A sudden change in mood from cheerfulness to depression is not always a bad sign. Perhaps this is how the cycloid personality type manifests itself. And a teenager who has begun to become despondent, to study worse and to argue over trifles may not “go crazy”, because adolescence in this case is not the root cause, but just that moment of growing up when the cycloid type begins to become noticeable.
Character as a consequence and manner of confrontation of the ego with impulse, conscience and reality
According to Hoffman, this way of looking at the matter is mainly associated with the time of the thirties, when Freud's work "I and Es" was "primarily I-quality." Fenichel, but with different weights. Reich sees character primarily pathologically, so to speak, as a “petrified defensive structure of the ego.”
However, as Hoffmann emphasizes, Freud. Not in Reich's view of any form of defense as pathological, but it defends itself against an omnipresent phenomenon associated with life and survival, which leads to disease only in its unfortunate form. Freud makes further contributions to personality theory by showing that there is an individual tendency to preferentially use certain defense mechanisms, as well as a neurospecific one. From this point of view, points of view open up to a new typology that emerges in the early thirties and has always existed since then: the division into hysterical, compulsive, phobic, depressive, masochistic and other characters.
Like any other type of accentuation, cyclothymia is not a disease, but just a personality and character trait that rarely reaches the normal limit, but possible Negative consequences It is often possible to smooth it out by following a list of recommendations from a psychologist.
People with a cycloid personality type periodically remain in one of two phases: hyperthymia and subdepression. As a rule, changes are cyclical, and there is no way to undo the change of states, you can only learn to minimize the consequences of one or another phase, which can last up to two weeks. Between phases there are long quiet periods when the cycloid has no special accentuation.
Upon closer inspection, the person realizes that only two types are being described: compulsive and hysterical. This is an elaboration of Freud's observation that certain forms of defense are tied to certain forms of mental disorder. Thus, the suppression of the hysterical character, reaction formation, isolation and intellectualization were organized by the principle of coercion, the projection of the paranoid character, introjection and self-referral of the depressive character.
Freud, Fenichel is excellent at achieving a differentiated elaboration of the ego achievements that characterize the formation of character in accordance with the “principle of multiple function” described by Weller and Nunberg’s ideas about the “synthetic function of the ego.”
In the stage of hyperthymia, a person has:
- increased mood and thirst for action;
- communication skills;
- flexibility of thinking;
- quick change of hobbies;
- active lifestyle;
- openness and love for change.
When subdepression sets in, a person changes dramatically. Now it is characterized by:
- Bad mood;
- loss of interest;
- the desire to minimize contact with other people;
- lack of appetite;
- pessimism;
- increased drowsiness.
Transitions from states that are completely opposite in their worldview seriously affect the life of the cycloid. Everything that he managed to achieve in the hyperthymic phase tends intensely to zero during the period of subdepression. Irritability and sensitivity to criticism increase, new hobbies are abandoned, laziness and reluctance to do things arise. Personal life is also noticeably deteriorating.
For Fenichel, “the characteristic modes of the ego for adaptation to the external world, the Es and the superego, and the characteristic ways of combining these modes are characteristic of Fenichel.” Freud, consider character as a parallel to the symptom. Loewenstein "two decisive steps" were taken. It unifies and refines drive theory to support all the dynamic benefits of the concept. At the same time, he resolved entire regions of the ego from instinct—Freud suggested that the ego had withdrawn entirely from the ego—in the assumption of “conflict-free ego spheres,” which are essentially autonomous apparatuses of the ego, the function of which consists of the constitution, the Operation of Maturation.
Labile cycloids. This is the name given to those whose transition from the “good phase” to the “bad” and back occurs very quickly - several days of active life are replaced by 2-3 days bad mood, and then it rises again, and a person wants to communicate with the whole world and move mountains.
As a rule, such frequent mood changes create more problems than the time intervals inherent in typical cycloids. After all, it is more difficult to get used to the rapid alternation of phases. But in fact, the labile cycloid type also has advantages. Yes, he is “thrown” from side to side, but the amplitude of the throws is usually smoothed out, you can get used to it. During the ascent there is no painful hyperactivity and withdrawal from lack of communication, and in the subdepressive phase there is no complete apathy and loss of strength.
