What is apathy: symptoms and treatment. How to deal with apathy yourself

Health

It would seem that what could be simpler to answer the question, what is fatigue and what can cause it? However, how to explain what apathy is, and, most importantly, how to get to the bottom of the reasons for this condition, if it is known that apathy is not ordinary fatigue caused by overwork, but quite complex emotional condition, which can be caused by very different reasons. The fact is that by apathy we mean unusual sensation fatigue, exhaustion and lack of energy for no apparent reason. Prolonged apathy is dangerous because it can cause inadequate perception reality, loss of motivation and, as a result, severe depression. In other words, apathy serves as an alarming signal that a malfunction has occurred in the body, and he slowly gives in instead of fighting. Before you find out what causes apathy and how to deal with them, you need to understand several basic provisions regarding this emotional disorder.

-- Apathy is a fairly common state of the body, which may well be caused by ordinary overwork.

-- Apathy cannot be ignored because this condition may be a signal of some hidden disease.

-- Apathy can be caused by a large number of not only physical, but also emotional factors.

-- Healthy image life, including balanced diet and classes physical culture are great ways to not only overcome apathy, but also prevent it from occurring.

MAIN CAUSES OF APATHY

As mentioned above, there can be quite a few reasons for the occurrence of apathy, and their nature can be either physical or emotional. We bring to your attention only a few of the most likely emotional and physical causes of apathy.

Possible physical causes of apathy

-- Physical fatigue syndrome, which can lead to prolonged apathy that does not go away for six months or more.

-- Diffuse disease connective tissue, known as systemic lupus erythematosus (or as it is also called, systemic lupus erythematosus), as well as its associated diseases.

-- Lack of nutrition.

-- Different kinds allergies.

-- Multiple sclerosis.

-- Hypothyroidism is a condition of the body caused by long-term permanent lack of hormones produced thyroid gland

-- Leukemia.

-- AIDS virus.

-- Anemia.

-- Premenstrual syndrome.

-- Menopause.

-- Sleep disturbances caused, for example, by the arrival of a newborn in the house.

-- Headaches associated with migraine and other physical causes.

Possible emotional causes of apathy

-- Moral exhaustion (often caused by the number of commitments made that cannot be fulfilled).

-- Melancholy (caused by a misfortune that happened to someone close to you - illness, death, and so on).

-- Routineness (an extreme degree of boredom or melancholy caused by a monotonous, meaningless existence; complete absence interest in routine matters).

-- Increased levels of fear and worry about something or someone, including yourself.

-- Depression and other emotional causes.

WHO IS AT RISK? TREATMENT OF APATHY

Due to the variety of reasons leading to apathy, it is quite difficult to single out one or two risk groups that include people susceptible to this condition. It can only be noted that, quite often, apathy is a symptom of chronic diseases in women. However, as numerous studies show, not only are all ages susceptible to apathy, but also both sexes. This means that men are affected by this unexpectedly difficult emotional state almost as often as women.

Treatment of apathy

As you understand, such an unusual condition as apathy cannot be cured by simply taking pills or injections, especially since many do not consider apathy as a disease at all. We present to your attention a list of several of the most popular ways to cure apathy, which should be considered in the light of the reasons that caused this emotional disorder.

-- It is extremely important to establish a routine healthy eating. Regular overeating, as well as exhausting diets, can negatively affect the body, causing it to become exhausted. Sometimes even such a small thing as the inability to regularly have breakfast or lunch due to being very busy can cause apathy. Very often this disorder is caused by regular consumption of food with high content fat or too much sweets. And, on the contrary - rich in iron food, cereals and bread made from whole grain flour (or ground flour), fruits and vegetables can supply your body with nutrients that can help overcome apathy. Sometimes it is enough to simply change the habit of eating three times a day, but densely, to the habit of eating in small portions, but five times a day - this gives your body a good head start, relieving it of dangerous symptoms overeating.

-- Play sports as much as possible. This isn't about chasing world records; just regular physical exercise as part of morning exercises or an evening visit to the gym should become the norm for you. Keeping yourself in good physical shape, you thereby maintain the amount of internal energy of your body at the same high level . This is especially important if you drive primarily sedentary image life, associated with work and recumbent, associated with rest. Regular moderate exercise is a kind of tranquilizer that prevents the occurrence of complex emotional disorders and moral exhaustion. It is very easy to verify the effectiveness of this method.: once again, when you, walking down the street, feel impending lethargy and apathy, try to suddenly speed up your step and walk a fairly long distance at a fast pace. Rest assured, the creeping apathy will disappear as if by hand.

-- Cool down and try not to overheat (literally). If you work or play (for example, soccer or tennis) in very hot weather, this can also lead to dehydration and exhaustion, causing you to feel lethargic. Also, living in a stuffy and poorly ventilated room plays into the hands of emotional distress. The ideal solution to this situation is to have regular rest opportunities in a cool, dry atmosphere. In hot weather it is also necessary to consume a large number of liquids and try to ventilate the room as often as possible.

