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Archpriest Evgeniy Sokolov is a very well-known priest in Arkhangelsk, he often meets with people because of his position - he is the head of the missionary department of the Arkhangelsk diocese. I always listen to Father Evgeniy with interest - he knows how to heal the soul with words. In fact, he himself often talks about the soul during his missionary meetings.
In our society, there is now a strong call for a healthy lifestyle: people are told that they need to sleep a certain number of hours, eat right, don’t forget about sports and vitamins - they say, then everything will be fine with the psyche. But the Russian people have never understood mental health exclusively in such physiological terms. Remember how we ourselves say: “...the soul hurts, the soul yearns, the soul is anxious, heavy...”
How to develop a soul?
We develop all kinds of abilities. But the most important thing we must develop is our soul. And developing the soul means learning to love correctly. It is very important to love correctly. We know how to develop intelligence - there are a lot of methods, rules, and exercises for this. We know how to develop the body. A trainer will be able to squeeze the physiological maximum out of a person. The same applies to musical, dance, and artistic gifts. Teachers of the highest class are needed everywhere; without a teacher you cannot achieve mastery. And in order to develop your soul, learn to love correctly, you need to know spiritual laws. These are the same axioms as “twice two makes four” in mathematics.
When the soul hurts
If we feel physical pain, it means that our body is signaling us about some kind of problem. If the soul hurts - it aches, grieves, worries - this is also a signal that there is some kind of disturbance, distortion. This happens when we go beyond the laws of God. They hit me on the hand - my hand hurts. They hit the soul - in a word, with obscene spectacles, cruelty - and the soul begins to rush and ache. This is where the worst thing is. I can’t say: even if my teeth hurt, I went to bed. This pain makes me want to climb the walls. And if a person’s soul is not healthy, then the body cannot be healthy. A sick soul gives no rest.
Diseases of the soul
Diseases of the soul in church asceticism are called passions. Passion is excessive attachment to something that is not God. I'll try to explain. I know a person from a highly educated large family, where a sister and three brothers are candidates of science. Their mother became paralyzed (she was completely paralyzed, but was conscious and spoke), and they decided not to hire anyone, but to take turns taking time off and sitting with her. When it was time for his older brother, they had to give him a stamp on the train; he was a passionate collector. He knew that in the seventh carriage the conductor was bringing him this stamp. And he said: “Mom, I’ll come in an hour. I’ll meet the train and come.” But at the entrance to the platform the train broke down, we had to wait. He waited an hour, two, he understood that if he left, the stamp might be lost, the conductor would leave and that’s all. Three hours, instead of dropping everything and going to see my sick mother. A stamp - a simple piece of paper - was higher than love for a loved one. That's what passion is! What about the paralyzed mother? She saw the time: instead of an hour, it was three hours. What was she worried about, what was she thinking?! Here is a clear example of passion. This is attachment to everything that is not God.
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Treatment
The main therapy should be aimed at eliminating the cause of tearfulness - reducing the intensity of stress, normalizing the woman’s hormonal levels, changing the parenting style. If it is impossible to influence the etiological factor or influencing the cause requires long-term, labor-intensive treatment, symptomatic remedies are used. Thanks to them, tearfulness decreases, the patient becomes more balanced and socially active, and the effectiveness of basic therapy increases. Symptomatic help for tearfulness includes breathing exercises, psychotherapy, medication, and changes in activity patterns.
Yoga is a great way to find peace of mind
Breathing exercises
At the physiological level, crying is manifested by a complex of reactions of the respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems. A person is able to control his breathing voluntarily. To stop the beginning attack of crying, it is necessary to eliminate the feeling of spasm in the throat and holding your breath. The easiest way to do this is with breathing exercises, which include slow and deep breathing, deep breaths through the nose with noisy exhalation through the mouth, fast and intense breathing. The most effective method is selected by the patient individually by trial. In women, the diaphragmatic breathing technique gives good results.
Behavioral psychotherapy
Behavioral techniques are aimed at switching attention, changing external activity that supports crying. The simplest exercises are running, purposeful activity, provoking another emotion (anger or joy). While running, a sequence of movements is established, muscles contract rhythmically, breathing intensifies - all these processes prevent crying.
Specially created purposefulness of actions switches attention from sad and sad thoughts to solving the problem. Distraction options: searching for keys in a bag, making a shopping list. It can be difficult to provoke anger or joy on your own, but with training this skill is developed. It is necessary to remember a funny or angry situation and the people who participated in it, and reproduce the images in your thoughts in as much detail as possible.
Transactional analysis
Psychotherapy using the method of transactional analysis is a more complex way of dealing with tearfulness. According to this direction, a person’s personality is represented by three states - Adult, Parent and Child. Tearfulness is most characteristic of the latter, since crying stores the conscious and subconscious experience of childhood. During psychotherapy sessions, the patient is taught to remain in the position of an Adult, analyze situations and make decisions, without allowing emotions to determine behavior. At the same time, attention shifts from experiences of the past and future to the state of “here and now.”