Hartmann describes the processes of learning and practice as "automation" of the relevant functions. We are talking about such central areas as perception, cognition, memory, intelligence, mobility and others. At this level there is a primary adaptation to the psychic inside and outside, without the need to participate in instincts. Drives can, however, “occupy” these essentially indifferent functions. Hartmann is also a view that characterizes the transition from impulsive processes to movement-independent characteristics: what began in a conflict situation can become a secondary part of a conflict-free sphere as a result of a “change of function.”
Cycloid accentuation of adolescents
The most unpleasant thing about the cycloid personality type is that it does not appear from birth, and the child does not have the opportunity to get used to living in accordance with his own character traits. But the best thing is that the cycloid type may indeed be a consequence of adolescence, when the body is rapidly developing, and the psyche is affected by many factors that aggravate the adolescent’s reactions. The periods between accentuation phases can gradually increase and eventually disappear completely.
Character as a consequence and manner of confrontation between the ego and social objects
These formulas became known. From the verbal conflict there becomes an antinomy: primitive trust to primitive suspicion, from the anal: autonomy from shame and doubt, from Oedipus: initiative versus guilt. This section focuses on "the direct consequences of interaction with objects, the consequences of identification." According to Goffman, one can distinguish the three works "under three highly interdependent aspects."
From the point of view of the object relations themselves, their disturbances and possible precipitation, from the point of view of object representations, internalized object relations, introjects and, finally, from the point of view of structural consequences, the precipitation of internalized object relations in the ego, ego-ideal and superego. Robertson, Winnicott, Mahler, Freud, Stirlin, Judges and others. At the heart of these studies are the early mother-child relationships, which make a critical contribution to feelings of identity and trust. But, as Hoffmann notes, all of these classic studies suffer from an aspect of my problem, correlating early object relations with behavioral sequences in the child.
As a rule, in childhood, cycloids are no different from other children, except that they are a little more active and sociable than they may resemble hyperthyms. At the age of 16-18 years (in girls, perhaps a little earlier, simultaneously with the first menstruation), cycloidity manifests itself - the first subdepressive phase begins. Irritability increases, drowsiness and apathy appear, problems with studying arise, and attentiveness decreases. Places where there are a lot of people seem almost like torture rooms, and even a noisy group of friends, which used to be so good, is not at all attractive.
Long-term consequences in the personality of an adult are usually only hypostatized. Balint developed a typological sedimentation of object relations in the approach. The result is two types: "Philobate", risky, life-affirming and independent, and "Ocphophile", clinging and uncertain.
Stirlin examined the conditions of social interaction under which certain types of internalization of object relations occur. It comes from transactional regimes that govern family life at certain periods. In this way, parents' attitudes and children's reactions are also taken into account. Bonding can be accomplished through excessive instinctual gratification, as cognitive attachment, and morally, as conscience.
The teenager himself does not notice that something is wrong with him. He just starts spending more time at home, eating less and sleeping longer. There may also be externally objective reasons for such behavior. Sometimes decreased appetite is explained by the desire to lose weight, the desire to stay at home is due to a quarrel with peers or local punks, and memory loss is due to overwork.
Expulsion basically means emotional neglect of a child; The delegation stands between two extremes, the child, so to speak, led along a long line, its existence is the fulfillment of the desires of others. "Contributed to the structuring of character and the neurosis-forming social environment" by showing how the child is coerced from the very beginning by parents, usually the mother, as a substitute for another partner or as a substitute for self-help, which inevitably lead to the ego distortions discussed by Freud.
Richter later saw the family more as a dynamic unity, and also contributed to the classification of a specific environment, from which again there are types that we usually call paranoid, hysterical and other personalities. An important approach of the “interaction-based typology” is J. Willey with his concept of collusion in partnership. An example of this is a "hysterical marriage", which, in addition to a "hysterical" woman, presupposes a "hysterical" person.
Bad mood is aggravated by troubles arising from other manifestations of subdepression.
Any stress is extremely difficult to experience, all comments and reproaches cause active opposition and irritation, while in the inner world of a teenager they only strengthen a negative outlook on life and lack of motivation.
