What is personality degradation - signs, symptoms, 12 tips

Updated July 23, 2021 247 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. We often pronounce words borrowed from another language with ease and some bravado.

But do we always understand exactly what we are talking about?

Therefore, today we will partially fill the gap in our knowledge and find out what degradation is and what processes are characterized by this word.

What is degradation?

It is generally accepted that human degradation is the gradual disintegration of his personality. We are social creatures and need the support of our own species. But for personal growth and development we need new knowledge, experience, and events. If we do not have the opportunity to learn something new, we find ourselves in a limited world, and our needs are gradually narrowed down to the most primitive. And our aspirations and ambitions turn into a set of basic instincts.

Identity is what distinguishes us from animals, and when this identity disappears, man becomes a predator, a primitive mammal. He is only interested in where to get food, but more often a dose, and builds his relationships on an animal level.

The same goes for mating, sex becomes promiscuous and partners become random. Control over actions is lost, the line between good and evil is blurred. A person becomes capable of murder even without a reason.

Critical thinking disappears, and with it the sense of responsibility for one’s actions. A degenerate person can be dangerous to others.

Sometimes degradation creeps up unnoticed and can happen to anyone. Nature states that acquiring new knowledge and skills also creates new neural connections in the brain, which helps it function effectively. If you lose interest in life due to apathy, depression or any other reason, you risk becoming a degenerate. Not like alcoholics or drug addicts, of course, but to a much lesser extent.

It has been noticed that even women who have been on maternity leave for a long time begin to degrade. Their interests are narrowed to the family circle, and new information concerns only one area. If there is no diversity, we partially degrade as professionals in our field and lose valuable knowledge and skills. The same applies to pensioners. Quitting work means unexpected freedom and time to study. Professional tasks are replaced by TV series and alcohol.

In old age, the brain already loses some of its functions, and this kind of “leisure” provokes its gradual disappearance. It has been noticed that people involved in creativity and science (artists, designers, architects, scientists), even in extreme old age, retain clarity of mind until the end of their lives and continue to develop, although according to the laws of nature it should be otherwise. "Degradation" literally means moving backward. There is no point of balance. Either we move forward and develop, or we retreat and degrade.

Degradation is a natural process of aging of the body and brain function.

Degradation in different areas of life

It is quite difficult to understand what degradation means if there are no real examples and associations. Let us present several varieties of the phenomenon that will help to understand its essence.

Soil degradation is a change in the condition of the soil, which is observed in the gradual deterioration of properties, depletion, and loss of useful microelements. That is, the soil becomes unsuitable for cultivation, it stands in disrepair, and nothing really grows on it. It does not implement the functions assigned to it.
Environmental degradation is the most pressing issue in the modern world. This is due to the extinction of many animal species and the destruction of plant populations and other living beings. The difficult environmental situation with deteriorating water quality is also associated with degradation.
Chemical involves a transition from a complex substance to a simple one; in this case, molecules decompose into simple particles. As a result, a complex chemical substance turns into a simple one - a clear example of degradation.

Now you understand what degradation means using examples from various areas of our life and nature. Let us note that the phenomenon affects everything, including culture, spiritual values, and society as a whole. You can find out more about this phenomenon here: https://businessman.ru/new-chto-takoe-degradaciya-osnovnye-prichiny-degradacii.html.

Who is a degenerate

Wikipedia does not have a definition for this term. Its equivalent is the word degenerate, meaning a psychopathic person who disdains social norms. In everyday speech this word sounds rude and obscene. Therefore, people often replace it with the softer word “degenerate.”

It is often used to refer to drug addicts and alcoholics, since the signs of their degradation are quite obvious: narrowed intellectual thinking, modest emotional needs, a strong preference for physical needs over spiritual ones. Life for people suffering from these diseases is simple and limited. Their interests are focused on finding the next fix. They are no longer able to evaluate themselves objectively and can harm others without pity or remorse.

Treatment

The fight against personal degradation due to alcohol addiction is always difficult. The patient needs urgent medical attention. If he does not want to go to the clinic, an intervention team should be invited to his home. Psychologists and psychotherapists will be able to convince you to start therapy.