-- Rest and relax often. Certainly, this advice It makes sense only if your apathy is caused not by boredom and idleness, but by increased fatigue due to intense or tedious work. Regular good night's sleep coupled with certain relaxation techniques daytime are able to instantly restore vigor and energy to any unstuck person. Plan your day so that in the evening you can attend a yoga class, or at least just meditate a little during the working day to relieve stress and accumulated fatigue.

-- Take a break from routine work more often. Nothing can deplete the human body of modern world faster than routine, monotonous activity day after day, week after week, month after month... Try to come up with some new hobby, which would need to be accessed several times a day. This way, you will have the opportunity to periodically take a break from routine responsibilities. It is noteworthy that if, on the contrary, you have an active and varied job, requiring maximum concentration and energy output, sometimes it can be very useful to find time to be completely quiet and calm several times during the day.

-- Don't take on too much. You can’t do all the work, you can’t earn all the money, and who will need it if you don’t have the strength and desire to spend it later? Delegate your authority if possible. Try to separate your responsibilities at home if you feel like you have too much on your plate. Seek help from your family, friends, and relatives. To make it clearer to you what we're talking about, a simple example can be given: sometimes a person who is busy at work also takes it upon himself to renovate an apartment or house in order to save money, or for some other reason. Don’t strain yourself – subsequent treatment will cost even more than the money you decided to save by not hiring workers.

-- Plan your day and your spending in such a way that you always have the opportunity to do something nice for yourself. Sometimes a healthy dose of selfishness, brought into someone's life of self-sacrifice, can work real miracles.

-- Should you stop consuming? large doses caffeine and alcohol. In the same context, we can mention all kinds of stimulants nervous activity , which include tranquilizers and some types of drugs. Despite the fact that it will indeed be much easier for you in the first days of taking such drugs, further use of these drugs can cause a serious wave of relapse of such strength that the first wave of apathy will seem to you only a slight fatigue.

Should you see a doctor and if so, in what cases?

If you are not sure that the cause of your apathy is any emotional problems, then you should consult a doctor. mandatory, because there may be something behind your apathy various problems physiological nature. As for apathy, which is based on emotional problems, practice shows that in most cases people are able to cope with this complex emotional disorder on their own.

Apathy Apathy is characterized by severe depression, lack of self-confidence, an unreasonable feeling of anxiety, and depersonalization is also often observed.

Many people today suffer from apathy. Some people don’t even realize how much they are affected by this illness, which has caused them to be in a constant bad mood. Apathy is a condition in which a person ceases to control his own emotions. It's starting to feel like there's only negative points, I don’t want to make any effort even to necessary actions. Apathy is characterized by severe depression, lack of self-confidence, an unreasonable feeling of anxiety, and derealization and depersonalization are also often observed. Apathy makes you feel like a worthless loser that no one needs.

Causes of apathy

For apathy to develop, it takes time and good reasons. From the outside it seems that everything happens by itself, without reason. It should be noted that there are reasons, and they are quite understandable. Let's take a closer look at them.

Emotional turmoil

Some life events turn out to be so unthinkable and unpredictable that they are shocking. Facing loss loved one or betrayal of a partner, a person can become indifferent, indifferent to everything around him. It just takes time to restore mental balance and develop new positive programs. This process cannot happen quickly. The work of grief requires great internal concentration and affects the resources of the individual. It is emotional shocks that so deprive a person of his inner core that he loses the ability to think clearly. It is impossible to make decisions while in this state. Apathy becomes defensive reaction psyche, which does not allow destructive information to penetrate even further into consciousness. With the help of apathy, an individual gets the opportunity to isolate himself from current events that do not suit him.

Perfectionism

In some cases, the cause of apathy is the habit of always doing everything perfectly. This is actually extremely unhelpful for further development. A person gets used to constantly working at a high level and demands maximum results from himself even when it is absolutely not necessary. Perfectionism, if manifested too sharply, harms the individual and forces her to work to the limit of her capabilities. Apathy occurs as a result of wasting one's internal resources. The personality becomes lethargic, lacking initiative, and unable to take responsibility.

Addictive behavior

Another reason, causing development apathy. Any addiction destroys personality and promotes addiction. The fact is that a person loses a colossal part of his personality, loses his individuality, becoming addicted, for example, to alcohol or drugs. He is no longer able to answer for himself. Addiction is often the cause uncontrolled aggression and the onset of complete apathy. Addictive behavior devastates the inside, contributes to loneliness and the formation of a feeling of isolation from the world. Apathy appears as a consequence, as a result of an incorrect attitude towards the world.

Physical ailments

Diseases, especially chronic ones, often contribute to the onset of apathy, becoming the reason for immersion in one’s own experiences. Any long-term illness deprives a person of moral strength. At some point it begins to seem to him that joy does not exist, since there is no reason to smile. Long-term treatment, the need to visit a hospital and stay in it in many ways depersonalizes and makes you wary of yourself. People whose health becomes a cause for expressed concern do not believe in a happy future, do not make plans for self-realization, and do not want to move towards their desired goal.

Bad relationship

Unsatisfactory relationships with people also often cause apathy. When there is no proper understanding among relatives, a feeling of uselessness, even rejection, is formed. A person often cannot understand what is happening to him until it turns out that there is no one to help him. Negative feelings become constant companions of those who are faced with such unrequited love . Bad relationship with others often contribute to the fact that the individual withdraws even more into himself. His apathy becomes the reason for the development of distrust of the world. Still, everyone needs to feel needed and in demand.

