Deprivation in psychology

What is deprivation

So, deprivation - what is it in simple words? Deprivation in psychology is a condition in which a person can no longer lead his usual life. This happens when circumstances change or the ability to satisfy one’s needs is lost.

The word “deprivation” comes from the English verb deprive, which means to deprive, to take away. It has a negative connotation. We are talking not only about physical, but also about mental needs.

A similar definition of deprivation is given by J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejcek, who studied the development of this phenomenon in children. According to them, it develops if an individual cannot satisfy mental needs over a long period of time.

These needs include:

the need to create conditions suitable for work or study;
desire to establish and develop social connections;
the need for self-realization, goal setting, finding a place in society.

Deprivation is often compared to biological failure. Physical well-being noticeably worsens if the body lacks vitamins, oxygen or adequate nutrition. The same thing happens with mental health if a person lacks communication, love and other feelings.

Deprivation in psychology is a psychological state caused by the inability to perform vital functions of the body, as well as its social, cognitive and hedonic needs.

In simple words, for some reason a person may not be able to eat , breathe, move, hear, communicate, etc. All this will be called deprivation of a certain type.

How deprivation manifests itself

The manifestations of deprivation differ in each individual case. They are influenced by many factors, in particular age.

In children

Most often, childhood deprivation develops in children who, for whatever reason, end up in an orphanage. The first months of their life they are practically no different from other babies. But studies have shown that they are 3-4% more likely to develop disorders of the central nervous system. And genetic pathologies are more common among them than among others. That is why, in most cases, disabled children are deprived of their mother's love.

By the age of 1 year, the difference between “home” and abandoned children becomes more noticeable. Often the latter are diagnosed with rickets, insufficient body weight, and delayed psycho-emotional development. They do not show curiosity about what is happening in the environment, are inactive, do not want to talk, and do not respond well to speech addressed to them. Moreover, throat diseases are common among such children and the body’s defenses are reduced.

The main reason for the development of deprivation in this case is life surrounded by orphans, without parental love and care. In second place is unscrupulous medical examination of a child in the first months after birth.

In adults

In adulthood, deprivation manifests itself in a number of physiological and psychological symptoms:

increased anxiety;
decreased vitality, apathy;
dissatisfaction with oneself;
frequent mood changes;
unmotivated aggression.

A person becomes so depressed and helpless that he simply loses interest in everything that happens around him. Not only does he not see a way out of the current situation, but he also does not want to look for one.

There are other manifestations of deprivation. Among them is fear of novelty and the unknown, as well as of quite familiar phenomena and objects. Over time, these sensations become so strong that the person becomes their hostage.

What is sensory deprivation

What is sensory deprivation? Sensory deprivation is a condition in which a person lacks information about the world around him, since his channels for receiving sensations from the analyzing systems are blocked. In this state, the brain begins to look for sensory images for processing not in the external environment, but in the internal world of the individual, as a result of which the individual’s anxiety increases and hallucinations appear.

In psychology, sensory deprivation is the beginning of the disintegration of personal structures and regression of mental activity. This opinion is explained by the fact that sensory deprivation is equated with emotional hunger, disrupting brain function.

The clinical picture of this condition has not yet been fully studied. In psychology, signs of sensory deprivation are considered to be such manifestations from the nervous system as:

migraine attacks;
dry mouth, itching sensation in the mouth;
memory impairment, absent-mindedness, poor development of voluntary attention;
difficulties in establishing cause-and-effect relationships;
speech disorders;
sleep problems;
hallucinations, human generation of fantastic ideas;
poor human orientation in time and space;
mental disorders.

Types and consequences of deprivation

All types of deprivation have their own characteristics and consequences.

Sensory

This form of deprivation has been best studied. It presupposes conditions in the life of a child or adult when the external stimuli around them are either limited or change frequently. Stimuli include light, smells, and sounds. A good example is pilots who spend a lot of time at the controls. Their psychological state worsens due to the fact that they are almost always alone, while doing extremely monotonous work.

You've probably seen a lot of movies talking about the concept of sensory deprivation. Take, for example, the same Robinson Crusoe, who spent a long time alone on a desert island. Tom Hanks' hero experienced the same adventure in the film Cast Away.

There are several consequences of this type of deprivation:

change in direction of thinking, problems with concentration;
daydreaming, attempts to escape reality;
deterioration of time orientation;
illusions, hallucinations;
excessive excitability, nervousness;
headaches, a feeling of aching muscles, the appearance of “spots” before the eyes;
rave;
anxiety, fears;
personal changes.

With sensory deprivation, 3 types of reactions occur:

Excessive excitability and at the same time general emotional depression. A person reacts to banal situations very sharply.
Interest in what used to bring pleasure decreases, the mood is calm and even apathetic.
Taste preferences change, as do emotions. What you liked before now causes irritation, and vice versa.

