Sometimes it can be noted that a person who is nearby, as if not here – he is hovering in his thoughts, his eyes are defocused, and he does not hear what is happening around. This condition is usually characterized as “freezing”, “sticking”. What is hidden under such a condition, is it dangerous and is it necessary to fight it, aif.ru told Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Psychoanalyst, Clinical Psychologist of the Highest Qualification Category, Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Somnologist Aleksey Melekhin.
In fact, at this moment, a clouding of consciousness occurs – a person withdraws into himself, concentrates on one point or simply looks at one object, goes into thoughts. This can indicate a range of conditions.
What are the reasons?
One reason is cognitive overload. When the nervous system is sensory loaded, for example, you spent too much time in gadgets, re-read news and publics on the network, it turns on the braking mode, that is, the nervous system gets rid of something, which is why it stops active processes.
Sometimes this condition can be the result of depression, anxiety disorders, when a person subconsciously carries out alienation from himself.
Also, such defocusing and cognitive arrest can be an indicator of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When a person witnesses bad news, he captures a lot, he himself was a participant in some events. Willy-nilly, he will begin to react to some triggers, for example, smells that remind him of a traumatic event, sounds. These peculiar reminders cause the development of psychological paralysis – you can call it that.
What to pay attention to?
On the one hand, such stops perform a compensatory function for unloading the nervous system, on the other hand, they become an indicator of mood disorders, anxiety, and PTSD.
The classic picture of such a cognitive stop is as follows: a person sits and, for no apparent reason, begins to look at one point, as if “turning off”. This just indicates sensory or informational overload. The nervous system tenses up and, as it were, withdraws a person for a while. At these moments, he freezes, sometimes even forgets to breathe. Such cognitive stops usually last no more than a minute.
But it is important to look at what is accompanied by such situations. Maybe a person has muscular manifestations, for example, he clenches his teeth at the same time, does not blink. It should also alert if at this time he twitches his leg, moves his fingers, rolls his eyes. All these signs can already be a manifestation of neurological disorders – here you should see a doctor to determine the reasons for such downloads. After all, this may be a harbinger of an epileptic seizure or a general change in the functioning of the brain.
Also, such “freezes” can be a manifestation of a transient ischemic attack, when a failure occurs in the vessels of the brain. He doesn’t get enough oxygen. Often this situation is called a harbinger of a stroke.
Is it possible to fight?
If this situation indicates neurological disorders, of course, you should definitely consult a neurologist and undergo an examination.
In the event that the episodes clearly indicate an overload of the nervous system and do not cause concern for health, then relaxation can be fought. An easy way is when you feel overwhelmed by information, gadgets, or reading, use a neutral stimulus. For example, place a bright stimulus for the nervous system on the table in front of you, to which it will react – it will be distracted and switched with your help, and not tear you out of consciousness for a while. It can be some kind of plant, a photo of a loved one, a bright sticker – anything.
It is also worth taking on the functions of the nervous system and independently behaviorally falling into the “5 minutes I’m not here” mode. You can get up at this time, walk, but without gadgets in your hands. Then the nervous system will not have to unload itself.
Source: aif.ru