Symptoms of apathy

Apathy manifests itself in a person in a certain way. It cannot be confused with any other condition. The degree of depression that is present in apathy can cause significant damage to mental health. What are the prominent symptoms of apathy? Let's try to figure it out.

Indifference to everything

Feeling depressed is a clear symptom of apathy. Indifference to everything appears due to deep immersion in the problem. The fact is that a person can be truly happy only when he sees meaning in life, and it consists of many components: personal happiness, success at work, self-realization. Apathy destroys all this, instilling only emptiness and despair in the soul. Such a state incredibly depersonalizes the individual, making him similar to other people who find themselves in a similar situation. Personal boundaries are erased, fear and anxiety for your future take root in your soul.

Sloppiness

A person immersed in apathy often stops paying attention to how he looks. Many people stop looking in the mirror; it becomes unpleasant for them to see their own reflection. Sloppiness is a characteristic symptom of apathy. It appears because the individual is too focused on his own experiences. IN certain moment he may encounter the fact that one of his relatives will begin to disgustfully turn away from him precisely because of his progressive sloppiness. The habit of wearing old dirty clothes and not washing for a long time further isolates you from people. The individual runs the risk of dissolving in his apathy and becoming completely alone.

Decreased appetite

Apathy makes you forget about the need to eat on time. An individual can sit in one place for hours, staring at one point, or sleep for days, escaping from deep experiences. The decrease in appetite is dictated by the fact that anxious thoughts prevent you from feeling hunger as a physiological reaction. Everything is overshadowed by an uncontrollable feeling of anxiety, which sometimes seems impossible to overcome. Decreased appetite is a symptom of apathy and depression.

Lack of initiative

Apathy makes a person consider himself worthless and mercilessly wastes his internal resources. The individual becomes weak and weak-willed, he has no desire to work on himself, to do something. Even if there is an understanding within oneself that it is necessary to make attempts at self-improvement, on the external plane there is not enough strength to bring what one wants to life. This is because apathy prevents you from believing in yourself and being convinced of your own worth.

Speech Impairment

Apathy harms the personality, almost completely destroys it. While in this state, the individual often cannot understand what is happening to him. It becomes difficult to answer everyday questions or participate in conversations. His speech slows down and there is no reaction to certain stimuli. With speech impairment, memory impairment is also observed: forgetfulness and absent-mindedness appear. A slow reaction can lead to uncontrollable consequences. There are cases when people, being in apathy, became victims of accidents: attacks, road accidents, etc.

Chronic fatigue

Chronic fatigue is a symptom of apathy. In apathy, a person experiences an incredible loss of strength. He has absolutely no vital energy in order to take action. The realization of existing desires is constantly postponed indefinitely. In this case, fatigue is often so severe that you have to overcome yourself even in order to perform basic actions: move around the apartment, go out to the store for shopping.

How to deal with apathy?

Apathy as a condition definitely needs correction. You cannot stay in it for a long time, it is fraught with irreversible consequences. It is best to start treating apathy as soon as it appears. It is not recommended to delay actions, as it will be more difficult to do later. However, many people unconsciously delay this moment precisely because they do not know how to deal with overwhelming despair and anxiety.

Physical activity

This is the first place to start treating apathy. The fact is that physical activity can't be replaced by anything. If you stop moving, the problem only gets worse over time. Man is designed in such a way that even small exercises can help cope with obsessive states. That's why it's worth signing up for dancing and walking more on the street. By taking daily walks, you will free yourself from additional mental anguish. You should not neglect morning exercises. If you have the strength for systematic gymnastics, you can include it in your daily routine.

Daily regime

When thinking about how to deal with apathy, you should take into account such a thing as correct mode day. This important component will protect you from significant mistakes that can lead to even greater losses and defeats. Apathy as such tends to accumulate if no effort is made to eliminate it. Competent treatment of apathy is never complete without building an effective routine. Your body should get used to going to bed strictly at certain hours and eating at a time when you are hungry. Gradually you will learn to feel your needs and desires.

Trips

How to deal with the feeling of being cut off from the world? When treating apathy, it is advisable to travel. It is advisable to do this as much as possible to get the necessary impressions. Of course, everyone has different financial capabilities, but it is recommended not to spare money for mental recovery.

Communication

Interaction with loved ones helps in many ways to overcome the subjective feeling of uselessness. Treatment of apathy is impossible if there is no opportunity to express your love and affection. Communication is an indispensable tool in the fight against emotional disorders and depression. You just need to be able to find people who will be able to listen, understand, and be able to advise something. Unfortunately, not everyone has such a warm relationship with their loved ones that they want to share all their thoughts and feelings. You cannot limit yourself in interacting with other people. The more communication, the better, the sooner you will be able to come to your senses and restore lost mental strength.

