Alcoholic depression: how to recognize and get out of the vicious circle

“I have apathy” - how often can you hear this phrase from those around us. Everyone has moments in life when they don’t want to do anything, there’s no need for communication, and nothing around them makes them happy. There is only one desire - to lie down, curl up in a ball, so that no one touches or bothers you.

Before asking the question of how to get rid of apathy, you need to know what it is, its types, symptoms, causes. Someone will smile, but in vain. Apathy is a disorder of a person’s mental health; it does not just arise out of nowhere. If this condition does not last long, then there is nothing to worry about. It is much worse if the illness becomes protracted and, which is very dangerous, gradually develops into a severe form of depression. And in this case, only a qualified specialist can advise you on how to deal with apathy. You shouldn’t risk your health and wait – the consequences can be unpredictable!

Causes

Apathy itself is usually a symptom of some disease. The cause of this condition may be:

• depression;
• schizophrenia;
• diseases of the central nervous system;
• dementia;
• HIV;
• brain tumor;
• alcoholism;
• addiction;
• endocrine disorders.

In addition, the following can provoke the appearance of apathy:

• some medications (sleeping pills, tranquilizers, antidepressants, oral contraceptives, etc.);
• stress and strong emotional experiences;
• overwork and lack of rest.

general characteristics

During the period of apathetic mood, indifference to all external events develops, emotions become weakly expressed or absent altogether, interest and the desire for action decrease.
In men, this condition manifests itself more clearly and occurs more often: they spend a significant part of their time at home, do not go out to work, and refuse friendly meetings, usual hobbies, and sports. In women, apathy develops less frequently due to their natural emotionality and greater involvement in social interactions - caring for children, communicating with friends, meeting with parents. The basic psychological mechanism for the development of apathy is the depletion of mental energy reserves (emotions, motivations, involvement). In healthy people, indifference and indifference are the result of prolonged stimulation of the central nervous system. The brain begins to induce inhibition processes, protecting the body from further waste of energy and excess nervous tension. Sometimes apathy, arising as a defensive reaction, is consolidated as part of the personality, and then subconsciously used at certain periods of life.

The key manifestations of an apathetic state are the lack of expressed emotions, interest in current events and people around. As a result of these changes, there is a refusal to work, household duties, and a narrowing of the circle of friends. In men, apathy is accompanied by a reluctance to perform hygiene procedures, get out of bed, and eat. In women, emotional devastation is more noticeable - loss of interest in communication and hobbies, inability to be happy, sad, or angry. Apathetic people are often absent-minded, inattentive, and cannot cope with their usual tasks: they cannot choose clothes, make a shopping list, or prepare dinner.

Other characteristic symptoms, equally common in both men and women, are general weakness, slow reactions, feelings of loneliness, memory impairment. It is worth distinguishing laziness and depression from apathy, since these conditions are symptomatically very similar. Laziness is selective - you don’t want to do certain actions that don’t bring you pleasure. At the same time, a person can easily start doing what he likes - go for a walk, meet friends. Apathetic states cause paralysis of any activity, a complete lack of desires.

Depression is characterized by a decrease in mood, a predominance of negative emotions - sadness, sadness, disappointment, depression. When apathy develops, positive and negative emotions are smoothed out and are practically absent. Anxious depression occurs with motor restlessness, an apathetic state is always accompanied by slowness of movements. Sometimes it becomes a manifestation of severe depression: patients are indifferent to current events, sit or lie for a long time without moving, without talking.

Treatment and prevention

To cure apathy, it is necessary to accurately determine its cause. The treatment program and its duration will depend on the root cause. Sometimes, if apathy appears against a background of stress and overexertion and it lasts for a short time, it will be enough for a person to rest well in a calm environment.

A treatment program for apathy may include:

• psychotherapy;
• physiotherapy;
• physical exercise;
• medications.

To prevent apathy, it is necessary to avoid stress, follow a work and rest schedule, get enough sleep, take daily walks in the fresh air, and watch your diet. Vitamin and mineral complexes will be useful. You should also limit your alcohol consumption and give up other bad habits.

If you notice that you have lost your “thirst for life” or that your favorite activities no longer bring you joy, consult a doctor. Medical specialists will make a diagnosis and suggest a course of treatment. It should be remembered that apathy can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. Contact the SM-Clinic for qualified medical care for you and your loved ones.