When drawing up a treatment program for a drinker, doctors take into account the characteristics of his physical and psychological condition. There are no universal schemes that would suit everyone. Therefore, you should not even try to get rid of the disease on your own - it will not lead to anything good.

Signs of human degradation

This degradation process occurs gradually and is accompanied by symptoms that may not be immediately noticeable. A person is less amenable to learning and loses enthusiasm for the world around him. A person's cognitive abilities and interests also decline.

Degradation in women

Symptoms of personality degradation in women include:

capriciousness, vulnerability, tearfulness;
refusal to maintain social contacts, tendency to loneliness;
indifferent attitude towards one's own appearance, sloppiness.

In women, destruction of the personality structure occurs less frequently, since they are saved by maternal instinct.

Degradation in men

Social degradation of personality in men is associated with such characteristics of their behavior as:

learned helplessness;
excessive self-satisfaction;
a tendency towards cynicism;
division of the social environment into two polar camps (the degenerate considers those who are good guys for him, and those who condemn his behavior as bad guys).

Signs of personality degradation in men become noticeable about a year after the onset of developmental regression.

Behavioral changes

Signs of a person’s degeneration are noticeable long before the complete destruction of his personality. The first symptom is a reduction in the range of interests. Human:

stops participating in social events;
does not read books or articles;
cares only about biological needs (drinking, eating, sleeping, intimacy);
has difficulty performing his duties at work;
does not appear in the professional sphere.

Behavior becomes more cheeky, shame and restraint disappear.

Mental changes

If you don't know how to recognize a person's decline, pay attention to his speech. The following manifestations indicate a decrease in intelligence:

decreased vocabulary;
lots of swearing;
memory impairment (forgets what he said, what he said);
primitive speech without emotionally charged statements.

A person becomes prone to categorical judgments, that is, he divides the world into “black and white.” He talks only about himself, not paying attention to the condition and needs of his interlocutor. The circle of communication shifts and narrows. He has friends who show the same signs of degradation.

Emotional changes

The inability to control oneself is a clear sign of degradation. Irritability, hot temper and anxiety worry not only the person himself, but also the people around him. He is also prone to prejudice and a negative attitude towards everything. Other features:

depravity;
capriciousness, grumpiness;
moodiness;
dissatisfaction.

This person believes that nothing depends on him and blames external circumstances for his problems. He/she is unable to admit his own mistakes, let alone accept someone else's point of view.

External manifestations

Reducing shame causes a person to stop caring about what other people think. This can result in a sloppy, cluttered look. The person does not maintain personal hygiene at all (especially in advanced stages).

It all starts with little things, for example, with a refusal to get a manicure or a haircut. A person can wear dirty clothes and not care about his appearance. Often these are obese or extremely thin people who do not engage in physical activity.

Here I note that fatness is only in some cases a sign of degradation. It's all about how a person treats his body. There are overweight people in my circle. But they either try to change it, or accept themselves as they are and pay attention to other areas of life. A degenerate person does not think about this at all.

Deterioration in brain function can be noticed due to special degradation syndromes - both external and internal

Characteristic symptoms

A degraded personality is easy to recognize, even just by external signs.

There are also deeper symptoms that can be recognized in person

Loss of appearance
. Unwashed hair, dirty clothes, heavy body odor - these signs appear already at the final stage. A man walks down the street drunk, not embarrassed by it, and does not cover the bruises on his face with dark glasses. Complete loss of shame. And it all can start from refusing to do a manicure and cut your hair regularly, not paying attention to the cleanliness and integrity of your clothes - these are the first signs of degradation.
Loss of interest in life, the scope of needs is narrowed to food and drink
. Politics, painting, sports cease to matter as such. There is nothing in this world that could evoke emotions in a degraded personality. The world narrows so much that it becomes almost invisible.
Loss of feelings such as shame and disgust
. Base instincts are not controlled, food from a garbage can does not cause disgust. A person no longer hides from judgmental glances, he simply does not notice them or does not take them into account.
Decrease in intelligence, memory, primitiveness of judgment
. A person’s speech changes, the set of words and expressions becomes minimal. Remember Sharikov from “Heart of a Dog” - this is roughly how a degraded person thinks.
The person becomes psychologically unstable
. Here the manifestations can be different - irritability, grumpiness, frivolity, aggressiveness, tearfulness. In any case, it is not appropriate to talk about healthy mental reactions.