Medications

They are not always recommended, only in the most difficult situations, when ordinary positive actions and support from loved ones are not enough. Don't be shy about asking for help when you really need it. What drugs are usually prescribed? It is recommended to take Novopassit, Persen or Glycine. In more severe cases, the doctor may prescribe strong tranquilizers that will help relieve anxious thoughts.

Thus, a pronounced state of apathy is a serious reason to think about your life. Apathy like psychological disorder definitely needs treatment. Required the right approach to treatment that will help overcome feelings of internal hopelessness. Can seek help from the Irakli Pozharisky Psychology Center. Working with a specialist will be helpful. You will be able to understand the disturbing situation and outline ways of internal liberation.

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In the modern world, apathy is, first of all, indifference to the world around us, when you don’t want to do anything, there is no desire to communicate with others and the person turns out to be closed in on himself. Often this condition develops into depression if the patient is not cured in time. Apathy towards life is actually dangerous, so if you notice this condition in your friends or yourself, you need to take immediate action. Interestingly, the word comes from the Greek apatheia, meaning dispassionate. The ancient Greeks meant by it wise people who were able to renounce any suffering and joy, and therefore have an objective point of view on any event.

Today, this word has acquired a completely different meaning, since it is characterized by deep detachment from everything that happens in the world around us, emotional passivity and lack of liveliness. This condition can occur due to various reasons and be a consequence various diseases, including due to .

Causes of apathy

Very often, complete apathy occurs in cases where a person takes on a large load that he is not able to cope with. Also, this psychological condition can develop after serious physical illnesses. In general, the causes of apathy can be divided into separate groups.

After poisoning, infections and operations, the patient often feels powerless, the body is exhausted, weakness and constant apathy appear. In this case it is natural process and the patient needs rest. If he follows the prescribed diet and rests more time, this condition will quickly pass.
There is a concept called “emotional burnout.” When a person, due to his work duties, is forced to communicate a lot and emotionally with other people, while not receiving satisfaction or satisfaction from his actions feedback, there is a risk of developing apathy.
Severe fatigue. If you don’t take care of your health in time, overwork can develop into full-blown depression. Therefore, it is important to take care of your condition and rest on time. Prolonged overwork first manifests itself in the form of apathy, and then becomes more deep character in the form of depression.
Organic brain lesions. Interestingly, apathy and fatigue can appear several years after traumatic brain injuries, diseases that involve brain tissue, and after infections.
Stress. If you have been suffering for several years stressful situations at work or at home, this ultimately leads to chronic stress. After some time, apathy appears and a state of indifference to the outside world develops.
Schizophrenia. The fact is that the feeling of apathy is a symptom of apathetic-abulic syndrome and manifests itself in the form of drowsiness and weakness. This is why we need to be wary of apathy in general.
Physical, .
Weak immunity.
Lack of nutrients, vitamins and other microelements in the body.
Disturbances in the endocrine system.

These were the main reasons for apathy. The disease does not last strictly according to schedule and, like other diseases, has a wave nature. This means that the patient feels lighter at different periods of time and, on the contrary, experiences the full severity of this condition. Thus, apathy most often manifests itself in spring and autumn. These seasons also have a negative impact on people who are susceptible to depression.

Risk group

People retiring. Apathy can manifest itself in the first years after retirement. The fact is that a person lacks social communication, it is difficult for him to reorient his life and do new things. It is not uncommon for many people to continue working during retirement.
Women of any age. It is known that representatives of the fair sex have an order of magnitude less “hormones of joy” than men. Therefore, during pregnancy there is a risk of developing apathy.
People who actively manifest themselves in the social and public sphere. Due to their job duties, some people are forced to communicate a lot and often and take on greater responsibility. Sometimes a person fails to cope, which leads to fatigue. Apathy towards work is one of the fundamental factors in the development of the disease, especially if you are doing something you don’t like.
People prone to psychological illnesses.
Teenagers.
Workaholics.
People who have a weakness for alcohol.
Individuals who consider themselves unlucky.
Overly wealthy people.

Apathy most often develops in people who have certain character traits:

Hypochondria, melancholicity, suspiciousness;
Maximalism and perfectionism;
Tendency to emotionally overestimate situations;
Emotional excitability, impressionability;
Frequent mood swings, which may be bipolar disorder;
Perception of minor mistakes as something important, leading to tragedy;
Too low self-esteem;
Autistic lifestyle.

Symptoms

As has been said many times, the symptoms of apathy are, first of all, complete indifference to life. However, this is not the only symptom that describes this condition. Signs of apathy:

A sharp decrease in activity in the household and social sphere. If a person was previously active, led interesting image life, but suddenly refuses to attend events or simply does not comply with hygiene standards at home, constantly sleeping. This is a reason to think about your condition. Moreover, those around you see this clearly;
Sharp decline in mood. In this case, it is necessary to compare how a person felt throughout his life and use the average to determine how much his mood has decreased. If this is a significant difference, you need to seek the help of specialists;
The circle of contacts is sharply reduced. When apathy manifests itself, a person suddenly begins to avoid communication with his friends and acquaintances. As a result, the patient completely isolates himself from the outside world. If you notice this happening, take immediate action;
Absent-mindedness. This symptom appears due to indifference to the outside world. A person does not fulfill the promised deeds, even if they are very important or necessary for him;
Giving up what you love. As you know, a hobby brings positive emotions, but a person suffering from apathy gives it up. This serious reason think about what is happening to the individual;
Poor concentration. Due to severe overwork, it is difficult for a person to concentrate on anything;
Fear of loneliness, abandonment. If before we talked about the situation when a person himself narrows his circle of contacts, then the opposite happens. Friends move away, colleagues change their interests and the person feels abandoned, there is a risk of developing apathy or a state of loneliness;
Severe weakness. Sometimes this is expressed in the fact that it is difficult for a person to get out of bed;
Dizziness. Is a consequence of prolonged physical inactivity or;
Slow reaction;
Memory impairment. Most acute symptom, which can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor if you notice this pathology.

