Human behavior in an emergency situation. Features of behavior in extreme situations

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FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

State educational institution of higher professional education

"SOUTH URAL STATE UNIVERSITY"

Faculty of "Physical Culture and Sports"

Department of Theory and Methods of Physical Culture and Sports

Specialty "Pedagogical education"

EXPLANATORY NOTE TO COURSE WORK

in the discipline "Psychology"

SUSU-050100.2012.100 PZ KR

Human behavior in an emergency situation

annotation

Zemlyantseva V.V., Human Behavior in Extreme Situations - Chelyabinsk: SUSU

FKiS-186, 2013

Course work is devoted to the study of human behavior in extreme conditions, it shows the features of human behavior. The physiology of human behavior in extreme situations at different stages of human development has been studied. Various methods of studying behavior are given and conclusions are drawn over the predominance in the studied group of people. The development of human behavior, the conditions for development are presented. Recommended for teaching professions.

Introduction

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The psychology of extreme situations is one of the areas of applied psychology. It explores the problems associated with the assessment, prediction and optimization of mental states and human behavior in stressful situations.

In complex activities, stressful situations can arise - circumstances that give rise to significant difficulties and at the same time require quick, accurate and error-free actions from a person. The effectiveness of the actions of an individual, a team, a leader in a tense situation is largely determined by the high level of their readiness for them.

Relevance of the chosen topic. The problem of the state, behavior and activities of people in extreme situations in recent years has been a serious concern of scientists and practitioners around the world. Probably, it should be recognized that, despite the significant amount of sufficiently substantiated data on the impact of various extreme factors and the specifics of the organization of rescue and anti-terrorist operations, a number of aspects of the problem, in particular, the dynamics of the state and behavior of victims and hostages, are still among the least studied. At the same time, it is the specifics of the reactions of the victims, as well as their dynamics over time, that largely determine the strategy and tactics of anti-terrorist operations, rescue, medical, and medical-psychological measures, both immediately during an emergency and in the future.

1. The concept of an extreme situation

One of the successful attempts to construct a complete classification of situations was made by A.M. Stolyarenko. He divides situations into normal, paraextreme, extreme and hyperextreme (depending on the required activity and on the positiveness of the result achieved).

According to A.M. Stolyarenko, normal (ordinary) situations include those situations that do not create difficulties and any dangers for a person, but require normal activity from him. They usually end positively. Paraextreme situations cause strong internal stress, they can lead a person to failure. Extreme situations are characterized by the occurrence of extreme stress and overvoltage in a person. They set great objective and psychological tasks for the individual. In the event of their occurrence, the probability of success is sharply reduced and the risk of negative consequences increases.

Hyperextreme situations make demands on a person that exceed his abilities. They lead to a significant increase in internal tension, violations of normal behavior and activities.

An extreme situation is such a complication of the conditions of activity, which has acquired special significance for the individual, the team. In other words, complex objective conditions of activity become a tense situation when they are perceived, understood, evaluated by people as difficult, dangerous, etc.

Researchers unanimously point out that regardless of the duration of an extreme event, its consequences are devastating for a person. At the same time, the clinical picture is not strictly individual in nature, but is reduced to a small number of fairly typical manifestations, very reminiscent of the initial symptoms of somatic, and sometimes mental illness.

2. The impact of an extreme situation on the mental and psychophysiological state of a person

The following factors also influence a person’s perception of the situation and assessment of the degree of its difficulty, extremeness: the degree of positivity of self-esteem, self-confidence, the level of subjective control, the presence of positive thinking, the severity of motivation to achieve success, and others. The behavior of a person in a situation is determined by the characteristics of a person's temperament (anxiety, response rate, etc.) and his character (the severity of certain accentuations).

We single out in the dynamics of the state of the victims (without severe grasses) 6 successive stages:

1. "Vital reactions" - lasting from a few seconds to 5 - 15 minutes, when behavior is almost completely subordinated to the imperative of preserving one's own life, with a characteristic narrowing of consciousness, a reduction in moral norms and restrictions, disturbances in the perception of time intervals and the strength of external and internal stimuli . During this period, the implementation of predominantly instinctive forms of behavior is characteristic, subsequently turning into a short-term (nevertheless - with a very wide variability) state of stupor.

2. "The stage of acute psycho-emotional shock with the phenomena of overmobilization." This stage, as a rule, developed after a short-term state of stupor, lasted from 3 to 5 hours and was characterized by general mental stress, extreme mobilization of psychophysiological reserves, aggravation of perception and an increase in the speed of thought processes, manifestations of reckless courage (especially when saving loved ones) with a simultaneous decrease in critical assessment of the situation, but maintaining the ability to expedient activities. The emotional state during this period was dominated by a feeling of despair, accompanied by sensations of dizziness and headache, as well as palpitations, dry mouth, thirst and shortness of breath. Behavior during this period is subordinated almost exclusively to the imperative of saving loved ones with the subsequent implementation of ideas about morality, professional and official duty. Despite the presence of rational components, it is during this period that panic reactions and infection of others are most likely, which can significantly complicate rescue operations.

3. "Stage of psychophysiological demobilization" - its duration is up to three days. In the absolute majority of cases, the onset of this stage was associated with an understanding of the scale of the tragedy (“stress of awareness”) and contacts with the seriously injured and the bodies of the dead, as well as the arrival of rescue and medical teams. The most characteristic for this period were a sharp deterioration in well-being and psycho-emotional state with a predominance of a feeling of confusion (up to a state of a kind of prostration), individual panic reactions (often irrational, but realized without any energy potential), a decrease in the moral normative behavior, refusal of any activity and motivation for it. At the same time, pronounced depressive tendencies, disturbances in the function of attention and memory were observed.

4. Following the “psychophysiological demobilization” (with a relatively high individual variability of terms), the development of the 4th stage, the “resolution stage” (from 3 to 12 days), was observed with sufficient constancy. During this period, according to the subjective assessment, the mood and well-being gradually stabilized. However, according to the results of objective data and included observation, the absolute majority of the examined patients retained a reduced emotional background, limited contacts with others, hypomimia (masque of the face), decreased intonational coloring of speech, slowness of movements, sleep and appetite disturbances, as well as various psychosomatic reactions (mainly from the side of cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and hormonal sphere). By the end of this period, most of the victims had a desire to “speak out”, which was implemented selectively, directed mainly at persons who were not eyewitnesses of the tragic events, and was accompanied by some agitation. Against the background of subjective signs of some improvement in the condition, a further decrease in psychophysiological reserves (by the type of hyperactivation) was objectively noted, the phenomena of overwork progressively increased, and indicators of physical and mental performance significantly decreased.

5. The “recovery stage” of the psychophysiological state (5th) began mainly at the end of the second week after exposure to the extreme factor and initially manifested itself most clearly in behavioral reactions: interpersonal communication became more active, the emotional coloring of speech and facial reactions began to normalize, for the first time jokes appeared that caused emotional response from others, dreams were restored in the majority of those examined.

6. At a later date (in a month) in 12% - 22% of the victims, persistent sleep disturbances, unmotivated fears, recurring nightmares, obsessions, delusional-hallucinatory states and some others were detected, and signs of astheno-neurotic reactions in combination with psychosomatic violations of the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and endocrine systems were determined in 75% of the victims ("stage of delayed reactions"). At the same time, internal and external conflictogenicity was growing, requiring special approaches.

3. Features of behavior in extreme situations

It has been established that the behavioral reactions of a person in extreme conditions, their temporal characteristics, and the psychophysiological capabilities of people in general are extremely variable values, depending on the characteristics of the nervous system, life experience, professional knowledge, skills, motivation, and style of activity.

At present, it is almost impossible to derive an integral form of human behavior in a tense situation. Nevertheless, there is more and more evidence that psychological factors - individual qualities, abilities of a person, his skills, readiness, attitudes, general and special training, his character and temperament - in a difficult environment are not summed arithmetically, but form a certain complex that ultimately realized either in right or wrong action.

In general, an extreme situation is a set of obligations and conditions that have a strong psychological impact on a person.

Style of behavior in an extreme situation

Behavior in a state of affect.

Affect is characterized by a high degree of emotional experiences, which leads to the mobilization of a person's physical and psychological resources. In practice, quite often there are cases when physically weak people in a state of strong emotional excitement perform actions that they could not perform in a calm environment. For example, they inflict a large amount of lethal damage or plant an oak door with one blow. Another manifestation of affect is a partial loss of memory, which characterizes not every affective reaction. In some cases, the subject does not remember the events preceding the affect, and the events that occurred during the latter.

The affect is accompanied by the excitation of all mental activity. As a result, the person has a decrease in control over their behavior. This circumstance leads to the fact that the commission of a crime in a state of passion entails specific legal consequences.

The Criminal Code does not say anything about the fact that a person in a state of passion has a limited ability to realize the nature of his actions or control them. This is not necessary, since strong emotional excitement is characterized by a limitation of consciousness and will. It is the “narrowing” of the latter that allows us to say that the state of passion has a certain legal significance. “From the position of criminal law, such emotional states of the accused can be recognized as legally significant, which significantly limited his volitional purposeful behavior.”

Affect has a significant impact on a person's mental activity, disorganizing it and affecting higher mental functions. Thinking loses its flexibility, the quality of thought processes decreases, which causes a person to realize only the immediate goals of his actions, and not the final ones. Attention is entirely concentrated on the source of irritation. That is, a person's ability to choose a behavior model is limited due to strong emotional stress. Because of this, there is a sharp decrease in control over actions, which leads to a violation of the expediency, purposefulness and sequence of actions.

A sudden strong emotional disturbance is preceded by one of the following situations described in the law.

Violence, bullying, grave insult, other illegal or immoral actions (inaction) of the victim. Here, the state of passion is formed under the influence of a one-time and very significant event for the culprit. For example: a spouse who suddenly returned from a business trip discovers with his own eyes the fact of adultery.

A long-term psychotraumatic situation arising in connection with the systematic illegal or immoral behavior of the victim. An affective reaction is formed as a result of a long-term "accumulation" of negative emotions, which leads to emotional stress. In this case, another fact of unlawful or immoral behavior is enough for an affect to arise.

According to the meaning of the law, affect arises in connection with certain actions or inaction of the victim. But in practice there are cases when a sudden strong emotional excitement causes illegal or immoral behavior of several people. At the same time, for the development of an affective reaction, a combination of actions (inaction) of two or more persons is necessary, that is, the behavior of one of them, in isolation from the behavior of the other, might not be the reason for the onset of affect.

