Medical Aspects of Emotions and Their Properties
From the perspective of normal physiology, any emotion has two main directions of realization in the body:
- Ascending direction. Impulses are directed to the cerebral cortex, which is outwardly manifested as higher nervous activity and subjective awareness of the experience.
- Descending direction. Excitation spreads to the periphery, affecting virtually all internal organs and tissues.
Negative emotions pose the greatest medical hazard. The primary pathogenic emotions are traditionally considered to be anger, despair, and fear. Their destructive potential is due to specific undesirable properties.
First, they exhibit a prolonged aftereffect. Unlike many other physiological responses, a negative emotion does not fade immediately after the cessation of the irritating factor (trigger). The emotional trace can persist for many hours or even days.
Second, negative experiences possess the capacity for summation. If a negative emotion arises repeatedly before the previous emotional trace has faded, their effects overlap, and the total duration and intensity of the excitation increase substantially.
Mechanisms of Stagnant Emotion Formation
Frequent and repeated manifestations of negative experiences lead to a dangerous neurophysiological phenomenon: the emotion transitions into a stagnant form. This state represents a stationary, persistent excitation of brain structures.
The neurophysiological basis of a stagnant emotion lies in the prolonged circulation of excitation within closed neural circuits of the limbic structures.
As a result of this prolonged impulse circulation, structural and functional changes occur:
- Persistent alterations arise in the sensitivity of neurons to specific signaling molecules—neurotransmitters and neuropeptides.
- This globally alters brain function.
- Clinically, such changes often manifest as various neurotic disorders.
Impact on Visceral Functions and Psychosomatic Development
Stagnant emotional excitation inevitably impacts the functioning of internal organs. The pathogenesis of these disorders unfolds as follows:
- Powerful streams of descending excitation originate from the limbic system. They target internal organs, primarily affecting the uncontrolled (autonomic) components of emotions.
- Physiological mechanisms of homeostatic self-regulation initially attempt to counteract these pathological influences.
- However, under prolonged and continuous pressure, resources become depleted. A predictable failure of the 'weak link' in the autonomic self-regulation system occurs.
The outcome of this breakdown is the formation of psychosomatic diseases. The most frequent manifestations include essential hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and peptic ulcer disease. Additionally, asthmatic attacks, severe skin disorders, sexual dysfunction, and various autoimmune conditions may arise against the background of emotional exhaustion.
The Conflict Situation as a Trigger Mechanism
The leading factor provoking the formation of a stagnant negative emotion is a conflict situation.
In physiological terms, a conflict situation is a condition in which an individual experiences a pronounced social or biological need, but completely lacks the ability to achieve the primary adaptive result required to satisfy it. Prolonged and continuous conflicts pose the greatest threat to health.
The dynamics of pathological development progress through five successive stages:
- Adaptive reaction. Negative emotional excitation escalates, designed to mobilize strength to overcome the arising barrier.
- Generalization. If the conflict remains unresolved, the excitation begins to encompass virtually the entire brain.
- Descending influence. Generalized excitation massively spreads to internal organs.
- Feedback (afferentation). Organs operating in an altered, stressed mode send escalating feedback signals back to the brain.
- Outcome. Excessive bottom-up impulses maintain top-down excitation, forming a pathological 'vicious circle' of emotional arousal that is extremely difficult to break without medical intervention.