If these symptoms persist for two weeks or more, you should contact a specialist. The fact is that the patient may deny these manifestations, but you will have to convince him otherwise. It is very important that there are people next to the person who can take care of him during this difficult period. Apathy and depression are different from each other. So, depression is a complete loss of strength, both moral and physical. Apathy is a state when there is no desire to communicate with other people, do certain things, and a decrease in usual activity.

Apathy during pregnancy

This special condition, in which all women are subject to heavy loads. During this period, there is a revaluation of some life principles, the body is subjected to emotional overload. As a result, due to a lack of vitamins and against the background of endocrine changes, apathy towards life may occur in pregnant women. It is important that people around you monitor all changes and, if necessary, help avoid consequences, since it is difficult for a pregnant woman to adequately assess her condition.

According to observations, most often the “disease” develops in active and emotional women. Because of thinking about how dangerous the world and how the child’s fate develops, the body finds itself under stress, which negatively affects not only the pregnant woman, but also uterine development. In this regard, it is easy depressive state requires treatment and you should not rely on the fact that it will go away just like that. As soon as you notice the corresponding symptoms, show more attention to the expectant mother and protect her from stress.

Treatment

Apathy can be cured in three ways, and what measure to take depends on the depth of the condition.

Light form

If a person has recently been very ill, was preparing for a big project at work, was taking a test, and has suffered other physiological, psychological, and emotional stress, he just needs to rest. There is no need to insist and take the person to the hospital; provide him with conditions in which he can relax and recover. At mild stage apathy that has not yet lasted for several weeks, give the person a good night's sleep, organize a variety of healthy diet, entertain a tired patient. Having shown the proper level of attention and care, in a few days the person will return to normal and feel good. In this case, you can also do without medications, and vitamins will not be superfluous.

After several days of rest, begin to gradually involve the patient in social life. For example, remind him of his hobby, go to the forest, take a walk in the park, near a lake or pond. Try to surround him with harmony and nature, as this has a positive effect on the psyche. It is recommended to go hiking, skiing, snowboarding, cycling, and possibly jogging. Don't give heavy loads, it should be light exercise for fun. Massage, sauna, bathhouse and other relaxing procedures have an excellent effect. Delicious tea, coffee and chocolate also improve your mood.

The only thing is that everything needs to be done gradually, without burdening the patient. Gradually the vitality will return and in a week the person will be completely healthy.

Difficult stage

If the patient's condition does not improve or treatment is not carried out at all for several weeks, apathy may last for for a long time. In this case, you will need the help of a psychologist who knows the techniques of psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy and hypnosis. The point is that a person has lost interest in life for a reason. Somewhere in the depths of consciousness there is an unresolved problem that prevents full life. Perhaps the patient could not find an answer to an exciting question and became disappointed. When the psychologist manages to find out what caused the apathy and offer the patient various methods solutions to the problem, thanks various techniques, the person will be on the path to recovery. As already said, apathy differs from depression more mild form. Accordingly, to get a person out of this psychological illness much easier.

Drug treatment

When there is prolonged lethargy, doctors may prescribe certain medications. IN in rare cases nootropics are used to prevent the development of depression or bipolar disorder. If they appear psychological disorders, the psychotherapist prescribes sedatives and antipsychotics. But this is already the most extreme stage of the disease, where immediate help is required.

The bottom line is that apathy is best treated at an early stage. Do not forget to rest often, especially after strong psychological and physical activity. If the body does not recover in time, you risk developing apathy, nervous exhaustion and other pathologies.

Apathy is a depressed state of mind, which is characterized by a general loss of strength, decreased interest in current events and life in general. It is dangerous to remain in a state of apathy for a long time. The individual is more likely to stop feeling the beauty of the outside world and become focused on his own problems. It is extremely difficult to get out of apathy on your own. To do this you need to have great will and determination. Most often, with similar problem people turn to specialists. The causes of apathy may be concentrated deep in the subconscious, or may reflect events in the personal or public life. The symptoms of apathy are quite vivid - they cannot be ignored. The person becomes indifferent to everything, lethargic, and taciturn. Looking at him, those around him get the impression that he does not hear the words addressed to him, does not notice anything happening around him. Treatment of apathy should be a competent and deliberate step. Before you take a series of decisive actions, you need to know how to deal with apathy.

Causes of apathy

Like any condition, apathy has its own reasons; it never appears out of nowhere. As a rule, this is the result of prolonged dissatisfaction with oneself, refusal to realize important desires and ideas. What are the causes of apathy? Let's try to figure it out!

