Sometimes, as a result of stress, overwork, emotional shock or prolonged psychological discomfort, a person may experience apathy. What is apathy? How does it manifest?
What does the term "apathy" mean?
Apathy, which is translated from Greek as "dispassion, indifference, " originally meant freedom from passions, a detached worldview. In the modern sense, apathy is an unnatural state of a person, which can become a serious psychological problem, and sometimes indicate mental illnesses - depression, schizophrenia. A person renounces reality, becomes indifferent, ceases to emotionally react to surrounding events, takes part in life, willpower is absent or is expressed very weakly.
Why does apathy arise?
Apathy can occur as a backlash to strong emotional upheavals and feelings. Insensibility in this case plays the role of anesthesia. Indifference in some people also arises as a result of acute unsolvable problems - personal, financial, social. This state is said to have been "lowered."
If a person falls into a hopeless situation - apathy arises from impotence. But it is apathy that often preserves a person’s mind in a situation where it is really possible to “go crazy" from the possible consequences of a hopeless situation. A person simply abstracts from the attitude to the consequences, ceases to evaluate them in connection with the damage that these consequences can bring to his life.
Another kind of apathy is a reaction to loss (for example, loved ones, a successful business), to a life tragedy, so many psychologists say that such apathy is "incomplete grief", when a person did not cry, did not burn out, but froze in icy feelings. In any case, apathy is a reaction to exceeding the pain threshold, prolonged emotional shock.
Signs of Apathy
Signs of apathy are diverse. Lowered corners of the lips, a dull look, the habit of looking past the other person. Many seem to "hibernate." Invincible laziness takes possession of a person, they say about such people that the person "waved his hand at himself." He feels neither desires nor emotions. He has no power to solve problems. A person under the influence of apathy often neglects normal nutrition, hygiene, he can be dirty in the apartment. In more severe cases, apathy makes a person withdraw from contacts, disconnect, and "drop out" of society. He loses interest in what he loved before: hobbies, art, work, personal life, children - everything may fall outside his attention and interest.
How to deal with apathy?
In a state of apathy, a person is deficient in energy. You should not make efforts on yourself and force yourself to move, solve problems, do something for which there is no strength. Better switch to something else. Recall your hobbies, do reading. Do not force events. If you do not bother yourself - apathy will pass. The main thing is not to reproach yourself for inaction and remember that apathy is the time that is allowed to rest the body and nervous system. It’s not worth it to spend precious energy on creating the appearance that everything is in order with you. Otherwise, you risk losing strength and will not be able to restore them for quite some time.
It is necessary that there are reliable people near you who will provide you with peace and a comfortable atmosphere. Take a bath, walk in beautiful places, listen to good music. Have a rest! Turn off the phone, save yourself the need to chat with people who remind you of your problems or sympathize. The best thing is to change the situation, go on vacation, surround yourself with strangers. Apathy will pass. And if it deepens - do not be shy about this ailment, consult a professional psychologist.