Apathy, When Demotivation And Exhaustion Catch Us

They say of apathy that it is like a curse, that when it catches you, it no longer lets go of you and then it blurs life, extinguishes the desire and even the 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 an 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 that is actually made up of several areas, because its impact, and we know this on our own skin, reaches almost any fragment of our being. It is demotivation, fatigue, disappointment, it is sadness …

This kaleidoscope of psychic, emotional and physical processes is often experienced as one of the most unpleasant situations that we can experience in life. It is like someone who leaves his life on “pause” and is suspended in a strange dimension where initiative and even hope are lacking. No one should be trapped in this situation more 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, however, it is enough to remember the last time that 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 does not matter to me, whatever happens, 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 attention and even retain data and information. However, where the shadow of apathy weighs the most is at the affective and emotional level. So much so that often, there are those who wonder if what they are suffering is perhaps a depression.

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 be a problem, but if its duration lasts beyond a few weeks, we could start talking about some type of mood disorder.

But is apathy the same as depression? Regarding this question, two things should be clarified. While it is true that depression is sometimes apathetic, 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. Still, it is important to consider how long we have suffered 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 achieve this, it never hurts to know its origin, why it appears sometimes in our lives.

Types of apathy

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

The first of these 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 day-to-day lives due to this.

Additionally, the following forms have been determined:

• Behavioral apathy : 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 be interested in their surroundings and can be self-motivated. But, for different reasons, their activity level is drastically reduced.

• Cognitive apathy: it is a lack of initiative to carry out cognitive activities, or not showing any interest or curiosity in the activities that other people carry out.
• 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 nothing that happens around him affects him, showing neither joy nor sadness for the events.

What is the origin of apathy?

There is no single source of apathy. Its appearance may be due to multiple factors that we must undoubtedly consider. They are as follows.

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 noted 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 can also be the reason for the appearance of this depressed mood.
• Problems in the functioning of our limbic system or the connection of the frontal cortex with the basal ganglia.
• Consumption of drugs.

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.

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 our mind. Now, there is one fact that we cannot neglect: no advice will help us if we do not first succeed in  changing our way of thinking. 

Regardless of what triggered this state of lethargy and demotivation now, we must understand that what keeps us trapped is our focus, our perspective. Therefore, it will be more useful to “fix” what is in our mind in the first place than what is outside it and which, 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 one that is giving such good results.
• Also, something as basic as breaking with our routines, starting new activities, changing environments, changing 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 are undoubtedly very successful answers.

To conclude, 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 more motivating goals and new objectives will be like windows before our horizon, those to which we peek from time to time to let go of the stale wind of apathy and lethargy.