Behavior under stress

Stress is an emotional state that suddenly arises in a person under the influence of an extreme situation associated with a danger to life or an activity that requires great stress. Stress, like affect, is the same strong and short-term emotional experience. Therefore, some psychologists consider stress as one of the types of affect. But this is far from the case, since they have their own distinctive features. Stress, first of all, occurs only in the presence of an extreme situation, while affect can arise for any reason. The second difference is that affect disorganizes the psyche and behavior, while stress not only disorganizes, but also mobilizes the organization's defenses to get out of an extreme situation.

Stress can have both positive and negative effects on personality. A positive role is played by stress, performing a mobilization function, a negative role is having a harmful effect on the nervous system, causing mental disorders and various kinds of diseases of the body.

Stress affects people's behavior in different ways. Some, under the influence of stress, show complete helplessness and are unable to withstand stressful influences, while others, on the contrary, are stress-resistant individuals and show themselves best in moments of danger and in activities that require the exertion of all forces.

Frustrated Behavior

A special place in the consideration of stress is occupied by a psychological state that arises as a result of a real or imagined obstacle that prevents the achievement of a goal, called frustration.

Defensive reactions during frustration are associated with the appearance of aggressiveness or avoiding a difficult situation (transferring actions to an imaginary plan), and it is also possible to reduce the complexity of behavior. Frustration can lead to a number of characterological changes associated with self-doubt or fixation of rigid forms of behavior.

The mechanism of frustration is quite simple: first, a stressful situation arises, leading to an overstrain of the nervous system, and then this tension is “discharged” into one or another of the most vulnerable systems.

Distinguish positive and negative reactions to frustration.

Level of anxiety in extreme situations

Anxiety is an emotional experience in which a person experiences discomfort from the uncertainty of perspective.

The evolutionary significance of anxiety lies in the mobilization of the body in extreme situations. A certain level of anxiety is necessary for the normal functioning and productivity of a person.

Normal anxiety helps to adapt to different situations. It increases in conditions of high subjective significance of the choice, an external threat with a lack of information and time.

Pathological anxiety, although it can be provoked by external circumstances, is due to internal psychological and physiological causes. It is disproportionate to the real threat or not related to it, and most importantly, it is not adequate to the significance of the situation and drastically reduces productivity and adaptive capacity. The clinical manifestations of pathological anxiety are diverse and can be paroxysmal or permanent in nature, manifesting both mental and - even predominantly - somatic symptoms.

Most often, anxiety is considered as a negative state associated with the experience of stress. The state of anxiety can vary in intensity and change over time as a function of the level of stress to which the individual is exposed, but the experience of anxiety is inherent in any person in adequate situations.

The causes that cause anxiety and affect the change in its level are diverse and can lie in all spheres of human life. Conventionally, they are divided into subjective and objective reasons. Subjective reasons include informational reasons associated with an incorrect idea of the outcome of the upcoming nature, leading to an overestimation of the subjective significance of the outcome of the upcoming event. Among the objective causes of anxiety, there are extreme conditions that place high demands on the human psyche and are associated with the uncertainty of the outcome of the situation.

Post-stress anxiety develops after extreme, usually unexpected situations - fires, floods, participation in hostilities, rape, kidnapping of a child. Also commonly observed are anxiety, irritability, headache, increased quadrigeminal reflex (reaction to a sudden stimulus), sleep disturbances and nightmares, including pictures of the experienced situation, feelings of loneliness and distrust, feelings of inferiority, avoidance of communication and any activities that may recall what happened. events. If this whole complex develops after a certain latent period after an extreme situation and leads to significant impairment of life, then a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder is made. Post-stress anxiety is less likely to develop if a person is active during an extreme situation.

emergency behavior

4. Readiness of a person to work in extreme situations

A special place should be given to the psychological stability of police officers - as a kind of foundation for professional readiness to perform actions in extreme conditions of operational and official activities.

Psychological stability is understood as a holistic characteristic of a person, which ensures its resistance to the frustrating and stressful effects of difficult situations.

A law enforcement officer (police patrol service, detention groups of non-departmental security, operational workers, etc.) more often than anyone else finds himself in difficult and sometimes dangerous psychological situations in his daily work, which have a stressful effect on the psyche of an employee.

Therefore, the psychological training of employees in the educational institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be aimed at developing resistance to:

Negative factors of operational activities: tension, responsibility, risk, danger, lack of time, uncertainty, surprise, etc.;

Factors that strongly affect the psyche: the type of blood, corpse, bodily injury, etc .;

Situations of confrontation: the ability to conduct a psychological struggle with persons who oppose the prevention, detection and investigation of crimes, to resist psychological pressure, manipulation from both law-abiding citizens and offenders; do not succumb to provocations, etc.;

Conflict situations in official activities: the ability to analyze the internal causes of the conflict, understand the patterns of their occurrence, course and ways to resolve conflict situations: insult and violence against a person, hooliganism, robbery, murder, resistance to a representative of authority, verbal and physical aggression, etc. ; the ability to control oneself in psychologically tense, conflict, provoking situations.

Frequent exposure to dangerous and sometimes life-threatening situations requires these individuals to be able to control themselves, quickly assess difficult situations and make the most appropriate decisions, which will contribute to more efficient performance of tasks and reduce emergencies and disruptions in professional activities among the personnel of internal affairs bodies. affairs.

5. Questionnaire "Inventory of symptoms of stress"

Answer options

Never, Rarely, Often, Always

1. Are you easily annoyed by little things? (1,2,3,4)

2. Do you get nervous if you have to wait for something? (1,2,3,4,)

3. Do you blush when you are embarrassed? (1,2,3,4)

4. Can you offend someone in annoyance? (1,2,3,4)

5. Does criticism drive you crazy? (1,2,3,4)

6. If you are pushed in public transport, will you try to answer the offender in the same way or say something offensive; do you often press the horn when driving a car? (1,2,3,4)

7. Are you constantly doing something, is all your time filled with activities? (1,2,3,4)

8. Have you been late lately or come early? (1,2,3,4)

9. Do you often interrupt others, supplement statements? (1,2,3,4)

10. Do you suffer from lack of appetite? (1,2,3,4)

11. Do you often experience causeless anxiety? (1,2,3,4)

12. Do you feel dizzy in the morning? (1,2,3,4)

13. Are you constantly tired? (1,2,3,4)

14. Even after a long sleep, do you feel overwhelmed? (1,2,3,4)

15. Do you have heart problems?(1,2,3,4)

16. Do you suffer from back and neck pain? (1,2,3,4)

17. Do you often drum your fingers on the table, and when sitting, shake your leg? (1,2,3,4)

18. Do you dream of recognition, do you want to be praised for what you do? (1,2,3,4)

19. Do you consider yourself better than others, but, as a rule, no one notices this? (1,2,3,4)

20. Can't concentrate on what you need to do? (1,2,3,4)

Inventory of stress symptoms

Introductory remarks

The technique allows to develop observation of stress signs, to carry out self-assessment of the frequency of their manifestation and the degree of susceptibility to the negative consequences of stress.

Processing and interpretation of results. The total number of points scored is calculated.

Up to 30 points. You live calmly and intelligently, coping with the problems that life presents. You do not suffer from false modesty or excessive ambition. However, we advise you to check your answers with someone who knows you well: people with such a score often see themselves in pink.

31-45 points. Your life is characterized by activity and tension. You are stressed both in the positive sense of the word (strive to achieve something) and in the negative sense (enough problems and worries). Most likely, you will continue to live the same way, just try to make a little time for yourself.

45-60 points. Your life is an ongoing struggle. You are ambitious and dream of a career. You are quite dependent on other people's assessments, which constantly keeps you in a state of stress. This lifestyle may lead you to success on a personal or professional front, but it is unlikely to bring you joy. Everything will flow like water through your fingers. Avoid unnecessary arguments, suppress anger caused by small things, do not always try to achieve the maximum, abandon this or that plan from time to time.

Over 60 points. You live like a driver who presses on the gas and on the brake at the same time. Change your lifestyle. The stress you are experiencing threatens your health and your future. If a change in lifestyle seems impossible to you, try to at least respond to the recommendation.

Conclusion

Modern conditions in which representatives of many professions work, in particular military personnel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Defense, law enforcement officers, drivers of vehicles, train drivers, operators of nuclear power plants and some others, can be fully called special, and sometimes even extreme.

It can be said that psychological preparation for special and extreme activities is a purposeful impact on a person with the help of psychological and psychophysiological methods aimed at forming her psychological readiness for adequate actions in such situations.

Under psychological readiness is meant a system of psychological and psychophysiological characteristics of the subject, ensuring the success and effectiveness of certain actions and activities.

Bibliography

1. Adaev A.I. Evaluation and forecast of the psychological readiness of police officers to work in extreme situations. - St. Petersburg, 2004.

2. Vasiliev V.A. Legal psychology. - M., 2002.

3. Smirnov B.A., Dolgopolova E.V. Psychology of activity in extreme situations. -- Kharkov: Humanitarian Center, 2007.

4. Dyachenko M.I. Willingness to work in stressful situations. - Minsk: Aspect, 1985.

5. Zinchenko I.V. Psychology of personality in crisis situations. - Rostov-on-Don: RSU, 2006.

6. Sandomiersky M.E. How to cope with stress: simple recipes or the road to childhood. - Voronezh: MODEK, 2000.

7. Sorokun P.A. Fundamentals of psychology. - Pskov: PGPU, 2005.

6. Stolyarenko A.M. General and professional psychology. - M.: Nauka, 2003.

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Man in an emergency

Pressure drop
A sharp decrease in the pressure of the inhaled gas mixture leads to the appearance of decompression sickness. It is encountered by divers during a rapid ascent to the surface. As a result, gases dissolved in the blood and tissues of the body begin to be released in the form of bubbles into the blood of the victim and destroy the walls of cells and blood vessels, blocking the blood flow. If severe, decompression sickness can lead to paralysis or death.
Overload
Each person on Earth is subjected to a load of 1 g. A passenger experiences an overload of 1.5 g during takeoff. When launching a rocket, astronauts are subjected to an overload of 3–4 g. In pilots, the overload can reach 10 g, which means that the body weight increases 10 times.