Fairbairn exclusively from ego theory. Libidal impulses come directly from the ego, which can be omitted. Even the superego is a complex ego structure and does not need to be understood as separate in theory. Internalization is a distinct psychological mechanism and not a fantasy of oral incorporation. The two aspects of the internalized object are displaced, the ideal object becomes the core of the ego. Thus, the ego, constructed from introjections, shows three main areas.
However, its main advantage seems to have been that it had a particularly stimulating effect on authors like Kernberg, who for their part tried to understand serious personality disorders in substantive terms, but did not want to leave the ground of classical theory. Reformulate hysterical and depressive neuroses. However, he attaches great importance to the fact that the reformulation fully includes classical approaches. His most interesting introduction is his suggestion of "marginal" and "mainstream" projects.
How to survive the moment of the appearance of cycloid accentuation?
It is not always possible for a teenager to cope with sudden attacks of despondency and apathy on his own. Too sudden changes in mood affect relationships with peers, lead to conflicts with adults and troubles in school. In turn, this increases the likelihood of a breakdown or even suicide. Not every school has a psychologist. And not every teenager is ready to talk and listen to recommendations.
Peripheral introjects are object representations in which the quality of the object is still fully preserved, but the main ones are those in which the ego has assimilated - they have passed into identity, are the result of identification in the original word.
The most advanced approach in the characteristic direction, which is essentially determined by the understanding of internalized object relations, is the concept of “psychotic character”, the so-called borderline syndrome. Kernberg and Masterson, in particular, identified the essential content of the borderline syndrome, which, in their opinion, can be dynamically clearly distinguished through a certain type of internalized object-related pathology.
We recommend that parents do not isolate themselves from their child, even if it seems that everything is fine with him. And even more so if there are still reasons to worry. Manifestations of subdepression are not always correctly recognized from the outside. He's become lazy, doesn't get enough sleep because of his computer games, is too rude, apparently has completely lost his temper. Or maybe it's drugs? Or maybe he just fell in love? First of all, you just need to talk to your teenager. Not as a parent with a child, but as an adult with a peer.
Character as a consequence and way of experiencing and presenting oneself
In the context in question, it is about understanding these differences as a result of identification different people with different objects. The vast majority of work related to the superego considers the identification of explanations for individual differences. On the other hand, it is surprising that only a few authors followed this approach. It represents the self versus the object, while the ego is differentiated as a function from other entities.
Jacobson indeed explores the emergence of the ego and superego under the dual principles of the emergence of conflict and identification. These objects in the ego and superego are close to the content already described. Jacobson now consistently follows self-awareness along the phenomenological trajectory of a sense of identity. It describes character and character disorders about the function and dysfunction of the self.
You should not impose aggressive care, this will only worsen the situation. It is better to make it clear that the teenager is dear to you, to show warmth and attention.
And a few more recommendations, regardless of age:
- Meetings with good friends, people who are dear to a person with a cycloid personality type, and some positive events will help smooth out difficult periods of decline in mood.
- Learn to predict the moments of the onset of the subdepressive phase, minimize urgent matters, and do not assign important meetings and celebrations.
- You should not abuse medications. If there is a need to take pills, then only under the supervision and advice of a specialist.
- You should not try to solve the problem with alcohol or drugs. In this way, you can only “shake up” the psyche, cause an increase in frequency and increase the duration of the subdepressive phase.
Thus, Kohut later accepted narcissistic personalities as “specific disturbances in the realm of the self and archaic self-objects that are not yet separate from and independent of the self.” Rapaport writes about the difference between himself and himself. The self in subjective experience is that which can observe itself.
Wyatt said the following. The peculiarity of a character seems to be first determined by a subtle relationship of impulses; in other words, a delicate balance in events individual development, balance of demands and satisfaction, freedom and restriction, activity and passivity. At the center is self-esteem, the difficult product of healthy narcissism. It guarantees above all other independence. The habit of independence brings vitality to autonomy.
In any case, cycloid accentuation is not a death sentence, and it rarely interferes with normal life and socialization.