Of course, it takes a certain amount of time from not wanting to develop yourself to lying drunk on a bench. Degradation does not happen overnight. Therefore, if we notice its first signs in ourselves or our loved ones, then we need to take measures to nip them in the bud.

How to understand that a person is deteriorating

Detecting degradation can be difficult. This happens slowly and may not be noticeable until it happens.

Let's look at the red flags that may indicate that you are deteriorating:

Ugliness. Oily hair, wrinkled and dirty clothes, unkempt nails and an unpleasant odor are all signs of progressive degradation.
Refusal of moral standards and compromise with conscience. A person begins to allow himself to do things that he has never allowed himself to do before. For example, deceiving your relatives.
Refusal to take responsibility for your life. A person believes that circumstances and other people are responsible for everything that happens to him.
Reluctance to engage in spiritual growth and self-knowledge. Their needs are limited to physiological needs.
Categorical. The world of a degenerating person is divided into two poles: either black or white. There is no intermediate link between them.
Tendency to self-flagellation and pathological feelings of guilt. We can say that a person is experiencing auto-aggression.
Impaired speech. It becomes more and more difficult for a person to express his thoughts, parasitic words and offensive expressions appear.
Constant feeling of anxiety. The whole being rebels against degradation. The brain signals to him that his life is bad and something urgently needs to be changed.

This is an important point. And the key fork in the road is why are some people successful and others not?

Growth involves going through situations with uncertainty, risks, threats, pressure, time pressure, the need to take responsibility, and be creative.

Developing situations require from us not so much knowledge and skills, but rather certain personal qualities. For those who do not have this entire set, there is no growth.

If in a normal situation the average person is able to use 70–80% of his resources, even to show creativity, then in critical situations a person experiences fear, anxiety, depression or aggression.

This leads to a reduction in the use of their resources to almost 0% for the majority, who fall into stupor and inaction. Or to a 100% release of one’s abilities with a simultaneous loss of control in the form of affective behavior.

Thus, our ability to be flexible, to embrace chaos, to accept risks, and to function productively in stressful situations is critical.

This ability may be in demand in life in 2-5% of situations, but it is this small proportion of situations that determines our global growth.

Growth occurs when we step outside our comfort zone, which is equivalent to our zone of control, because if we are able to control a situation, then we feel confident. Control means predictability. Predictability means certainty.

But there is a contradiction - in chaos there is no predictability, no control. Moreover, stress occurs precisely at the moment of loss of control , when we are not able to influence the development of events. It is this moment that frustrates us, and it is at this moment that there is a fork in the road that distinguishes an ordinary person from a prepared one.

When control is lost, the immediate instinctive reaction is to try to regain control. This works well in a familiar environment with slow processes, when our learning rate is higher and we have time to adjust our action model.

But this does not work in a chaotic environment with fast-flowing processes, when stable rules do not have time to be established or change faster than our ability to learn new rules.

In non-changing situations, we need not so much to try to learn new rules, but to develop our ability to learn, and in real time.

Moreover, this is our only chance. But our very ability to learn is a consequence of our emotional reaction to the situation.

It is useless to demand effective action from a person if you put him in a terrifying situation. You will get no effect other than shock, trauma and maladjustment.

It will also be necessary to rehabilitate him in order to remove the negative effects of stress. In developed countries, a diagnosis of post-traumatic syndrome is made, and sometimes they are given disability (for example, in Israel). Well, this is an extreme case, but in everyday life there are enough critical situations when we must act quickly and creatively, taking risks, repeating attempts and learning with each iteration.