For a person, the direction of action of the overload is very important. If the overload goes from the head to the legs, then with prolonged exposure, all internal organs are shifted down, and if from the legs to the head, then the abdominal organs are pressed against the diaphragm, creating pressure on the heart and lungs.

The most favorable position of the human body, in which he can perceive the greatest overloads, is lying on his back, facing the direction of acceleration of movement. Therefore, the astronauts' chairs are arranged in this way.

US Air Force officer John Stapp accelerated to 1,017 km / h in a special installation with the help of rocket propulsion. During this acceleration, John sustained an overload of 46.2 g. For comparison: for a car driver to experience an overload of 46.2 g, he must accelerate to 100 km / h in 0.06 seconds!
Carbon monoxide poisoning
It is the main cause of death in fires. At very high concentrations of this gas, death can occur within as little as 1 minute.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, enters the bloodstream quickly. Under its influence, some of the hemoglobin is converted into carboxyhemoglobin, a compound that prevents red blood cells from transferring oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body.

Nerve cells are more dependent on oxygen than others, so the nervous system is the first to suffer from CO, which causes headaches, nausea and loss of coordination.
hypothermia
With a long stay in the cold, the body tries to reduce heat loss, due to which the vessels on the surface of the body begin to narrow. This defense mechanism allows us to retain more of the warm blood necessary for the functioning of the internal organs.

Prolonged exposure to cold causes changes in tissue cells, including due to insufficient blood supply. In especially severe cases, tissues begin to die.

Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to drink alcohol in the cold, because it promotes vasodilation, and hence an increase in body heat loss.
Sunstroke
Prolonged exposure to sunlight leads to overheating of not only the skin, but also the surface of the brain due to exposure to infrared radiation. This leads to vasodilation, and later to cerebral edema, in which the medulla is compressed.

In addition, due to a lack of oxygen, neurons begin to die, which disrupts the work of all body systems.
altitude sickness
Altitude sickness develops due to a lack of oxygen in the air and, as a result, in the blood. Being at high altitude, climbers suffer from its variety - mountain sickness, in which hypoxia is aggravated by fatigue, hypothermia and other factors.

At an altitude of more than 4,000 meters above sea level, there is a high probability of pulmonary and cerebral edema, which can cause death. It is noted that one of the symptoms of altitude sickness is often a violation of consciousness. So, for example, climbers may resist attempts to save them and rush up or refuse to descend, wanting to stay in the mountains forever.
Hunger
The level of glucose in the blood begins to decrease within a few hours after eating. To get the glucose it needs, the body begins to take it from strategic reserves stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.

Therefore, during starvation, muscles primarily suffer, but the decrease in adipose tissue begins only when the body has used up all glucose reserves. After that, the body is mistaken for proteins, which leads to the destruction of bones and subsequently leads to a weakening of the immune system.

Introduction

The history of studying the psychological, medical-psychological and psychosocial consequences of the impact on a person of various emergency circumstances has more than one decade. Well-known psychologists and psychiatrists W. James, P. Janet, Z. Freud, W. Frankl dealt with this topic one way or another. Psychoemotional states that develop in a person who has been in an extreme situation are also studied in domestic science within the framework of extreme psychology and the branch of psychiatry dealing with the problems of psychogeny8. However, most of the publications on this issue are thematically scattered.

An emergency situation is a situation in a certain territory that has developed as a result of an accident, a natural hazard, a catastrophe, a natural or other disaster that may or have caused human casualties, damage to human health or the environment, significant material losses and violation of people's living conditions. .

An extreme situation can be understood as changed, unusual and unusual conditions of a person's existence, for which his psychophysiological organization is not ready. In social science there is still no single theory that would describe the features of mental activity and human behavior in unusual conditions of existence.

The emergency situation is:

functioning condition: external determination;

property, the state of the social systems themselves: internal determination.

To understand the mechanism of action of extreme situations, it is important to have a clear idea of their types and varieties. There are several approaches to identifying types of emergencies:

by the scale of the scope: local, municipal, intermunicipal, regional, interregional and federal;

according to the dynamics of development and the time of elimination of consequences: strategic, leading quickly to catastrophic consequences, slowly developing, operational with a local nature of consequences;

by types of damage: with human casualties, with material damage;

according to the source of occurrence: natural, man-made, biological-social and military.

space and aviation flights;

deep sea diving;

stay in hard-to-reach areas of the globe;

stay deep underground (in mines);

natural disasters: floods, fires, hurricanes, snow drifts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rock falls, mountain snow avalanches, landslides and mudflows;

testing of new highly sophisticated equipment;

transport, industrial, ecological disasters;

war activities;

epidemics;

domestic disasters such as fires;

criminal situations: committing terrorist acts, taking hostages;

reactionary political upheavals;

riots, etc.

The criteria for classifying emergencies by scale are: the number of the affected population, the amount of material damage, as well as the boundaries of the zones of distribution of damaging factors. However, social resonance very often depends not on the number of victims, but on the conditions under which the disaster occurred. An example is the nuclear submarine Kursk, which sank in August 2000 in an accident that killed 118 people. As a result of numerous terrorist attacks committed on the territory of our country, man-made accidents and natural disasters, more people die, but these events do not receive such wide coverage in the media.

With the development of civilization, with the use of more and more new technologies, the progress of scientific research, the threat of man-made disasters is constantly increasing. In the world there are a large number of warehouses with stocks of combustible, explosive, highly toxic and radioactive substances. In addition, there is a huge amount of chemical and bacteriological weapons. All these stocks are stored for a long time, often without proper revision and disposal, the storage facilities are often in disrepair. Wear and tear of equipment often exceeds acceptable standards: for example, 40% of pipelines for pumping gas and oil have served their time. The zone of increased danger is transport communications, electric power facilities. It is believed that 30% of the population lives in dangerous areas, and 10% in extremely dangerous areas. In conditions of low technological discipline, chronic lack of financial and material resources to maintain fixed assets in working order, the likelihood of mass accidents, man-made disasters and other emergencies increases.

Questions of human psychology in emergency situations must be considered in order to prepare the population, rescuers, leaders for action in extreme situations.

When considering the issues of human behavior in emergency situations, much attention is paid to the psychology of fear. In everyday life, in extreme conditions, a person constantly has to overcome dangers that threaten his existence, which causes (generates) fear, i.e. short-term or long-term emotional process generated by real or imaginary danger. Fear is an alarm signal, but not just an alarm, but a signal that causes a person's likely protective actions.

Fear causes unpleasant sensations in a person - this is a negative effect of fear, but fear is also a signal, a command for individual or collective protection, since the main goal facing a person is to stay alive, to prolong his existence.

It should be borne in mind that the most frequent, significant and dynamic are the rash, unconscious actions of a person as a result of his reaction to danger.

The greatest danger to a person is represented by factors that can cause his death as a result of various aggressive influences - these are various physical, chemical, biological factors, high and low temperatures, ionizing (radioactive) radiation. All these factors require different ways of protecting a person and a group of people, i.e. individual and collective methods of protection, which include: the desire of a person to move beyond the limits of the damaging factors (to run away from danger, protect himself with a screen, etc.); an energetic attack by a person of a source of possible damaging factors to weaken their action or destroy the source of possible damaging factors.

The special conditions in which a person may find himself, as a rule, cause him psychological and emotional tension. As a result, for some this is accompanied by the mobilization of internal vital resources; in others - a decrease or even a breakdown in working capacity, deterioration in health, physiological and psychological stressful11 phenomena. It depends on the individual characteristics of the organism, working conditions and upbringing, awareness of ongoing events and understanding of the degree of danger.

In all difficult situations, moral hardening and the mental state of a person play a decisive role. They determine readiness for conscious, confident and prudent actions at any critical moments.

1. The essence and content of the psychology of behavior in emergency situations

The psychology of states combines the vast experience of world psychological science in the field of the study of mental states. The psychology of states also includes the consideration of certain types of states, including those arising in emergency situations. Tension states (stress states) were studied by T.A. Nemchin, L.P. Grimak V.I. Lebedev. Emotional states arising in emergency situations were studied by A.O. Prokhorov, A Kempinski and others.

Among mental phenomena, one of the main places belongs to mental states. At the same time, despite the intensive study of the problem of mental states, a lot of it remains unclear. According to T.A. Nemchin, "successful development of this problem is necessary because mental states significantly determine the nature of human activity."

I.P. Pavlov believed that psychology is the science of our states, and that thanks to it one can imagine the whole complexity of the subjective.

Against the backdrop of controversy and a wide variety of opinions about the definition, composition, structures, functions, mechanisms, classifications and other problems associated with the mental state, many authors remain unanimous about the great, if not decisive, significance of research on this mental phenomenon for psychology. So, N.D. Levitov, who first put the concept of "mental state" in the status of a psychological category, believed that the solution of this problem fills the existing gap in psychology - the gap between the doctrine of mental processes and the mental properties of the individual. On this occasion, Yu.E. Sosnovikova writes: "It is impossible to understand the psyche as a whole without examining its specific integral manifestations in the form of mental states."

So, let's scroll through the works of different authors. There is a term "tense situations" - M.I. Dyachenko, L.A. Kandybovich, V.A. Ponomarenko, "extreme conditions" - L.G. Wild, "difficult situations" - A.V. Libin, “stress11 situations” - G. Selye, Kitaev-Smyk, “emergency situations - V.V. Avdeev, "emergency situations" - A.F. Maidykov, "abnormal conditions" - V.D. Tumanov, "special conditions" - S.A. Shapkin, L.G. Wild. The term "extreme situations" is used by the following authors: T.A. Nemchin, V.G. Androsyuk, V.I. Lebedev, G.V. Suvorov, M.P. Mingalieva, T.S. Nazarova, V.S. Shapovalenko and others.

Ukrainian scientists M.I. Dyachenko, L.A. Kandybovich, V.A. Ponomarenko also point out the importance of the subjective perception of an emergency (in their interpretation of a difficult) situation: “A tense situation is such a complication of the conditions of activity that has acquired special significance for the individual. In other words, complex objective conditions of activity become a tense situation when they are perceived, understood, evaluated by people as difficult, dangerous, etc. Any situation presupposes the involvement of the subject in it. This applies all the more to a tense situation that combines a certain content of objective activity with the needs, motives, goals, and relationships of a person. Consequently, a tense situation, like any situation, embodies the unity of the objective and the subjective. Objective - these are complicated conditions and the process of activity; subjective - state, attitudes, methods of action in dramatically changed circumstances. The common thing that characterizes tense situations is the emergence of a task that is quite difficult for the subject, a “difficult” mental state.