Even in adolescence, only 2-3% of cycloids need the attention of a psychologist. The older a person is, the easier it is for him to cope with this himself, having received advice from a psychologist.
With the cycloid type of character accentuation, the presence of two phases is observed - hyperthymia and subdepression. They are not expressed sharply, are usually short-term (1-2 weeks) and can be interspersed with long breaks. A person with cycloid accentuation experiences cyclical mood changes, when depression is replaced by elevated mood. When their mood declines, such people show increased sensitivity to reproaches and do not tolerate public humiliation well. However, they are proactive, cheerful and sociable. Their hobbies are unstable; during periods of recession, they tend to give up on things. Sex life is highly dependent on the rise and fall of their general condition. In the elevated, hyperthymic phase, such people are extremely similar to.
For Bollas, the entire emphasis lies on the expressive moment. Character is the “language of oneself.” It is formed at critical stages of development in accordance with the structural interaction within the interpersonal process that allows the subject to internalize and identify with external objects. The character becomes for him the bearer of individual memories of his internal and extrapsychic experiences and relationships with a tendency to unconscious expression.
Limitation of repetition and other concepts experience unfamiliar new interpretations. Green advocates expanding the character concept through self-esteem. "Character development can thus be seen not only as an expression of motivating impulses, but also as a defense against infantile fears," but also as a defense against the ego against the perception of one's own weakness - in itself and in the ability to deal with the environment. The characteristic structure becomes a sedimentation of the ego's continuous attempts to obtain an acceptable image.
Detailed description according to A.E. Lichko
Fragment from the book “Psychopathy and Character Accentuations in Adolescents”
As is known, this type of character was described in 1921 by E. Kretschmer and was first often mentioned in psychiatric research. P. B. Gannushkin (1933) included four types of psychopathy in the “cycloid group” - constitutionally depressive, constitutionally excited (hyperthymic), cyclothymic and emotionally labile. He considered cyclothymia as a type of psychopathy. However, later this concept began to mean relatively mild cases of manic-depressive psychosis, and the existence of cycloid™ outside the framework of this disease was questioned. Since the 1940s, cycloid psychopathy has disappeared from psychiatric manuals. In recent years, cycloidism has again attracted attention, but as one of the premorbid types of patients with endogenous psychoses, often cycloid and hyperthymic type s are not separated.
Meanwhile, there is a special group of cases where cyclical changes in the emotional background never even approach the psychotic level. G. E. Sukhareva (1959) noted similar non-psychotic cyclothymic fluctuations in adolescents, which can generally smooth out with the onset of maturity. Such cases, from our point of view, would be more correctly considered as cycloid accentuations.
Our research with S.D. Ozeretskovsky [Lichko A.E., Ozeretskovsky S.D., 1972] allowed us to identify two variants of cycloid accentuation in adolescence - typical and labile cycloids.
Typical cycloids in childhood are no different from their peers or give the impression of being hyperthymic. With the onset of puberty (in girls this may coincide with menarche), and even more often at the age of 16-19, when puberty ends, the first subdepressive phase occurs. More often it manifests itself as apathy and irritability. In the morning you feel a loss of strength, everything falls out of your hands. What was previously easy and simple now requires incredible effort. It becomes more difficult to study. Human society begins to become a burden. Noisy groups of peers, previously attractive, are now avoided. Adventure and risk lose all appeal. Previously lively teenagers are now becoming sad homebodies. Appetite decreases, previously favorite foods no longer evoke pleasure. Instead of the insomnia characteristic of severe depression, drowsiness is often observed. In tune with the mood, everything takes on a pessimistic tint. Minor troubles and failures, which usually begin to fall due to a decline in working capacity, are extremely difficult to experience. They may respond to comments and reproaches with irritation, even rudeness and anger, but deep down they make them feel even more despondent. Serious failures and criticism from others can deepen a subdepressive state or cause an acute affective reaction of the intrapunitive type with suicidal attempts. Usually only in this case do adolescents come to the attention of a psychiatrist.
Yuri P., 16 years old. Grew up in friendly family. I studied well in English school until the last grade. He was distinguished by his cheerful disposition, sociability, liveliness, was fond of sports, willingly participated in social work, and was the chairman of the school club.
