Surely each of us had to face shoulder to shoulder with psychological problems. Each person has periods when he becomes indifferent to everything, does not strive for anything, does not have the slightest desire to do anything. Psychologists call this state of deep indifference apathy. “I do not want to communicate with anyone,” - this phrase can often be heard from a person suffering from this psychotic disorder. What are the causes of apathy, how to recognize it and what advice do psychologists give to deal with this problem?
How dangerous apathy is and what the consequences may be
One of the forms of a protective reaction of the psyche to stressful situations, lack of sleep, emotional experiences, physical or moral exhaustion can be indifference not only to everything around and what is happening, but also to oneself. This depressed state is characterized by a general breakdown, so a long stay in it is dangerous not only for the mental, but also the physical health of a person. With apathy, the risk of "paralysis" of the person increases: due to focusing solely on his own problems, the patient ceases to find positive moments in various situations and see the beauty of the outside world.
A person suffering from apathy has no desire to communicate with people. It is quite difficult to cope with this type of disorder on your own. The patient will need tremendous willpower, determination and determination. With this problem, most patients turn to psychotherapists. In complicated cases, the patient can completely withdraw from society, fall out of the real world. Apathy is often accompanied by depression, and in the absence of treatment, the most dangerous scenario for the development of these disorders is often the person’s attempts to balance his life, which seems to him worthless and useless.
To understand the reasons why there is no desire to communicate, you need to delve into your subconscious and find there reflection of specific events in your personal or public life that could cause serious damage to the patient's psyche. The symptoms of this pathology cannot be confused with a bad mood, which is temporary. When looking at a person with apathy, there is always the feeling that he does not hear and does not notice anything around.
If the patient declares: “I do not want any communication!”, Urgent measures must be taken urgently. Apathy is amenable to medical and psychotherapeutic correction, however, each step in the treatment of this condition should be competent and clearly balanced.
The main causes of spiritual emptiness
Like any other disease, the appearance of this disorder was preceded by certain factors. Indifference alone cannot arise from scratch, without any reason. Most often, apathy, because of which a person does not want to communicate with anyone, is the result of strict self-criticism and dissatisfaction with himself, which leads to a refusal to implement important plans.
The actual reasons for the appearance of an indifferent state include stress and emotional upheaval. Progressive apathy is accompanied by laziness, lack of emotions and even neglect of appearance and hygiene. Often, people with mental apathetic disorder are not cleaned and very dirty.
Tragic events
It happens that in our life there are severe shocks. The death of loved ones or relatives, the betrayal of a loved one or parting with him, serious injuries and disability - all this affects the emotional state. Any incidents that can affect the way of life, deprive of strength and forced to give up.
Apathy and a feeling of helplessness fetter a person in all spheres of his life. To accept what happened and to recover, a lot of time must pass after the grief experienced.
Emotional tension
A series of experienced stressful situations will not benefit anyone. Almost always, a person becomes indifferent as a result of prolonged psycho-emotional stress, which leads to the depletion of the nervous system. At risk are people who endlessly doubt themselves, are in depressing feelings, excitement. Without noticing it, the patient plunges into a depressed state. If he says: “I do not want to communicate with people!”, Most likely, his apathy reached a critical point.
The turning point during this mental illness is the stage during which the destruction of the personality occurs. Experiencing negative emotions for a long time, a person subconsciously gets used to them. The result is complete dissatisfaction with life and hopelessness. Once a self-confident person no longer believes in himself and focuses only on problems.
Physical and mental exhaustion
Excessive workloads and lack of pleasure from work often lead to a loss of vitality and deep fatigue. Working for wear and tear, each person unconsciously desires to receive in response that which will bring him moral satisfaction. If the business, in which it was necessary to invest a lot of energy and labor, as a result does not live up to expectations, moral exhaustion ensues after the physical one.
“I don’t want to talk with friends, go to work and think about the future” is a typical behavior model for patients with apathy. The duration of treatment depends on the person himself. The therapy will be long and exhausting if he cannot find a suitable stimulus.