V.G. Androsyuk in his book "Pedagogy and Psychology" comes to the following conclusion: "an emergency is a state of the life system that is dangerous for life and health, unfavorable for the functioning of the human psyche and can cause tension."

Based on the foregoing, we list the main characteristics of an emergency:

This is an extreme situation, with a very strong impact that goes beyond the range of human capabilities.

These are complicated conditions of activity that are subjectively perceived, understood and evaluated by a person as difficult, dangerous, etc.

The situation causes the emergence of a rather difficult task for the subject, a “difficult” mental state.

An emergency situation leads to the emergence of a state of dynamic mismatch and requires maximum mobilization of the body's resources.

This situation causes negative functional states, violations of the psychological regulation of activity, and thereby reduces the efficiency and reliability of activity.

A person is faced with the impossibility of realizing his motives, aspirations, values, interests.

An emergency situation is dangerous to life and health, unfavorable for the functioning of the human psyche. Factors that generate mental tension can in some cases have a positive mobilizing effect on a person, and in others - a negative, disorganizing effect. Let us consider the positive, mobilizing changes in the emotional, cognitive and behavioral spheres of a person caused by the impact of such situations.

According to V.G. Androsyuk, such changes include:

-decrease in thresholds of sensations, acceleration of sensitive and motor reactions. A person shows the ability to more accurately assess stimuli, quickly responds to all changes in environmental conditions;

-reduced fatigue, -disappearance or dulling of the feeling of fatigue. A person increases endurance and performance, manifests unpretentiousness in uncomfortable situational conditions;

-increased readiness for decisive and bold action. Volitional qualities are manifested, the decision-making stage is reduced, forecasting the development of the situation is optimally combined with sound risk;

-activation of business motives, sense of duty. A person has a business excitement, the final and intermediate goals of activity are defined clearly and unambiguously;

-activation of cognitive activity. A person shows sharpness of perception, actively turns on the reserves of operational and long-term memory. Creative abilities are updated, thinking is characterized by dynamism, flexibility, active and successful search for non-standard solutions. Intuition is widely used.

-showing interest and enthusiasm. In solving problems, a person mobilizes his psychological capabilities and special abilities.

The ability to withstand an emergency has three components:

Physiological stability due to the state of the physical and physiological qualities of the body (constitutional features, type of nervous system, autonomic plasticity);

Mental stability due to training and the general level of personality traits (special skills of action in an extreme situation, the presence of positive motivation, etc.);

Psychological readiness (active state, mobilization of all forces and capabilities for the upcoming actions).

Different authors give different definitions of the concept of "mental state". Some of them, for example, James, identify the concepts of "state" and "process", others reduce the concept of "mental state" to the concept of "state of consciousness", others, one way or another, connect the mental state with the characteristics of the emotional sphere.

It seems that the most complete definition of the mental state of D.N. Levitova: "this is an integral characteristic of mental activity for a certain period of time, showing the originality of the course of mental processes depending on the reflected objects and phenomena of reality, previous states and mental properties of the individual." An analysis of the behavior and state of a person in an extreme situation shows that the most powerful stimulus leading to erroneous actions is the incompleteness of information.

P.V. Simonov developed the information theory of emotions, according to which, with a shortage of available information, a negative emotion appears, reaching a maximum in the case of a complete absence of information. Positive emotion occurs when the available information exceeds the information needed to satisfy a given need. Thus, in a number of cases, the knowledge and awareness of the individual remove emotions, change the emotional mood and mental state of the individual, open access to the internal resources of a person.

"Will is a person's conscious regulation of his behavior and activities, associated with overcoming internal and external obstacles." Overcoming obstacles by a person requires volitional effort - a special state of neuropsychic tension that mobilizes his physical, intellectual and moral forces. Will manifests itself as a person's confidence in his abilities, as the determination to perform the act that he considers appropriate and necessary in a particular situation.

Since the state is a multidimensional phenomenon, any state can be described by a wide range of parameters. One or the other parameter can be the leading one. What state parameters come to the fore in an emergency? First of all, tension.

Tension in the dictionary of psychology by J. Drever is defined as "a feeling of tension, tension, a general feeling of imbalance and readiness to change behavior when faced with any threatening situational factor." Such factors can be increased workload, lack of time, lack of information, etc. According to L.V. Kulikov, it is these factors that are the real cause of tension, and not the experiences caused by them, which are a natural reaction to the situation. Therefore, with the interpretation of emotions as a cause of tension, according to L.V. Kulikov, it is difficult to fully agree. The role of emotion is quite accurately defined by A.V. Zaporozhets, who wrote that emotion is not the process of activation itself, but a special form of reflection of reality, through which the mental control of activation is carried out, or, it would be more correct to say, the mental regulation of the general direction and dynamics of behavior is carried out.

2. Mental states of people in extreme situations

Mental states of people in extreme situations are diverse. At the initial moment, the reaction of people is predominantly of a vital orientation, due to the instinct of self-preservation. The level of expediency of such reactions is different in different individuals - from panic and senseless to consciously purposeful.

Hypermobilization in the initial period is inherent in almost all people, but if it is combined with a state of panic, it may not lead to the salvation of people.

Extreme situations are characterized by a number of significant psychogenic8 features that have a destructive, devastating effect on the human somatics and psyche. These include the following psychogenic8 factors:

Panic is one of the mental states inherent in extreme situations. It is characterized by defects in thinking, the loss of conscious control and understanding of ongoing events, the transition to instinctive defensive movements, actions that may partially or completely not correspond to the situation. A person rushes about, not realizing what he is doing, or becomes numb, numb, there is a loss of orientation, a violation of the relationship between the main and secondary actions, the collapse of the structure of actions and operations, an aggravation of the defensive reaction, refusal to act, etc. This causes and exacerbates the severity of the consequences of the situation .

Altered afferentation is a specific response of the body in dramatically changed, unusual conditions of existence. It is clearly manifested when exposed to weightlessness, high or low temperatures, high or low pressure. It can be accompanied (except for vegetative reactions) by severe disorders of self-awareness, orientation in space.

Affectation is a strong and relatively short-term neuropsychic excitation. It is characterized by an altered emotional state associated with a change in important life circumstances for the subject. Outwardly, it manifests itself in pronounced movements, violent emotions, accompanied by changes in the functions of internal organs, loss of volitional control. Occurs in response to an event that has already occurred and is shifted to its end. At the heart of affectation lies the experienced state of internal conflict, generated by the contradictions between the demands made on a person and the possibilities to fulfill them.

Agiotation is an affective reaction that occurs in response to a threat to life, an emergency, and other psychogenic factors. It manifests itself in the form of severe anxiety, anxiety, loss of focus on actions. A person fusses and is able to perform only simple automated actions. There is a feeling of emptiness and lack of thoughts, the ability to reason, to establish complex connections between phenomena is disturbed. This is accompanied by vegetative disorders: pallor, rapid breathing, palpitations, hand tremors, etc. Agiotia is regarded as a pre-pathological condition within the psychological norm. In emergency situations among rescuers, firefighters, and representatives of other professions associated with risk, it is often perceived as confusion.

Monotony is a functional state that occurs during prolonged monotonous work. It is characterized by a decrease in the general level of activity, loss of conscious control over the performance of actions, deterioration of attention and short-term memory, a decrease in sensitivity to external stimuli, a predominance of stereotypical movements and actions, a feeling of boredom, drowsiness, lethargy, apathy, loss of interest in the environment.

Desynchronosis is a mismatch between the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness, which leads to asthenia of the nervous system and the development of neuroses.

A change in the perception of the spatial structure is a state that occurs in situations where there are no objects at all in a person's field of vision.

Restriction of information, especially personally significant, is a condition that contributes to the development of emotional instability.

Solitary social isolation (for a long time) is a manifestation of loneliness, one of the forms of which is the “creation of an interlocutor”: a person “communicates” with photographs of loved ones, with inanimate objects. The allocation of a "partner" for communication in conditions of loneliness is a defensive reaction within the framework of a psychological norm, but this phenomenon is a kind of model of a split personality in the conditions of a prolonged extreme situation.

Group social isolation (for a long time) is a state of high emotional tension, the cause of which may also be the fact that people are forced to constantly be in front of each other. Women are especially sensitive to this factor. Under normal conditions, a person is used to hiding from other people his thoughts and feelings that overwhelm him at one time or another. In conditions of group isolation, this is either difficult or impossible. The lack of the opportunity to be alone with oneself requires a person to have increased composure and control over his actions, and when such control weakens, many people can experience a kind of complex of physical and mental openness, nakedness, which causes emotional tension. Another specific psychogenic factor that operates under conditions of group isolation is the information exhaustion of communication partners. To avoid conflicts, people limit communication with each other and go into their inner world.

Sensory isolation - the absence of human exposure to visual, sound, tactile, taste and other signals. Under normal conditions, a person extremely rarely encounters such a phenomenon and therefore does not realize the significance of the effects of stimuli on receptors, does not realize how important its workload is for the normal functioning of the brain. If the brain is not loaded enough, then the so-called sensory hunger, sensory deprivation,10 occurs, when a person experiences an acute need for a variety of perceptions of the world around him. In conditions of sensory insufficiency, the imagination begins to work hard, extracting bright, colorful images from the arsenals of memory. These vivid representations to some extent compensate for the sensory sensations characteristic of ordinary conditions, and allow a person to maintain mental balance for a long time. With an increase in the duration of sensory hunger, the influence of intellectual processes also weakens. Extreme situations are characterized by unstable activity of people, which affects their mental status. There are, in particular, a decrease in mood (lethargy, apathy, lethargy), sometimes replaced by euphoria, irritability, sleep disturbance, inability to concentrate, i.e. weakening of attention, deterioration of memory and mental performance in general. All this leads to the exhaustion of the nervous system.

Sensory hyperactivation is the impact on a person of visual, sound, tactile, olfactory, gustatory and other signals, in their strength or intensity significantly exceeding the sensitivity thresholds for this person.