The last few weeks have changed. For no reason, my mood worsened, “some kind of blues set in,” everything began to fall out of hand, I began to have difficulty studying, abandoned social work, sports, and quarreled with my comrades. After classes I sat at home. Sometimes he argued with his father, proving that “there is no truth in life.” Sleep and appetite worsened These days, he accidentally came across a popular science magazine with an article about the dangers of masturbation. Since he himself secretly masturbated, but had not previously attached any importance to it, he now decided to quit, but discovered that he “lacked the will.” He thought that “impotence, madness and dementia” awaited him. On the same days at school, at a general Komsomol meeting, he was subjected to severe criticism by his comrades for the collapse of the social work that he had previously led. One of his classmates called him “the mold of society.” At the meeting, at first he snapped, then fell silent. I realized that he was a “defective person.” The thought of suicide arose. Returning home from school, he waited until night and, when his parents fell asleep, he took 50 tablets of meprobamate. He left a note where he wrote that he was a “spiritually poor person” and was guilty before the school and the state.
From the intensive care center he was taken to the adolescent ward of a psychiatric hospital. Here, in the very first days, my condition suddenly and dramatically changed, although I did not receive antidepressants. My mood became slightly elevated, I became sociable, active, easily made contact, and was full of energy. He didn’t understand what was wrong with him, “for no reason, some kind of blues came over him.” Now it’s all gone, my mood has improved, I’m glad I’m still alive. A suicide attempt is assessed critically. She feels good, her appetite has even increased, her sleep has become sound and calm. He misses his family, school and friends. Strives to continue studying.
Survey using PDO. According to the objective assessment scale, the cycloid type was diagnosed. Conformity is average, the reaction of emancipation is not expressed. There is a negative attitude towards alcoholism. According to the subjective assessment scale, self-esteem is insufficient: no traits of any type emerged.
Diagnosis. Acute affective intrapunitive reaction with a true attempt at suicide against the background of cycloid type accentuation.
Follow-up after 2 years. He successfully graduated from school and is studying at the institute. Notes that after leaving the hospital there were “bad periods” lasting 1-2 weeks and repeating every 1-2 months. By the time of follow-up, these fluctuations had smoothed out.
In typical cycloids, the phases are usually short, 1-2 weeks [Ozeretskovsky S. D., 1974]. Subdepression can be replaced by a normal state or a period of recovery, when the cycloid again turns into hyperthymia, strives for company, makes acquaintances, aspires to leadership and usually makes up for what was lost in study and work in the subdepressive phase. Periods of uplift occur less frequently than subdepressive phases, and are not as bright. According to the observation of Yu. A. Strogonov (1972), sometimes only usually unusual, risky jokes on elders and the desire to make jokes everywhere can catch the eyes of others.
Cycloid teenagers have their own places of “least resistance”. They are different in the subdepressive phase and during the recovery period. In the latter case, the same weaknesses appear as in the hyperthymic type: intolerance to loneliness, monotonous and measured life, painstaking work, promiscuity in acquaintances, etc. In the subdepressive phase, the Achilles heel becomes a radical break in the life stereotype. This apparently explains the protracted subdepressive states inherent in cycloids in the first years of higher education. educational institutions[Strogonov Yu. A., 1973] A sharp change in character educational process!, the deceptive ease of the first student days, the lack of daily control on the part of teachers, giving way to the need to learn much more material in the short period of the test and examination session than at school - all this breaks the educational stereotype instilled by the previous decade. You have to make up for lost time with intensive exercises, and in the subdepressive phase this does not lead to the desired results. Overwork and asthenia prolong the subdepressive phase, and an aversion to studying and mental activities in general appears.
In the subdepressive phase, there also appears selective sensitivity to reproaches, reproaches, accusations addressed to oneself - to everything that contributes to thoughts about one’s own inferiority, worthlessness, and uselessness.
