Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are experiencing various psychological problems. One of these conditions may be apathy. We tell you how it manifests itself and how to deal with it.
- What is apathy
- Symptoms
- Apathy test
- Causes
- How to get rid of
- How to help a person with apathy
- What not to do
What is apathy
Apathy is a lack of emotion and indifference. The word “apathy” itself comes from the Greek word “pathos” – “emotion, feeling, suffering”, to which the prefix “a” is added, introducing the meaning of negation. Apathy was originally defined as freedom from suffering, but somewhere around the 18th century, the word began to mean a feeling of lack of any emotion or feeling, especially in relation to matters that are important or interesting.
Apathy to varying degrees is often observed in healthy people, but also serves as a symptom of various mental and physical health disorders. It is important to understand that apathy is not a separate condition, but a syndrome that can be part of the structure of completely different diseases, from depression and Alzheimer's disease to the initial stages of infectious diseases.
Apathy can be of varying severity. Milder forms can manifest themselves in difficulty choosing actions or some of the most ordinary everyday steps, unwillingness to do anything. Apathy often goes hand in hand with anhedonia – the absence of joy and pleasure from activities that used to bring joy. In severe cases, apathy reaches such a stage that people find it difficult to get out of bed, take a shower, even go to the toilet if necessary, they cannot choose clothes, make a shopping list, take care of themselves. Those experiencing this state are indifferent to current events, sit or lie motionless for a long time, without talking. This state is characterized by absent-mindedness and inattention.
In advanced and severe cases, apathy can lead to a person completely ceasing to take care of themselves, monitoring timely food intake and personal hygiene. As a result, exhaustion, exacerbation of chronic diseases, and the occurrence of infections are possible.
Symptoms of apathy
Apathy can be suspected by the following symptoms:
- difficulty performing everyday tasks;
- feeling of indifference;
- lack of emotion;
- lack of interest in activities;
- lack of motivation to achieve goals;
- low energy level;
- a sharp decrease in activity in social life (unwillingness to meet with friends, celebrate a birthday, or even go to the store);
- unemotional reaction to both positive and negative events;
- frequently shifting the planning of one's life, affairs and decisions to others;
- lack of desire to learn something new, meet new people, gain new experiences;
- indifference to one's own problems.
Apathy Test
Answer the following questions:
- Do you experience a constant feeling of boredom?
- Do you have a plan of action for the week?
- Has your productivity and performance decreased lately?
- Have you ever felt indifference in response to a pleasant event in your life?
- Have you ever felt indifference in response to a negative event in your life?
- Do you find yourself reluctant to participate in any activities you used to enjoy?
- Do your usual activities require too much effort?
- Does nothing interest you?
- Don't know what you want or how to achieve it?
- Do you experience no emotional response when meeting other people?
- Do you expect others to make decisions for you?
- Do you feel empty or void?
- Do you feel like everything is meaningless or useless?
- Do you constantly feel like sleeping, but long sleep does not give you a feeling of rest?
If you answered yes to many of these questions, then most likely you are in a state of apathy and you should consult a doctor.
Causes of apathy
Psychological reasons
- Strict demands on yourself – if you set obviously unattainable goals or make excessive demands on yourself that are impossible to meet, you often get a feeling of “uselessness” of all efforts and an unwillingness to move on.
- Inability to understand one's goals and values — creates a feeling of not understanding what to do and how to proceed further.
- Infantilism or immaturity – expecting other people to take responsibility.
- Learned helplessness – fear of doing anything on your own because of the expectation of punishment for any actions.
- Acute stress reaction – “stupor” and numbness as an immediate response to a strong traumatic event or stress.
Mental illnesses
Apathy is a fairly common part of mental disorders. Basically, it is:
- Depression (it can be either isolated or as part of or as a result of other illnesses, for example, bipolar affective disorder).
- Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. Apathy in these diseases most often appears in the late stages and is extremely difficult to treat.
Taking certain medications, substance abuse and alcohol
Among such problems:
- Side effects of neuroleptics (medicines used to treat psychosis, mood disorders and sleep disorders) include lethargy, asthenia and apathy.
- Long-term treatment with antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor group (fluoxetine, citalopram and other drugs). In this case, such a complication as SSRI-induced apathy syndrome may occur. It is manifested by dulling of emotions, reduced emotional sensitivity, a feeling of “emotional anesthesia”.
- Excessive use of tranquilizers also leads to sluggishness during the day, apathy, unwillingness to do anything, and lack of emotions.
- Withdrawal syndrome or hangover. Often there is a feeling of exhaustion and drowsiness, apathy or irritable aggressiveness increases.
Neurological diseases
A 2011 study found that people with symptoms of apathy had damage to the frontal lobes of the brain. The “apathy center” is thought to be located in the front part of the brain that controls our emotions, goals, and behavior. So anything that affects the frontal cortex can lead to apathy:
- traumatic brain injuries (concussions, contusions);
- neuroinfections (meningitis, HIV infection, syphilis of the brain and others);
- Alzheimer's disease;
- frontotemporal degeneration;
- brain tumors localized in the frontal region;
- stroke or cerebral infarction.
How to get rid of apathy
- Consult a psychiatrist or neurologist. You can start with any of the specialists, since the reasons for apathy, as mentioned above, can be different – you need to act by the method of elimination.
- It may be necessary get tested blood or do brain tests (as directed by your doctor).
- Adjust your lifestyle — spend a lot of time sleeping (preferably on a schedule, observing sleep hygiene), eat right, try to avoid overwork.
- Contact a psychologist to undergo psychotherapy to learn to better understand your values and goals, take responsibility, and experience less stress and cope better with it.
- Take the therapy prescribed by your doctor for mental disorders or infectious diseases (most likely, these will be antidepressants or antiviral drugs and antibiotics).
At…