A threat to human health and life itself through deprivation of food, water, sleep, infliction of grievous bodily harm, etc. The study of the mental state of people who have a life-threatening factor is of great importance. It can cause various mental reactions - from acute anxiety to neurosis and psychosis. One of the conditions for a person's adaptation to a situation associated with a threat to life is readiness for instant action, which helps to avoid accidents and disasters. The state of mental instability under these conditions arises as a result of asthenization2 of the nervous system by various shocks. This condition is often manifested in people whose previous activities did not differ in mental tension. In life-threatening conditions, two forms of reaction are clearly distinguished: a state of agitation and a short-term stupor (a short-term stupor is characterized by a sudden stupor, freezing in place, while intellectual activity is preserved). In some cases, these factors act in combination, which greatly enhances their destructive impact. Usually, extreme situations are characterized by mass manifestations of psycho-emotional stress.

3. External manifestations, characteristics and classification of psycho-emotional states

If we consider psycho-emotional states from a physiological point of view, it should be noted that they have a reflex nature. Although the vast majority of their conditioned reflex origin. For example, an operational officer on duty who is accustomed to working in a certain mode, before taking over a shift, has a state of optimal readiness for activity, he enters the rhythm of work from the very first minute.

The basis of mental and psycho-emotional states is a certain ratio of nervous processes (from episodic to stable, typical for a given person) in the cerebral cortex. Under the influence of a combination of external and internal stimuli, a certain general tone of the cortex, its functional level, arises. The physiological states of the cortex are called phase states. After the cessation of the actions of the stimuli that caused this or that state, it persists for some time or affects the formation of new or the actualization of old conditioned reflex connections in the cerebral cortex. These states of the cortex, in turn, can be conditioned stimuli, signaling any changes that are important for the adaptation of the organism to the environment and subsequently, in similar situations, accelerate the adaptation of the psyche to non-ordinary conditions.

Mental states are outwardly manifested in changes in breathing and blood circulation, in facial expressions, pantomime, movements, gestures, intonation features of speech, etc. So in a state of pleasure there is an increase in the frequency and amplitude of breathing, dissatisfaction causes a decrease in both; breathing in an excited state becomes frequent and deep; in tense - slow and weak; anxious - accelerated and weak; in a state of fear - sharply slowed down, and with unexpected surprise, breathing instantly becomes frequent, but retains normal amplitude.

In an excited state or a state of intense expectation (often caused by situations of an extreme nature), the frequency and strength of the pulse can increase, the value of blood pressure in a very wide range (depending on the strength of the impact of the situation that has arisen). The change in blood circulation is usually accompanied by blanching or reddening of the human body.

An indicator of a person's emotional state is often his movements and actions (we judge fatigue by uncertain or sluggish movements, and cheerfulness by sharp and energetic ones). Facial expressions are also capable of expressing very subtle shades of feelings. The speaker's voice can also provide significant data on his psycho-emotional state.

Psycho-emotional states are complex, integral, dynamic formations that largely determine the originality of all mental activity (the course of processes, the manifestation of properties) of a person in a given period of time. Psycho-emotional states have the following features:

Integrity. Although the states relate mainly to a certain area of the psyche (cognitive, emotional, volitional), they characterize mental activity in general for a certain period of time.

Mobility and relative stability. Psycho-emotional states are changeable: they have a beginning, an end, dynamics. They are, of course, less constant than personality traits, but more stable and measured in larger units of time than mental processes.

Direct and immediate relationship with mental processes and personality traits. In the structure of the psyche, psycho-emotional states are located between the processes and properties of the personality. They arise as a result of the reflective activity of the brain. But once having arisen, psycho-emotional states, on the one hand, affect mental processes (determine the tone and pace of reflective activity, the selectivity of sensations, perceptions, the productivity of a person’s thinking, etc.), on the other hand, they are “building material” for the formation of properties personality. Psycho-emotional states serve as a background that contributes to the manifestation of personality traits or their disguise. For example, the state of anticipation of a battle, experienced in pre-combat conditions, is characterized in the field of sensations and perceptions, memory and thinking, by disordered volitional activity, which is not characteristic of them under normal conditions. At the same time, mental states are influenced by previous states and personality traits.

Individual originality and typicality. The psycho-emotional states of each person are unique, since they are inextricably linked with the individual characteristics of the personality, its moral and other features. Thus it is common for a man of a sanguine temperament to exaggerate successes and to interpret everything in a bright light, because an elevated state is typical of him. Personality traits and experienced psycho-emotional states do not always, but often correspond to each other. What is sometimes taken as a personality trait turns out to be atypical for a given person, a temporary state. For example, depression can be not only a stable personality trait of a melancholic temperament, but also manifest itself as a condition caused in a person by troubles at work or in the family.

Variety of psycho-emotional states. There is an incredible variety of personality states of a psycho-emotional nature. Not even a complete list of them allows us to judge this: surprise and bewilderment, confusion and concentration, hope and hopelessness, despondency and cheerfulness, enthusiasm and excitement, indecision and determination, tension and calmness, etc.

Polarity. As could be understood from the description of the previous quality, each state corresponds to the opposite. Thus, activity is opposed by passivity, certainty by uncertainty, decisiveness by indecision. The polarity of psycho-emotional states, the rapid transition of a person from one state to the opposite is especially pronounced in unusual (extreme) situations.

All states of a psycho-emotional nature are grouped for various reasons. According to the correspondence to the main states of higher nervous activity, one can distinguish between the optimal, excited and depressive state. For example, a "normal alert state" with a balance between the processes of excitation and inhibition can be taken as the basis for an optimal psycho-emotional state in which a person's activity is active and most productive.

Currently, it is customary to distinguish between states:

Active and passive;

Creative and reproductive;

Partial (partial) and general condition;

Conditions caused by selective excitation and inhibition in the cortex and subcortex of the brain (activity of the subcortex and inhibition of the cortex gives rise to a hysterical state6, and, conversely, inhibition of the subcortex when the cortex is excited - asthenic3, etc.).

On a purely psychological basis, psycho-emotional states are classified into intellectual, volitional and combined.

Depending on the occupation of the individual, the states are divided into states in combat, educational, labor, sports and other types of activity.

According to the role in the structure of the personality, the states can be situational, personal and group. Situational states express the features of the situation that caused a person to react uncharacteristically for his mental activity. Personal and collective (group) are states that are typical, inherent in this particular person or team.

According to the depth of experiences, they distinguish between deep and superficial. For example, passion is a deeper state than mood.

According to the nature of the influence on the individual, the collective state is divided into positive and negative. Conditions that negatively affect a person and a team are often the cause of a psychological barrier between people. Conditions that positively affect mental activity increase the effectiveness of communication.

According to the duration of the course, the states are long-term and short-term. The homesickness of people traveling on long business trips can last up to several weeks until they get used to the new conditions.

According to the degree of awareness, states can be more or less conscious.

4. Post-traumatic stress disorder

The psychological aspects of experiencing traumatic stress11 and its consequences are studied, as a rule, in the context of general problems of human activity in extreme conditions, studies of the adaptive capabilities of a person and his stress tolerance12.

The results of such studies seem to focus the social, natural, technological, individual psychological, environmental and medical aspects of human existence in the modern world.

The history of research in this area dates back several decades, but their intensity has especially increased due to the problems of adaptation of American veterans of the Vietnam War, soldiers of the Soviet Army who participated in the hostilities in the territory of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, military personnel of the armed forces and specialized units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, who took part in countering illegal bandit formations on the territory of the Chechen Republic.

The results of numerous studies have shown that the condition developing under the influence of psychological traumatic stress11 did not fall into any of the classifications available in clinical practice. The consequences of an injury could appear suddenly, after a long time, against the background of the general external well-being of a person, and over time, the deterioration of the condition became more and more pronounced. Many different symptoms of such a change in condition have been described, but for a long time clear criteria for its diagnosis have not been developed. Also, there was no single name for its designation.

Only by 1980 was accumulated and analyzed a sufficient amount of information obtained in the course of experimental studies for generalization. The complex of symptoms seen in those who have experienced traumatic stress11 has been termed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The criteria for diagnosing this disorder were included in the American National Diagnostic Psychiatric Standard (Diagnostical and Statistical Mannual of Mental Disorders) and are still preserved in it. Since 1994, these criteria have been included in the European diagnostic standard ICD-10.

The main symptoms of PTSD are grouped into three criteria groups:

Obsessive experiences of a traumatic event (illusions, delusions, nightmares);

The desire to avoid any events and experiences associated with traumatic events, the development of detachment, alienation from real life;

A high and increasing level of emotional arousal, manifested in a complex of hypertrophied psychophysiological reactions.

In addition, the presence of a severe traumatic event is a prerequisite for making a diagnosis. The duration of manifestation of each of the above symptoms should be at least a month from the moment of their initial appearance.

In psychology, the consequences of the impact on a person of such traumatic events as various industrial and natural disasters (fires, floods, earthquakes) are quite well studied. A wealth of material has also been accumulated on the study of victims of various forms of violence against a person. All these types of psychic trauma have a similar etiology - they are all based on the impact of the so-called "acute" stress11, which has an event-like nature; similar characteristics also have effects on the human psyche and other extreme situations (for example, military operations).

The source of psychological traumatization of the personal is various events that take place in the course of service, which can be classified as critical. The definition of a critical incident, accepted by many authors, is given by the American researcher J. Mitchell (1991). "A critical incident is any situation encountered in practice that causes unusually strong emotional reactions that may adversely affect the performance of duties either immediately on the spot or later."

Critical incidents include such and only such events that expose a person to physical (and, or psychological) danger and are capable of causing negative psychological consequences requiring the adoption of special measures to assist their participants or eyewitnesses.

Often this concept is identified with the concept of "psychological trauma", which has a somewhat broader content. But nevertheless, speaking of the experienced critical incident, they mean the fact that the person has undergone psychic traumatization.

Psychological trauma is usually understood as a relatively short-term powerful stress11 impact of an external force on an individual, or his prolonged stay in extreme conditions. It is distinguished by the following characteristics:

the cause is always outside the individual, in external circumstances;

the impact is accompanied by an experience of intense fear, even horror;

circumstances violate the usual life stereotype, contain a real threat to life itself or health;

the individual may feel his own helplessness in the face of external circumstances.