Fatigue is the main enemy of good mood, positive thoughts and self-confidence. If it becomes chronic, burnout is inevitable. Apathy does not occur where there are no significant reasons for it; therefore, it is extremely important for people prone to psychotic disorders to avoid stressful situations, not to allow themselves to get involved in conflicts and emotionally worry.
When self-criticism is not in favor
Usually, close relatives and family members guess that a person needs the help of specialists. More and more often they hear from him that, they say, I’m tired of everything, there is no sense in anything, I don’t even want to communicate with friends and acquaintances. What to do in this situation?
Apathetic disorder could well entail fantastic expectations. For example, a person just started doing what he loves, but at the same time he immediately wanted to get high incomes. Thus, he makes himself too stringent demands and even deprives himself of the right to make a mistake.
But you know that success can only be achieved through persistent efforts, through trial and error. Everyone can make a mistake by making the wrong decision, but only for a psychologically stable person the wrong steps are an excuse to try again or try something else. People prone to apathy perceive their own failures as a real drama. Perfectionists often suffer from this disorder. They are too self-critical of personal achievements, consider them small and insignificant. This is what prevents a person from feeling completely happy and achieving their goals.
Psychological addiction
This is one of the reasons why a person refuses to deal with a problem and generally make contact with someone. The phrase "I do not want to communicate with people" in psychology can be perceived as a result of addictive behavior. Addiction is an obsessive need for certain actions. This term is often used not only to define drug, drug, alcohol, or game addiction.
Speaking of addiction, psychologists have in mind a state in which a person loses his personality, ceases to control himself, does not feel respect for himself and others.
It is possible to understand that addiction provoked addiction by the patient’s behavior and his attitude towards others. All the thoughts and desires of a dependent person are aimed only at satisfying their needs (take drugs, smoke a cigarette, see the object of your desire, etc.). A person with an addictive disorder is not able to manage his own life and be responsible for what is happening.
Health Problems as a Cause of Apathy
It is possible that a serious illness is the cause of the sudden withdrawal and decadent mood. It is not surprising that a person who does not feel well says that they do not want to communicate with people. What to do? In most cases, patients who undergo complex treatment are prescribed antidepressants. With a protracted illness, which makes its adjustments to the usual way of life, a person becomes emotionally depressed. An ailment is able to deprive forces of joy even in pleasant trifles.
All the energy and resources of the body are spent exclusively on the fight against the disease, therefore, to overcome the feeling of helplessness and uplift the patient is prescribed antidepressants. These drugs help relieve fatigue, help maintain interest in life and doing things you love.
Public lack of demand
Another reason why a person can say: “I do not want to communicate with anyone!” May be tense relationships with friends, the team, and the family. Not wanting to contact, on a subconscious level, he defends himself against his environmental rejection. In psychology, this phenomenon is called "personality dissatisfaction syndrome." It takes its roots, as a rule, from unsuccessfully developing relations with management, colleagues, relatives, etc.
If a person often hears criticism in his address and is forced to be in a state of constant confrontation, sooner or later he ceases to believe in his own rightness, and self-doubt is the first step on the road to apathy.
Features of female apathy
It is not always a question of a psychotic disorder if a person has no desire to communicate with people. In psychiatry, almost nothing is said about PMS, but many women know firsthand about apathy during this period. The state of emotional emptiness and indifference is not uncommon for the fair sex on the eve of the menstrual cycle. Women become easily injured, tearful, sentimental, touchy.
How does apathy manifest: symptoms
“I do not want to communicate with people” - these depressing and frightening thoughts are familiar to everyone who has had the chance to face apathy. It manifests itself in a very definite way. People who have experienced the hardships of all the manifestations of this psychotic disorder know how hard it is to cope with this problem and again learn to find positive things in life.
A person in a state of apathy has no desire to communicate with people. He practically does not notice what is happening around him, ceases to even think about his usual needs: he forgets to have dinner on time, take a walk in the fresh air, take a shower, refuses to meet friends, etc. The people around him have the impression that the patient has forgotten how to forget feelings of joy and emotion, it seems that the person has wandered into a dead end and now does not know what to do next, in which direction to keep the course.
