Fatigue And Depression: When Is Tiredness A Warning Sign
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Sleep is an important part of overall health, but for many, it does not come easily. Millions of Americans report feeling fatigue a feeling of tiredness or exhaustion.
Many different factors, ranging from poor sleep to health conditions, can cause fatigue. Its also a common symptom of mental health conditions, such as depression.
Being fatigued doesnt mean youre depressed, but fatigue can be a warning sign. Learn more about the link between the conditions.
The Many Ways Anxiety Creates Apathy
Apathy is the absence of caring. It’s a lack of desire to engage in activities, make changes, or find crave anything positive. Apathy can affect each and every anxiety disorder, and while is most common with severe anxiety.
Apathy seems like an “emotion” that doesn’t seem to fit with what anxiety causes. But there are actually several different reasons that apathy occurs. A small sample of these reasons includes:
On a natural level when you’re dealing with anxiety every day, it’s hard to imagine having a good day at all. On a chemical level, anxiety may actually change your brain to look only at the negatives and ignore the potential positives. It’s easy to see all of the ways/reasons that apathy may occur.
Dysthymia And Apathy: Diagnosis And Treatment
Masaru Mimura
1Department of Psychiatry, Nagata Hospital, 5173 Goji-cho, Miyakonojo-shi, Miyazaki 885-0084, Japan
2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Showa University School of Medicine, 6-11-11 Kita-Karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8577, Japan
3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
Abstract
1. Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a depressive mood disorder that is characterized by chronic, persistent but mild depression, affecting 36% of individuals in the community and as many as 36% of outpatients in mental health settings . Although by definition, the depressed mood of dysthymia is not severe enough to meet the criteria for major depressive disorder, it is accompanied by significant subjective distress or impairment of social, occupational, or other important activities as a result of mood disturbance . Dysthymia manifests as a depressed mood persisting for at least two years that lasts for most of the day, occurs on more days than not, and is accompanied by at least two of the following symptoms:poor appetite or overeating,insomnia or hypersomnia,low energy or fatigue,low self-esteem,poor concentration or difficulty making decisions,feelings of hopelessness.
2. Treatment for Dysthymia
3. Apathy
4. Treatment for Apathy
References
Copyright
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History And Other Views
Christians have historically condemned apathy as a deficiency of love and devotion to God and his works. This interpretation of apathy is also referred to as Sloth and is listed among the Seven Deadly Sins. Clemens Alexandrinus used the term to draw to Christianity philosophers who aspired after virtue.
The modern concept of apathy became more well known after World War I, when it was one of the various forms of “shell shock“. Soldiers who lived in the trenches amidst the bombing and machine gun fire, and who saw the battlefields strewn with dead and maimed comrades, developed a sense of disconnected numbness and indifference to normal social interaction when they returned from combat.
In 1950, US novelist John Dos Passos wrote: “Apathy is one of the characteristic responses of any living organism when it is subjected to stimuli too intense or too complicated to cope with. The cure for apathy is comprehension.”
Engaging In A Healthy Lifestyle
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Signs Of Apathy: What It Looks Like
Whereas other mental health symptoms could look very differently depending on the individual, the intensity of the symptom, and the source, apathy will present in a consistent and uniformed way frequently. A person with apathy will seem uncaring, unconcerned, and disinterested to almost all aspects of life. In addition, their energy and motivation will be very low.
Apathy could affect both males and females from all age groups. Potential signs of apathy include:1
Apathy may be easy to identify in most adults, but noting the symptom in teens or older adults can be difficult because others may assume the changes are a normal consequence of the age. People may expect teenagers to be ambivalent, demotivated, and lazy, so they will blame the age, instead of apathy. The same people may view less energy, lower activity levels, and limited goal setting as a normal part of aging in seniors, but it could be apathy related to a neurological condition.
Is It Apathy Or Depression
A common question many caregivers have is whether the person with dementia is depressed: He just sits there doing nothing. Is he depressed? Given the symptoms of apathy described above, it is understandable that this question arises.