The psychological reaction to trauma includes three relatively independent phases, which allows us to characterize it as a process deployed in time. The phase - the phase of psychological shock contains two main components:

Inhibition of activity, disorientation in the environment, disorganization of activity;

Denial of what happened (a kind of protective reaction of the psyche). Normally, this phase is rather short-term. The phase - the impact phase is characterized by pronounced emotional reactions to the event and its consequences. It can be strong fear, horror, anxiety, anger, crying, accusation - emotions that are characterized by immediacy of manifestation and extreme intensity. Gradually, these emotions are replaced by a reaction of criticism or self-doubt. It proceeds according to the type: "what would happen if ..." and is accompanied by a painful state of the inevitability of what happened, the recognition of one's own powerlessness and self-flagellation. A typical example is the feeling of "survival guilt" widely described in the literature, often reaching the level of deep depression. A similar reaction was observed by members of the emergency psychiatric care team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs among the police officers in Spitak and Leninakan during the period of liquidation of the consequences of the earthquake in Armenia. It is quite typical in combat situations or during special operations in cases where subunits have suffered heavy losses.

The phase under consideration is critical in the sense that after it either the process of rehabilitation begins (reaction, acceptance of reality, adaptation to newly arisen circumstances), i.e. Phase III - the phase of normal response, or there is a fixation on the injury and subsequent chronification of the post-stress state. The dynamics of the psychological state of the affected person is determined both by the totality of his individual psychological characteristics, and by the influence of microsocial, socio-psychological factors, and specific life circumstances.

According to the observations of specialists, in the event of a particular crisis situation, among those affected by it and who have not undergone special training, reactions such as apathy, lethargy, poor understanding of what is happening and the speech addressed to them, helplessness, panic behavior, little predictable behavior, flight from danger, loss of orientation in the environment. After the events in about 80% of cases, people are able to independently cope with the post-stress state, overcome it, while the rest need special psychological or psychiatric assistance.

The severity of psychological trauma and the post-traumatic state is determined by a number of factors, primarily by the very scale and severity of the events experienced, the number of victims, the presence of dead friends or relatives, and the amount of material damage. In addition, it depends on:

Features of a personal warehouse - resistance to stress;

Previous experience of experiencing crisis situations, preparedness for their occurrence;

The presence of social support (from family, friends, colleagues, management, social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists, etc.)

Foreign authors usually distinguish between two types of conditions that arise as a result of the activities of rescuers with a high probability of causing psychological stress, other forms of psycho-emotional maladjustment: situations of professional stress and the "burnout phenomenon".

It was noted among employees who have been in extreme situations and participated in the liquidation of catastrophic events that as a result of this emotionally intense and sometimes physically difficult activity, they often develop a special psychological state, which is described in special literature as a "burnout phenomenon". It manifests itself in the form of a kind of emotional exhaustion, a temporary loss of a person's sense of his integrity and value, a decrease in the level of emotional and physical activity. The reason for the occurrence of such a state is the impact of a number of situational, personal and professional stresses11 inherent in activities in emergency conditions. At the same time, many of them subsequently noted increased motivation for this kind of activity, including within the framework of their professions and services, that is, some people who experienced a state of stress11 in an extreme situation expressed their readiness to subsequently take part in risk-related actions again. and high psycho-emotional stress.

5. Psychosomatic manifestations of the impact of an extreme situation

.1 Influence of emotions on physiological processes

The term "psychosomatics" was first proposed by the German physician Johann Heinroth in 1818. He used this term to refer to the relationship between the physical ailments of patients and their mental suffering.

Heinroth's followers believed that all bodily diseases have psychological causes. Psychosomatics was originally presented precisely as "psychosomatic medicine".

The history of psychosomatics, as a branch of science, begins with the psychoanalytic concept of Z. Freud. The study of psychosomatic phenomena was carried out by such scientists as F. Alexander, A. Lowen, W. Reich, M. Feldenkrais, G. Selye, M.E. Sandomiersky, S.A. Kulakov, psychotherapist N. Pezeshkian and others.

Psychosomatics (from the Greek Psyche - soul + soma - body) is a bodily manifestation of emotions (the imbalance of which results in psychosomatic illnesses), as well as a reflection of other subconscious processes, a bodily channel of conscious-subconscious communication. In this context, the body is presented as a kind of screen onto which the symbolic messages of the subconscious are projected. The relationship of the body ("soma") and the psyche is always two-way. Healing of bodily ailments can be achieved by working through the psychological causes that gave rise to them, and the reverse is equally true.

Psychosomatics, as a branch of science, explores the influence of emotions on physiological processes and behavioral responses associated with diseases, psychological mechanisms that affect physiological functions.

Psychosomatic manifestation is an approach that takes into account the diversity of the causes that led to the disease. Hence the variety of methods and techniques that allow you to work with a person holistically. The psychosomatic9 approach begins when the patient ceases to be only a carrier of a diseased organ and is considered holistically.

Psychosomatic disorder - means a somatic disease that is caused by psychological factors or whose manifestations have become aggravated as a result of their influence.

The founder of the method of positive psychotherapy, Doctor of Medical Sciences N. Pezeshkian, believes that psychological problems are the basis of somatic diseases. In his book Psychosomatics and Positive Psychotherapy, he describes 40 diseases that are directly related to psychological causes.

Bronchial asthma;

Skin diseases and allergies;

Hypertension and hypotension;

Headache and migraine;

Schizophrenia and depression;

Sleep disturbance;

Swallowing disorders and coughing, etc.

A number of people experience fear for their state of health (hypochondria), fear of cancer (carcinophobia), etc.

With depressive disorders, patients often complain of heart and headaches, pain in the shoulder girdle and back, digestive problems, sleep disturbance and appetite. As well as complaints about disorders in the sexual sphere.

Stress is one type of emotional state.

As Perova E.I. writes, initially the concept of stress arose in physiology to denote non-specific reactions of the body (“general adaptation syndrome”) in response to any adverse effect.

Stress reactivity includes an increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood serum, an increase in respiratory and cardiac rhythms, an increase in muscle tension, blood pressure, etc.

Zolotova T.N. considers that the following manifestations of stress are characteristic at the physiological level:

increased blood pressure;

pain in the region of the heart;

pain in the abdomen;

heartbeat;

back pain;

pain in the neck and head;

spasms in the throat, swallowing disorder;

numbness and tingling in the arms and legs;

the occurrence of cramps of the calf muscles;

short-term visual impairment, etc.

R. Naydiffer describes the reaction of people with a high degree of anxiety at the physiological level. In some, the muscles of the neck and shoulders reflexively tighten, in others, the muscles of the back or legs. Very often observed with a high degree of anxiety, discomfort in the stomach. Some people feel an increase in heart rate, while others, on the contrary, slow it down. In some cases, drowsiness appears.

Franz Alexander, author of "Psychosomatic Medicine", described seven psychosomatic diseases, explaining their occurrence by hereditary predisposition, lack of emotional warmth in the family and strong emotional experiences of adulthood.

In his opinion, the sympathetic reactions of the nervous system lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease and headaches. The parasympathetic response leads to ulcers, diarrhea, inflammation of the colon, and constipation. He drew attention to the fact that diseases of the heart arteries most often occur in doctors, lawyers and employees of executive bodies.

Currently, a number of psychosomatic disorders that are of psychogenic8 origin have been identified: obesity, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, bronchial asthma, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, hypertension, cardiac neurosis, gastroenteritis, etc.

Age-related psychosomatic manifestations and children's response to various inadequate relationships with their mother are also highlighted. These can be stomach cramps, eating disorders, sudden strong crying that occurs in the presence of a person who may show pity for the child and react to the child's behavior.

The causes of painful symptoms in middle-aged people are very closely intertwined with conflict situations that people had over a long period of life before the onset of the disease. These can be both macrotraumas and microtraumas, which can be at the level of everyday problems, such as the accuracy or punctuality of a partner, a trip in crowded transport, financial difficulties, etc.

5.2 Classification of psychosomatic consequences of exposure to extreme situations

It is of interest to classify the psychosomatic consequences of the impact of extreme situations on a person in terms of the main dynamic stages. These steps are the following.

Non-pathological psychophysiological reaction.

Usually lasts for several days. At the psychological level, it is characterized by emotional stress, decompensation (sharpening) of personal accentuations, sleep disturbance. At the social level, it is characterized by a critical assessment of what is happening, purposeful activity. The reaction is transient.

Psychogenic8 adaptive response. Lasts up to six months. At the psychological level, it is characterized by a neurotic level of disorders, asthenic, depressive and hysterical syndromes. At the social level, it is characterized by a decrease in the critical assessment of what is happening and the possibilities of purposeful activity, the emergence of interpersonal conflicts.

neurotic state. Lasts three to five years. At the psychological level, it is characterized by neuroses, exhaustion, obsessive-compulsive states, hysteria6. At the social level, he is characterized by the loss of critical understanding and the possibilities of purposeful activity, a high degree of inconsistency and mismatch of the values of the personality structure, and interpersonal conflicts. The neurotic state is transformed into the neurotic development of the personality.

Pathological development of personality. Manifested through three to five stable neurotic disorders. At the psychological level, it is characterized by acute affective-shock reactions, a twilight state of consciousness, motor excitation or, on the contrary, lethargy, and mental disorders. At the social level, this leads to a general disintegration of the personality structure, to a personal catastrophe.

6. Consequences of extreme situations for victims

.1 Forms of behavior of victims of an extreme situation

behavior extreme situation affectation

Behavioral strategies are revealed in various forms of adaptation, which are closely related to the problem of health versus disease. This continuum is integral to the individual's life path. The multifunctionality and multidirectionality of the life path determine the interconnection and interdependence of the processes of somatic, personal and social functioning. Thus, the adaptation process includes various levels of human activity. The variety of events in the modern world contributes to the complexity of the behavior of the individual in them and increases the likelihood of their pathogenic impact.

Personally oriented forms of behavior of victims in extreme situations include the following:

Suicide is a conscious act of elimination from life under the influence of acute psychotraumatic situations, when one's own life as the highest value loses its meaning for a person. The meaning of life - as a basic motivational tendency is aimed at understanding the essence of one's own personality and its place in life, its life purpose. The meaning of life is the most important engine of personality development, on its basis a person chooses and forms his life path, plans, goals, aspirations in accordance with certain principles. Suicide is an act of suicide committed by a person in a state of severe mental disorder or under the influence of mental illness. The causes of suicides are varied and rooted both in the personality deformations of the subject and the psycho-traumatic environment surrounding him, and in the socio-economic and moral organization of society.