People with apathy are emotionally indifferent. Most of the time they are in a bad mood, it is impossible to cheer them up, charge them with positive emotions, give optimism and instill faith in a bright future. If a person does not want to communicate with people, the diagnosis of "apathy" is not put at the first appointment with a specialist. The patient begins to be monitored in order to identify other symptoms characteristic of this psychotic disorder.
Indifference to everything around is an absolute sign of apathy. If a person does not cope with his problem for a certain time, a psychotic disorder will begin to affect his general health. Along with inspiration and vitality, for example, people lose their appetite. Against the background of emotional depression, the sensitivity of taste and olfactory receptors is inhibited, so even your favorite dishes cease to please. Sometimes patients completely refuse food.
In any manifestation, apathy makes it necessary to avoid contact with people. “I don’t want to communicate, I’d better stay alone,” patients almost unanimously talk about it. The patient is much easier and more comfortable to be alone than spending time with loved ones. Psychologists explain the lack of companionship by the fact that people lose their moral strength and self-confidence with this diagnosis. A person does not want to communicate with people, because there is simply no energy left to communicate. He deliberately minimizes any talk. Persons who are in an apathetic state are not able to show initiative and activity in contact with other people.
Emotional depression is reflected not only in the mood, but also negatively affects the degree of performance. Labor productivity drops so much that a person ceases to be confident that he can even fulfill the tasks that he previously managed without difficulty. Instead of vigor and interest, the patient feels lethargic and drowsy. He tends to sleep even before important meetings, and notes of indifference and indifference to what is happening are clearly audible in his voice.
Why do not you want to communicate with anyone, and your favorite activities now do not bring pleasure? With this question, all patients suffering from apathy come to psychologists. Also, people often wonder if the disorder needs to be treated. Here the answer is obvious: with apathy, each patient needs the help of specialists and the support of his close circle, but to a greater extent the effectiveness of therapy will depend on whether the person himself realizes that his life is wasted and he needs urgent treatment.
Which doctor to contact
This state should not be allowed to drift. To defeat apathy, you need to step over shame and shyness and turn to a specialist. You can consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.
The psychologist has knowledge in this area and can give basic advice, but this specialist is not competent enough to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication. If the psychologist sees the problem, he directs the patient to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. It is important to put aside all prejudices and stereotypes, because these specialists are visited not only mentally ill, but also mentally healthy people. In addition, the psychiatrist can treat insomnia, various phobias, epilepsy and other diseases.
Practical recommendations of specialists
If we analyze the most popular advice of psychologists and psychiatrists about the treatment of apathy, then we can draw certain conclusions. According to most experts, with the first symptoms of this disorder, it is necessary:
- Cope with laziness. By any means you need to force yourself to move. The easiest way is to go to the gym. During training, the patient involuntarily plunges into a state of languor and relaxation, which will distract from problems and gloomy thoughts.
- Do not stop talking. “I do not want to meet and talk with anyone” - perhaps this is the answer of a person suffering from apathy. Most likely, he himself does not know what he is refusing: evening gatherings with an old friend and a bottle of light wine are not such a bad cure for apathy and spleen. Of course, if they are not abused.
- Full rest, get enough sleep. Apathy often occurs in people who are constantly in an intense rhythm of life. You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day.
- Eat right. The psychological well-being of each of us largely depends on what we eat. The body must receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals. It is better to refuse semi-finished products and fast food forever.
- Listen to classical music. Scientists have repeatedly proved that the works of great authors are able to charge with positive energy and give high spirits, which is so lacking in apathy.
- Do yoga. If a person has lost the desire to communicate with people and engage in any activity, you can bring him back to life with the help of mantra yoga. , , .
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If the patient has no desire to communicate with anyone, this does not mean that he is not inclined to emotional empathy. Each of us can to a greater or lesser extent support another person. Therefore, those who suffer from apathy need to communicate more with energetic and cheerful people.
