and depressive. In the manic stage, a person is in a constantly high spirits, starts a bunch of things (although none of them are completed), makes a lot of new acquaintances, to whom he promises great prospects, and so on. Such a person on the street attracts everyone's attention with his noisy and extravagant behavior and excited appearance.

After a certain period of time, the sign of emotions changes and the stage of depression begins, when all the feelings and motor activity of a person are in a depressed state. Then the cycle repeats.

How to distinguish a manic patient from an ordinary cheerful young man?

As already mentioned, a manic patient does not complete any task he has started or even forgets about it. Oddly enough, at the same time his self-esteem and sense of self-worth grows. In a word, all or most of the activity of such a person turns out to be completely meaningless from the point of view of ultimate goals. There are, of course, people with a mental predisposition to certain diseases, but the disorders do not always reach the level of psychosis.

What can you say about epilepsy? Is an epileptic seizure dangerous?

Epilepsy is a disease that is usually accompanied by seizures with convulsive muscle twitching. The seizure itself is dangerous only by the possibility of injury that a person can receive when falling. During the seizure itself, all that needs to be done is to insert an object into the patient's mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue. The seizure usually lasts several minutes.

People with epilepsy may have a number of specific personality traits that should be kept in mind when communicating with them. We are talking about the so-called “viscosity” of thinking (when it seems to be “stuck” on certain objects), pedantic accuracy, frequent morning dysphoria (a gloomy background of mood), resentment and vindictiveness.

Both manic-depressive psychosis and epilepsy are treated with pills (it is also known that electric shock helps with depression), but here, too, great opportunities open up for the psychologist in terms of working with the personal characteristics of patients.

How does a diagnosis, for example, “schizophrenia,” affect a person’s subsequent life? Isn't this some kind of “violence” against the individual?

This is a very difficult issue, about which there has long been fierce debate in the West. I’ll tell you about an experiment conducted by the American scientist Rosenhan to prove that such a diagnosis can be made even to a healthy person. Several pseudo-patients turned to different psychiatric hospitals and complained to doctors about “voices” coming from inside (one of the symptoms of schizophrenia). Otherwise, according to them, everything was in order. All but one were hospitalized. Once in the hospital, each of the pseudo-patients stated that their “inner voice” symptom had gone away. During their stay in the hospital, these people were engaged in “neutral” activities - they kept notes in a diary. As a result, everyone received a diagnosis of “schizophrenia in remission,” although even many patients in these hospitals told the pseudo-patients that they were absolutely healthy and were writers collecting material for a book.

When the experiment was completed, there was a huge fuss in the press. Rosenkhan was objected that this diagnosis was made because the thinking of doctors is oriented towards the “type two error” (it would be more likely to call a healthy person sick), since it is more important for the doctor not to miss the patient. (The first type of error is calling a sick person healthy.) Then another experiment was conducted: the staff of a large psychiatric hospital were told that within three months they would be “allowed in” one or more pseudo-patients (healthy people). Each member of staff was asked to point them out. After three months, of the facility's 193 patients, 41 were identified as pseudopatients by at least one staff member, 23 were identified by one of the psychiatrists, and 19 were identified by one psychiatrist and one staff member. In fact, not a single pseudo-patient was sent to hospitals during this period.

The results of the experiments gave Rosenhan the basis to assert that any healthy person can receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and subsequently this “sticker” acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy, affecting a person’s entire life and his relationships with others.

The point of view, although original, is highly controversial. Now, as far as we know, obtaining such a diagnosis has become much more difficult. By the way, there are many cases in history when the presence of a diagnosis allowed warring factions to settle scores, and the authorities to close “shady” criminal cases.