While apathy often resembles depression, not everyone with apathy is depressed. Its important to note that apathy is not the same as depression. People with apathy dont typically have feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, hopelessness or thoughts of worthlessness. They might appear or feel uninterested, disengaged, or unexcited, but are not necessarily depressed. If you are concerned, it is best to talk to your health care professional.
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Increasing Your Social Involvement
What Is Apathy All About
We all experience apathy from time to time and do not wish to show interest in anything. It could be due to lack of motivation or because of no interest in day to day activities. However, the degree can vary amongst people and sometimes can be a symptom of depression, stress or mental health disorder.
Interestingly, the term apathy or feeling pathetic can also be described as lack of concern for the loved ones or losing interest in what was always loved before. A number of types could be seen to understand the depth of apathy.
- Emotional apathy- Where the person doesnt feel any kind of emotions, positive or negative.
- Behavioral apathy- It shows lack of self initiated behavior
- General apathy- No motivation or no interest in social behavior
Apart from the above ones, other forms of apathy include and Compassion fatigue .
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How Can I Cope With Apathy
Recognize that the person with apathy is not intentionally refusing to participate in activities and is not lazy. Nor does it mean the person needs to try a little harder or just show some spark of interest. Remind yourself that the apathy is likely a symptom of his or her disease. You can try to find out why the person is not able to do their usual activities. Questions to consider are:
- Have they forgotten how to do the activity? or
- Are they forgetting to do the activity?
Fatigue And Sleep Problems
Getting enough sleep can feel like an uphill battle. But if your habits havent changed and youre experiencing a sudden and overwhelming lack of energy, you may be experiencing an early symptom of depression.
If you notice sleep issues like sleeping too much, bouts of insomnia, or waking multiple times through the night or too early, these can also be signs of a depressive episode.
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Strategies To Manage Apathy
Like all the symptoms of Parkinsons, apathy requires that you make active choices to achieve your best quality of life. Here are some you can try, right away.
#1 Get out of the house daily
Create a weekly plan, or at least a plan for the day ahead, of leisure activities you want to do outside the home. If you plan the activity ahead of time, you dont even have to think about it, and you can just step into it.
Ideas to consider:
Talking To A Therapist
Coping with apathy often requires professional guidance and support from a therapist. Therapists can listen to your perspective and reshape your thoughts to boost healthier patterns. In the best situations, your therapist can offer strategies and interventions that quickly improve apathy, so therapy is no longer needed.
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How Does Apathy Affect Someones Mental Health
When apathy presents, it may be a fleeting experience of disinterest and low motivation, or it could become a lasting problem. The sum of apathy plus time can result in negative impacts to a personâs mental health and well-being.
Apathy has the power to affect energy, motivation, interest, pleasure, and optimism. These symptoms are all related to depression and major depressive episodes.
In the case of schizophrenia and neurocognitive disorders, apathy is an effect, not a cause, but in the case of depression, it can be either cause or effect. People must work to identify and resolve this type of apathy before it can build towards depression.
Apathy In Depression Changes What You Know Of Yourself
My depressive apathy is taking what I know of myself and chucking it out the nearest window. I used to work hard to go above and beyond expectations, holding myself to high standards and giving excuses only when necessary. My extreme apathy has destroyed my work ethic, though, and I cant even get myself to care about pressing deadlines.
I also used to find great joy in humanity and the fact that we humans are living, breathing bags of water that can have conversations about the fact that we are living, breathing bags of water. But my apathy has proven capable of raining on my parade, making that joy appear pointless and absurd. It has effectively drained me of my will to live and my typical programming to always find a will and a way has been overwritten. Before my indifference became a problem, I was a hardworking, scrappy depression fighter with a love of lists and a knack for giggling at cat videos. Now I dont even look at cat videos.
