What to do if you are depressed and don’t want anything?

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Everyone has periods when even simple everyday tasks - washing dishes, doing mail, playing with a child - become a burden. What can we say about complex projects, creativity and new beginnings. In this case, psychologists say that the person has left the mental resource state - that is, he has ceased to feel stable, full, and rested.

This can happen due to illness or extreme fatigue, failures at work and conflicts with loved ones, tragic events, age-related and personality crises, and so on. Weakness and apathy may disappear after a person has rested, or they may turn out to be symptoms of incipient depression and a reason to consult a psychotherapist. Let's figure out what you should do to help yourself.

Why you don’t want to do anything: the main reasons?

Before you improve your psycho-emotional state, as well as get rid of your reluctance to do anything, it is important to find the reason that causes this condition. To do this, you need to do a little self-test. Among the most common reasons that cause such feelings may be the following:

• Chronic stress;
• Lack of vitamins and minerals;
• Hormonal disbalance;
• Apathy;
• Depression;
• Emotional burnout;
• Procrastination;
• Chronic fatigue;
• The presence of foci of disease in the body.

Next, we will consider in detail tips on how to get out of this state without medications, based on many years of experience of psychologists. Try to apply all the tips, as one method will not be enough.

Natural causes

The state of apathy can have different causes. Most often it is associated with a person’s lifestyle and characteristics of his character. Loss of desire and motivation can be caused by the following circumstances:

• fatigue and overwork;
• monotonous life;
• ordinary laziness;
• lack of self-confidence;
• impatience and desire to achieve quick results;
• emotional burnout;
• frequent stress.

If apathy is provoked by the above factors, then a person can cope with this condition on his own. If you have any difficulties, you should consult a psychologist. A doctor's help is not required in this case. Next, we will look at methods of combating apathy, depending on its origin.

You don’t want to do anything: get rid of stress

Analyze what in your life can cause additional emotional stress, tension, irritation. It is chronic stressful situations that can negatively affect the emotional state, causing a feeling when you don’t want anything, when you give up on doing anything.

Here you need to be honest with yourself, it is important to understand what exactly causes stress: my reaction or actually the influencing factor. For example, if you have family problems with your family and friends, honestly ask yourself what is causing the quarrels and troubles. Perhaps you are the one who needs to give in, and the problem will be solved. Try to work primarily on your own qualities, without taking into account the mistakes of others.

Talk and discuss your problem. There is no point in keeping silent about what doesn’t suit you or what worries you, at work, at school, at home. The problem will not be solved if you remain silent about it, it will only aggravate the situation, from which it is then quite difficult to get out.

Schizophrenia

This mental illness is accompanied by apato-abulic syndrome. The term "abulia" means a pathological lack of will. The patient experiences the following painful symptoms:

• untidiness and failure to comply with basic hygiene standards;
• loss of interest in any activity;
• complete passivity;
• lack of emotions;
• pathological isolation;
• indifference to loved ones and to oneself.

If a patient with depression does not want to do anything, then he is usually very worried about this. A patient with schizophrenia is usually emotionally cold. He has no criticism of his condition.

In this case, there is no point in shaming a sick person. His untidiness and laziness are a consequence of severe pathology. Apato-abulic syndrome is a symptom of an advanced form of schizophrenia. Only a qualified psychiatrist can help the patient. The use of antipsychotics with an activating effect can slightly improve the patient's condition.

Watch your vitamins

Loss of strength, emotional fatigue, lack of desire to do anything, constant drowsiness may also indicate that there is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body. This factor most often manifests itself in the winter-spring period, when the percentage of plant foods is reduced significantly. Which vitamins affect our condition most acutely:

• Retinol (A). Responsible for maintaining mucous membranes in a healthy state, preventing allergic reactions caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses. Strengthens cell membranes, making it more difficult for other microorganisms to penetrate them.
• Vitamin D. Responsible for good mood, vigor and mental balance. Produced in the body as a result of skin contact with sunlight. In winter, almost every person without taking dietary supplements is in deficiency, which, of course, affects mood and can cause apathy, a feeling of laziness, fatigue, and lack of motivation.
• Thiamine (B1). Responsible for youth and the ability of brain cells to renew themselves sufficiently, can stimulate energy production and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
• Inositol (B8). Stimulates energy production in the body, normalizes blood flow, which allows the brain to be nourished and maintain a healthy emotional state.
• Biotin (H). An auxiliary component for the absorption of protein, which is very important for energy production. The vitamin also controls blood glucose levels.
• Ascorbic acid (C). Vitamin C deficiency can cause disruption of the nervous system, provoke apathy, and then depression. Participates in the normalization of energy production.
• Pyridoxine ( B6) . Involved in the formation of serotonin, the hormone of happiness and joy. With its deficiency, production can slow down, which leads to a disruption in the perception of the environment. The things you once loved are now indifferent. Relieves nervous tension, improves memory and brain function.
• Folacin ( B9). An important microcomponent for the nervous system, its deficiency can cause increased anxiety, a feeling of fear, memory and brain function deteriorate.
• Vitamin B11 . Responsible for normalizing the psycho-emotional state, preventing disruption of the brain, memory departments, and heart muscles. If there is a deficiency, a feeling of anxiety may occur.

Check if you have a hormonal imbalance

Many people do not know, but in most cases, hormones are responsible for our mood and feelings, which send a signal to the brain, due to which we can feel joy, satisfaction, contentment, or, conversely, anxiety, fear, indifference. What hormones influence our emotional state?