These are emotional reactions. Changes also occur in the cognitive sphere:

Violations of verbal and logical thinking develop, attention and speech deteriorate.
Perceptual processes are inhibited. What it is? A clear example is a violation of three-dimensional perception. It seems to a person that the walls are moving, narrowing or expanding.
Suggestibility increases.

In simple terms, sensory deprivation is a lack of emotions. And such hunger is often confused with ordinary hunger, trying to satisfy it with food. It turns out that obesity and overeating are directly related to this type of deprivation.

Despite the rather unpleasant consequences, sensory deprivation also has positive aspects. For example, it encourages a person to generate unusual ideas and find a way out of difficult situations. Just remember the same Robinson Crusoe, who, while living on the island, implemented a lot of creative ideas.

Coping with sensory deprivation is easier for introverts. Difficulties will arise for extroverts, as well as those with a hysterical and demonstrative personality type. It is difficult for such people to survive the restriction or absence of external stimuli.

Motor

Motor deprivation develops in cases where there is a need to temporarily limit mobility (from 2 weeks to 4 months). It is characterized by:

hypochondria;
depression;
unmotivated fears;
instability of emotional state.

It is difficult for a person to concentrate. He develops problems with speech and memory. He becomes lazy both physically and mentally.

Cognitive

Cognitive deprivation occurs due to a lack of, chaotic, or disorganized information. Its consequences are:

boredom;
inadequate reasoning about the world and one’s place in it;
incorrect conclusions about what is happening in the world and with people around them;
inability to act effectively.

The lack of information causes anxiety and unreasonable fears about the present and future. They are followed by depression and sleep problems. Performance decreases, vigilance is lost, and the ability to concentrate deteriorates.

Emotional deprivation

This condition is also called mental deprivation. It is the most difficult to diagnose. This is due to the fact that it has many different manifestations. Some people experience fears, others suffer from depression. There are also those who, on the contrary, become overly active, sociable, and waste their time on superficial relationships.

Such deprivation is most difficult to bear in childhood. The child experiences a delay in several types of development at once: cognitive, emotional, social.

Social

The essence of this type of deprivation is the isolation of a person or group of people from the outside world. There are several types:

Forced. Isolation was created artificially; neither the person himself nor society expected it.
Forced. In this case, isolation is initiated by society. A good example: an orphanage, a prison and other similar institutions.
Voluntary. Such is the self-isolation of hermits.
Voluntary-compulsory. The person himself limits social connections in order to quickly achieve his goal. Students of the Suvorov School or, for example, a school for gifted children are in such isolation.

Psychosocial deprivation has the following consequences:

anxiety;
fear;
depression;
psychosis;
emotional stress;
euphoria as from taking drugs;
irritability;
frequent conflicts;
incontinence;
suicidal thoughts.

As for disorders at the cognitive level, the most common are memory problems, speech impairment, loss of good manners, and problems with abstract thinking.

Those most susceptible to social deprivation are young mothers, elderly people who have just retired, hermits, and workers who have been on sick leave for a long time.

Existential

Associated with the search for one’s place in society, the meaning of life, and the study of issues of death and existence. There are 4 subtypes of existential deprivation:

It develops in adolescents in cases where they are limited in their ability to realize themselves.
At a young age, deprivation is a condition caused by the choice of profession and the search for a partner to start a family. The reasons for its development are loneliness and isolation from society.
At the age of 30, it is important for a person that his life corresponds to the previously set goals and plans.
At the age of 40, there is a reassessment of values, an analysis of the years lived.

There are several reasons for the development of existential deprivation:

change in social status;
loss of meaning in life, inability to achieve goals;
unexpected rapid change in living conditions;
monotony in life.

Another reason, no matter how strange it may sound, is achieving a goal. It's boring for a person to live without a dream.

Educational

In this case, the concept of “deprivation” means pedagogical neglect, unsuitable learning conditions for the child, and the inability to fully reveal his abilities and potential. All this leads to loss of motivation, decreased interest, and reluctance to attend an educational institution. Over time, these symptoms develop into a persistent aversion to the educational process.

Educational deprivation in psychology is divided into 2 subtypes. The first is emotional. This is a state when the teacher ignores the characteristics of the student. The second is cognitive. This means that knowledge is presented formally, without deep explanations.

Paternal or maternal deprivation

It develops not only in childhood, but also in older age. This implies the absence of dad or mom, as well as inattention on their part.

Interesting! The lack of paternal love is called paternal deprivation.

If the mother leaves the child for a short period of time for a good reason, the condition will quickly stabilize. Otherwise, extremely unpleasant consequences develop. These are developmental delays, apathy, and a tendency to depression.

Sleep deprivation

Otherwise known as chronic sleep deprivation. It develops in situations where a person does not allocate enough time for night rest. If the situation does not change for a long time, drowsiness appears even during the day, the mood deteriorates, the person becomes distracted and forgetful. His performance (intellectual and physical) is deteriorating.

