Contents
The term “apathy” from the Greek stands for “impassionate”. Initially, such behavior was considered positive and positive for some activities. It was believed that if the sages led an unemotional lifestyle, then external stimuli did not prevent them from creating brilliant ideas. Psychotherapists put this state on the same level with athymia, anormia, which form the following dominant properties: passive emotional mood, lack of interest in what is happening, slow rhythm of life. A person with the process of progression of this type of state evaluates any situation that occurs as uninteresting, unemotional, boring. If the process is started, then the main symptoms will not disappear, but will progress over time. A person has an absolute indifference to what is happening around. The international classification of diseases implies such a disorder as unhealthy, it is considered a deviation from the generally accepted norm of health.
Reasons for the development of apathy
There are several reasons that precede the development of this state: working with a large number of people, the consumption of emotions in communicating with them without receiving a response (for example, classes with schoolchildren) – in this case, severe emotional exhaustion occurs.
To reduce the anxiety of such a manifestation, a long rest time and a complete recovery of the body are necessary.
The development of disorders is a consequence of constant stress experienced by a person for several years. Preceding situations are always present: negative attitude towards the employee at the workplace, ongoing conflicts in the family, etc. Some family members who are susceptible to negative influence and lead an antisocial lifestyle can contribute to the development of this psychological disorder.
The disorder occurs as a consequence if the patient has previously suffered a traumatic brain injury, or an infection associated with exposure to the brain. This condition is a primary symptom that often precedes schizophrenia. Weakness, drowsiness, lack of interest in life are phenomena classified in schizophrenic manifestations.
The reason for the lack of emotions may be the intake of various medications, the list of which contains: tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antidepressants, some types of oral contraceptives, antibiotics.
From a psychophysiological point of view, the reaction is used as a defense of the whole organism. Sometimes internal conflict creates all the reasons for the emergence of apathy.
Some psychologists argue that a too sensitive person, whose emotional background is higher than that of other people, is more prone to apathetic moods. In this case, the body’s resources are not able to adequately perceive negative information, reproduce the corresponding emotions, and the result is a complete lack of interest in life.
Increased efficiency is the cause of apathy, because all the energy is spent on physical or intellectual labor, the body needs to rest, it tries to protect itself from the effects of external psychological factors as much as possible.
Precursors of apathy
Many people confuse such concepts as apathy and depression. The latter is manifested by a depressed mood, and the former includes a complete rejection of life’s pleasures, communication, and the absence of any activity.
Sometimes relatives and the immediate environment of a family member in need of psychological and mental assistance may misinterpret the behavior of the patient, as a result of which negative changes in the state will occur.
The signs of this change are as follows:
- Unwillingness to perform the usual work, participate in events, conduct household and personal hygiene procedures, often ignoring elementary norms. Such a change becomes very noticeable to all the people around him.
- Restriction of acquaintances, reduction of a permanent circle of contacts. Relatives should notice if their family member, having previously been the soul of the company and having a sufficient number of friends, abruptly stopped communicating with them. This indicates an apathetic mood, flowing into a more serious form.
- A lowered mood level is the first indicator of apathy. If for a long period a person is negatively inclined, does not react to any attempts to change the situation, then special attention should be paid to this.
- Refusal of a favorite activity: everyone gets positive emotions doing what they love, but if it does not please and does not attract, this is a sign of emotional fading.
- An objective indicator of changes in consciousness is a person’s absent-mindedness and memory impairment. You can notice such a constant repetition of actions when the keys are forgotten at home or the door is not locked. Repetitive absent-mindedness – indifference to everyday life.
- Violation of concentration of attention is another serious factor that alarms relatives and relatives of a person.
- The lack of strength to get out of bed due to pronounced weakness is the first indicator of the disease (it is weakness that is the main indicator of a developing disease).
- Refusal to independently perform hygiene procedures.
- Slow reaction – indifference is manifested by the unwillingness to fully respond to stimuli.
- The appearance of a feeling of anxiety, fear, abandonment, a feeling of uselessness, a lack of meaning in later life, while others always become guilty.
- Dizziness – actively manifests itself already at the stage of a progressive state of indifference to life.
The alarm should be sounded when the listed factors are observed in the patient for more than two weeks, there is no regression. The last three manifestations are the most dangerous symptoms, leading to devastating consequences. You cannot completely trust the words of a person suffering from apathy. He tells others that he is always doing well. In fact, if similar symptoms are identified, the patient needs to undergo a full course of procedures in order to restore their mental health.
This psychological absence is very much like laziness. It is necessary to pay attention if a person, previously not noticed in the unwillingness to perform actions, suddenly begins to abruptly become lazy.
Visual changes in the patient’s appearance
A person suffering from psychological changes even visually causes fear among others. If, for example, a situation is provoked in the person under study when any emotions are evoked in a normal, healthy individual, the person predisposing to apathy will not show his anger, sadness or irritation in any way. Sometimes, if you ask him questions, he will ignore them in every possible way, or answer in very simple words, making up monosyllabic sentences.
More severe disorders are expressed even in the posture of a person. The patient’s head is lowered, the gaze is inanimate, slowed down or there are simply no reactions to any stimulus. There is no emotional coloring of speech, complete indifference can be traced in any story.
When modeling a situation in which a normal person would show anxiety, a patient with apathy omits absolutely any reaction, does not change at all in his face, gestures, and completely controls his speech. Sometimes such patients withdraw into themselves, begin to examine their limbs for a long time, perform monotonous actions with their fingers or feet, for example, tapping them.
Development in pregnant women
In women carrying a child, there is an interesting moment when complete indifference sets in. Emotional and physical overload during this process is the main root cause of disease.
When in a pregnant woman all the endocrine glands of the body begin to work differently, in accordance with the increase in the amount of hormones, the emotional state changes significantly.
Even an exaggerated assessment of the manifestations of the external world is possible, which gives rise to a disease. The psychological state of the expectant mother is also a very important aspect that contributes to the full bearing of the child. Often, women who were previously engaged in very active activities are more prone to the occurrence of such an ailment, and now they are in some kind of depressed state, because there is no way to 100% realize their vital energy. After a woman finds out about her pregnancy, she realizes that she will not be able to engage in her usual activities.
Philosophical reflections on the meaning of life, bearing a child, prospects, can turn into the root cause of the disorder. It is impossible to ignore this disease in case of pregnancy – apathetic symptoms during progression introduce a woman into a dangerous state.
Conclusions
The described phenomenon can be observed in absolutely any modern individual, regardless of his gender, social and financial status, predisposition, and other factors. Indifference progresses only in a prepared place, it is a serious illness, in the development of which a person can no longer help himself. Any delay is considered dangerous – the further the situation worsens, the more difficult it is to deal with it.
Even before the development of modern psychotherapeutic practice, such a disease was known to doctors. The definition of such a disorder was given a vague one, they called the internal state “irrational movement of the essence”, i.e. it was a mentally ill person who could not objectively perceive reality and, suffering from a disorder, could live, function and work normally.