Apathy is a state characterized by emotional passivity, indifference, simplification of feelings, indifference to oneself and loved ones, to the events of the surrounding reality and the weakening of motives and interests, a sharp weakening of attention. Apathy occurs against the background of reduced physical and psychological activity and can be short-term or long-term. Formed mainly as a result of fatigue, exhaustion, or a long-term mental disorder, this condition sometimes occurs with certain organic brain lesions, with dementia, and also as a result of a prolonged somatic illness. Outwardly similar state of depression in neuroses differs from apathy. At present, the problem of social apathy arising as a result of a personal crisis in an era of social crisis and covering the widest strata of the population is relevant.

Autism is an extreme form of psychological alienation. It is expressed in the removal, "withdrawal", "escape" of the individual from contacts with reality and immersion in the closed world of his own experiences. In a state of autism in an individual:

the ability to arbitrarily control one's thinking, to disconnect from painful thoughts is reduced;

there are attempts to avoid any contact;

the need for joint activities disappears;

the ability to intuitively understand others, to play the roles of others is lost;

there is an inadequate emotional response to the behavior of others.

Other forms of behavior of victims in extreme situations are as follows:

Unmotivated vigilance. The victim is closely watching everything that happens around him, as if he is constantly in danger.

Explosive reaction. At the slightest surprise, the victim makes rapid movements: throws himself to the ground at the sound of a low-flying aircraft or helicopter, turns around sharply and assumes a protective pose if someone approaches him from behind, etc.

Dullness of emotional manifestations. Completely or partially the victim loses the ability to emotional manifestations. He has difficulty establishing close or friendly ties with others. Joy, love, creativity, spontaneity, fun and games are not available to him.

General anxiety. The victim has constant anxiety and preoccupation, paranoid phenomena, for example, fear of persecution. In emotional experiences - a constant feeling of fear, self-doubt.

Outbursts of rage. It is attacks, even outbursts of rage, that occur in the victim, and not bursts of moderate anger.

6.2 Periods in the dynamics of the development of post-traumatic mental disorders

The first period is acute. It lasts from the beginning of the impact of the situation to the organization of rescue operations. The main traumatic factors:

a sudden threat to one's own life;

physical injury to the victim;

physical injury or death of close relatives;

severe damage or loss of property and other material values.

non-pathological neurotic; it is based on fear, mental tension, anxiety;

appropriate behavior is maintained;

acute reactive psychoses in the form of affective-shock states with motor excitation or lethargy;

loss of control over their actions among victims;

a change in the state of "petrification", inactivity with aimless movements, flight, screams, a state of panic.

The second period is the organization of rescue operations, the establishment of a relatively normal life in extreme conditions from the beginning to the end of rescue operations.

The main traumatic factor is the expectation of repeated physical and mental impacts due to the loss of relatives and friends, family separation, loss of property, the need to identify dead relatives, and the discrepancy between what was expected and the results of rescue operations.

The main mental reactions of the participants:

maintaining adequate self-esteem and the ability to purposeful activities;

gradual weakening of affective-shock states and a decrease in the depth of their manifestations;

inadequate behavior of the victims;

inappropriate motor actions;

a state of numbness;

manifestation of phobic neuroses13, for example, fear of enclosed spaces (the victims refuse to enter the car, the tent).

The third period is the evacuation of victims to safe areas. The main traumatic factors:

change in life stereotype;

fear for the state of their health and the health of loved ones;

experiencing the loss of loved ones, separation of families, material losses.

The main mental reactions of the participants:

psycho-emotional stress;

sharpening of character traits;

phobic neuroses;

neurotic personality development;

increased use of alcohol, tobacco, medicines, drugs;

activation of interpersonal contacts;

normalization of the emotional coloring of speech, restoration of dreams;

an increase in conflict situations.

People who escaped in an extreme situation experience certain pathological changes in the mental sphere (post-traumatic syndrome) for a long time. Among the psychopathological changes after trauma in people, the following are most common:

Violations of memory and concentration of perception. Victims have difficulty concentrating or remembering something.

Unwanted memories. Terrible scenes associated with a psychotraumatic situation suddenly pop up in the memory of the victim. In reality, these memories arise in cases where the environment is somewhat reminiscent of what happened "at that time", i.e. during a traumatic event. These signals can be smells, sights, sounds that seem to have come from “there”. Unwanted traumatic memories are accompanied by intense feelings of anxiety and fear.

Nightmares. Dreams of this kind are usually of two types:

some, with the accuracy of video recordings, convey the traumatic event as it was imprinted in the memory of the person who survived it;

others only vaguely resemble the traumatic event. A person awakens from such a dream completely broken, with tense muscles, in copious sweat.

hallucinatory experiences.

A special kind of unsolicited memories of traumatic events, when what happened is so vivid that the events of the current moment seem to recede to the periphery of consciousness and seem less real than memories. In this detached state, a person behaves as if he is re-experiencing a past traumatic event: he acts, thinks, feels like at the moment when he had to save his life.

Insomnia. Difficulty falling asleep and interrupted sleep. It is believed that a person himself involuntarily resists falling asleep when he is visited by hallucinations. He is afraid to fall asleep, so as not to see a terrible dream again. Insomnia can also be caused by very high levels of anxiety, a person's inability to relax, or a persistent feeling of physical or mental pain.

Survivor's Guilt. The feeling of guilt arises from the fact that the victim survived in an extreme situation that cost the lives of others, especially relatives or close relatives, friends that were extremely important to him.

It is believed that this condition is typical for those who suffer more from "emotional deafness", i.e. inability to experience joy, love, compassion after a traumatic event.

A strong sense of guilt provokes bouts of auto-aggressive behavior.

In extreme situations, different social groups are involved - the actual victims of situations and their rescuers, each of these groups has somewhat similar, and in some ways different personality-oriented forms of behavior.

7. Forms of behavior of rescuers in extreme situations

The psyche of rescuers is also subjected to serious tests during and after rescue operations. People experience fear and horror from what they see (according to some estimates, up to 98% of participants):

nightmares, insomnia at night, daytime sleepiness, depressed mood (50%);

dizziness, fainting, headaches, nausea, vomiting (20%).

Other, specific, forms of reaction among rescuers have also been noticed:

Irritability. It occurs when one feels one's powerlessness, the inability to do something. The effectiveness of efforts (often subjectively) falls. A person begins to get angry for no reason at someone or at anything around him, swears, falls into a rage.

Failure to act correctly. Suddenly, a person finds that he cannot work normally, and he himself does not know why this is happening. He is unable to remember what his tasks are, he does not know where to start this or that business. He asks others for help and at the same time does not want to show that he is not able to do a good job.

Anxiety. The person is extremely busy and cannot stop working. He takes on everything, not understanding what is really important and what is not.

Escape. A person suddenly stops doing something for himself. He wants to run away from all the terrible disasters and misfortunes that appear before his eyes. Sometimes he still has enough strength to control himself enough to hide from his place of work unnoticed.

Despair. Suddenly, a person notices that he can no longer cope with his feelings. He doesn't understand why this is happening. He experiences a complete breakdown, the absence of any feelings, hides somewhere in a quiet place, devastated and desperate. He feels dizzy, he staggers, he wants to sit down.

Exhaustion. Suddenly one feels unable to take even one step. He wants to sit up, he tries to catch his breath. All his muscles ache, any "thinking" is too hard for him.

Typical psychovegetative reactions of rescuers in extreme situations are as follows:

Palpitation. Suddenly a person feels pain in his chest, and although he knows that everything is in order with his health, nevertheless he is really scared and worried. He thinks that he might have a heart attack, and he tries to sit somewhere in a calm place.

Nervous chill. Just as suddenly, the rescuer begins an uncontrollable nervous tremor, so strong that he cannot even light a match or pour a cup of tea. He does not know what to do.

Sudden tears, crying. For no reason, a person has
tears, although he tries to hold them back. He is ashamed of what is with him
happening. He tries to retire, pull himself together and restore disturbed mental balance.

Conclusion

The normal state is the most important part of the entire mental regulation, plays an essential role in any kind of activity and behavior. However, the theory of mental states is far from complete; many aspects of mental states have not been studied with the necessary completeness. According to the doctor of psychological sciences L.V. Kulikova, “personal potentials that allow regulating the state remain little explored”.

The analysis of the influence of emotional stress on the body is devoted to the research of authors - specialists in the field of sociology, psychology and physiology. First of all, in such situations it is necessary to take into account the possibility of normal positive adaptation to frustrations. "Frustration is an emotionally difficult experience by a person of his failure, accompanied by a feeling of hopelessness, the collapse of hopes in achieving the desired goal." A person who often has to be in emergency situations is able to develop the skills of the most adequate reactions, the most correct mobilization of his functions. It is possible to learn different ways to eliminate fear. Significant and the role of positive experience, a sense of satisfaction in connection with the task. All this leads to an increase in self-confidence, which contributes to better adaptation to extreme situations that may arise as a result of emergency situations.

In conclusion, it is also possible to draw a conclusion on how to proceed in order to avoid the depressed state of people in an emergency.

Firstly, it must be taken into account that a person who has suffered a severe mental trauma restores mental balance much faster if he is involved in some kind of physical work and not alone, but as part of a group.

Secondly, in order to weaken the negative impact on a person, constant preparation for action in emergency situations, the formation of mental stability, and the education of the will are needed. That is why the main content of psychological preparation is the development and consolidation of the necessary psychological qualities.

Thirdly, preparation for psychological stress, increased stamina, development of endurance, self-control, a steady desire to fulfill the tasks set, the development of mutual assistance and interaction are of particular importance.

It must be remembered that the level of psychological preparation of people is one of the most important factors. The slightest confusion and manifestation of fear, especially at the very beginning of an accident or catastrophe, at the time of the development of a natural disaster, can lead to serious and sometimes irreparable consequences. First of all, this applies to officials who are obliged to immediately take measures that mobilize the team, while showing personal discipline and restraint.

Glossary

Asthenization is a decrease in the functionality of the central nervous system, manifested by a deterioration in performance, mental fatigue, deterioration in attention, memory, increased reactivity with irritable weakness.