The development of sleep deprivation is provoked by several reasons:

Actually, lack of sleep caused by passion for computer games, the need to do overtime work or homework, or waking up due to the crying of a small child.
Insomnia. The person often wakes up during the night or gets up early. Another option is that he has trouble falling asleep for a long time. As a result, he spends the entire day fighting the urge to sleep.

Another reason for sleep deprivation is anxiety. You cannot sleep because you are thinking about some problems, for example, difficult family relationships or difficulties at work.

Types of deprivation

Depending on what human need is being limited, deprivation can be divided into groups:

Sensory

For the normal functioning of the human psyche, a constant supply of new sensations to the senses is required. Without the possibility of new experiences of touch, new tastes, smells and sounds, deviations will gradually develop in the individual’s mental state.

Cognitive

Gaining new knowledge is just as important as accessing new experiences. It is also called informational. Depriving a person of the opportunity to constantly receive new information will negatively affect his perception of the world, and in the long term, his intellectual abilities.

Social

It is expressed in depriving a person of his role in society. Most often this happens during the education stage. poorer socialization in adulthood

Emotional

It means the inability to enter into close emotional relationships with other individuals, or the severance of already formed relationships. The most common cases are family problems and difficulties finding a partner.

There are many other types of deprivation, however, they cannot be classified as psychological, although some of them have a direct impact on the psyche. So, for example, movement deprivation, which consists of depriving a person of the ability to walk and move in general, is a physiological problem. But people who encounter it most often have disruptions in the normal functioning of their psyche.

Sleep deprivation

Sleep is a vital need for any person. Its voluntary or forced deprivation for a long time promises serious problems with well-being and psyche. Experiments that involved limiting subjects' sleep were very popular in the 20th century.

Observing the subjects, scientists found that the first six days are characterized by an increasing feeling of fatigue, while the subsequent days are characterized by an aggravation of all senses, a state of euphoria and possible hallucinations of various types. Achieving such a state of altered consciousness in ancient times was often practiced by priests and shamans for “contact with other worlds.” Sleep deprivation for more than ten days is especially dangerous.

Sensory deprivation

In the second half of the 20th century, experiments were carried out that confirmed the need to obtain new sensations by the senses for the healthy psychological state of everyone. Many people, deprived of the opportunity to see new images, hear sounds and experience tactile sensations, had difficulty withstanding three days of such a test.

However, short-term restriction of one of the sources of information can also have a positive effect. So, wearing a blindfold or earplugs will help you calm down, concentrate on your own thoughts, and feel more comfortable.

Social deprivation

Social deprivation consists of the inability to communicate with other members of society. Like other types, it can be either voluntary or forced. An example of voluntary is the ascetic monks who chose life in cells. Coercive often goes against the wishes of the individual and is a form of punishment, for example, imprisonment.

How to cope with deprivation

So what is deprivation? This is depriving a person of his usual way of life. You can change the situation if you return to him what was taken away or replace it with something else. For example, feeling empty, many people become interested in religion. Some find solace in traditional teachings, while others become members of various sects. There are also those who immerse themselves in watching TV series or computer games. Such methods of dealing with deprivation in psychology are called destructive.

There are also constructive methods to combat this condition. Among them: sports, self-development, active work on oneself and one’s personality.

Deprivation should never be ignored. If you leave everything as it is, you are guaranteed to become dependent on some useless activity or hobby. Therefore, it is better to consciously do something useful.

Types of deprivation play an important role in “treatment” tactics. So, with sensory, it is recommended to paint life with bright colors, add emotions and impressions to it. When experiencing emotional deprivation, it is worth finding someone you can trust.

In particularly severe cases, it is recommended to consult a psychotherapist. Working with it will help eliminate destructive experiences and aspirations, as well as protect the psyche from irreversible consequences.

Existential deprivation

Existential deprivation is, in psychology, the presence of obstacles in the search for the meaning of life and answers to philosophical questions, one’s realization in society.

Manifests itself specifically at different ages :

15-19 years old – inability to realize oneself as a separate, accomplished adult;
20-29 years old - loneliness, lack of strong relationships and favorite work;
30-39 years – discrepancy between real life and desires and goals;
after 40 years - an imbalance in realization and a negative outlook on the period lived.

There may be factors not related to age :

nostalgia (what is it?) for life in the past;
feeling of sadness and devastation after achieving a long-awaited large-scale goal;
a sharp change in status in society;
destruction of meaning and purpose through external causes.

My recommendations

It so happened that I lived in an unfamiliar city for almost 2 years. All my friends and relatives remained elsewhere. There were no friends or acquaintances here. I spent almost all my time on my own. Such a social deprivation.

I can only say one thing - you can get rid of it if you completely immerse yourself in some interesting activity and make new acquaintances. Reading and self-development helped me. I read books about how you can change your life for the better, and fiction. As soon as I got used to the new conditions and coped with the symptoms of deprivation, I began to meet new people. And it so happened that I still communicate with some of them.