But instead, we don’t act, and then we read books on the topic “What is it to be a loser and how to live with it?”

So the key question is:

How to distinguish depression from personal degradation?

Depression is a serious illness that includes these symptoms:

A person strives to get away from his previous environment;
Mood is constantly low;
Suicidal thoughts or statements occur;
A person does not care about his appearance;
Sudden change in habits;
Excessive increase or decrease in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia.

If you notice any of the above changes, it is best to consult a specialist. He or she will help you choose the right medication and refer you to a therapist.

How can society deteriorate?

The degradation of society is a value concept. Why do we sometimes say this? Yes, because we do not see new trends, the ideals of the new generation. Our teachers said about us that they had never had such a bad class. Years pass, and the same teachers say that compared to the current generation, we were just angels with wings.

Everything in the world is relative. For example, Western countries are tolerant (to put it mildly) towards sexual minorities (LGBT). In our country, this phenomenon is not publicly displayed; sexual orientation is a purely intimate matter.

“We” think “they” are demeaning, and “they” think the same about us. Who is right in this situation? Time will show. Is it possible that in this way nature is reducing the population on our planet?

Now let’s talk about the formal signs by which we are used to judging the degradation of society (let me remind you that these are evaluative signs, not dogmas):

Low level of culture. This concerns not only the rules of behavior in society, but also basic knowledge about the cultural heritage of mankind;
Lowering the bar of moral standards;
The desire for external attributes of well-being;
Infantilism (what is it?) of young adults who have reached social maturity (from 17 to 25 years). This manifests itself in the inability to take responsibility for one’s actions, lack of desire and ability to make serious decisions, etc.;
Destruction of family values (propaganda of free sex, lack of fidelity and respect).

Methods to combat personality destruction

There are different ways to deal with personality decay. At the initial stages, degradation can be stopped if a person, after listening to the reproaches of loved ones, makes efforts to return to a full life. To do this, it is enough to be interested in events in the world and maintain friendly connections.

Personal growth is facilitated by the development of new activities and creativity. You can enrich your social and spiritual experience through new acquaintances, attending communication trainings, and cultural and entertainment events.

In the later stages of degradation, one cannot do without the help of a psychologist.

To choose a way to combat degradation, the psychologist establishes its cause. We can talk about a favorable prognosis if the client manages to find the meaning of life, set an achievable goal, and feel his importance to society.

Effective means for personality degradation are hypnosis, art therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and group psychological training for personal growth.

If personal disintegration is combined with dependent behavior, the psychologist refers the client to a psychiatrist. The doctor collects anamnesis and prescribes drug therapy. In some cases, the patient is recommended to be hospitalized.

Relatives and friends of the degenerate should remember that in order to recover he needs their support. Even in the case of alcohol degradation, the pathological process can be stopped provided that the individual completely abstains from alcoholic beverages.

I recommend to my clients, who feel that life has lost all meaning, to mentally return to their childhood: to remember what they dreamed of, what they wanted to become? Think about whether their parents would like to see them unhappy?

For many of them, memories of childhood become the very resource that makes them move forward, realize their dreams, change their profession and place of residence, and master new activities.

Stages of degradation

The famous psychologist Maslow Abraham believed that human degradation has the following stages of development:

Formation of the “pawn” psychology. A person gets the impression that he is completely dependent on some other force. This phenomenon is called the phenomenon of “learned helplessness.”
The emergence of basic deficits. The primal needs for survival and food become paramount.
Formation of a “clean” environment. The whole society is divided into good and bad people, “strangers” and “insiders”. Often a person experiences a feeling of guilt and shame for himself.
The emergence of the cult of “self-criticism.” A person constantly begins to criticize himself and consider himself guilty even in processes to which he has nothing to do.
Protection of "sacred foundations". A person does not want to categorically reflect on the basic premises of ideology. Such people do not doubt their own “sacred foundations” and cannot look at them with a skeptical eye.

Degardation is not always associated with stupidity, it is associated with stagnation in personal growth and development

Definition of the concept

Personality degradation is a process of mental regression. It is easy to imagine it as going down the stairs. A person loses mental stability and the tendency to critically evaluate himself.