Drug therapy
Medications can be used to combat tearfulness. Their selection is carried out by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, depending on the combination of symptoms. If tearfulness manifests itself along with anxiety and increased irritability, anxiolytics, sedatives, and herbal sedatives are prescribed. For nervous exhaustion and signs of depression, antidepressants and tranquilizers are used, and for sleep disorders, sleeping pills are used.
Normalization of the daily routine
The basic cause of tearfulness is the instability of the processes of inhibition and excitation in the nervous system, therefore, to maintain emotional balance, it is necessary to adhere to the correct regime. The most important things are adequate sleep of at least 8 hours at night, regular exposure to fresh air, and alternation of mental and physical labor. Patients are advised to make a plan for the day and week, be sure to include walks, hobbies and sports that bring pleasure.
Sick soul from childhood
Passions have so consumed the world that even small children are susceptible to their destructive effects. Phones, tablets, computer games... Previously, we had a labor education, various household responsibilities, but now urbanization and technology have given people a lot of free time. And we used this free time for entertainment instead of spending it on studying spiritual laws. A child has been stricken with passions since childhood; he has already had a disfigured, sick soul since childhood. Passions are already higher than God, higher than love for Him. Many people simply don't understand this.
How to help a patient? What to do?
- You should know that the grief reaction, regardless of the cause that caused it, goes through several stages:
- Stage 1 - denial. “No, this can’t be!” - the patient thinks. The feeling of unreality, the impossibility of what is happening is a frequent sensation during this period...
- Stage 2 - anger. “Why did this happen to me?”, “This shouldn’t have happened to me!” - the suffering person is indignant.
- Stage 3 - immediate feeling of grief, grief, sadness. A person must mourn his loss, then he will feel better.
- Stage 4 - adaptation to new living conditions, filling the void, establishing new meanings and goals in life, new relationships.
- Normally, the grief reaction under severe stress goes through all stages within a year. In the case of extremely stressful situations (death of a spouse or child), the grief reaction resolves within 2-3 years. If a person cannot live fully after this period, he often has “flashbacks” - memories of the departed, of a stressful situation (we are not talking about forgetting about the departed loved one! - only about continuing to live normally and work without constantly being immersed in memories of the grief event), a pathological grief reaction appears to be taking place.
- The task of the doctor, to whom a patient came with an unresolved grief reaction, is to help him survive and go through those stages that he could not go through on his own and help him adapt to life in a new life situation.
- If a patient has an unresolved grief reaction accompanied by mental and physical symptoms of depression, antidepressant therapy may be necessary.
In the treatment of patients with adaptation disorders and psychosomatic disorders due to an unresolved grief reaction, it is necessary to provide not only pharmacological, but also psychological assistance.
The multidisciplinary CELT clinic employs highly qualified, experienced specialists. You can seek help from a neurologist, psychoneurologist, or psychologist. Timely contact with a specialist is the key to your future health. We are always happy to help!
Passions that destroy the soul
The Holy Fathers identify eight categories of passion: gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, sadness, despondency, vanity and pride.
There are minor illnesses - runny nose, cough, caries, and there is oncology, AIDS. These eight passions destroy the soul like serious illnesses. It is extremely difficult to escape from their power. It’s like paralysis - you would like to raise your hand, you would like to come up, but you can’t. You get tired of these passions. When you have an excessive love for stamps, you constantly collect - ten, fifteen, twenty-five years, the collection grows, and you seem to be glad to get rid of them, but you can’t. Passion binds: remember how much effort was spent, how much money, how much energy. And the main thing is that passions do not bring a person any satisfaction! A money lover saves money: one million, another, ten, a hundred - but he wants more and more. The fornicator changes women and cannot stop.
Causes of tearfulness
Tearfulness is often a symptom of a mental disorder - depression or neurasthenia. In addition, it can be caused by hormonal changes, diseases of the central nervous system, overwork or chronic stress. The causes of tearfulness are varied; tearfulness is often provoked by external events, but has a physiological basis.
Predisposing physiological factors
They say about some people that they are whiny since childhood, about others - on the contrary, that they never cry. Tearfulness most often develops on the basis of a physiological predisposition, which consists of the peculiarities of the functioning of the nervous system and the rate of production of certain hormones. Increased tearfulness is due to the following reasons:
- Instability of the nervous system.
With an unstable type of nervous activity, the processes of excitation and inhibition quickly replace each other, which is externally manifested by frequent mood swings and sudden emotional outbursts. People with this characteristic type of temperament are classified as melancholic or choleric. Tearfulness is characteristic of them from birth. - Hormonal imbalance.
Irritability and tearfulness intensify during periods of hormonal changes in the body in women: during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, after childbirth. Increased production of some hormones and a lack of others lead to changes in the activity of parts of the brain responsible for the emotional state. - Physical overload.
If the body is unprepared, intense sports or hard physical labor are a source of stress and disrupt the functioning of internal organs and systems. If it is impossible to fully restore strength, tearfulness and irritability increase, and fatigue accumulates. A state of exhaustion gradually develops. - Vitamin deficiency.
