How to deal with apathy: psychologist's advice

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There are various causes of apathy. They depend on the external circumstances and personal characteristics of a person, his adaptation to these circumstances. In fact, there is no single universal way to deal with apathy. Psychologist Natalia Kholodenko offers various options for dealing with this symptom.

Apathy is not a recognized separate disease (it is not listed in the International Classification of Diseases). It is customary to consider it either as a symptom of the natural mental reaction of a healthy person to the circumstances of his life, or as a syndrome of severe mental illness. In its usual definition, apathy is indifference and lack of emotion. As a result, the intellectual and behavioral activity of a person decreases. It is because of this definition that in everyday life a person with signs of apathy is said to be simply lazy.

So am I apathetic or lazy?

The key difference to understand is that laziness is an actionbehavior. Laziness is a habit. The habit of choosing the most simple and pleasant action. While apathy is a state, a feeling in the body. It appears as a lack of tone, increased lethargy, and you don't want anything. Comparing them is like comparing opposite things.

Apathy as a reaction to stress (psychological anesthesia)

Each of us remembers a case when, after experiencing stress or an extreme situation, a state like a “flat ball” is turned on. Such a state occurs either immediately after the end of the situation or the next day. After the experienced stress, there is a sharp decline in strength, which is manifested by lethargy in the body and the absence of any desire. In such situations, apathy appears within the norm. It performs the role of psychological anesthesia. Its duration depends on two main factors:

• The speed with which you translate an emotional experience into an experience (when the event is perceived separately from the emotions). For example: you remember the death of a loved one, but you no longer cry when you remember.
• Restoration of physical resource and spent strength.

Simple self-help actions

• Perform the Shapiro technique (aka DPDG). This is an eye movement technique. The simplest version of its execution: close your eyes and with closed eyes first make 8 horizontal eye movements, then as if drawing an infinity sign 8 times, and the final one – 8 clockwise circles;
• Healthy uninterrupted sleep lasting 6-8 hours;
• Write down all your thoughts on a piece of paper for an hour (written sheets can be thrown away later);
• Allow yourself to rest or at least reduce your usual activity for the next day;
• Choose a day free from social media and TV.

Other reasons that trigger apathy

1. “I can, but I don't want” or “I want, but I can't”;
2. The reasons are different, but the result is the same – “I opened my eyes – I'm already tired”;
3. A person's personality type also affects the causes of apathy. And the development of symptoms of apathy can develop slowly and imperceptibly.

Achievers and apathy

So, for active people who are used to acting, moving, the cause of apathy will be the lack of a goal; lost meaning of usual actions and loss of understanding “What I want”. In practice, such patients describe their situation as: “It seems that everything is fine. Everything is important, the needs are covered, but why do I feel so bad?”. They are in search of the meaning of their life (mission).

The situation can be worsened by the fact that there is no person around who will understand. Having heard a couple of times in his direction – “You are crazy because of fat”, a person closes in his thoughts. Since there is a lot of energy, and the goal is lost, if you dwell on such thoughts, you can think of suicide. Therefore, it is very important to maintain moderate physical activity at this stage.

Useful actions for apathy:

• Hiking, jogging, swimming pool;
• Make a list of your unfulfilled “wants” from childhood to the present. Let this list be at least 39 items. Something from this list you then cross out those that have lost their relevance. Something in it will remind you of your past hobby, which you couldn't imagine life without before, but now you forgot about it or were forced to give up at the stage of early adulthood. Start implementing them;
• Set yourself a goal for a week to try something new every day, to do something you've never done before. For example: if you are right-handed, try writing with your left hand or brushing your teeth. Observe your emotions;
• Minimum action in the moment for quick self-help – stand in the boss's pose (legs shoulder-width apart, hands at sides, chin up, gaze 15 degrees above the horizon). Already within the first minute, you will feel an improvement in your condition.

Choosing a psychologist to work with apathy

Please note that a coach, mentor or psychologist-consultants are more suitable for achievers. They need a “muse”, inspiration, purposeful work with meaningful values. But for strategists and analysts, psychologists from psychosomatics, body-oriented, are more suitable. They need a coach. They need the skill to release energy and increase stamina. Because some need goals, and others need resources to achieve them.

Metaphorically speaking, apathy for our psyche performs the same function as hunger for the body. By itself, it is a symptom of the lack of resources. If you correctly recognize this symptom and fill the resource in time, then everything will be fine.

One of the first symptoms of apathy is the inability to absorb new information. Long texts are not read to the end. Therefore, if you have read the material up to these lines and the content of the article is clear, then you do not have apathy.

When apathy is not a symptom, but a syndrome

There are cases when apathy is no longer a symptom, but severe mental illness syndrome. In such situations, it is manifested by strong lethargy and inhibition. The person's speech will be very slow with long pauses. Interest in himself and those around him will be so small that a person will not pay attention, even if he is put in an uncomfortable position. In some cases, when trying to slow down a person, he may show aggression.

In such cases, only specialized help in the clinic can help. Such assistance is provided at the request of the patient himself or at the request of a close relative. Therefore, if you are not a close relative of a person dear to you, who is in such a state, then the first step will be to convey the seriousness of the situation to his relatives.