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Apathy for life

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
 
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Apathy towards life is a painful condition that causes inner emptiness, unwillingness to do anything and detachment. Such feelings knock you out of your usual rhythm of life, make you feel lonely, indifferent to everything happening around you and lost. In its symptoms, apathy towards life is similar to a depressive state. But these concepts must be separated, since depression is a very complex mental disorder, and apathy is one of the symptoms of this disorder.

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Reasons for apathy towards life

Apathy towards life is an indicator of problems and conflicts that create discomfort for the individual. The disorder occurs suddenly, and no one knows the exact reasons for its appearance. Let's consider what can cause apathy towards life:

  • Physical condition

Any illness, heavy physical exertion, stress and chronic illnesses can cause apathy. Taking medications, vitamin deficiency and premenstrual syndrome in women are also factors causing apathy.

  • Psychological state

Working with people, high responsibility, oversaturation with other people's negative emotions, inner emptiness, fatigue - provoke apathy towards life. This category of causes of apathy also includes existential problems. That is, a person's reassessment of life values, extreme events that have occurred, important stages in life, and age crises are the main cause of apathy and depressive state.

The state of apathy is just a warning signal from the body about deep problems and changes in the emotional state. The symptoms of apathy to life are expressed in isolation, passivity, physical weakness and emotional coldness, indifference. Apathy can manifest itself as constant drowsiness and fatigue. It is recommended to treat apathy at the first symptoms of the disease, since advanced apathy to life can take the form of a depressive state and other mental illnesses.

Complete apathy towards life

Complete apathy towards life is a severe psychological condition that causes a feeling of detachment, indifference, emotionlessness and indifference to oneself and others. The main reasons for complete apathy towards life are boredom and routine. They are the ones that cause complete indifference and melancholy. The reasons for complete apathy towards life can be both external and internal. For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to seek medical help. But do not forget that such a condition as complete apathy towards life can be a symptom of schizophrenia.

  • Apathy can appear after experiencing severe stress, a negative event that caused disappointment. Even the birth of a long-awaited child and winning the lottery can create the same effect as the loss of loved ones or another negative event.
  • Long-term physical or emotional stress, frequent stress, can exhaust the body, cause indifference and kill any manifestation of emotions.
  • Complete apathy towards life also occurs due to the so-called emotional burnout. Regular mood swings, emotional surges from sharply negative to positive, cause a state of apathy. Such a state is typical for people whose work is connected with death (firefighters, doctors, military).
  • A state of apathy can also arise after a busy vacation or holiday. A sharp emotional decline is caused by the post-holiday period and melancholy, which provoke boredom and a sense of routine.

There are several methods that help in the fight against complete apathy towards life. If the disorder has just begun to manifest itself, then for its treatment it is recommended to change the environment for a while, play sports, go on vacation. In general, do something that will bring you out of the usual stupor. If complete apathy towards life has lasted for more than one year, then the disorder should be treated by a qualified specialist - a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist.

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