Apathy in Depression?

mandi78 · 12-19-2005, 10:16 PM

Do any of you with depression or who are on treatment for depression experience apathy? Apathy is defined as lack of motivation, feeling, interest or concern.

Here is part of an article that describes it better.

"You know what it’s like. Someone has seemingly pulled the plug and the power drains out. Your get up and go just got up and went. Life, the universe, everything – nothing matters as you shuffle through the clutter on the floor and flop into an unmade bed, your only refuge in a world you have given up on, that has seemingly given up on you.

Apathy is also used to describe indifference, such as to politics or NASCAR racing, but in a psychological context we are talking more like the opposite of motivation, the lack of will to go on and the inability to care about the consequences."

I am really experiencing this bad right now. I am on Lexapro which is helping my anxiety and even my depression some. I am not crying all the time and am not hopeless as I was before. However, I just can't get motivated to do anything. My house and car are a mess. I have things at work that I need to do, yet I just sit here. I have not been exercising or eating right. I just want to sleep all the time or lay on the couch and watch tv and eat. Another article I read said that some researchers have suggested that SSRIs may induce apathy. Has anyone else experienced this in depression whether on or off anti-depressants? TIA

Mandi

penguinlover · 12-19-2005, 11:28 PM

I believe apathy goes hand in hand with depression.

I used Lexapro for a few months, but it did not work for me. I became frustrated because it negatively affected my sex drive. I also became more lethargic.

My doctor switched me to Effexor XR which has done the total opposite for me. My sex drive is back. I have more energy. It has helped my anxiety a great deal.

Just an idea, but perhaps you just need to start something and set an end goal. Decide that once you reach that end goal, you will give yourself a reward. Better yet, get your DH to give you the support on this one that you need by designating the reward and "supervising" your progress. Make it a team effort.

Madtulsan · 12-19-2005, 11:57 PM

Um, how about a big YES!!! That is one of the hardest things for me as a mother is going through that and trying to take care of 5 kids. It gets extremely hard, and my husband tries to understand, but I don't think he totally gets it.

ABumpyGal · 12-20-2005, 12:39 AM

Hi Mandi,
Apathy pretty much is depression for me. It's certainly my #1 symptom by far. I just don't care about anything, even things I once cared a great deal about. All routines fall apart. I just become this lump. I've experienced this far more off of anti-depressants than on, as I wouldn't tolerate a drug that made me feel this way. Only Remeron did and it hit the garbage quick!

Please let your prescribing doctor know about this. It's hard to find just the right one and you might need one of the more "energizing" ones like Prozac or Wellbutrin. Wellbutrin is not an SSRI I believe. I've heard lots of good things about it: it's weight neutral or causes weight loss in most, preserves sexual functioning/libido, helps you quit smoking (if that's an issue), and is a bit energizing. My partner was on it and loooved it.

Also think about having a physical, if it's been more than six months. Anemia and hypothyroid are just two things off of the top of my head that can make you feel this way. You might want to try taking a B Complex vitamin as they help me greatly in this department. If you are on met, this is VERY important!!!

Self-help things I've found helpful is a variant on the "lipstick theory". This is the theory that if a woman puts on lipstick everyday she will somehow feel better and it will help her depression. Well I'm not wasting $20-$40 tubes of lipstick on sitting around the house, but I will keep myself groomed: eyebrows, facial hair, leg hair, etc. and do facials and masks. It's a real drag to do such things when you're sooo tired and unmotivated, but the more you do the more motivated you become. Do all those tasks you need to do. Break them into tiny steps if you have to and take lots of breaks, but get them done. You'll feel tons better!

Then I move on to actually dragging my sick, sad carcass out and about. Out to eat with partner, to clubs, etc. This seems to REALLY help for some reason. At this point I might actually develop an interest in going again. YMMV of course.

I wish you luck, but sadly the antidote to apathy really is moving. People told me that for years and I wanted to beat them!

I felt as if they didn't truly understand the depth of my tiredness and misery, but in the end they were right. Go figure! What they didn't tell me that therapy did was take baby steps... maybe just clean up the papers on your desk one day, break all those impossible seeming jobs into tiny, managable bites. Soon you'll be doing more each day without even realizing it. Each task you complete will give you more confidence and then you'll be on a roll!