3. Asthenia (from other Greek.<#"justify">Literature

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Jobs similar to - Behavior of people in extreme situations

Such a case was once described in the press. Trans-Atlantic flight. Temperamental Hispanics roar all night in a crowded fourth grade. Their neighbor - an Englishman - is forced to go on deck to take a break from the hubbub and stuffiness. Walking in the dark, he took one extra step and was overboard. The loss of the passenger was noticed only when he did not appear for breakfast. Reported to the captain. He decided to turn the ship back and start searching for the "man overboard". The search continued for about twelve hours. And, lo and behold, they succeeded. The Englishman did not give up, did not go to the bottom, and all this time, economically spending his strength, kept on the water. He understood that the chances of salvation were almost zero, but still stubbornly continued to swim. The most curious thing happened when he was brought up on deck. With a straight face, he said: "Gentlemen! The weather is great today!" After that, he collapsed unconscious.

Perhaps this is a common newspaper duck, but it may be true. After all, there are documented examples of such courage. Alain Bombard (French doctor, biologist, traveler) claimed that, even while in lifeboats, most of her passengers die of panic and depression. It is not hunger and thirst that kills them, but fear. To prove how important it is to maintain composure and survive in the ocean after a shipwreck, he did a deadly experiment. One, in an inflatable boat, without food or water, crossed the Atlantic Ocean. He rowed and sailed 4,400 kilometers in 65 days. I caught fish with a homemade hook, drank a little sea water, collected rainwater. The bomber lost his health, "planted" his kidneys, lost half his weight, but survived. And he wrote a very instructive book about this: "Overboard of his own free will."

As a rule, a person does not know the limit of his abilities. They appear only in extreme conditions. Often, inveterate optimists and merry fellows "break" faster than ordinary, modest people. I have observed this phenomenon of fear through many trials on expeditions. Here is a simple example. There was one big guy and a merry fellow in my team. His character fully corresponded to the first phrase of Yuri Olesha's novel "Envy". The novel begins with the phrase: "He sings in the morning in the closet." This guy also sang, although Olesha's novel was hardly read.

Once, in the late autumn in the Sea of Okhotsk, our little boat got into a serious storm. A double collapse of waves formed near the shallow coast near Poronaysk. On the first collapse, a diving breaker demolished a flimsy wooden cabin near the boat, half-flooding the boat itself. Fortunately, the stationary engine did not stall. I stood on the steering wheel and could not leave it, as the boat would inevitably turn lag to the wave and turn over. Two of my colleagues scooped water at a frantic pace. But the third (merry fellow) huddled in a corner. He wept and prayed. Neither shouts nor selective mate had any effect on him. Here is the panic reaction.

We didn't take him to sea again. As sailors say, such people are ballast. Moreover, the ballast is dangerous.

Many people find themselves in extreme situations. It can be an earthquake, flood, fire, terrorism and much more.

In stressful situations, a person can become confused or become a fighting person for a while. As a result, after having experienced horror and fear, the psyche suffers. A person needs the help of qualified specialists.

What are emergency situations

Sometimes a person experiences adverse events that affect the psyche. This is often referred to as emergency situations. Simply put, it is a change in habitual living conditions.

When a critical situation occurs, a person has a fear that needs to be dealt with. After all, while it is present, people are not subject to themselves. Most often, strong fear covers when a person realizes that a certain situation threatens life. Therefore, after the experience, a person is not able to cope with himself, with his psyche. These people need professional help.

After a terrible episode, emotions of excitement overwhelm. There is an opinion that the release of adrenaline from the body is good. However, psychologists have a different point of view. After all, if something unforeseen happens, for example, a fire, a person has a shock. After a successful outcome, a heart attack, heart attack, and other adverse outcomes are possible. Therefore, it is better to avoid such situations. The psychology of extreme situations is a problem that is very difficult to get rid of.

Kinds

Extreme situations can be unexpected and predictable. For example, natural disasters cannot be expected. These situations appear suddenly. Therefore, from surprise, a person may be confused and not have time to take the necessary measures. Extreme situations are divided into the following types.

1. By the scale of distribution. This refers to the size of the territory and the consequences.

Local situations are only in the workplace and do not go beyond it. Affected people can be a maximum of 10-11, no more.
object situations. This is a danger on the territory, but it can be eliminated on your own.
local situations. Only a certain city (suburb or village) suffers. An extreme situation does not go beyond the boundaries of the area and is eliminated by its own means, resources and forces.
Regional. The dangerous situation extends to several approximate areas. Federal services are involved in the liquidation. In a regional emergency, there should be no more than 500 people affected.

2. By the pace of development.

Unexpected and sudden (accidents, floods, earthquakes, etc.).
Swift. This is a very fast spread. These include fires, emissions of gaseous toxic substances, etc.
Medium. Radioactive substances are emitted or volcanoes erupt.
Slow. It can be droughts, epidemics, etc.

Any emergency situation poses a threat to human life.

Each catastrophe leaves its mark on the psyche of people. Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful and know how to react in a certain situation.

Behavior rules

Not everyone thinks about how to behave at a certain moment. Behavior in an emergency is very important. After all, a lot depends on it, including human life.

First of all, you need to be very calm and cool. Count quickly to three and catch your breath. Try to forget about fear and pain for the moment. Realistically evaluate your capabilities, strengths and the situation as a whole. Confusion, panic and indecision will only hurt you under such circumstances.

Every person should always be ready for unforeseen danger. Then it's easier to deal with it. You must know how to properly provide first aid. With good preparation, there is always an opportunity to save your life or those around you. Behavior in extreme situations must be controlled.

Survival

First of all, you yourself must make sure that your home is safe and sound. Will you be able to stay in the house if there are hurricanes or earthquakes? Check wiring regularly. You must know for sure that in case of fire you can get out of the trap unharmed.

Every family should have medicines for all occasions. We must not forget about bandages, iodine, a remedy for burns. They are not needed every day, but sometimes they are simply necessary. Survival in extreme situations is a very important factor for every person.

If you have a car, it should always be ready to leave. Try to store fuel for such cases.

Do not forget about spare clothes, which should be close to your home. Maybe in a garage or basement. Let it be old, but warm in the cold.

If each person thinks about their safety in advance, then it will be much easier to survive in any extreme conditions.

Actions

What should a person do in emergency situations? Not everyone will be able to answer this question. It's worth noting. that extreme situations happen to people every day, so you need to know the answer to this question in advance.

If a person finds a suspicious device in a public place, then it cannot be picked up, but must be reported to the police. Even if it's anonymous. Do not be afraid to report, because if you do not suffer, then someone else.

In any situation, you should not panic. This is the most dangerous feeling. Try to pull yourself together, calm down and act according to the situation.

There is always a way out, the main thing is to use it correctly. As a rule, there are others to whom you can turn for help. Actions in extreme situations should be lightning fast. After all, life depends on it. If you find yourself unable to cope, shout as long as you can so that you can be heard. It is clear that not everyone will help, but at least one person will respond to your misfortune.

Memo to citizens

Every citizen needs help in emergency situations. For this, there is a memo that does not let you forget how to act in case of unforeseen incidents.

If you understand that something has happened to the electricity, for example, the meter is cracking or the light is flashing incorrectly, then immediately turn off the power to the apartment. After all, undesirable emergencies can occur. At the same time, it is desirable to turn off the gas and water. After that, do not hesitate to call the master or emergency service.

It often happens that people do not attach importance to some little things. Because of this, fires, explosions, etc. occur. Therefore, your documents should be in one place and preferably closer to the exit. In case of danger, you must take them with you. This is the first thing that should come to a person's mind.

Money and necessary things should also not be too far from the exit. In stressful and extreme situations, there is not always time to run around the apartment and pack your bags. Therefore, it is necessary to think in advance that dangerous events can occur at any moment. You always need to remember the rules in extreme situations that can help.

Extreme natural situations

Not only in an apartment can danger overtake a person. In nature, too, there is enough extreme. Therefore, a person must be ready for anything.

For example, you can get into uncomfortable weather conditions - severe frost and snow. The best solution is to survive the cold. You can build a small cave.

Know that snow is an excellent thermal insulator. Therefore, thanks to the snow cave, you can wait out the cold.

Never go without water in hot weather. It is very dangerous. After all, when you feel thirsty, and there is no water nearby, you will be ready for anything, if only you were given a sip of a soft drink. Without water, as you know, a person will not live long.

In natural extreme situations, you can save yourself. However, you should always remember to take precautions. Emergencies can strike a person at any time.

Adaptation

A person can get used to any living conditions. Even in the modern world, not everyone can fully use water, electricity and gas. Therefore, you can also adapt to extreme situations.

Before getting used to dangerous or unusual conditions, it is necessary to prepare psychologically. To do this, read about the unknown area where you are going to go. Try to master the necessary skills.

It is very important to prepare yourself psychologically. If in doubt, maybe it's not time to take risks? An extreme life situation should not break you. Focus only on the positive.

To make it easier for you to adapt to extreme situations, take care of food, water and warm clothes. It is much harder to survive without the essentials.

Effects

People who find themselves in extreme situations need help. Each of them has a mental disorder. The consequences are different for people. Some try to forget and find solace in alcohol, others become drug addicts, others prefer to commit suicide. All of them need the help of qualified specialists who will bring a person out of this state.

Psychologists will help relieve stress, fear and return to normal life. These people cannot be condemned, because none of them is to blame for what happened. Letting go of memories is not easy. If you have witnessed a similar situation, then do not turn away from such people, but try to help them return to a past life where they were calm and comfortable.

Every day, a lot of people need to communicate with doctors such as psychologists or neuropathologists. After stress, a person ceases to exist, begins to live one day. In order to make it easier to survive difficult days, psychologists advise:

Do not panic;
Remain calm in any situation;
More often engage in self-hypnosis;
Rest a lot;
Spend as much time as possible with friends and family;
Don't be alone.

When you see something terrible in front of you, try to avoid tears and panic, and look for a way out of this situation.

If a person who has experienced severe stress turns to a specialist, it will be easier for him to survive the current problem. The psychology of extreme situations is very serious, so you need to pay attention to it first of all.

Conclusion

Each person reacts differently to stressful situations. Some will do everything possible to save themselves, others will start to panic. It all depends on the personality of the person. Everyone's psyche is different. Therefore, one cannot condemn those people who give up. After all, they are not to blame for their weakness. There are some extreme situations. It is about them that everyone should remember.

In stressful situations, a person's body is depleted, hence many other diseases appear. In order to avoid undesirable consequences in the future, it is necessary to seek help from specialists who will help restore the nervous system and return to the previous trouble-free life.

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