BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Inspiration Always Seem To Be In a State of APATHY (Nd Advice)

I have been fairly inconsistent with most of the goals and endeavors in my life. Sometimes I thought it was because I may be a lazy, and sometimes I thought it may have been depression. I'm learning that it's neither. I feel APATHY for most things, even things I can claim to be where my interests are.
This in turn has resulted in lack of consistency with my motivation to accomplish many of my goals.

How can I fix the fact that my personality contains mostly apathy?

Thanks in advance for any help, feedback, or advice you can give me

I can understand where you are coming from since I occasionally feel the same way. I try different techniques to overcome the feelings when that occurs, including changing my routine, going out, either outside or somewhere fun, or even taking a relaxing bath.

There is some very general information on what can cause apathy and what a person can do about it on www.Wikipedia.org/wiki/apathy

Apathy (also called impassivity or perfunctoriness) is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. They may also exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness.

Often, apathy has been felt after witnessing horrific acts, such as the killing or maiming of people during a war. It is also known to be associated with many conditions, some of which are: depression, Alzheimer's disease, Chagas' disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, dementia, Korsakoff's Syndrome, excessive vitamin D, Hypothyroidism, general fatigue, Huntington's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), schizophrenia, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and others. Some medications and the heavy use of drugs such as heroin may bring apathy as a side effect.

Relationship with depression:

John McManamy argues that although psychiatrists do not explicitly deal with the condition of apathy, it is a psychological problem for some depressed people, in which they get a sense that "nothing matters", the "lack of will to go on and the inability to care about the consequences". [4] He describes depressed people who "...cannot seem to make [themselves] do anything", who "can't complete anything", and who do not "feel any excitement about seeing loved ones".

4.^ a b Apathy Matters - Apathy and Depression Psychiatry may not care about apathy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. by John McManamy
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He acknowledges that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not discuss apathy. In a Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences article from 1991, Dr Robert Marin MD claimed that apathy occurs due to brain damage or neuropsychiatric illnesses such as Alzheimer�s, dementia, Parkinson's, or Huntington�s, or else an event such as a stroke. Marin argues that apathy should be regarded as a syndrome or illness. [5]

5.^ Psychiatry may not care about apathy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. by John McManamy
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So my suggestion to you would be to talk to your health care provider and see if you can figure out what is causing you to feel like this. There may be some medication(s) that would be able to help you overcome some of this.

As for me, I did have a stroke, which can be a cause of this condition according to this information, and that is one of the main reasons that I seem to struggle with apathy. I am on medications that seem to help. I wish you luck. I'll be here if you want to talk to me or any one of the other people here who can help.

God bless you.

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Trish

Thanks Trish for posting that great response. Up until now, I'd thought Apathy and Depression would have been the same thing.

ForceGx, I'm sorry to hear you are in this state. I have experienced apathy, but thought it was either depression or boredom. My own personal experience has been to do something that gets me out of my routine and into the moment. Like a spur of the moment hike, or trip to the park.

Exercise also seems to help (maybe that's why I like the walking (LOL).

I have honestly been able to get myself out of a state of indifference by making myself do some research for a topic. I honestly start off bored, and I just don't feel like writing - but I make myself do it, and I end up feeling excited. That may not work everytime, but 9 times out of 10 easy.

Hope you can find your passion again.

If one has a clinical relationship to apathy, then you really CAN'T make yourself get out there and do something.

Sometimes I think the internet is my greatest foe, enabling me to just stay here and do nothing.

Thank you, Deana, for remembering to remind all of us to look for our passion.

Some people think I'm crazy because one of my passions is working with kids. I love being around them (most of the time anyway) and I substitute teach high school. I get so much satisfaction and enjoyment from working with the students, PLUS, as an added benefit, it keeps me younger and my brain sharper.

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Trish

Oh, Jilly, you don't think you have a problem because you like your computer, do you?

You are absolutely right that a person with such a serious illness, like clinical depression, can not just MAKE themselves get out there and do something. They do need to see a medical professional and seek help, usually with some kind of anti-depressant medicine or even some psychotherapy, like behavior therapy which can work to change negative style of thinking that is part of depression.

Depression is sometimes hereditary but it IS a treatable illness.

I hope that you are doing great now and I excitedly wait to hear more about your "decluttering". Bless you, Jilly.

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Trish

If someone feels that apathy is truly a problem they can't cope with alone, they should start by talking to their doctor. There could be a vitamin deficiency or something easily treatable that could make you feel better physically. Exercise is also a great way to perk up your life and make you feel more energetic.

Perhaps you need to change the way you think about life. There is a saying, "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change."

I have been reading about the law of attraction for several years and I truly believe, as Abraham Lincoln said, "People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." If you think you have no real reasons to be happy about your life, you could start a gratitude journal or try focusing on something outside yourself through volunteering, doing something that interests you.

I've suffered from depression in my younger years and managed to come through it by improving both my health and outlook on life. If you would like to read a good book to help you through this, try The 10 Secrets to Success and Inner Peace by Wayne Dyer. This book literally changed my life.

Best of luck to you. There is help out there in many forms and there is no reason to go through life not loving every moment.