If you’re living with apathy, finding motivation may be hard, and you might not have the energy to perform daily activities. But with the right support, you can regain your energy and ability to express emotion.

Apathy describes an absence of feeling or emotion. This indifference can affect your motivation and leave you feeling detached from the world.

People may experience apathetic feelings from time to time, especially during times of stress.

But persistent apathy can affect relationships, everyday life, and overall well-being. It might also be a symptom of an underlying medical or mental health condition.

Apathy vs. depression

Depression does not always involve apathy, and you can experience apathy without having depression. In short, they’re two different things.

People living with depression may often notice signs of apathy, though. These might include:

  • a drop in motivation
  • less interest in regular activities (anhedonia)
  • less energy than usual
  • difficulty expressing emotion or showing interest in other people

Even though apathy is not an automatic sign of depression, it can still be a symptom. Other key signs of depression include a low mood and feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness that last for at least 2 weeks.

If you notice these symptoms, connecting with a therapist is a good next step — depression can improve with treatment.

Apathy mainly involves a general indifference and lack of motivation to do anything at all. You might also notice:

  • fatigue
  • a loss of pleasure in the things you usually enjoy
  • no energy for handling the usual responsibilities or activities of daily life
  • difficulty feeling and expressing emotions
  • loss of interest in social activities or events
  • a tendency to spend more time by yourself
  • difficulty concentrating

Apathy affects everyone a little bit differently, and it can affect any part of life. You might notice it more in your interpersonal relationships, your job, or your life at home.

Types of apathy

Authors of a 2017 study developed the Apathy-Motivation Index and used participants’ responses to label three subtypes of apathy:

  • Behavioral apathy: You’re less likely to feel motivated or get started on goal-directed activities on your own.
  • Social apathy: You’re less likely to engage with other people or show interest in their feelings
  • Emotional apathy: You feel very little emotion. You might feel indifferent to the things happening in your life and may not care if you do or say something that upsets someone else.

Persistent apathy will likely involve signs from all these categories.

Apathy may not always have a clear-cut cause, but it can happen as a symptom of many different neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Conditions that may involve apathy include:

Experts believe dysfunction in certain areas of your brain may cause apathy. Research from 2018 has found evidence that suggests apathy may be connected to the following two key brain regions:

Situational apathy

The American Psychological Association describes apathy syndrome as a pattern of emotional indifference that might develop in survivors of catastrophe or people held as prisoners of war.

After surviving a disaster or other trauma, detaching emotionally might seem like a way to protect your well-being and prevent further distress.

As a result, connecting with others or accessing and expressing your feelings may become difficult.

Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and stressful circumstances may also contribute to apathy.

Young adults, teenagers, and adolescents trying to establish a sense of self and narrow down their future goals might experience apathy.

Shifting hormones and brain development may affect teen moods and thought patterns, but long-term emotional detachment and apathy may suggest a more serious concern, just as they would for people of any age.

Experts acknowledge apathy as a key feature of many different conditions, but there’s no official clinical diagnosis of apathy.

If persistent apathy affects your day-to-day life and relationships, a therapist or other mental health professional can help narrow down the cause by identifying other symptoms you may be experiencing.

Your therapist will ask about things like:

  • changes in mood, motivation, and energy
  • how you feel about your personal relationships
  • changes in your relationships
  • changes in your emotional and mental health
  • current life events
  • changes in your life circumstances

They can also help you explore any underlying factors that might contribute to apathy.

Evaluating apathy in neurodegeneration

In terms of neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, healthcare professionals use four criteria to measure apathy:

  • Lack of motivation: You feel less motivated for no clear reason.
  • Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional changes: You are less interested in connecting with others, contemplating, or performing daily tasks.
  • Impact on quality of life: These changes in energy, emotions, and behavior begin to negatively affect your life, work, relationships, and overall wellness.
  • Other conditions do not cause these changes: Another mental or physical health concern or substance use doesn’t contribute to apathy.

If you have had these symptoms for 4 weeks or longer, a healthcare professional may recommend medical tests to help rule out neurodegenerative conditions.

These might include:

  • blood tests
  • neuropsychiatric testing
  • mental status exams
  • genetic tests
  • neurologic exams
  • brain imaging

Treatment for apathy will generally depend on the cause.

Therapy

A therapist can help you identify potential causes of apathy.

If apathy relates to a mental health condition or challenges in your life, therapy may offer a safe space to talk through what you’re experiencing and explore strategies to navigate those difficulties.

Support from a therapist may also be beneficial for trauma recovery. Learning new ways to cope with distress may help you make changes that reboot your emotions.

While therapy can’t directly treat symptoms of conditions like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, support from a trained therapist can still help you cope with your moods and manage the changes of progressive conditions.

Medications

The FDA has yet to approve any medications to specifically treat apathy. Medications may help treat some conditions that involve apathy, though.

The medication your doctor or psychiatrist will recommend depends on the most likely cause of your persistent apathy. A few possibilities might include:

  • cholinesterase inhibitors like donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine, which may help treat symptoms of dementia
  • antidepressants like paroxetine, sertraline, and bupropion
  • cerebral circulation and metabolism stimulants that may help treat symptoms of stroke
  • dopamine stimulants like ropinirole, which may help treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
  • antipsychotics, which may help treat symptoms of schizophrenia
  • other stimulants like methylphenidate, pemoline, and amphetamine, which may help apathy that has no known underlying cause

Other approaches

Experts continue to explore other potential treatments, including:

  • Repetitive transcranial stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation: These treatments are painless and involve a brief, low-voltage electric current to stimulate the brain. However, both are only investigational for apathy.
  • Cognitive stimulation therapy: This approach involves participating in group games and other activities to help stimulate brain waves.
  • Music and art therapies: Both music and art may help people get in touch with their emotions. These approaches may boost positive feelings, motivation, and reward for people who enjoy art and music.

Lifestyle changes

While many people may find therapy and medication helpful, you can do some things on your own for relief:

  • Identify new sources of joy: People change, and the hobbies you used to enjoy may someday no longer stimulate you. Perhaps you have another interest area that’s waiting to be explored.
  • Try a digital detox: Putting some extra space between you and the Internet can help, especially when you refocus your energy on who and what you value most.
  • Open up to loved ones: A support network of loved ones may help you regain some interest in life. Sharing what’s on your mind may help ease overwhelm, and you might notice it gradually becomes easier to access your emotions and find motivation. Plus, letting your loved ones know that your apathy isn’t personal may help.
  • Take care of your needs: If you often find yourself pushing past the point of exhaustion, building time for self-care and relaxation into your routine can make a big difference. Also, try to:

Trying new things can be tough when you already feel unmotivated. Just remember that it’s always OK to start slow and take things one step at a time.

Apathy can sometimes feel like a void, an absence of the things that give life meaning. But it doesn’t have to last forever.

If you find yourself with little energy and motivation and feel like nothing matters anymore, reaching out to a therapist may be a good option. You may also choose to reach out to family and friends for additional support.

Whomever you choose to confide in, know that apathy can improve with time and the right kind of support.