What are these cases?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, two famous psychiatrists - the Frenchman Binet-Sanglet and the American William Hirsch - analyzed the Bible and diagnosed Jesus Christ himself with religious paranoia. Paranoia, as the reader remembers, means that a person has an overvalued idea that subjugates all his thoughts and leads to fanatical behavior. Two years later, the answer came: the doctor Albert Schweitzer, who later became famous for his work in Africa, defended a medical dissertation in which he proved the opposite, “rehabilitating” Jesus. He found only two symptoms, the presence of which was clearly not enough to diagnose Christ with mental illness: his very high self-esteem and a visual hallucination of the heavens opening during his baptism in the Jordan River.

As far as we know, Adolf Hitler also had a sharply negative attitude towards the mentally ill.

Absolutely right. The first victims of the gas chambers in 1939-1941 were not Jews, as is now commonly believed, but fifty thousand Germans suffering from mental illness. Gas chambers were built right next to psychiatric hospitals and were “masked” as souls. A program of euthanasia—an easy death—was put into effect. This program was called “hygienic”, and there were lists of people with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases on the way...

Is the case of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy also associated with a diagnosis of mental illness?

The presidential assassin named Lee Harvey Oswald was placed in prison, where a few days later he was also killed by his cellmate, Jack Ruby. This case was presented by the American press as “a showdown between two crazy people.” Ruby was also accused of working for Cuban President Fidel Castro, whom the newspapers had previously diagnosed as paranoid. Thanks to all this pseudo-medical hype, the case was closed.

After Kennedy's death, Barry Goldwater was supposed to serve as president, but over a thousand members of the American Psychiatric Association declared him incapable of such activities due to his diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

Truly, the psychiatrist has enormous power, and diagnosis is a deadly weapon in his hands.

Absolutely right. Domestic psychiatrists somehow do not mention this, so we will refer to foreign ones. Moreover, in the USA, for example, there are much more psychiatrists and psychologists, and they have already encountered many difficult ethical problems. In addition, abroad, in parallel with psychiatry, there is an anti-psychiatric movement, which the reader would be interested to know about.

What is the ideology of the anti-psychiatry movement?

“Anti-psychiatrists” argue that it is not the individual who is sick, but society itself. Mental illnesses as such do not exist. A person’s “strange” behavior is only an attempt to defend himself, a reaction to abnormal environmental conditions. Professor Laing examined and interviewed a large number of families in which children had schizophrenia. The results of the surveys allowed Laing to argue that in such families there was a special pathological atmosphere. In particular, each parent demanded from the child something opposite to what the other parent told him. Or, for example, one of the elders forced the child to do something, and when the child took up the task, he was instilled with the idea that he was doing it badly. In a word, “schizophrenia” (or what is called this word) allowed the child to go into his own world, away from. idiocy of adults - “pull the cord out of the socket.” Ronald Laing, Thomas Zhazh and other psychiatrists, having revised the “traditional” views of doctors, began to argue that since such conditions in people are not a disease, then the patient cannot be treated as a “sick person” - send him to a hospital, stuff him with stupefying drugs and etc.

However, the peak of the antipsychiatric movement is already behind us, but its representatives expressed many valuable thoughts.

Which ideas of the “anti-psychiatrists” are most important?

An extremely interesting book by T. Zhazh, which translated into Russian can be loosely called “The Production of Madness,” published in the USA in the mid-70s. Zhazh compares the then situation of “searching out” the mentally ill with the medieval hunt of the Inquisition for heretics and witches. We will touch on the topic of “witches” in the next chapter. According to the author of the book, psychiatrists do not have the right to evaluate other people’s problems in any way (let alone make a diagnosis). They should simply give man the opportunity to be the master of his own destiny.

That is, Zhazh emphasizes the illegality of the state psychiatrist’s intrusion into the patient’s personal life?

Samuel Butler’s statement is interesting in this regard: “Life is a process of constant adaptation to changing conditions. When we barely succeed in this, we are stupid; when we fail badly, we are crazy; when we briefly lose this ability, we sleep; when we stop trying, we die.”