The reason for tearfulness due to poor nutrition is a lack of B vitamins. They are responsible for the functioning of the nervous system, the production of hormones, skin condition, and muscle tone. With their deficiency, irritability increases, mood and performance decrease, insomnia develops, and appetite worsens. With prolonged hypovitaminosis, depression, neuroses, hormonal disorders, and Beri-Beri disease develop.
Psychological factors
Psychological causes of tearfulness include personality traits formed during life and external stressful psychotraumatic influences. Depending on this, a distinction is made between people who are tearful in character and those whose excessive tearfulness is explained by the current difficult situation. The most obvious causes of tearfulness are:
- Features of education.
The reason for a child's tearfulness is the attitude of the parents. Sometimes crying becomes a tool to attract the attention of adults and get what they want. If parents do everything to stop the tears - they buy toys, allow them not to go home from a walk, not to wash themselves - the child develops hysterical character traits. Another reason for tearfulness is self-doubt, fears, and a feeling of uselessness. This type of character is called neurasthenic. With insufficient love and support from parents, tearfulness intensifies. - Stress.
Negative experiences caused by a traumatic situation or daily minor troubles can lead to a state of stress. At the initial stages, the body fights and activates physiological and mental reserves. Thanks to this, a person maintains the same performance and emotional balance. Then comes the stage of exhaustion - the body gets tired of fighting, and the adverse effects continue. At the physiological level, this manifests itself as headaches and general malaise; at the psychological level, it manifests itself as tearfulness, irritability, and depression. - Routine.
Not only stress, but also routine in everyday life can lead to nervous exhaustion. In situations of monotonous work with repetitive stereotypical actions and an impoverished external environment, performance decreases. Monotony is accompanied by the experience of boredom, apathy and dissatisfaction with life, and tearfulness. Women are especially susceptible to emotional disturbances. Their tearfulness increases in the absence of friendly communication and variety of leisure activities.
Mental disorders
Tearfulness and increased tearfulness develop in some mental disorders. All of them are accompanied by a decrease in the body’s adaptive abilities, fatigue, depression, and instability of emotions. Patients cry often, do not always have an external reason for crying, and do not control their condition. Tearfulness can be a symptom of the following disorders:
- Depression.
With depressive disorders, patients are almost constantly in a state of low mood, sadness, and sadness. They have no interest in what is happening, so it is difficult to distract them and cheer them up. Tears and crying appear easily, often without external reasons. - Astheno-neurotic syndrome.
Neurasthenia occurs when a combination of psychotraumatic effects and intense physical or mental stress. Chronic lack of sleep and emotional burnout can be a provoking factor. Manifested by irritability, easy fatigue, and tearfulness. - PTSD.
Sometimes, unexplained tearfulness is a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Sudden tears are triggered by memories of scary scenes and traumatic events from the past. Images pop up in the head involuntarily, in dreams and in reality, when the surrounding environment is somewhat reminiscent of an old situation (the same smell, sound, phrase). - Generalized anxiety disorder.
The causes of tearfulness in patients with an anxiety disorder are constant worry, fear, obsessive thoughts, and sleep disorders. With a long course of this pathology, panic attacks occur with vegetative crises (dizziness, breathing problems, palpitations). Tearfulness becomes even more noticeable, especially in women. - Childhood fears.
A characteristic feature of childhood is the ease of developing fears. They are formed under the influence of external situational influences and provoke the development of neurotic reactions, including crying. The cause of fear in infants and young children is the care of the mother. The more often the mother is absent, the more whiny the child becomes. Similarly, tearfulness in kindergarten develops with fear of strangers.
Somatic diseases
Frequent causes of tearfulness are physical illnesses. Frequent crying may indicate a change in brain function or severe hormonal imbalance. A more obvious connection cannot be ruled out: people cry when they experience pain and worry about the irreversible deterioration of their health and appearance. There are several somatic causes of tearfulness:
- Decreased quality of life.
Serious illnesses are characterized by limited mobility, deterioration of well-being, and changes in the patient’s appearance. Often patients are forced to give up their usual physical activity and communication, perform professional duties, and eat their favorite foods. This condition may be accompanied by reactive depression - crying, feelings of hopelessness, depression, uselessness. - Pain syndrome.
The feeling of frequent or constant pain is the cause of tearfulness in somatic patients, especially children. Physical suffering is manifested by a decrease in the patient’s activity, fixation on sensations coming from the body, depression and irritability. - Organic brain damage.
The cause of tearfulness is damage to nerve cells in the parts of the brain responsible for the formation of emotions and behavior. An example of such a disorder is “weakness”, tearfulness of the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, atherosclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. Similar emotional disorders are possible with brain tumors, neuroinfections, and after traumatic brain injuries. - Endocrine diseases.
Emotions are affected by endocrine pathologies such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and Addison's disease. A lack or excess of certain hormones causes sudden bursts of irritability, anger, and crying. As a rule, patients notice them, but cannot explain the cause.