• Serotonin . One of the most basic hormones that is responsible for inner peace, joy and satisfaction. If its production is insufficient, problems arise with the functioning of the nervous system. Everything may seem in a gloomy gray color, there is no joy from any work or activity, there is no desire to work on oneself and change something in life. Responsible for the feeling of receiving a reward.
• Dopamine . Another happiness hormone responsible for pleasure. It also promotes good brain function, thinking abilities, logic, and regulates wakefulness and sleep patterns. Responsible for such quality as motivation, the driving mechanism for decision making.
• Melatonin . The regulator of restful sleep is responsible for its quality and absence of interruptions.
• Testosterone . It is considered a male hormone, but it is also present in the female body. It gives a feeling of self-confidence and well-being.
• Progesterone . An emotional stabilizer, able to control mood swings and prevent emotional vulnerability.
• Cortisol . When there is an excess of it, depression, apathy, increased anxiety, and sleep problems occur.
• Thyroxine . If there is a lack of concentration in the body, depression, bad mood may occur, and the desire to do something may disappear.

Due to hormonal imbalances, men, women and children can experience various forms of depression. When it comes to feelings of indifference, there are two forms of depression.

• Adynamic – manifested by increased fatigue, weakness, lack of desire to contact anyone.
• Asthenic - manifests itself in the form of dulling of all positive feelings, due to which indifference to the world around us arises.

If you or your loved ones experience the above symptoms, get your hormones tested. This will help you quickly determine what the problem is with your emotional state.

Your environment is holding you back

Reason #3 is the “quality” of your immediate environment , with which you are in close contact every day and which has a great influence on you. We are talking about people who have stopped in their development, want nothing and do not strive for anything, and who do not believe in themselves or in you and are dragging you down with them into a “stagnant and musty swamp.” Since they are afraid to express themselves in something, they are afraid to have their own opinion and even more so to express it, they are afraid to Do something and take responsibility for their actions, they will intimidate you in every possible way and dissuade you from making bold decisions and taking responsibility for your actions. result. They will try to put the thickest and strongest chains on you and tightly chain you “to a damp concrete wall in some remote basement,” in which you will remain forever (it’s like a horror movie). Because of this, nothing will ever change in your life, which means you will not be able to disturb their familiar world, you will not be able to destroy it. And if you live in a tiny shell, tightly closed from everything and everyone, if your every next day is similar to every previous one, then it won’t even occur to you to wish for something or dream about something. This is absolutely impossible.

What to do? Gradually change your environment. Anyone you can break up with immediately, without adverse consequences for yourself, break up immediately. Do not answer the phone at all or end the conversation as quickly as possible under any plausible pretext. Do not respond to e-mails and messages in instant messengers, or answer dryly and in the most general words. Your task is to make the person lose the desire to contact you with anything.

If you are restrained and limited by your close people (often these are your parents), with whom you cannot break off relations, change the emphasis in communicating with them. Do not support difficult and destructive conversations for you, for example, immediately changing the topic to a more positive one. You can even say directly that you do not want to continue the conversation on this topic or in this tone and will not. They will be offended at first, but then they will accept your terms. This is a tough and categorical option. But here is a softer and more correct option: communicate with such people on neutral topics or on topics that make them feel uplifted and inspired and leave no room for negativity. And, most importantly, lead the conversation yourself, direct it yourself and set its tone. Yes, it's more difficult than following the lead. But do you want to add positivity to your life? Then you have to work a little harder.

And at the same time, be sure to look for people similar to you in spirit and way of thinking, with similar ideals and aspirations, and begin to get closer to them. This way you will gradually form a social circle that will inspire and encourage you to further development and will become support and support for you.

Stop procrastinating

Procrastination is a person’s tendency to constantly put things off until later, to drag things out until the last minute. In such a situation, a person often has a lot of unfulfilled tasks in his head, responsibilities that only tend to accumulate. All this provokes chronic stress, anxiety, and fatigue.

As a result, a moment comes when one gives up, loses motivation, and loses the feeling of joy from completed tasks, since there are even more unfulfilled ones. With such a habit, additional emotional disorders may develop, such as apathy and depression.

Age

When thinking about the apathy and mental states of your relatives, it is worth paying attention to the age factor. Teenagers often experience low mood, which, on the one hand, is due to developmental norms, and on the other hand, should not frighten parents too much. Chronic blues are also a common companion for older people. This fact makes them a social group particularly susceptible to feelings of apathy.

Understand your emotions

Try to understand your feelings; we can often confuse or even mix them up. In any case, no psychologist will help you if you yourself do not understand why it is difficult for you to receive satisfaction from life. Ask yourself:

• Do I know exactly what is bothering me?
• Is it possible to solve this issue?
• If not, how can I change my attitude towards what is happening?
• Am I feeling tired or sad?
• Am I more angry or frustrated?

Feelings may be mixed, in which case try to write them down. After reading them, you will be able to assess your condition yourself. Often, people who previously posted on social networks realized years later, thanks to reading old posts, that they were depressed.

Take an internet detox

In 1998, American psychologist Robert Kraut discovered the Internet Paradox that the more time a person spends on the Internet, the higher his risk of becoming depressed. About 25% of social network users are susceptible to Evolutionary Psychology and 'Facebook Depression', which occurs due to the fact that a person had to deal with bullying, insults or envy.

According to the American study If Facebook Use Causes Envy, Depression Could Follow, 58% of social network users, comparing their life with the posts of Internet friends, evaluate it negatively and feel like failures. Constantly looking back at others and reading posts about other people's achievements can greatly undermine your self-esteem. And this is hardly what is needed for a person who already has neither the strength nor the mood.

For a period of rest and restoration of resources, it may be worth giving up social networks. Or limit their use to the necessary minimum. The same applies to any “motivational” literature. It’s better to read about how to earn more and live brighter when you have the strength to do all this.

Try it