Clinophilia (not getting out of bed): characteristics of the symptom and treatment

When we are sad and tired, such as when we are disappointed in love or when we are fired from a job, making the least effort can become a world for us. We may not feel like doing anything and even the only thing we do in the first moments is to lie on the bed, whether we sleep or not, thinking or simply letting time pass.

Generally it is something occasional, but sometimes this type of attitude is much more frequent than usual and even becomes a trend. This tendency, typical of situations of high emotional discomfort and even medical or psychiatric disorders such as depression, has a specific name: we are talking about clinophilia.

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Clinophilia: what is it?

Clinophilia is understood as the excessive tendency on the part of a subject to remain in bed or lying down, often without desire or strength to carry out another activity beyond remaining in said position. Said permanence is not justified by the presence of an organic cause: that is, the subject is not in bed because he cannot biologically speaking get up from it. Thus, behind it there is usually some type of alteration or psychological discomfort, the association with suffering being frequent.

Clinophilia is not a disorder in itself, but rather a behavioral manifestation that could be indicating the presence of one: that is, we are facing a symptom of the existence of a problem. It is generally associated with emotional discomfort that we do not know how to avoid.

Symptoms

In this sense and to a large extent, we can consider that clinophilia is associated with the feeling of learned helplessness: continued exposure to a situation to which we have not found a way out makes us consider that our resources are not enough to face the aversive situation, inhibiting our action and acquiring a position of passivity when regard.

Remaining lying down or lying down prevents us from encountering the cause of our pain and allows us to be in a controlled and relatively safe place, in such a way that exposure to the direct cause of discomfort is prevented. But on the other hand, it prevents solving it, which in the long run usually generates even greater discomfort.

Although clinophilia itself is only this tendency to remain practically immobile and passive in bed, it is usually be accompanied by apathy, sadness, mental or physical fatigue, irritability and difficulties in finding beauty and pleasure in the day to day.

Depending on the case, crying may appear, as well as a lack of sensitivity and emotion, such as emotional anesthesia. It is not uncommon for hypersomnia to also appear due to lack of activity, and/or to be accompanied by nocturnal insomnia with lack of restful sleep.

At the level of consequences, in addition to promoting the above, it is common for those who express it to generate a certain feeling of guilt for the lack of action and a decrease in self-esteem.

At a social level, labor problems may occur (for example, lateness or absenteeism), and at a social level it can also generate conflicts with the environment (such as the couple or people who cohabit with the subject) and even isolation (both due to the subject's lack of desire to interact and a possible rejection of said attitude).

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Causes and problems in which it usually appears

Clinophilia is a passive attitude that usually occurs as a reaction to a stressful, traumatic or painful situation for the subject. This behavior does not have to be derived from suffering from a psychiatric disorder, but it can appear due to the experience of phenomena such as those written in the introduction, the death of a loved one (it can appear in a grieving process), relationship problems or even due to the mere lack of vital objectives and self realisation.

In any of the cases, what is usually at the base is a high level of suffering and emotional discomfort that drains the subject of energy.

Regarding its appearance in mental disorders, the disorders most linked to clinophilia are major depression and other depressive disorders, anxiety problems, bipolar disorder (in depressive phases) and continued psychosocial stress over time.

It is also possible to appear after experiencing trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (although in this case there is also hypervigilance and restlessness, with which the permanence in bed is restless and tense), and in personality disorders such as depressive or borderline.

Another possibility with which it may appear associated is apathy and alogia existing in patients with cognitive impairment, as in psychotic patients with negative symptoms.

However, it must be borne in mind that clinophilia can be both a symptom of a disorder and of a response to the diagnosis, course, prognosis or difficulties generated by it (meaning that it is not the disorder that generates it but a reaction to some aspect of it). Likewise, it can also be a reaction to the diagnosis of medical diseases such as cancer, HIV-AIDS, diabetes or heart disease.

Treatment of this behavioral symptom

Treating clinophilia can be much more complicated than it seems. Although the treatments may seem relatively simple, one must take into account the great suffering and discomfort caused by the patient being in this state, understand it and give it an answer. Likewise, it must be taken into account that in order to go to the consultation, the patient (or her entourage) has had to overcome their resistance to action, something that must be valued and reinforced.

The first step would be to discover the reason why the person with clinophilia maintains this behavior, what they consider to be its cause, their emotions and thoughts regarding your lack of acting and your interpretation of it (as well as the functionality you can find in she). Likewise, it must be assessed whether there are disorders such as major depression or bipolarity to make an adequate treatment (remember that clinophilia is a symptom of something, whether or not it is a mental disorder, and not a disorder itself).

Once this is done, the fundamental step is to favor the activation of the subject. Establishing psychoeducational guidelines is useful, as well as programming pleasant activities or small steps (in a more or less graduated way depending on the problem, if a dramatic change is demanded, the patient will probably not accept it) that the subject forces himself to do. For example, take out the trash or take a walk around the block. Favoring an activation contrary to emotional discomfort little by little the subject will present some behavioral improvement, but this should not be the only thing that is carried out.

And it is also necessary that work be carried out regarding the causes of their discomfort. An example in this sense can be found in Beck's cognitive therapy or in the cognitive restructuring of the beliefs and biases that the patient has. Work on self-esteem and self-concept is also necessary.

An important step is to favor the progressive empowerment of the person. To do this, they can try to remember similar moments that the subject has overcome successfully, explore their attitudes, actions and the consequences they had and analyze their applicability to the case current. also favor the presence of activities in which the subject presents certain mastery and expertise, in such a way that he sees himself as valid and capable.

Stress management training can help you become aware of different ways of coping with stress. difficulties, as well as expressive therapies can help to release the internalized discomfort of the person who suffer. In cases where there are sleep problems, appropriate treatment will also be required in this regard, as well as sleep hygiene.