In this state, the intellect, physical body and sensory-emotional sphere of a person suffer. In addition to the fact that he does not learn new things and does not strive to become better, his previous skills and abilities are lost and become unimportant. Individuality dissolves, interesting character traits are lost.

In simple words, the personality ceases to exist - only the organism remains, in need of satisfying basic needs.

How does personality degradation occur?

The process of personality degradation does not happen overnight. This takes time, sometimes years, sometimes months, depending on living conditions and the presence of the disease. The exception is when a person loses part of the brain as a result of mechanical injury. The personality may then deteriorate day by day, with memory loss and loss of some cognitive functions. This article is not about these cases, but about the gradual loss of character of a person as a result of various reasons.

There are three types of human degradation:

Spiritual

Moral

Psychological

Spiritual degradation of personality

A spiritually degraded person is not necessarily a monk who left the monastery, although some people think so. The spiritual world of a person should be rich and varied. For some people, religion is the basis of their lives, for others it is science. In any case, they fill life with experience, impressions and provoke growth. Even books, films and sports fill people's spiritual worlds. Any hobby aimed at acquiring new knowledge contributes to progress.

When a person neglects to fill his inner world, he becomes unhappy, and a gradual process of regression to a primitive existence begins. Lack of interests, hobbies, reluctance to think, inability to do anything other than satisfy basic needs leads to personality disintegration. A person becomes primitive, thinking becomes flat, interest in life is lost.

Moral degradation of personality

The disease of all humanity over the centuries is moral degradation. Moral decline and promiscuity affect society as a whole and each person individually. When a person crosses the boundary of what is permitted, he steps on a shaky bridge leading to the animal world and even below.

Animals have no moral standards and rules, there is only one law - the desire to survive. People have certain moral principles and rules that allow human civilization to exist. Some of them are recorded on stone tablets, in religious Talmuds and other sources. Everything else is contained in the constitution of each country.

At home, moral degradation manifests itself in promiscuous behavior, promiscuity, and disregard for the feelings of other people. On a large scale, it is more subtle: people in power equate themselves to gods and easily violate moral laws.

Although outwardly they look presentable and are the envy of ordinary people, in many of them the mechanism of degradation has already been launched. Power corrupts no less than big money, if it does not have an inner core.

Mental degradation of personality

This happens when a person loses mental stability. First, professional skills disappear, then creativity suffers, and finally, association and loss of vitality occur.

Irritability, loss of concentration on a particular task and partial memory loss may be warning signs of the onset of degradation.

At the same time, lack of willpower, carelessness and all kinds of addictions increase. This disorder affects people of different ages and social status.

Mental degradation of personality can lead to various mental disorders

Corruption as a factor of personality degradation

Organized crime masquerading as bureaucracy is a powerful agent of personal degradation. This affects both those who give bribes and those who receive them. Unspoken rules, parallel to official legislation, create double standards and the illusion of lawlessness, because any problem can be solved with the help of money and the “right” connections.

This state of affairs has a negative impact on morale and leads to social degradation. People who give bribes gradually lose their sense of boundaries, and those who accept such payments for services become dependent. This is a kind of doping that degrades a person in the same way as gambling addiction, alcoholism or drug addiction.

Personality degradation in alcoholism and drug addiction

Alcoholic personality degradation is the most common form of regression. It all starts with a “harmless” hobby for your favorite alcoholic drink, the taste of which is pleasant. Then more and more new reasons to drink appear, including banal, absurd and far-fetched ones. Over time, the addiction intensifies and becomes chronic.

Personality degradation in drug addiction manifests itself as follows:

Decreased self-control;
Increased irritability, aggressiveness;
Superficial thinking prevails;
Fine and gross motor skills are impaired;
A person loses social ties with his former environment;
There is a complete collapse of personality.

What causes soil degradation?

Land (soil) degradation is a process that leads to deterioration of soil fertility. Soil degradation causes huge economic losses.

