Exalted personality type: features, causes, diagnosis and treatment

Emotions are an integral part of any person's life. People rejoice at certain events, are sad for certain reasons, laugh, cry, get angry, and all this is a manifestation of special mechanisms in the psyche that are responsible for the uplift and recession.

But it happens that emotions in a certain category of people are so strong and vivid in nature that this is considered a deviation from the norm and in psychology is called exaltation or affective-exalted behavior. What does this concept mean?

Exaltation is a manifestation of intense reactions to one or another external stimulus. The psyche of this type of personality is in an extremely agitated state, and the very reason for such a spiritual uplift is usually disproportionate to the violent reaction to it.

If a violent reaction becomes a part of the personality, that is, a firmly fixed model of behavior, a character trait associated with a vivid expression of emotions, then we are talking about accentuation. This extreme was first seen by the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard. He described the meaning of the concept of exaltation, calling it "the temperament of anxiety and happiness."

A person with the presence of such an accentuation is able to passionately rejoice in something and after a second deadly yearn, and a sharp change in mood can be caused only by tea spilled on trousers or bad news on TV.This means that from joy to grief (and vice versa), an exalted personality type has an extremely small emotional distance, so mood changes occur in sharp jumps. In other words, it is a kind of cult of emotions.

Interestingly, about fifteen percent of all people have this accentuation. Moreover, a man with this type of temperament can be found much less often than a woman. This is logical, because a woman, in fact, is prone to a greater manifestation of strong emotions.

Signs or symptoms that distinguish the behavior of an exalted person from the rest:

• The main feature is considered to be sharp emotional leaps from joy to sadness and vice versa. Such a person always cries over a touching film or book.
• The exalted personality type usually speaks a lot and loudly, laughs contagiously.
• Often he turns on animals and is sincerely touched by looking at them, experiencing the most tender feelings for them.
• Such a person is friendly to others, he is always ready to help, other people's problems touch him to the depths of his soul, he has a strong altruistic beginning.
• But at the same time, there are people for whom such a psychotype experiences extreme hostility, even hatred.

• Negative features include a tendency to exaggeration, unreasonable panic and dramatization of a particular situation, high anxiety.
• This category of people, as a rule, often falls in love, while clearly showing their feelings. Exalted personalities are real romantics, their feelings are sincere, but their manifestation can often be annoying and even inappropriate.
• The emotional state of these people is reflected in physical well-being, appetite, sleep and ability to work. In a depressed mood, they cannot work, they can quit the job they have begun halfway through, without returning to it anymore. For example, a girl with a similar accentuation, falling in love with a guy, may suffer from insomnia all night long and hardly eat.

• The ability to perceive oneself and others also depends on the disposition of the spirit. One and the same person may seem nice and pleasant, and in a minute he will already be boring and repulsive. The same goes for memories. Sometimes exalted individuals see the past in bright colors, and sometimes they only remember their failures and failures. They talk about the future, now gloomily, now happily.
• Such people tend to take part in one or another mass event, sometimes they are even in the foreground, while deliberately not trying to be the center of attention.
• It is worth noting that these personality types never use their excessive emotionality for the purpose of manipulating other people. If these are tears, then they are not for the sake of gaining some benefit for themselves, they are a sincere manifestation of emotions.
• In general, such people are always friendly, very attached to their family and friends.

Even if a person has similar signs, it is impossible to accurately form a conclusion about his exaltation from them. For the most correct diagnosis, there is a special Shmishek questionnaire, which is based on the theoretical positions of the psychiatrist Karl Leonhard. This is a kind of testing, in which there are about a hundred questions, suggesting monosyllabic answers "yes" and "no". The final number obtained reveals the type of accentuation, and it does not necessarily end up being exalted. This test exists in both children and adults.

That is, such behavior is firmly entrenched in this person, and, perhaps, he does not even realize his problem. Based on the results of testing, specialists can give recommendations on how to adjust the intensity of the expression of emotions.

Exaltation is not a bad or dangerous condition. It is even considered the norm in childhood.There is no such child who, at the age of two or four, does not cry loudly or even throw real tantrums to his parents. At the same time, for young children, an exaggeratedly joyful mood with unrestrained laughter and intense gestures is characteristic.