Causes of apathy

Emotional exhaustion develops as a result of stress, traumatic situations, and previous somatic diseases. In addition, it is a symptom of mental disorders and organic lesions of the nervous system. Apathy can be a temporary condition, a manifestation of another pathology, or a side effect of taking medications. In men, it often develops due to the use of alcohol and drugs. It arises as an independent disorder, in combination with lack of will it represents apathetic-abulsic syndrome, and in the absence of motor activity - adynamic syndrome.

Psychological reasons

In men and women, mild apathy can be a character trait combined with low social activity, slowness, and phlegmatism. The causes of apathy as a state of maladjustment are situations that deplete motivational and emotional resources. Personal qualities or external events for which a person was not prepared are considered as provoking psychological factors. Common causes of apathy:

• Unattainable goals.
  People with a high level of demands on themselves tend to set high goals and make every effort to achieve them. The reasons for apathy in such cases are extremely difficult, overwhelming tasks that reduce faith in success and generate dissatisfaction with oneself.
• Lack of purpose.
  A state of emotional emptiness and lack of initiative arises in situations where previous goals have been achieved, but new ones have not been formed. Strength is wasted, needs are satisfied, the person is apathetic for some time. Examples of such situations: a student after passing a session, an entrepreneur who has achieved high profits.
• Lack of independence.
  This personality trait is manifested by a passive-defensive strategy of behavior. The causes of apathy are shifting responsibility to other people, a wait-and-see attitude, fear of failure, and lack of independence.
• Stress.
  Sometimes situations of high emotional stress provoke the development of a defensive reaction - apathy. The psyche involuntarily goes into energy saving mode: the patient stops defending his position, loses interest in activities, and becomes indifferent and indifferent.
• Frustration.
  This term refers to a condition that occurs when it is impossible to satisfy an urgent and strong need. In women, typical causes of apathy are an unsuccessful marriage, fear of divorce; for men - doing unloved work, lack of prospects for other income.
• The monotony of life.
  A common cause of apathy in women is a lack of new impressions, an established routine with a lack of interesting activities. Most daily activities are done automatically, events are predictable, and there is no time left for hobbies, creativity and research.
• Emotional shock.
  Apathy as a defensive reaction of the psyche is formed in response to intense positive or negative experiences. In women it is triggered by the birth of a child, in men the main reasons are the loss of their previous social status, dismissal from a high position, refusal to hire.

Mental illness

Possible causes of pathological apathy are mental disorders. In patients, signs of apathy are pronounced, reduce social activity, and interfere with the implementation of household chores and hygiene procedures. Often such people need daily outside care, organizing and stimulating help from relatives. The most common mental illnesses that occur with apathy include:

• Depression.
  The main signs of a depressive disorder are low mood, loss of the ability to experience pleasure, and a feeling of meaninglessness in what is happening. There is apathetic depression - a state of indifference, indifference. It develops more often in women and is provoked by prolonged stress.
• Schizoid personality disorder.
  Schizoid psychopathy is a pathological change in character, manifested by isolation, stinginess of emotional experiences, a tendency to theorize and philosophical reflection. It is more often determined in men. Such people may seem apathetic in social interactions, but often have unique hobbies.
• Schizophrenia.
  This endogenous mental disorder is characterized by the disintegration of thinking processes, flattening, and impoverishment of emotional reactions. The longer and more severe the disease progresses, the more pronounced the emotional coldness and indifference becomes. More often, apathetic states are observed as a manifestation of sluggish schizophrenia with a gradual continuous deterioration of the patient’s condition.
• Hospitalism.
  When a patient stays in hospital for a long time and lacks communication with loved ones, a mental disorder develops – hospitalism. It is more pronounced in women, children, and the elderly. Manifested by weight loss, lethargy, apathy, drowsiness, and isolation.