Back in the 18th century in Europe, it was noticed that individuals imprisoned in mental hospitals were “learned” to behave like crazy people and could actually go crazy. So someone's goal may be to call a person “abnormal” and greatly harm him.

What to do if a person’s behavior poses a danger to others?

According to Zhazh, ordinary measures are needed with which society can protect itself, but not a humiliating medical examination and stultifying treatment for the patient. The psychiatrist himself thus “creates” patients in relation to whom he can act in his own interests and justify the “necessity” of his profession.

“Without following the rules,” writes Zhazh, “there is no social life. However, you cannot be a unique individual without violating some of the “rules” of society. A person both follows the rules and breaks them.” Therefore, you just need to learn to accept a potential “patient” in all his uniqueness, and this is not easy to do. Rather, it is not the mentally ill person who is dangerous to society, but rather society is dangerous to him due to various repressive measures and offensive ridicule at the everyday level.

We can conclude that American psychiatrists are very aggressive by nature and are actively looking for new victims...

Zhazh argues that making a psychiatric diagnosis has become, as it were, a ritual ceremony, since it is really about a positive or negative social evaluation. If in the jungle the law is “Eat, or they will eat you,” then in society it sounds like this: “Put a label (diagnosis) on others, otherwise they will label you.” In such conditions, a person with a label can turn into an “extreme”, into a “scapegoat” for someone’s mistakes. In different centuries and in different countries, groups of people or entire nations became such “scapegoats”.

Thus, “doctor” and “mentally ill” have become two categories that must mutually confirm the existence of each other. The book provides facts that people who turn to a psychiatrist begin to be rejected by friends and acquaintances, not because of health problems, but because the very contact with a psychiatric hospital defines them as “crazy” or, what the same as “mentally ill”.

How, then, should we treat the previously mentioned figure about 60 million annual visits by US citizens to psychiatrists?

It should not be discounted that Thomas Zhazh's book was written 20 years ago and since then psychiatry has become more liberal. In addition, as I already said, a considerable proportion of specialists are psychoanalysts and psychologists (words about appeals specifically to “psychiatrists” are given in the book of one domestic psychiatrist, who, perhaps, is thus popularizing his specialty). As you know, psychologists and psychoanalysts use purely conversational methods of treatment. And finally, the last very important point. Zhazh points to the “cold bureaucracy” of state psychiatrists, who actually work not for the patient, but for the hospital. He sees an alternative to this in contract psychotherapy, when the doctor and patient decide to work on a specific psychological problem and discuss all the details. For a contract therapist, the author believes, the presence or absence of a patient’s diagnosis (that is, his “illness”) does not matter at all, since the work is focused on specific life difficulties. It can be assumed that of the 60 million annual requests from Americans for help, only a certain percentage concerns psychiatrists, and government psychiatrists in public clinics. Private psychotherapists have no less level of knowledge, but, apparently, treat the patient more warmly and become his “allies” rather than “judges”.

You have presented such contradictory views on psychiatry... What should we believe now?

Every person has the right to the most complete information possible and learns to draw conclusions from it. We must not forget that psychiatrists and anti-psychiatrists personify polar views on the problems of mental illness, and the truth should be sought somewhere in the middle. I touched on some possible approaches related to the work of private psychotherapists and psychologists when answering the previous question. The arguments of representatives of the anti-psychiatric movement (and, which is extremely important, it includes eminent psychiatrists) were practically not published in our press, and the work of psychiatrists is largely shrouded in secrecy. I hope that in the future such problems will be discussed more actively and comprehensively.

1 M.I. Buyanov, Conversations about child psychiatry. - M., “Enlightenment”, 1986.

There are people obsessed with the desire to appear before others in a more favorable light, to stand out at any cost. As a rule, they tend to exaggerate or distort real events. And sometimes they get so into the role that they themselves have difficulty distinguishing what is fact in their life and what is fiction. What are the motives for this personality disorder, as psychologists believe? Does it interfere with a full-blooded life?