Apathy and physical education
Lack of desire to communicate and indifference to one's own life are clear signs of a psychotic disorder. But like with any other disease, coping with it is much easier with the first symptoms. A patient who follows the above recommendations has no chance of losing the fight, but one way or another, serious willful efforts will be required. The main thing is not to focus on a depressed state. It is most correct to perceive apathy as a short-term phenomenon, a peculiar time-out for rest and respite from a saturated life rhythm.
Many psychotherapists are sure that a person who has lost the desire to communicate with people has problems with physical health and poor health. It is no coincidence that the term “mental health” also means peace of mind and well-being. “In a healthy body - a healthy mind” - this saying has been familiar to all of us since childhood, therefore, the best prevention of any psychological problems is to maintain an optimal physical shape.
Exercising in the morning or a light workout in the gym is one of the recipes for improving the state of the nervous system. A couple of months of constant studies is enough to see how the mood stabilizes, again there is a desire to live, to do what you love. It doesn’t matter what kind of sport the patient likes best - cycling or walking, swimming or weight lifting - the main thing is to get much-needed emotions and once again feel interest in satisfying your own desires.
Hobbies as a way out of apathy
When asking yourself: “Why do not I want to communicate with people?”, We must first pay attention to my sense of self and try to figure out what generally brings joy, a feeling of deep moral satisfaction. By doing what gives real pleasure, a person blossoms, expands his potential opportunities and ways for self-realization.
Each of us has certain abilities, has a tendency to this or that type of activity, and our favorite hobby always inspires, charges with vital energy and gives optimism. Therefore, a hobby can be considered a full-fledged way to combat apathy.
How to understand that it’s time to see a doctor
If a person does not want to communicate with anyone, has become withdrawn and detached, how to help him? Without qualified help, curing apathy can be difficult, but very often this phenomenon is not taken seriously enough. Therefore, it is important to understand that such a manifestation is not inherent in a completely healthy person (psychically) unless, of course, he decided to take a break and refuse to communicate in order to think about many things in his life.
With apathy, the patient has a significant decrease in the potential of resources and opportunities, decreases the motivation for productive work. If a person has stopped monitoring his appearance, it is worth paying attention to whether there are signs of depressive disorder in his behavior. This disease is really dangerous, as it can lead to a tragic end.
Understanding that you can’t do without the intervention of professionals is possible according to two fundamental points:
- Duration If the spleen lasts several days, and then goes away on its own, nothing needs to be done with this manifestation. Otherwise, when a person refuses to communicate with others for more than two weeks in a row, this serves as a significant cause for concern.
- The severity of symptoms of apathy. If the disorder manifests itself in such a way that does not affect the usual way of life and lifestyle, most likely there is no urgent need to consult a doctor. It is unlikely that you can cure apathy yourself if the symptoms of the disorder are pronounced.
How to understand that it is time to act together with professionals? Obvious symptoms are when the patient is unable to wake up and get ready for work in the morning, practically stops drinking and eating, washing clothes, taking care of himself, etc. If all these signs are evident, you do not need to wait for anything, it is advisable to contact to the doctor. Information about psychotherapists and psychiatrists can usually be found on the sites of neuropsychiatric dispensaries in your city. All you need is to call and make an appointment at a convenient time. The doctor will listen to all complaints and prescribe suitable drugs that will help restore lost vitality and joy of life.
Some psychotherapists have the skills of hypnosis - this is one of the costly, but powerful and effective ways to deal with psychotic disorders of various kinds. For the high-quality provision of such services, you should contact only highly qualified specialists. The effect usually occurs after several sessions. The patient again begins to experience a surge of strength and vitality, is freed from fears, worries and obsessive thoughts.
What to do if apathy is intermittent, but appears periodically? This violation can pretty much poison life for a long time. What to do in these cases? Many cope with apathy help advice listed above. To use them you do not need any special skills and conditions. However, they will become effective only if the person who uses them is aware of the need for treatment and to combat the apathetic state.
Why does apathy arise and why does the desire to communicate with others disappear ? If you find this out, it will be much easier to deal with the problem. For nothing, nothing ever happens to the body: everything has its own physiological or psychosomatic reasons.