Emotional stress

Prolongation is not good for anyone. Apathy always results from prolonged emotional stress. Eventually, the nervous system becomes exhausted. The person himself does not notice how quickly he plunges into a depressed state. This is what ultimately leads to apathy. Apathy itself has a very destructive effect on the individual, makes you endlessly doubt yourself and spend a long time in painful experiences. Emotional stress, which continues long enough, ultimately leads to dissatisfaction with life and a feeling of hopelessness. So a person stops believing in own strength, focuses on problems.

Physical and emotional fatigue

The presence of frequent stress, tense relationships in a team, misunderstanding in the family lead to physical and psychological exhaustion. Fatigue does not in any way contribute to a rosy mood and the formation of self-confidence. Apathy quickly arises where there are good reasons for it. If a person does not take care of himself, works extremely hard, and does not receive any satisfaction from life, then soon his strength will leave him. Treatment can be long and exhausting. People prone to apathy are advised to avoid stress, strong emotional involvement in conflict situation. The sooner you determine the cause of apathy, the easier it will be to subsequently get rid of this disease and begin effective treatment.

High demands on yourself

Another reason for apathy is too fantastic expectations. For example, a person is just starting his journey in business and immediately wants to get good results. But, as you know, personality development is impossible without trials and additional efforts. – this is a problem for very talented and gifted people. By placing unnecessarily high demands on oneself, a person does not give himself the right to make mistakes. Anyone can go down the wrong path. Only if for ordinary person There is nothing terrible in this, but a perfectionist perceives everything through the prism of tragedy. He is overly critical of his own achievements, considering them small and insignificant. This prevents him from fully feeling happy and moving towards his desired goal.

Addictive behavior

Any form of addiction sooner or later contributes to the development of apathy. The presence of any form of addiction is a very significant reason for the occurrence of apathy. Addictive behavior implies that a person loses a significant part of himself, loses a sense of self-control and self-respect. Among the main symptoms of addiction are the following: a person ceases to control himself, to notice his actual needs and requirements. The main thing for him is to satisfy the need for chemicals(if it is an alcohol or nicotine addiction), in communication with another person (relationship addiction). Turning into a person with an addiction, a person loses the ability to manage his life, relieves himself of responsibility for what is happening, and plunges into apathy.

Disease progression

In some cases, the cause of apathy is long-term illness. Sometimes some illness grips a person so strongly that he has no strength left to rejoice. All attention and physical resources are spent only on overcoming the feeling of helplessness and characteristic symptoms specific disease. Apathy covers a person so much that drug treatment does not bring the desired result. The progression of the disease takes away many internal resources from a person. The patient quickly gets tired, tired, and does not even want to do his favorite things.

Judgment and rejection of others

Another reason for the formation of apathy is tense relationships in society. The syndrome of constant dissatisfaction with one’s personality grows, as a rule, from persistent rejection of others. If a person constantly faces criticism, listens to the dissatisfaction of his superiors or relatives, it becomes difficult for him to believe in his own strength. Lack of self-confidence and the future invariably gives rise to apathy. A person loses motivation for new achievements; he does not want to change anything in the current situation.

Premenstrual syndrome in women

Some representatives of the fair sex fall into apathy before the start of a new cycle. In these difficult days, women become easily vulnerable; it’s easy enough to offend them. Premenstrual syndrome adds a lot of stress and anxiety. This is a very serious reason why the mood deteriorates, tearfulness and resentment increase. Apathy serves as a kind of refuge for a woman to hide from additional obligations and problems. With the help of apathy, the girl seems to resort to cunning and learn to avoid conditions that are unbearable for her at the moment.

Negative changes

Sometimes in the life of every person there are some strong shocks that can seriously affect the psyche. The death of loved ones, irreparable events in society, divorce, betrayal, and any other incidents that change the entire way of life have a negative impact on the emotional state. A person does not feel strong enough to quickly cope with what he is going through. There is a feeling of an accomplished catastrophe and helplessness. Apathy does not allow a person to take action immediately. As a rule, a large amount of time passes before a person begins to accept what happened and finally comes to his senses.

Symptoms of apathy

Apathy manifests itself in a person in a very specific way. Its symptoms are known to every person firsthand. Anyone who has been in this state for even a short time knows how difficult it is to overcome it and learn to enjoy life again. Let's look at the main symptoms of apathy.

Emotional indifference

A person in a state of apathy hardly pays attention to what is happening around him. He forgets to even think about meeting his basic needs: eating on time, meeting with friends. It seems that the feeling of joy is blocked inside him, that the personality is lost and does not know which direction to move. Emotional indifference is manifested in the fact that a person constantly has Bad mood. It seems that nothing can cheer him up or give him at least a little optimism. Indifference to everything around you - true symptom apathy. If a person fails to overcome it for a long time, then interest in life decreases.

Against the background of emotional indifference, a pronounced decrease in appetite occurs. The usual taste of food is lost somewhere and even your favorite dishes cease to bring pleasure. A person may refuse food altogether or take it literally a teaspoon at a time.