Neurological diseases

Apathy can be a symptom of neurological diseases - dementia, brain tumors, strokes, neuroinfections, traumatic brain injuries. It manifests itself on the basis of organic brain damage (vascular, neurodegenerative, traumatic). It is especially characteristic of pathologies accompanied by damage to the frontal lobe, anterior cerebral artery, pituitary gland or limbic structures. Common neurological causes of apathy:

• Infections.
  Apathetic symptoms appear during neuroinfections, when pathogens spread in nervous tissues, as well as during general severe infections with secondary involvement of the nervous system in the pathological process. Thus, meningitis is characterized by fever followed by apathetic states and severe anxiety. For HIV infection - a gradual increase in apathy and depression.
• Dementia.
  The cause of apathy in dementia patients is changes in the white matter of the brain that occur due to age-related degradation of small blood vessels. 82% of elderly women and men with lesions of the frontal lobes show signs of apathy: dulling of emotions, decreased motivation and initiative. The risk group includes patients with Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, vascular and mixed dementia.
• Long-term consequences of TBI.
  Mental disorders often occur in the long-term period of traumatic brain injury. Apathy is diagnosed in persons with astheno-neurotic syndrome, in whom the consequences of injury are represented by high fatigue, reduced performance, and memory disorders.
• Brain tumors.
  Indifference and indifference are observed in cases where the tumor is localized in the frontal lobes or pituitary gland. Signs of emotional disturbance appear already in the initial stages of tumor development; in addition to apathy, they may include depression, infantility, tearfulness, and irritability.

Taking medications and alcohol

Long-term use of some drugs leads to the development of side effects accompanied by apathy. The risk is highest when taking tranquilizers, antidepressants, sleeping pills, oral contraceptives, and antibiotics. Another possible cause of apathy is withdrawal syndrome (alcohol hangover). In both cases, emotional disturbances are caused by biochemical changes in central nervous system processes in the parts of the brain responsible for emotions. Apathy occurs within the following syndromes:

• Neuroleptic syndrome.
  Long-term use of antipsychotics can cause affective disorders, decreased cognitive functions, and social activity. Mental retardation, akinesia, and asthenia develop. Neuroleptic deficiency more often affects men and women with bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and endogenous depression.
• SSRI-induced syndrome.
  This complication is a consequence of long-term treatment with antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor group. It manifests itself as dulling of emotions, reduced emotional sensitivity, and a feeling of “emotional anesthesia.” Apathetic syndrome is found in patients with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
• Side effect of sleeping pills.
  Sleeping pills have a depressing effect on the synaptic transmission of signals in the central nervous system, so the person feels drowsy and falls asleep. They distort the natural sleep formula and suppress the rapid phase. After awakening, a feeling of fatigue arises, performance decreases, emotional detachment and indifference are formed.
• Withdrawal syndrome.
  The reason for the apathy of men who abuse alcohol is a state of withdrawal (hangover). At the first stage of alcoholism, when taking a break from drinking alcohol, a feeling of weakness and drowsiness appears, and apathy or irritable aggressiveness increases. At the second stage, autonomic disorders become more pronounced - headaches, changes in blood pressure, increased sweating.

What does apathy look like: symptoms and signs

Apathy deprives a person of interest in life, desires and motivation. The absence of these important stimuli has a detrimental effect on behavior and performance. A low energy level will interfere with both daily routine tasks and taking on new challenges.

Important

Over time, despite the actual deterioration of the condition, patients talk less and less about their problem, but go deeper and deeper into it.

Emotions become dulled, which is why everything that usually aroused interest no longer gives an emotional response. Attacks of apathy deprive you of interest in almost all aspects of life. A person may be indifferent when long-awaited events occur, or when meeting new people. It is difficult to make an effort even to solve personal problems. Accumulated problems at work and in personal life only aggravate the situation, because apathy is one of the ways the psyche isolates itself from a difficult situation and overexertion.

At first, when the manifestations have not reached their maximum, people may express similar complaints: “I have some kind of apathy, I don’t want anything,” “I’m tired of everything, I can’t concentrate, I have no desire.” Over time, despite the actual deterioration of the condition, patients talk less and less about their problem, but go deeper and deeper into it. If your loved one complains to you about painful feelings, you should not ignore these words - the person may need help.

The main signs of apathy:

• decreased or absent aspirations and motivation;
• changes in emotions and behavior: decreased interest in life, communication, previous hobbies and new events, difficulties in performing current tasks, lethargy, lethargy, poor concentration, decreased mental functions, etc.;
• impact on quality of life: changes in behavior negatively affect professional success and personal life;
• changes in behavior are not associated with drug and alcohol use.