I wish you luck and I hope you feel better soon ((((hugs))))! Apathy is one of the worst things you can feel, I'm convinced of it.
Dana

ABumpyGal · 12-20-2005, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madtulsan

Um, how about a big YES!!! That is one of the hardest things for me as a mother is going through that and trying to take care of 5 kids. It gets extremely hard, and my husband tries to understand, but I don't think he totally gets it.

Madtulsan...five kids? Apathy? A not-totally getting it hubby?

I'm so sorry hon! I'd help out if I could! (((hugs))) You are officially SUPERWOMAN in my eyes!!!

Dana
**I can't even take care of one CAT some days!**

12-20-2005, 01:08 AM

I could have written that post! I'm on Lexapro which has helped with the anxiety but not the depression or apathy (apathy has been a huge part of the depression for me). They are adjusting my med so hopefully this will ease. I agree with Dana. Yesterday I got my hair cut off short and I thought as if a haircut would make me feel better, but it did. My house is a big mess, which makes me feel worse. But last night, I just cleaned up the dishes & did one load of washing. This was HUGE for me, but normally no big deal. But I really congratulated myself for it. Then I even shaved my legs this morning. Woohoo.
So maybe just set one small goal i.e. i will wash two plates & two cups & then give yourself a pat on the back for doing it. Small, small steps.
Also speak to your GP because you may need to increase your dosage.
Also a 3-5 minute walk, as small as it is does make a small difference.
I'm by no means an expert but I have found these things do help a little.

mandi78 · 12-20-2005, 01:45 AM

Well, I talked to my dr last week and she is switching me to Wellbutrin but I have to have some tests done on my heart first because I am having palpitations. I did not want to start a new med until I knew for sure what was going on there.

I went and cleaned my car out tonight....threw out all the trash, vaccumed and cleaned off the dash, console, etc. Too cold to wash it but the inside is what was really bad anyway. It looks so much better and I feel better too. I'm trying to talk myself into going in there to cook supper.

Madtulsan-I can't imagine having 5 kids to take care of during this. This is one reason I worry about if I should have kids at all. I'm not like this all the time but when I am, it seems to last and last.

Thank you all for your replies and support. Oh, and I do take a super duper mega vitamin. It's called Glucobalance....I take it instead of Met. Anyway, it has plenty of B vitamins. And, I have had all my bloodwork done recently too. This just started recently, since I started on Lexapro. I read that apathy has been linked to a dopamine imbalance which the wellbutrin is supposed to help with. I hope it will.

Mandi

nicole47 · 12-20-2005, 02:04 AM

Just wanted to add that when I had (anxiety-induced) depression, apathy was one of the big signs. That line "have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy" really described me. Like one of my little pleasures in life is deciding what to make for dinner and I just couldn't. So one day when I was feeling less apathetic than usual I put a list on the fridge of things I could make so when I got apathetic again at least I wouldn't be stressing out about not being able to feed us. It helped a little.

And wow... 5 kids!

oaktreegirl · 12-20-2005, 02:36 AM

I get apathetic, periodically. For me, it's one of the main symptoms that makes depression feel different than just sad.

I try to do different things to deal with it. Like Dana mentioned, getting out of the house helps a lot. Even if it's just to go window shopping, it does make me feel better. Spending time with friends also helps a LOT, because it gives me something to focus on besides the same old thoughts running through my head. Exercise can also be great, although sometimes my depression comes with a physical lethargy too. (this happens when my diet is bad)

Sometimes I'll distract myself by reading a good novel, or watching a good movie. I don't want to rely on these things too much, because then it becomes an addiction. But it's okay for once in a while, when I just need something outside of myself to be interested in.

sleepydumpling · 12-20-2005, 06:23 AM

Apathy is a big one for me when I'm depressed, definitely.

*pEaNuT* · 12-20-2005, 06:26 AM

Depression really takes so much out of you! xoxoxox

sleepydumpling · 12-20-2005, 10:33 AM

I set small goals around the house too. It might just be to put away three things every time I get up from the couch. If I can do that, it's a start. Sometimes that's enough momentum to get me started properly.

Other days, I can barely walk from the couch to the bedroom!
Kath

Ren · 01-01-2006, 12:00 PM

For me, apathy means the depression is back. I don't sit there and cry, I don't have bad thoughts (with the one exception) I just don't give a ****. Its when my family can tell, when I lose all intrest in things again.

It got bad this month, when I actully couldn't give a **** about softball, and missed a game! For me that's HUGE. So huge that my best friend (who I play with) actully came to my house after the game and drove me down to get my meds.