Teenagers are also prone to exalted behavior due to hormonal changes in the body. It is difficult for them to control their emotions, their mood is unstable, they become maximalists, not recognizing the golden mean in the expression of feelings.

The following stages of the manifestation of accentuations can also occur in adulthood, for example, in a person in love or a young parent, when external stimuli have a strong effect on the emotional background. The ability to control your excitability is called maturity. But people can remain eternal children, which already speaks of exaltation, as an integral character trait. Factors that contribute to its strong strengthening in the human psyche:

• Exaltation is largely due to a genetic predisposition. A parent with an accentuated character trait is likely to pass it on to their child.
• In addition to heredity, this type of personality also forms an incorrect upbringing (for example, excessive custody or, conversely, lack of attention from parents).
• The reason may be incorrect self-esteem (it may be too high or, conversely, underestimated, which is considered an inferiority complex).
• A person becomes exalted due to the impossibility of satisfying his basic needs (this applies to interpersonal communication, building relationships, feeling safe, etc.).

• Some people with accentuations simply lack the concept of moral and cultural norms.
• Another reason is the presence of private conflict situations in adolescents with their peers. A similar problem can form accentuation and "transfer" it into adulthood.
• If from childhood you often pay attention to the state of health and this or that chronic disease, then you can also later become the owner of an exalted temperament.
• Exaltation depends on professional factors. For example, doctors, the military, representatives of the creative professions are more prone to vivid displays of emotion.

People with exaltation often prefer creative professions. It is not for nothing that many representatives of the literary or artistic sphere have not lost their childish character even in adulthood. Some geniuses were considered "big kids" because of their mood swings and volatile emotional background. Many paintings were painted in a state of passion. The same goes for the creation of works of art.

They try to realize themselves in the creative sphere, because they are not devoid of good taste and sensitivity. Such people produce very touching works and deep pictures. The acting path is another area for a person with accentuations. The ability to express emotions vividly is valued there above all else. These personality types are good at acting in films or in the theater, because their impact on the viewer through experiences is colossal.

In addition to creative professions, people with accentuations choose the work of educators. Their compassion and kindness help to find an approach to any young child. But not every person with such a temperament can be realized in a creative profession (in the absence of talent). Then a job, for example, a holiday organizer, will help to give an outlet to emotions.

Exalted individuals most often have problems interacting with society. It is especially hard for close people.If someone in the family has a similar temperament, then life with such a person resembles a location next to a sleeping volcano. It is impossible to predict what emotional impact this or that situation will have on an exalted family member.

Society is more trying to avoid such people, hence:

• frequent conflict situations occur;
• a person with a similar accentuation at work is not given important tasks, usually he does not occupy high positions and it is difficult for him to move up the career ladder;

• a person with such a temperament usually does not have close friends either because of distrust, because a person with such an explosive and unpredictable emotional background is difficult to trust.

Most often, these individuals, leaving the care of their parents and other relatives, do not cope with life's tasks, even with everyday problems, therefore some of these people simply drink too much or even find themselves without a roof over their heads. Usually these psychotypes are lonely. Among famous actors and other creative personalities, there are many examples with a similar fate. Many of them, despite their talent and popularity, died poor and alone.

But if you understand and realize the problem in time, then with the help of certain techniques you can curb your character to some extent, stabilizing the emotional background.

Treatment of such an accentuation is based on the correction of an enhanced character trait that prevents a person from interacting in society. You cannot completely change the temperament, but you can get rid of negative manifestations. For this, there are special techniques for working on yourself. This is what psychologists do. The course of treatment depends on the severity of accentuation, it can be three months or even years.

How is the treatment carried out?

• Individual conversation. The psychologist talks in detail about the strengths and weaknesses of the character of an exalted personality type, gives advice on reducing the significance of the events taking place, and provides ways of responding to certain situations.
• Group training. Unlike an individual conversation, here the psychologist recruits several people with a similar accentuation, a massive discussion of the problem takes place. This technique also includes psychological training, during which the psychologist gives clear instructions on the correct model of behavior in a given situation.
• Family conversation. This method is aimed at settling conflicts of an exalted person with family members, as well as improving the overall family environment. Usually such work is carried out with children and adolescents.
• Psychodrama. A group technique where a psychologist creates fictional situations and helps people with accentuations find the right way out of them.

See the next video for how to learn to manage your emotions.