Clinically significant is the presence of these signs in a person for four weeks. However, if you notice apathy in yourself or a loved one, which lasts less but causes significant discomfort and interferes with life, do not delay contacting a specialist. A professional will quickly help you understand the situation and understand whether it is just a bad mood, fatigue, or a condition that requires correction in order to prevent complications.

Diagnostic measures that can be carried out in a person with complaints of apathy:

1. Consultation with a psychiatrist-psychotherapist
2. Pathopsychological examination: helps more deeply
3. explore mental functions such as thinking, attention and memory. The method helps to detect disorders in the early stages and prevent the occurrence of severe manifestations
4. Laboratory and instrumental techniques to confirm
5. diagnosis: Neurotest, Neurophysiological test system, EEG, CT, MRI of the brain (if organic pathology is suspected)
6. Consultation with related specialists (neurologist)

What to do if signs of apathy appear?

• when apathy is so severe that a person is not able to make decisions independently, observe hygiene standards and rules (clean up, wash, keep clothes clean and tidy),
• when appetite decreases, the desire to move, talk, express emotions (smile, and sometimes cry) disappears - immediate initiation of inpatient treatment is indicated.

Parents should be very attentive to their children. Even infants are diagnosed with depression. That is why it is useful to remember that there is no laziness as such.

After all, if we don’t want to do something, the reasons for this are completely valid circumstances: fatigue, lack of motivation, or an onset of a cold, the obvious symptoms of which are not yet present, but the malaise has already manifested itself.

If you have not been able to find the reasons for your apathetic state, immediately seek the help of specialists.

Neither depression nor other disorders that are characterized by apathy go away on their own, nor are they treated with folk remedies or relaxation on the ocean. It is impossible to tell a person suffering from a disorder to “cheer up, pull yourself together.” The causes of apathy are a complex that combines not only a psychological component, but also a social one, and, importantly, a biological one.

Alcohol depression: why it develops

Anxiety and depression are constant companions of alcohol addiction. High blood alcohol levels reduce serotonin levels. This leads to a general deterioration in health and depression . When drinking ethanol, the production of norepinephrine increases, and a sharp decrease in this hormone of aggression leads to a feeling of depression, loss of strength, weakness, and apathy.

The absorption and breakdown of alcohol in the body is much more active than the removal of toxic substances that pose a danger. Acetaldehyde (a product of ethanol oxidation) is concentrated in large quantities in the cerebral cortex. This leads to insufficient nutrition of neurons, which causes cells in the cerebral cortex to die.

Various drinks containing alcohol are powerful triggers of mental disorders. While they provide short-term bliss, they later lead to increased symptoms of depression. It has been proven that drinking ethanol directly affects depression. Depression increases cravings for alcohol, and excessive use leads to anxiety, depression, or mania .

Causes of depression and apathy

Often such disorders are confused with chronic fatigue syndrome, but they are distinguished not only by their course, but also by the causes of development. The causes of depression and apathy may be:

• stressful situations - conflict at work or in the family, sudden disability, death of a loved one, etc.;
• endocrine system disorders;
• long-term chronic diseases that are psychologically debilitating;
• lack of sunlight, emotional burnout, vitamin deficiency, mental stress - are especially often observed among students.

In some cases, a state of apathy and depression appears due to long-term use of contraceptive hormonal drugs, drugs to lower blood pressure, and steroids. Suppression of psychosomatics is a side effect of these medications, so they are taken only as prescribed by doctors for a certain time.

On the other hand, the causes of apathy and depression, as well as chronic fatigue, may be similar. However, only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis, and if a person makes a verdict on his own and self-medicates, this can lead to serious consequences. Prolonged depression often provokes the appearance of suicidal thoughts.

How apathetic depression affects family and work

Regardless of the form and neglect of the situation, apathetic depression affects everyday life, work and family. For example, a caring mother and loving wife, until she became psychologically ill, was actively involved with her children, preparing them for school, and trying to pamper them with delicious dishes. But with the onset of apathetic depression, the person lost motivation along with vital energy. He can continue to do the same thing, but without the positive emotions, as it was before.

An apathetic state encourages you to work only because of the need to get money. And previously favorite things and hobbies may disappear from everyday life.

All this needs to be observed. Family members and friends are usually the first to notice problems.