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The Connection Between Apathy And Depression
As you can see, certain common patterns are prevailing in both those conditions. Yet, it is crucial to know how to determine and differentiate these disorders in order to receive proper help and treatment. To learn more about it, you can read professional essays on the topic. Picking the professional essay writers is the best form of help you can count on online, wrote john milovich in his review of paper writing help service. You can follow his advice and order more research on this topic from the professionals.
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Apathy In Depression Is Challenging Not Permanent
Apathy in depression is the feeling of indifference towards yourself, your life, and those around you . Apathy in depression is uncomfortable and disappointing because it makes what you once cared about seem unimportant. My love of being active and working hard has been replaced with a black hole that sucks up my emotions and desires, making me a mess of I-dont-cares and shoulder shrugs. I fear my apathy in depression and I resent the challenges that indifference creates.
How Is Apathy Treated
It depends on whats being treated on a larger scale. A study from 2010 that looked at dysthymia and apathy found that there is no consensus about treatment for apathy. Any medical or therapeutic treatment for apathy generally relates to a larger condition for which it is presenting. For example, dopamine agonists seem to work in patients with Parkinsons disease, while atypical antipsychotics, used in schizophrenia, have been reported to help treat apathy in Alzheimers disease and other dementias. It concluded that the treatment of apathy should be considered according to the biology and pathology of the patient.
For apathy that is caused by being overwhelmed to the point of shutting down, Ertel recommends a few simple methods for coping:
- Make a prioritized list of your required tasks
- Practice setting boundaries and saying no to unnecessary tasks/requests,
- Make self-care non-negotiable
For apathy that is caused by being underwhelmed to the point where you are feeling lost and out of sorts, try the following:
- Identify some new short and long-term goals
- Make a list of hobbies you might enjoy, try each one at a time to see if any spark your interest or joy
- Invest in yourself by reading and making a point to learn at least one new thing per week
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How Is Apathy Diagnosed
Healthcare providers use 4 criteria to diagnose apathy. People with apathy meet all 4 of the following:
- A decrease in or lack of motivation. A person displays diminished motivation thats not consistent with age, culture, or health status.
- Behavioral, thinking, or emotional changes. Changes in behavior may make it difficult to engage in conversations or perform daily tasks. Changes in thinking include adisinterest in the news, social events, and deep thinking.
- Effect on quality of life. The changes in behavior negatively affect a persons professional life and personal relationships.
- Changes in behavior not caused by other conditions. The changes in behavior are unrelated to physical disabilities, substance use, or an affected level of consciousness.
Someone must have these symptoms for 4 weeks or longer to be diagnosed with apathy.
Common Symptoms Of Depression
Symptoms of depression can vary. They may manifest themselves differently from person to person. However, for most people, depression symptoms affect their ability to perform daily activities, interact with others, or go to work or go to school. If you suffer from depression you may often experience several of the following:
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Apathy In Depression Makes It Challenging To Cope
Apathy in depression is challenging in that it can interrupt your coping with depression strategy. I struggle to eat because I dont care that Im hungry I put off brushing my teeth because I dont care about keeping my cavity-free record I dont write because I dont care about writing. There are some days that I feel like I dont care about my depression at all and I wonder if I can somehow slip away from my indifference by asserting that Im indifferent.
No matter how complicated and apathetic this experience with apathy in my depression, I take comfort in my frustration. My frustration is a sign that some small piece of me still cares enough to take up arms against the dreaded apathy of depression. A tiny bit of my mind wants to fight forced nonchalance in my head and thats a nice reminder of the person Im fighting to recover.
APA ReferenceVerbeke, T. . Apathy in Depression Is Challenging, Not Permanent, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2021, October 4 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/copingwithdepression/2017/03/indifference-in-depression-is-challenging-not-permanent
BryanEsmeeKamoLornaAKDElizabeth D. Smythe Psy.D.Sheryl
This was beautifully written. I can identify with these signs. Thank you for sharing.
Jon WhittleLetisiaJenniferSusanne
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