Limiting communication

Apathy often causes a person to avoid interacting with other people. It becomes easier and more comfortable for a person to be alone with himself rather than communicate with others. The thing is that apathy deprives a person of moral strength and self-confidence. At the same time, it becomes a conscious desire to minimize any communication, since it takes away additional energy. Even the closest friends find themselves deprived. A person in a state of apathy is not able to actively express himself.

Decreased performance

Severe emotional depression also affects mood. There is a pronounced decrease in performance. A person begins to feel that he is unable to perform even basic tasks. Habitual activities bring only suffering, without giving any positive emotions. Treatment must begin, first of all, with the awareness of the fact that some part of life is wasted. Instead of the usual state of interest, drowsiness and lethargy suddenly appear. Before important meetings, he begins to feel drowsy and his voice becomes indifferent. These are the true manifestations of apathy. A person who really experiences this condition needs help and support.

Treatment of apathy

Apathy is a condition that cannot be left to chance. To overcome painful reluctance to act and make decisions, you need to choose competent treatment and follow simple recommendations. How to deal with apathy? What do you need to pay attention to for treatment to be effective?

Regular physical activity

In fact, our emotional state is strongly connected to our physical well-being. There is even a term " mental health", implying all sorts of peace of mind and well-being. Systematic physical exercise helps strengthen nervous system, maintaining mental balance. You will see how your mood will gradually return to normal, the desire to live, create, and perform some actions will appear. Do what you like: ride a bike, get new emotions from sports, strive to satisfy your desires. Proper nutrition is also an important factor that will help make treatment more effective.

Having hobbies and interests

How to deal with apathy? If you care about your individual well-being, you should find something you enjoy. Think about what could bring you the most joy? Each person has certain inclinations towards certain activities. If you carefully analyze your inner world, you can come to very unexpected conclusions. Having hobbies is incredibly inspiring, gives strength and fills you with optimism in life. By doing something that brings inner satisfaction, a person blossoms from within, discovering even greater potential and additional opportunities for realization.

Thus, in order to get rid of apathy, you need to become a full master of your life. Bring your physical and emotional state into balance, then your low mood will leave you forever. Remember that we manage our own lives, and everything that happens is our merit. Take over full responsibility for what is happening. Don't expect someone else to do it for you.

Initially, the meaning of the word “apathy” implied an extremely useful and positive state of the individual. A term borrowed from the ancient Greeks - followers of Stoicism ( apatheia – dispassionateness), was used to denote the ability of wise persons to lead a life in which there are no anti-moral passions and negative affects. This is a state of a stoic way of thinking and acting, when a person does not experience joy and suffering from phenomena that cause such feelings in an ordinary mortal.

Today, the term “apathy” is synonymous with athymia and anormia, denoting the presence of dominant properties: emotional passivity, deep detachment from what is happening, a hopeless lack of liveliness. Apathy is a human condition that can be described with the words: “ I don’t want anything, not because I’m lazy, but because my whole life is uninteresting, unexciting, insipid, boring».

At the same time, the reluctance to do anything and act somehow is not at all the momentary whims of an eccentric and spoiled personality. Constant apathy is a specific status of a person’s inner world, a special structure of the psyche. Lethargy of thinking, coldness of feelings, detachment of experiences can arise gradually or abruptly. The person does not understand the nature of such sensations and is not able to control them, that is, she cannot change her perception of the world through conscious efforts.

What is apathy? Description

In fact, the resulting apathy towards life is a kind of lever of the nervous system, used to protect and save the psyche from accumulated stress, warning of the depletion of the body’s resources. A state of indifference and indifference occurs during a period when the reserves of mental energy have been exhausted due to the influence of psychotraumatic factors. Detachment from the events of reality is a consequence of prolonged excitation of the central nervous system: to stabilize the functioning of the body, the brain initiates processes of inhibition of functions. This natural mechanism is designed to prevent irreversible depletion of mental resources. This is a specific reliable “fuse” for the body against excess nervous tension.

However, for many people, apathy is not an isolated and short-term phenomenon, but takes possession of a person for a long time, makes changes in character, becoming a unique personal property. Social apathy in the form of passivity and lack of initiative may be a character trait individuals at certain stages of development, manifesting itself in low professional activity and social inertia.

As such, there is no diagnosis of “apathy” in psychiatry. In the understanding of clinicians, this is a symptom of the existence of a certain problem in the human psyche, which can be described as “total indifference.” It is this sign that most accurately reflects a person’s position in this moment. It is worth noting that indifference does not extend to any specific area of life: a person is indifferent to all manifestations of life.

Apathy is well conveyed by the speech construction “ I do not care" That is, it is the same for a person: the sun is shining or it is raining, he received a bonus or lost his wallet, he will go to a friendly party or stay at home alone, he will eat a delicious steak or get soy sausages for dinner. For a person with apathy, there is no fundamental difference between joyful and sad events, achievements and failures, gains and losses. Any phenomenon, regardless of its sign: “plus” or “minus” will not cause an emotional reaction.