Many people living near us have learned to get what they want and have achieved real success. Most of them are not necessarily super rich, but they are happy with what they have achieved. But there are others - sort of passive observers of the sweet life in movies and on TV, who only wonder why they are deprived of such joys as prosperity, a successful career, creative growth, love, pleasure.

Not knowing how to realize their desires, being disappointed and believing that such a life is available only to a select few, they begin to wishful thinking and attract the attention of other people to the significance and importance of their own person. By creating the illusion of success and believing that they are thereby raising their “rating” among others, they ultimately believe it themselves. And they simply don’t want to think about the destructive consequences of such self-deception. The politics of an ostrich with its head in the sand.

If in childhood deception is one of the methods of psychological defense and a completely natural mechanism, when a child begins to hide his fears, secrets, misdeeds, problems and unseemly deeds behind a lie, then in an adult, with already great scope for imagination, this method ceases to correspond true needs. Rather, on the contrary, conflict situations are created, a frivolous attitude towards the liar is formed, and even moreover, the trust of others, and in one’s own eyes, one’s own dignity catastrophically melts away.

In adults, lying serves the function of hiding an imperfect inner world, masking a state of anxiety, discomfort and dissatisfaction. Due to a number of reasons - illness, short stature, physical weakness, low level of education, real or imaginary failures, inattention of loved ones or their excessive care, rejection by loved ones... and you never know what else - a persistent feeling of one’s own inferiority may appear.

As a result of the impossibility or inability to overcome the cause and solve the mental problem, it is displaced into the area of ​​the unconscious, forming a so-called complex that persists for a long time and dictates compensatory behavior to its owner. A person becomes uninteresting to himself for who he really is. Therefore, starting to embellish something in his life - inventing a different origin, the presence of talents, famous friends that he does not have and never had - he, let's say, borrows self-esteem.

Children's fantasy and deception are almost always motivated, and people with low self-esteem, knowing that lying is bad and understanding the harmfulness of their habit, still take the risk of lying. But the so-called mythomaniacs (or, as psychiatrists also call them, psephologists) experience a pathological desire to invent all sorts of fables about themselves, often without any specific goal and without pursuing a specific benefit. Their lies are disinterested and not designed to be believed.

Mythomaniacs are fascinated rather not by the desire to mislead others, but by the pleasure they receive from the activity of myth-making itself, as they say, the very process of presenting incredible fables. This is a deception “out of pure love for art.” However, by their behavior such lies greatly undermine their reputation. They are exposed very often.

Usually people with a hysterical personality type suffer from pseudology, i.e. those who need to constantly be the center of attention of others, to evoke their admiration and worship. If they cannot achieve this with their merits, then they invent them, wishful thinking, resorting to lies and boasting. A typical example is the eccentric Baron Munchausen.

How to understand who is in front of you - a pathological pseudologist or an “ordinary”, “non-clinical” lover of lying? Yes, it’s very simple: everything is fine as long as the lie does not interfere with the life of the deceiver himself or the people around him. If a person realizes that his deceit is a problem and wants to be treated, a psychologist or a psychologist can help him.

Lokatskaya Liliana

There is an anecdote about a man who, after death, had the opportunity to choose whether to go to hell or heaven. He looked at paradise: beautiful landscapes, quiet music, sheep grazing in the meadow, peaceful smiling people around - boredom. Then he turned his gaze to hell: bars, restaurants, naked girls, casinos, money flowing - fun. Struck by what he saw, he chose hell; he had enough of a boring life on earth. And he fell straight into a boiling cauldron. “Where are the restaurants and the girls?” - he exclaimed. “So it’s for tourists. And you are here for permanent residence!” - the devils answered him.

This is how a person falls into his own traps. Knowing what hell is, he nevertheless prefers to see a luxurious life in it. And he turns out to be severely punished for wishful thinking.

Why does a person love to be in illusions so much?