Labile cycloids, unlike typical ones, are in many ways close to the labile (emotionally labile) type. The phases here are much shorter - two or three “good” days are followed by several “bad” ones. “Bad” days are more marked by a bad mood than by lethargy, loss of energy or poor health. Within one period, short changes in mood are possible, caused by relevant news or events. But unlike the labile type described below, there is no excessive emotional reactivity, a constant readiness of mood to easily and abruptly change for minor reasons
Valery R., 16 years old, grew up in a friendly family, attached to his parents and older brother, who serves in the army. Since childhood, he was lively, affectionate, sociable, obedient. He studies well. In the last two or three years, he began to notice that his mood fluctuated: two or three have a nice day when he feels uplifted, alternates with days of “blueness”, when he quarrels easily, appears, in his words, “intolerance of comments and bossy tone”, prefers loneliness, reluctantly goes to school, which he generally loves. For more than two years he has been in love with a classmate, very tied to her. A few days ago my mood deteriorated again. It seemed that the beloved girl became interested in another boy. Out of jealousy, he deliberately told her that he himself fell in love with another, and a breakup occurred. I was extremely upset by what happened. I thought about her all the time, I couldn’t find a place for myself, I cried secretly, I saw her in my dreams every night. I looked for sympathy and empathy from my friends - I was amazed at their “indifference.” At their suggestion, I took part in a joint drink, but the wine only intensified the melancholy. Returning home, I felt “complete hopelessness and loneliness.” When his parents fell asleep, he climbed into the hot bath and inflicted several deep cuts on himself with a razor. He lost consciousness from bleeding. He woke up in the arms of his father, who accidentally discovered him.
During the first three days in the teenage ward of a psychiatric hospital, he remained depressed and spoke of his unwillingness to live. His beloved girl found him through the ambulance helpline and came to visit him - he refused to meet with her.
Then my mood changed for the better (I did not receive psychotropic drugs), I met my beloved, and made peace with her. For two days I was “up” - I became cheerful, sociable, eager to go home and missed school. Subsequently, the mood is even. Critically evaluates his actions and considers himself guilty. In conversation, he reveals emotional lability and seeks empathy.
Survey using PDO. According to the objective assessment scale, the labile-cycloid type was diagnosed. Conformity is average, emancipation reaction is moderate. A high B-index (B-6) was detected, although neither in the anamnesis, nor during a neurological examination, nor on an EEG was there any evidence for the presence of residual organic brain damage. The psychological tendency to alcoholism is high. According to the subjective assessment scale, self-esteem is correct, labile, cycloid, hyperthymic features are highlighted, sensitive features are rejected.
Diagnosis. Reactive depression with a suicide attempt against the background of accentuation of the labile-cycloid type.
Follow-up after 2 years. Healthy. Studying at university. There were no repeated suicide attempts. Still notices mood swings.
In both typical and labile cycloids, reactions of emancipation and grouping with peers intensify during periods of recovery. Hobbies are unstable - during subdepressive periods they are abandoned, during periods of recovery - they return to them or find new ones. Adolescents themselves do not show a noticeable decrease in sexual desire in the subdepressive phase, although, according to the observations of relatives, sexual interests fade away on “bad days.” Severe behavioral disorders (delinquency, running away from home, etc.) are not typical for cycloids. But during periods of recovery, they may show a tendency towards alcoholism in companies. Suicidal behavior in the form of affective (but not demonstrative) attempts or true suicide attempts is possible in the subdepressive phase, if at this time the teenager is subjected to mental trauma, strengthening him in thoughts of his inferiority.
Self-esteem of character in cycloids is formed gradually, as the experience of “good” and “bad” periods accumulates. A teenager may not yet have such experience and therefore self-esteem may be imperfect.
Cycloid accentuation, as indicated, only occasionally comes under the supervision of a psychiatrist (usually these are cases of suicide attempts). However, in healthy adolescents it can be detected in 2-5% [Ivanov N. Ya., 1976], and of these, half can be classified as typical, and the other half as labile cycloids. In post-adolescence (18-19 years), the percentage of cycloids increases significantly, and the percentage of hyperthyms decreases [Borovik T. Ya., 1976; Peretyaka O.P., 1981] Apparently, due to some endogenous patterns, the hyperthymic type can transform into a cycloid type - against the background of previously constant hyperthymicity, short subdepressive phases appear.