However, it is worth distinguishing apathy from a related anomaly - abulia, which often go hand in hand. Apathy is insensibility, and abulia is inactivity. If with apathy a person continues to exist as if by inertia, without feeling any emotions, then with abulia his urge to do anything simply disappears.

The state of contemplative inactivity is a sign. Indifference to the surrounding world is a negative manifestation of various somatic, neurological, mental pathologies, such as: dementia with Pick's disease, senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type, tick-borne borreliosis, HIV infection. Apathy can develop when taking certain pharmacological agents, for example: antipsychotics.

Apathy can be a specific clinical symptom within depressive disorders. Apathy and depression are kindred spirits. But if with “pure” depression a person is exhausted negative feelings, then with apathy contrasting concepts disappear. A person does not feel the difference between “sad - happy”, “sad - happy”. In a word, everything is “nothing” for him.

However, the lack external manifestations experiences in a subject with apathy does not always mean that the person has completely lost the ability to feel something. It’s just that true sensations are often hidden in the deep parts of the subconscious and are not demonstrated at the conscious level. In addition, apathy deprives the richness and brightness of experiences, so it seems that a person has no emotions at all.

Symptoms of apathy

A person in a state of apathy can be easily distinguished from others, since the symptoms of this anomaly are clearly visible externally. Main entity apathy - complete indifference to what is happening, which manifests itself in noticeable decrease vital activity. A person loses interest in hobbies, does not perform previously favorite activities, and reduces the number of contacts with friends. A person loses interest not only in joyful events, but he does not show any reactions to phenomena that are in good condition cause hostility, disgust, anger.

When surrounded by people, he is distinguished by his absolutely dispassionate speech and indifferent behavior. The complete alienation of the individual from society is established. He tends to ignore questions addressed to him or answers them in monosyllables. A noticeable sign of apathy: lack of sympathy for the problems of loved ones, disappearance of empathy for the difficulties of relatives, inability to rejoice for their successes. It is often his fault that family relationships become hostile. Moreover, the more attention a relative pays to him, the further the person with apathy tends to move away from him.

The person prefers to be inactive, to spend time aimlessly. A person continues to go to work or attend classes, but he does this out of inertia. He does not show any initiative and performs his duties, not trying to get some worthy result, but performing them, just to somehow get the job done.

The posture of a person with apathy is static, as if lifeless, the head is lowered, the gaze is dull. Visual symptoms of apathy are the complete disappearance of facial reactions to some phenomena. A person’s face does not reflect either sympathy or antipathy, neither sadness nor joy. The subject's speech is devoid of any emotional modulation. The narrative reveals indifferent notes in relation to all objects of reality.

A sign of apathy, noticeable to the naked eye, is the disappearance of any vegetative reactions to an event, that is, a person’s face neither turns red nor turns pale if the individual witnesses an objectively alarming situation. There is also a significant paucity of gestures, a complete absence of any spontaneous movements.

There may be signs of sloppiness and uncleanliness, even complete disregard for personal hygiene measures. Many people with apathy experience senseless obsessive actions, for example: tapping their fingers on the table, rhythmically swinging their legs, rubbing their hands, and staring at their hands for a long time.

Causes of apathy

Apathy– a symptom that may indicate somatic, neurological, mental level. Before starting treatment for an abnormal condition, the following causes should be excluded:

schizophrenia;
depressive disorders;
diseases of the central nervous system of organic etiology;
dementia of various origins;
AIDS;
oncological lesions of the brain;
alcoholism and drug addiction;
endocrine dysfunction.

Quite often, the causes of apathy are the use of certain medications, including: benzodiazepine tranquilizers, sleeping pills, tricyclic antidepressants, antibiotics, oral contraceptives. Therefore, if you experience fatigue, drowsiness, weakness and indifference while taking any medications, you should consult your doctor for a replacement. medicines.

Among psychological reasons apathy holds the palm psychoanalytic concept, according to which apathy is defense mechanism psyche, designed to neutralize intense personal experiences. According to adherents of this teaching, apathy helps to temporarily reduce the importance of the desires and needs of the individual, which allows you to change your worldview, thereby eliminating internal conflict.

Another group of psychologists believes that the cause of apathy is a consequence of excessive personal experiences, and its task is to reduce the intensity of manifestations of the emotional sphere. Since the process of experiencing emotions is associated with a significant expenditure of mental energy, there comes a moment for any person when the body’s resources are simply not enough for emotional reactions. Apathy is a kind of “switch” of the sphere of feelings to work in energy-saving mode.

Another opinion is that apathy is a way to prevent a nervous breakdown, restraining responsible and purposeful people from excessive labor feats. Often, sudden insensitivity occurs in initiative and enterprising subjects who dare in the professional field 24 hours a day. Due to the development of indifference to what is happening, the workaholic’s body receives the necessary rest.

In some cases, it is quite difficult to establish the causes of apathy, since the culprits of a person’s vital lethargy are hidden in the deep parts of the psyche - in the subconscious. By immersing the person in a hypnotic trance, it is possible to establish that the reasons for the current cooling to life are mental traumas of the past. That is, in the personal history there was some kind of psychotraumatic situation that caused the individual severe suffering. By creating apathy, the subconscious tries to protect the individual from new mental anguish.

Psychological stress