Reasons that can lead to the destruction of the original soil characteristics:

exceeding the dose of nitrogen fertilizers → changes in soil structure → increased erosion (destruction);
exposure to pesticides → decrease in beneficial bacteria → decrease in fertility;
artificial irrigation → accumulation of insoluble salts, waterlogging, waterlogging of the soil → decrease in fertility;
illiterate reclamation (actions aimed at draining soils), intensive logging, uprooting of forests, fires (including deliberate burning of grass and straw in fields) → reduction of the humus layer (layer containing nutrients) → decrease in fertility;
absence of forest and artificial barriers along the fields → weathering of the top layer of soil → decrease in fertility (up to the transformation of arable land into desert).

Personality degradation: examples from life

Examples of personality degradation can be seen quite often, and one of them is my neighbor in the next room. At one time, he was a boy from a not very rich, but still complete family that led an ordinary life. He was an inquisitive and kind child, strived for knowledge, tried to learn and develop. At a young age, he came under the influence of his older brother, who had recently been released from prison.

From that moment on, a verdict of degradation, so to speak, was signed. He lost interest in studying and began to draw from the underworld. His parents died and he lived alone with his brother. As a result, the young man received his first sentence at the age of 19, and when he returned home six months later, he shut himself off from the world. The eldest received a new sentence, and the young man found himself without money, without electricity and water, but in his own apartment.

He cut himself off from contacts with other relatives and friends; any attempt to help is met with aggression. He drives away the girl who waited and loved him. He eats garbage and hates the world. At the same time, he makes no attempts to improve his life, although he is only 20 years old. He lost his human appearance and turned into a primitive primitive man, who is often avoided by passers-by.

Another example is a retired friend of mine who has always had a heightened sense of responsibility. He was an expert in his field, worked hard and lived under constant stress. After work, he would drink a beer or two to relax. This went on for several years. After he decided to go on vacation, life lost its meaning.

Neither grandchildren, nor children, nor household chores gave him a rush of adrenaline; everything except his dependence has lost its meaning and significance. The lack of previous responsibility led him to drink more and more alcohol. And his health began to gradually deteriorate. Domestic alcoholism had a negative impact on his personality. A serious illness saved him from complete degradation. He had to abruptly end his addiction, which also affected his health. Now he is recovering as a person, but his health has suffered irreparable damage.

Stages of the disease

The degradation process proceeds through several successive stages. At first, mental changes are almost invisible to others. Relatives attribute rare outbursts of anger to the alcohol addict’s fatigue or poor health. A person is still able to control himself.

At the second stage, psychoneurological disorders occur. They are associated with damage to the central nervous system. Tolerance to alcohol increases, and withdrawal symptoms often appear. Behavior becomes anxious and paranoid. The mood is almost always low and depressed. Memory lapses occur. An alcoholic behaves rudely, often offending relatives and even random passers-by. He lies to get what he wants.

At the third stage of degradation, the symptoms of mental disorder worsen, the activity of the nervous system worsens. An alcoholic behaves passively and sluggishly. His attachment to family members disappears. All he wants is to find alcohol and drink. Intellectual failures and progressive amnesia are recorded. We can say that at this stage a person leads a parasitic lifestyle.

Reversibility of degradation and its prevention

To prevent the process of personality degradation, it is necessary to engage in self-education, self-development, and self-affirmation. This is sometimes difficult, but interesting daily work.

No matter how difficult it is to overcome shortcomings, it is easier to reverse the process of personality “atrophy”. Those people who succeed deserve great respect. Don’t be shy to ask for help and support from loved ones and turn to professional psychologists.

When a person copes with grief and suffering, he does not forget about his humanity in inhuman conditions and other similar difficult situations, he fights for the right to be himself, for his “I”, for the integrity and harmony of his personality and for the right to be a happy person. He chooses the path of development, not decline, life in every sense of the word, and not social death.

Personal degradation must at least be stopped. It must be recognized as a problem and stopped in time by eliminating the causes, adjusting behavior, and changing the worldview.