Why traumatize yourself with the truth when you can successfully persuade your mind to do whatever you want. And if there are still people who will support you in your own illusions, that’s great. The desired becomes fixed in the consciousness. And if at first there were still some doubts that you, for example, are a genius of foreign policy, then after numerous flattering statements from people interested in your loyalty, you yourself are convinced that you are a genius.

By the way, falling into the net of flattery, which is nothing more than a trap for those who like to wishful thinking, they become victims of the manipulations of unscrupulous fellow citizens who build their careers and personal lives on their weaknesses. These cunning little people simply scour the world in search of gullible braggarts for whom the oil of lies is so sweet. Moreover, they have learned to deceive those who want to be deceived so skillfully that even the most blatant lie from their lips is perceived as a revelation. Remember the song of the fox Alice and the cat Basilio: “As long as braggarts live in the world, we must glorify our destiny, a braggart doesn’t need a knife, sing to him a little and do with him what you want.”

And among these braggarts there are smart people who are quite sensible and have a penchant for analysis. Why, when it comes to themselves, that is, an objective assessment of their personality, their efforts, talents and other merits, they turn into mere children who so love to come up with excuses for themselves.

A person is designed in such a way that he will always find an excuse for his unseemly actions, failures on the personal front, shortcomings of character and appearance. This is how we are structured; if it weren’t for this, we would probably have shot ourselves long ago from the awareness of our own imperfection. A saving lie elevates and consoles, preventing you from falling into depression and despondency. And at some point it even makes us happy. Not for long... But this happiness is as unreal as our fiction. Sooner or later, the fog clears and instead of a wonderful forest clearing with flowers and berries, we see a blank gray wall. Isn’t it better to immediately know that there is a wall there than to get hit on the head with a blow to the head, once convinced of its existence on your own forehead? Wishful thinking is not so bad; it’s much worse when you can’t pass off what you don’t want as invalid.

Bitter lie or saving truth

It’s worse when those around you fall within the radius of your illusions. For example, a husband invented from tail to head. “I molded him from what was there, and then I fell in love with what was there.” It’s good if it’s molded from what was, most often they are molded from non-existent material, and then they are bitterly disappointed that it turns out to be not made from gingerbread, but from solid iron.

And if you are also exposed to power, those around you are simply forced to reckon with and suffer from the twists and turns of your imagination. Have you ever wondered why entire nations suffer when they are commanded by those who do not know how to face the truth? I'm not even talking about a simple family. Children, spouses, loved ones, neighbors who are forced to suffer because someone prefers to wishful thinking.

But it turns out to be a double-edged sword. If you look the bitter truth in the eye, then life becomes gray, boring and inhospitable. If we resort to saving lies, the world becomes better only in our imagination. After all, if it is as beautiful as we came up with, why change it. Let everything be as it is. And so good!

What's the solution?

Secondly, stop being a child who needs to protect himself from life by inventing fairy tales about it. When we face the truth and don't hide from it in the bushes, we grow up. We accept the world as it is and take responsibility for our own lives, for our mistakes and imperfections. In this case, of course, we have no one to blame for our failures. And we need a certain courage to be fully aware of what surrounds us and what is happening. At the same time, we can also be wrong. They say fear has big eyes. These huge eyes are also a kind of illusion. That's why…

Third, get rid of fears and self-doubt. Which have not be avoided. And fear is such an insidious thing that itself attracts bad things. What you fear most usually happens. According to the law of attraction. Self-doubt is the same fear that was born in childhood, when we were weak and helpless and required care and guidance. Self-doubt is a rejection of yourself as you are, dislike of yourself, fear of mistakes, ridicule, etc. The hardest thing to get rid of. But it is they who make us wishful thinking and deform our lives. Start by simply admitting to yourself your fears. This is already half the battle.

Ultimately, allow yourself to be imperfect like our imperfect world. He is beautiful and harmonious and at the same time monstrous and terrible. Look at him with wide open eyes of truth. Hear, feel with all your senses, understand in all its diversity, feel that it is perfect even in its imperfection. And then you will not need to wishful thinking; you will learn to accept reality, turning it into desired.

