Apathy is a state of extreme indifference, indifference and insensitivity to the environment. While healthy individuals react positively or negatively to all the events they experience, individuals with apathy remain unresponsive.
It can be seen in psychological disorders such as apathy syndrome, “although not always” schizophrenia, burnout syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, pick’s disease, ataraxia.
Their energy and desires have disappeared, they are almost as if they are prisoners of an absolute physical and mental dullness.
Poet Mario Benedetti “Time passes but I do nothing, nothing happens, and I get that awful feeling that makes me feel like nothing excites me.” he said years ago. This mood prevails in apathy; indifference, insensitivity to the whole world, emotional depression, numbness, unresponsiveness are seen.
Apathy is usually seen in patients whose life has been painful and traumatized.
Although it is desired to calm the patient by giving antidepressant drugs to the patients in such a psychiatric condition, in this case, patients can become introverted, indifferent, apathetic and unresponsive as a side effect.
Since the patient feels as if he is completely absent, he treats his surroundings as well.
In such cases, the person isolates himself from all his surroundings, drags himself into loneliness and aims to disappear. Apathy is a very common syndrome, especially in people who are forbidden in closed areas and lost within the rules. It’s like they hit the “stop” button in life.
Apathy does not have a single source. It can depend on multiple factors and you definitely need to consider all of them. Some of these reasons are as follows:
- Anemia
- Some infections
- Weak immune system
- Nutrition deficiencies
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of exercise
- Thyroid problems
- Possibility of onset of dementia. Essentially, you should keep in mind that apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric manifestations in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Similarly, brain injuries due to traumatic accidents can also be a cause of indifference.
- Improper functioning of the limbic system or the connection between the frontal cortex and the basal ganglia.
- Substance abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Major depression
- Dysthymia
- High levels of anxiety
- Environmental factors
While it is true that depression sometimes accompanies apathy, this is not always the case. Apathy isn’t always part of depression. Some people have been diagnosed with depressive disorder without apathy, and vice versa.
Apathy became more known after World War I.
Soldiers living in the trenches amid bombing and machine-gun fire, and seeing the battlefields littered with their dead and crippled comrades, developed a feeling of intense disinterest in normal social interaction when they returned from battle. Although it is not that severe, apathy may develop due to situations caused by daily life.
Living in environments without any positive stimuli can naturally lead to depressive thoughts and an apathy-infested state of mind.
Feeling that nothing seems attractive and they are stuck with routine or stress, these people often live with disappointment and apathy.
Psychological therapy should be taken to get rid of this situation. It may be good to get rid of the routine, try new activities, change the environment, meet new people, and find new interests. Physical exercise and a balanced diet, being in contact with nature, and practicing disciplines such as yoga may also be beneficial.
Sources: 1, 2
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