You need to be able to accept life as it is, in those cases when it cannot be changed; in all other cases, a person himself creates his own history and happiness.

It is important to pay attention to signs of personality degradation in time

Let's sum it up

Once, at a lecture on self-development, I learned about the Japanese wisdom of “Kaizen”, which means constant, continuous self-improvement. I remember the phrase: “If you don’t develop, you degrade.” This is what degradation is - a powerful rollback that, like a snowball rolling down a mountain, becomes increasingly difficult to stop over time.

Of course, if you are lying on the couch and are too lazy to wash the dishes, then you don’t have to worry that the process of degradation has begun. Most likely, you are just tired. But if you notice serious negative changes in someone close to you or in yourself, pull yourself together and start reading, exercising, or seeking professional help. Also watch the video, which hobbies will prevent you from degenerating.

Write in the comments, have you ever felt like you were degenerating? And have you struggled with this condition?

How to stop personality degradation?

To stop this process, you need to realize that it has begun. The brain strives to optimize its processes to save energy, so as we age, we choose simpler and more familiar activities. Routine and habits become boring. Curiosity and desire to learn new things disappear.

Development is about creating new neural connections, and this happens especially intensely in childhood and adolescence. To stop regression, you need to “take new paths,” make efforts and strive to acquire new knowledge and skills. New books, new movies, foods you haven't tried yet, music you've previously ignored—all of these are part of the recipe for age-related decline.

Each of us has many abilities, and we need to develop them. Over the course of your life, you can: learn to sing, master a craft, try yourself in various activities, make new friends, visit places where you have never been. Having children, getting a pet, changing jobs—all these changes help you grow. Such activities can help you live to a ripe old age and keep things fresh for the average person.

Curiosity can overcome regression. The list of social tools is endless, the main condition is not to stop developing and avoid bad habits that damage the brain chemically and physically.

Alcohol and drugs not only affect the psyche, but also disrupt vital processes, becoming an integral part of metabolism. It is very difficult to stop the degradation of another person, especially if he himself does not want it. Experts can help, but without the desire to grow, all their efforts will be useless.

Self-medication or professional help

There are situations when willpower alone is not enough. This is the case with drug addiction and alcoholism. Victims suffer from various pathologies. The most destructive is personality degradation.

Psychiatrists and narcologists point to difficulties in treating this disease. It is necessary to convey to the patient that he is deteriorating and needs treatment. Therapy at the first stage comes down to psychological effects. The doctor is trying to convince the patient that he wants to be healthy. If this does not help, hypnosis is used. Medicines are used only in extreme cases.

The formed dependence, which hinders the development of personality, is suppressed by psychotropic substances:

Antidepressants - relieve attacks of apathy and indifference

Neuroleptics - as drugs to eliminate schizophrenia

Sleeping pills - to normalize sleep and recovery

Nootropics - improve metabolic processes in the brain

Drug therapy is intended for short-term treatment. Drugs have a negative effect on other organs and cause drug addiction. Professional help comes down to self-medication.

Your mind needs training!

The degradation of society today can be observed in many countries. You can change this situation, starting with your own life. Try to think and move more, because this is the best prevention of degradation. Try to get rid of mindless entertainment. Limit your time watching soap operas, reading tabloid newspapers and other dubious literature. Remember that your mind, like your muscles, needs constant training. Try to solve logic puzzles, crossword puzzles and crossword puzzles regularly.

Why are people deteriorating when education is more accessible today than ever before? With 24/7 access to encyclopedic knowledge, many of us aren't really interested in learning. But learning and remembering new information is a great workout for the mind. Try to read more and consciously remember what you read. When reading fiction, think about the plot, evaluate the characters, and try to predict events or come up with alternative endings. This simple mental training brings incredible benefits!

It is important for any person to constantly be in development

Movement is life!

If you do not want to learn about human degradation, try to be active all the time. Regular walks, physical exercise - all this will add new colors to your life. Think, maybe you have long wanted to try some unusual type of fitness or dance? Don't deny yourself this pleasure! Calm people are especially positive and cheerful. Make it a habit to accept all interesting, spontaneous invitations. Try to spend more time outdoors, in city parks, in places of culture and entertainment.