Some people have no room for reality. They see and hear only what they want. Dreamers can even convince themselves of their feelings and sensations. Since these people wishful thinking, they deprive themselves of the opportunity to live their own lives, to find their own happiness.

Why does a person like to be in illusions?

Because it’s easier to accept your imperfections. Many of us are convinced deep down that we are worthless. As a rule, girls don’t like their appearance, guys don’t like power, career, profit margins or genitals.

Why traumatize yourself with the truth when you can talk your mind into wishful thinking? It would be good if there were people who would support you in your own illusions. As a result, what you want to have in real life becomes fixed in your consciousness.

At first there are doubts, for example, that you are a genius, but over time the person who is wishful thinking, thanks to the loved ones who support him, becomes convinced of his importance.

Falling into the web of flattery, which is a trap for those who like to pass off what they have imagined as real, people become victims of unscrupulous citizens. The latter skillfully build their lives and careers on someone else's weaknesses. Cunning individuals specifically look for gullible braggarts and masterfully deceive those who want to be deceived.

Among the people who wishful thinking, there are many quite sensible people who are prone to analysis. Why do they often turn into real children, inventing ridiculous excuses for themselves?

A person is designed in such a way that he definitely needs to find an excuse for his failures at work, in his personal life, etc. This is how the defense mechanisms of the psyche are arranged. If this had not happened, then most likely we would have said goodbye to life because of our own imperfections.

A saving lie comforts and prevents you from falling into depression. This makes us even feel happy in some moments. But, unfortunately, the fog clears and we see the realities.

Sweet lies that save

Many people think that if they don’t stop wishful thinking, life will turn into boredom. We are even taught to think positively, that is, to look at everything from a different angle, to see only the good. If you build illusions only about yourself, then there is nothing to worry about - your inventions do not bother anyone, they do not confuse anyone.

Things get worse when the people around you fall under illusions. And if a person endowed with power gives out wishful thinking, then his environment is simply forced to reckon with his illusions and adapt to them. Very often, entire nations find themselves in such situations, commanded by someone who cannot face the truth.

Anyone who is with a person who pretends to be wishful thinking will suffer. If the head of the family creates illusions, then the wife and children suffer. Agree that this is a double-edged sword. If you look at life without rose-colored glasses, it becomes boring and gray. If we take into account the saving lie, the world becomes brighter. True, only in our imagination.

What is the actual truth?

What to do? How to find a way out of the situation?

First, understand that truth is neither sweet nor bitter. Remember this once and for all! It contains equal amounts of both sweetness and bitterness. How to accept this? Just!

Everything in the world has two sides, like a coin or a banknote. Or more if, for example, we are talking about a cube. Therefore, try to look at the world from all possible angles, and at the same time. Then you will understand that imperfection can be an asset. Follow the rule “Everything is for the best!”

Grow mentally and gain self-confidence

The second rule is stop being a child who needs to make up fairy tales about life to protect yourself. When we face the truth, we grow up, accept the world as it is, take responsibility for life, the mistakes we have made. In case of failures, there will be no one to blame for what is happening.

Third, get rid of self-doubt and fears. What needs to happen will happen anyway. And fear is very insidious - it attracts bad things, and exactly what we are so afraid of begins to happen to us. This is how the law of attraction works.

The fear that appeared in early childhood is self-doubt. At that time, you were weak and needed protection and care. Self-doubt is a lack of acceptance of oneself, fear of mistakes, and so on. The hardest thing to overcome is children's fears. They make you wishful thinking, deforming life. It is very important to recognize fear, see it in your eyes and start working on yourself.

Conclusion

Allow yourself and life to be imperfect. See the world with your eyes wide open. Feel that it is beautiful in its imperfection. You will soon realize that there is no need to wishful thinking, you need to learn to accept everything as it is.