Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Definition

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Coping

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We all have those days when we feel a little empty or indifferent. You might find it hard to respond emotionally, and everything just feels kind of heavy, boring, or just plain meh. It’s not quite sadness, not quite boredom—just a lack of the oomph that normally helps you feel motivated, interested, and excited.

What you’re feeling is apathy. It involves a lack of interest in different aspects of life, including normal daily tasks and social activities. It is often seen in varying degrees in healthy people, but it is also a symptom of a number of different mental health conditions, includingdepression.

At a GlanceApathy is a normal feeling, but can be a sign a more serious problem if it is lasting or severe. It might cause you to feel indifferent or unmotivated and can affect emotions, behaviors, or overall functioning. You might be experiencing apathy if you’ve lost interest, have no motivation, feel unenergetic, and struggle to complete everyday tasks. Talk to your doctor if you are feeling apathetic so they can determine if it might be linked to conditions like depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Treatments can help, including medication, therapy, and self-care.

At a Glance

Apathy is a normal feeling, but can be a sign a more serious problem if it is lasting or severe. It might cause you to feel indifferent or unmotivated and can affect emotions, behaviors, or overall functioning. You might be experiencing apathy if you’ve lost interest, have no motivation, feel unenergetic, and struggle to complete everyday tasks. Talk to your doctor if you are feeling apathetic so they can determine if it might be linked to conditions like depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Treatments can help, including medication, therapy, and self-care.

What Apathy Means (and When it Happens)

Apathy is a lack of interest in normal daily tasks and social activities. Healthy people experience it in varying degrees, but it also can signal several mental health conditions, including depression.

The origin of the term apathy comes from a form of the prefixa—meaning “without,” and the Greekpathosmeaning “emotion, feeling, suffering.” Thus, apathy was originally defined as freedom from suffering. Sometime in the 18th century, the meaning changed to a sense of being without emotion or feeling—indifference, especially to matters that are important or appealing.

Different Types of Apathy You Might Experience

In a 2019 study published in the journalPLOS One, researchers identified and described distinct subtypes of apathy:

Research suggests that apathy andanhedonia(lack of pleasure) are closely linked, with people experiencing higher levels of apathy also reporting more anhedonia.

Two other forms of apathy that people may experience are:

Bystander Apathy

Compassion Fatigue

People often start out caring deeply about something, only to find themselves burned out and exhausted when things become too much. This is what experts callcompassion fatigue.

It happens because you do care—sometimes too much. When you find yourself constantly immersed in that concern, it starts to take over your whole life. You don’t have the emotional or physical resources to keep investing the same energy into maintaining that same level of concern.

While you cared initially, constant exposure can overwhelm you physically and emotionally, decreasing your ability to feel compassion orempathyfor others.

Symptoms of Apathy

Some signs of apathy include:

Apathy may often be asymptom of depression, but the two are not the same thing. Depressive disorders are categorized in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision” (DSM-5-TR) and have specific diagnostic criteria and symptoms.

What It Means to Have Clinical Depression

You might experience apathy on its own, but it often comes along with other symptoms of depression, including anhedonia and lethargy.

What Causes Apathy?

Most people experience feelings of apathy from time to time. It is when this apathy is persistent and affects many different areas of life that it becomes a significant problem.

Some different conditions that may cause apathy include:

When apathy is chronic and severe, it can interfere with many different areas of life. It can make it hard to perform well at work, disrupt social relationships, and even make it difficult to do basic daily self-care tasks.

How Is Apathy Diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask questions about how you are feeling, your behaviors, and how you are functioning in different areas of your life. Your healthcare provider will also ask you questions about:

In some cases, your doctor may also perform a physical exam or order lab tests to rule out other medical conditions that might be contributing to your symptoms.

Your doctor or mental health professional may diagnose you with an underlying mental health condition that is causing your symptoms. While it is not a formally recognized disorder recognized in the DSM-5-TR, some experts argue that a set of symptoms called “apathy syndrome” may present in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.

What to Know About the DSM-5-TR

Treatment for Apathy

For many conditions, treatment for apathy may involve medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.

Medications

Examples of medications that may be used to treat conditions that feature apathy as a symptom include:

Psychotherapy

Your doctor may also recommend psychotherapy when apathy is related to a condition such as depression or anxiety.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)is one approach that addresses the underlying thoughts and behaviors that may contribute to feelings of indifference and poor motivation.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

Coping With Apathy

There are also some self-help steps you can take that may help you overcome feelings of apathy:

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Supportive friends and family can help you when you are feeling unmotivated, and having their support may help spark your interest.

Reaching out to your doctor or a mental health professional can also help you find a treatment approach that will work for you.

Takeaways

Most people experience apathy from time to time. It can happen when we are struggling with feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. In these cases, stepping back, taking a break, and caring for yourself can give you the relief you need to find your motivation and energy once more.

But if your apathy is more severe and lasting, it may be connected to a deeper problem like depression or a neurodegenerative condition. If apathy is making it hard for you to function and affecting your life negatively, talk to your doctor. They can help figure out what’s wrong and recommend treatments that can help.

If you or a loved one are struggling with apathy, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with apathy, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

What to Do When You Have No Motivation

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Apathy.

Chase TN.Apathy in neuropsychiatric disease: Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment.Neurotox Res. 2011;19(2):266-78. doi:10.1007/s12640-010-9196-9

Fahed M, Steffens DC.Apathy: Neurobiology, assessment and treatment.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2021;19(2):181-189. doi:10.9758/cpn.2021.19.2.181

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