Apathy, when demotivation and exhaustion catch us

Have you ever felt lacking interests and motivations? We all get caught up in apathy at some point…

They say about apathy that it is like a curse, that when it catches you it won’t let go. and then it blurs life, extinguishes desire and even feelings. It is a state of mind where demotivation collapses the mind, where illusions disappear and even the body hurts. We lack energy and desire, we are like prisoners of absolute physical and mental dullness.

Most of us have experienced this state of mind on more than one occasion. Now, is it really a state of mind? Or is it a feeling? Is it perhaps an attitude towards life? It should be said that apathy is a dimension actually made up of several areas, because its impact, and we know this firsthand, reaches almost any fragment of our being. It is demotivation, tiredness, disappointment, it is sadness…

“Sometimes I have the horrible feeling that time passes and I do nothing, and nothing happens, and nothing moves me to the core.”

-Mario Benedetti-

This kaleidoscope of psychic, emotional and physical processes is often experienced as one of the most unpleasant situations we can experience in life. It’s like someone who leaves their life in “pause” and remains suspended in a strange dimension where initiative and even hope are lacking. No one should be trapped in this situation any longer than necessary.Therefore, knowing the causes and how to manage apathy can be of great help.

What is apathy?

Apathy literally means “lack of feeling.” It may seem somewhat exaggerated to us, however, it is enough to remember the last time when apathy embraced us from head to toe to understand that even we ourselves were surprised by the style of thinking that haunted our own minds. “Nothing attracts my interest, everything doesn’t matter to me, whatever has to happen, nothing matters…”

This unbearable lethargy is a condition that has a great impact on a cognitive level. It distorts our focus, we are unable to focus our attention and even retain data and information. However, where the shadow of apathy weighs most is on an affective and emotional level. So much so that there are often those who wonder if what they are suffering from is perhaps depression.

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Apathy and depression

The concept of apathy is also related to that of indifference or anhedonia, which implies a decrease or inability to experience pleasure and enjoyment. According to the DSM-V, they correspond to motivational and behavioral symptoms within depressive symptoms. If the apathy is temporary it should not imply a problem, but if it lasts more than a few weeks, we could begin to talk about some type of mood disorder.

But is apathy the same as depression? Regarding this doubt, two things should be clarified. While it is true that depression sometimes presents with apathy, this is not always the case. Not in all cases. We can have people diagnosed with a depressive disorder where apathy does not appear and vice versa. That is, apathy by itself is not a direct indicator of depression. Even so, it is important to take into account how long we have been suffering from apathy.

Therefore, every time we perceive the presence of this uncomfortable companion, it is necessary that we invite her to leave as soon as possible. To make it, It never hurts to know its origin, why it sometimes appears in our lives.

Types of apathy

Although the set of apathy symptoms has traditionally been considered a single problem, Several psychologists have proposed the idea that there are several types.

The first of them is general apathy. This would occur in the case of people who present behavioral, cognitive and emotional symptoms. Likewise, these are subjects who experience great problems in their daily lives because of it.

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Additionally, the following forms have been determined:

behavioral apathyl: characterized by a marked decrease in spontaneous activity. Individuals who suffer from it do not experience serious problems with their emotions, in the sense that they continue to feel interest in what surrounds them and can motivate themselves. But, for different reasons, their activity level is drastically reduced.Cognitive apathy: This is a lack of initiative to carry out cognitive activities, or not showing any interest or curiosity in the activities that other people do.Emotional-affective apathy: implies a great decrease or absence of expression of emotions, appearing indifference and lack of empathy. It may seem that the person does not care about others or that they are not affected by anything that happens around them, showing neither joy nor sadness about the events.

What is the origin of apathy?

There is no single origin of apathy. Its appearance may be due to multiple factors that we must undoubtedly consider. They are the following.

Organic origin

Anemia. Certain infections. Weak immune system and low defenses.Deficiency states due to poor nutrition.Lack of sleep. Lack of exercise.Thyroid problems.Possible onset of dementia. In fact, it should be taken into account that apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.Likewise, the presence of brain injuries due to traumatic accidents It can also be the reason for the appearance of this low mood. cProblems in the functioning of our limbic system or the connection of the frontal cortex with the basal ganglia. Drug consumption.

Psychological problems

Bipolar disorder. Major depression. Dysthymia. Times of intense anxiety.

Environmental problems

Sometimes, we are subjected to certain environments where we do not find any positive stimulus. Around us there are only aversive, stressful or even uninteresting stimuli. Living in environments with this type of insipid and empty narrative leads us to depressive thinking and a state of marked apathy.

Living or working in scenarios where nothing attracts us, where we feel trapped by routine or stress often leads us to a state of constant frustration and apathy.

How to deal with apathy?

Once we have ruled out that we do not suffer from any organic problem, it is time to put into practice some exercises, strategies and approaches to disinfect the apathy of our body and mind. Now, there is a fact that we cannot neglect: no advice will be of help to us if we do not first get change our way of thinking.

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Regardless now of what triggered that state of lethargy and demotivation, we must understand that what keeps us trapped is our focus, our perspective. Therefore, It will be more useful for us to first “fix” what is in our mind than what is outside of it. and that, in general, is beyond our control.

Psychological therapy focused, for example, on cognitive restructuring can help us. In this type of therapy we find the cognitive-behavioral therapy that is giving such good results. Likewise, something as basic as breaking our routines, starting new activities, changing environments, people and finding different interests is one of the most effective strategies.Physical exercise, a balanced diet, contact with nature or practicing disciplines such as yoga or mindfulness They are undoubtedly very correct answers.

In conclusion, One way to banish apathy from our minds and hearts is by engaging with life in a more creative way. Thus, exercises based on self-knowledge and the achievement of goals and new, more motivating objectives will be like windows to our horizon, those to which we look out from time to time to let go of the stale wind of apathy and lethargy.