Degradation is a synonym for regression and deterioration. To prevent this from happening, you need to constantly develop yourself. Go to the theater or cinema, exhibitions and other events. Discover new genres and types of art.

Taking care of yourself and others

It is difficult to be happy and satisfied with life if you are not used to loving yourself. Take care of yourself regularly and pamper yourself with pleasant little things. The degradation of society in the modern world is manifested in the lack of cleanliness and care for oneself and others. If you don't like spending time on complicated beauty treatments, don't force yourself. But basic personal hygiene should become your habit. Pay attention to your mood and state of mind. Try to optimally distribute mental and physical activity, avoiding excessive stress. Caring for others gives you positive emotions and self-esteem. You may be involved in charity work, caring for an elderly neighbor or friend who is in a difficult situation.

The right motivation

Why are we alive? Why do we live? This question has been troubling humanity since time immemorial. Don't try to answer this question for everyone, but try to find meaning in your own life. Set goals and make plans. It is advisable that your aspirations be varied and versatile. Do not wish only for material success, expressed in the acquisition of some valuable things. Strive to acquire new knowledge and skills and achieve professional heights.

It's also helpful to make plans for each day. This will help you stay organized. You will never know what human degradation is if you don't look forward to a new and interesting day.

Why do people degrade

The most common causes of degradation are addictions. Any addiction affects a person’s personality, be it alcoholism or gambling addiction. If the problem is detected at a late stage, then it is almost impossible to return a person to a normal standard of living. But there are other prerequisites for degradation.

Loneliness

As a rule, a degenerating person is lonely. The situation becomes aggravated due to the death of relatives, friends, major quarrels, moves, and cessation of communication. Deep melancholy and the absence of people nearby with whom you can share your experiences make life unbearable. The individual becomes disillusioned with himself and the world around him.

The meaning of self-improvement and taking care of oneself is gradually disappearing. Against the background of loneliness, depression often develops, which entails a decline in personality. Suicidal tendencies are not uncommon.

Social isolation

The exclusion of an individual from society is possible due to:

retirement;
dismissal from work;
separation or divorce.

In such a situation, a person is left alone with himself. He is afraid to make new acquaintances. While he had a narrow circle of friends, there was also motivation to take care of himself, to develop in order to be a pleasant interlocutor. When this disappears, the usual routine of life changes, which can trigger the process of degradation. More often this happens to people who do not communicate with their family or do not receive proper support from loved ones.

Apathy

This is a painful state of indifference to the world around us, lethargy, and lack of motivation. A person has no desire:

go for walks;
communicate with other people;
exercise;
work;
have an active rest.

In this state, the person degrades because he does not find the energy to do anything. I can recommend you an article about what to do if you have no strength - it describes in detail how to overcome apathy. It will be useful if you or your loved one is faced with a similar problem.

Low self-esteem

When failures occur in your personal life, you fail to achieve your goals, and self-esteem drops. A person stops believing in his own strength. The resource for further struggle runs out, and depression occurs.

A person analyzes a lot and remembers his past mistakes, driving himself deeper and deeper into a feeling of his own worthlessness. In the end, a moment comes when he thinks: “The barn burned down, so does the hut.” He has nothing more to lose, which means there is no point in developing and becoming better. But there are specific methods that allow you to increase your self-esteem - try it, it will be an excellent prevention of degradation.

Psychological trauma

They are the root of many problems, including degradation. These can be either shocks suffered in childhood or adult troubles. The following factors can contribute to personality decline:

abusive parents;
controlling, strict parenting;
an example of degradation from someone close to you in childhood;
deep love experiences;
serious bullying (aggressive bullying).

For example, if a child grows up in a strict family, where parents cruelly suppress his personal opinion and try to fit him into an “ideal” that only they understand, he develops a rejection of this lifestyle. Growing up, he does the opposite. I have come across examples where, in a wealthy, intelligent family, an adult child degenerated, unable to find the strength to cope with the pressure.