Apathy and Anhedonia

Do you experience them? If you do, how often and to what extent do they occur? Are they accompanied by any anxiety/distress/dysphoria? Do they affect your mental and physical performance/ability/results?

As for myself, apathy is my constant companion, along with a very strong of isolation from other people and - to a lesser extent - from the external world.
I find it quite difficult to do anything that's not a stable habit. Anyway, If I start something new, I usually give it up after a short time because of my lack of willpower and motivation.
It gets worse if it's something I dislike, or a senseless obligation of some sort. The only thing that can effectively push me to act, in such situations, is serious danger. If there isn't any, I won't do that thing, even though I'm aware it will eventually damage me.

I've had - and I still have - many problems (bad marks and other bad results, for example) because of this tendency of mine.

In addition, I don't usually care very much about what happens around me. It can get really extreme at times - as if nothing mattered at all. In those moments, I wouldn't mind if I died, for example, or if I had no material properties at all. It's a sort of absolute indifference to the external world - as if I didn't belong to it, or I was only a neutral and non-involved spectator.

I also experience anhedonia, even though most of times is only partial - I can still feel something, only it's pretty mild and I can't name it or describe it .
It gets total only when I'm also bored and apathetic.

MVNTE wrote:Do you experience them?If you do, how often and to what extent do they occur?

Apathy? By the description on google yes.All the time.

Anhedonia? Let's say that i still feel some pleasure from some activities,but it's always content/neutrality than excitement/happiness.Also get bored quickly when engaging in new activities.

MVNTE wrote:Are they accompanied by any anxiety/distress/dysphoria?

No.

MVNTE wrote:Do they affect your mental and physical performance/ability/results?

In the case of apathy no.But the anhedonia can affect,since i will have no willpower to make some activity unless they interest me.

I could almost just say, that OP's experiences on this apply to me too, but I'll still point out some extra things.

MVNTE wrote:Anyway, If I start something new, I usually give it up after a short time because of my lack of willpower and motivation.

This, and annoyingly it also applies to things I like doing and have some talent doing. It bugs me, that if I wasn't so darn apathic, I probably had accomplished something in those areas.

MVNTE wrote:It gets worse if it's something I dislike, or a senseless obligation of some sort. The only thing that can effectively push me to act, in such situations, is serious danger. If there isn't any, I won't do that thing, even though I'm aware it will eventually damage me.

Absolutely! I've even come to the conclusion, that for me unwillingness and unableness become practically the same thing, if I dislike something enough. It has caused conflicts, when others think that I should do something (and it's not even that great of an effort) and I know that rationally it would be easier to just do it... but it's just impossible to get done!

MVNTE wrote:In addition, I don't usually care very much about what happens around me. It can get really extreme at times - as if nothing mattered at all. In those moments, I wouldn't mind if I died, for example, or if I had no material properties at all. It's a sort of absolute indifference to the external world - as if I didn't belong to it, or I was only a neutral and non-involved spectator.

I feel this way about the outside world and death as well, but the exception is, that I'm always very defensive of my "quality of life" (basic needs, tolerable health and also those material properties that I consider important to me, like my computer!). Rather than indifferent, I almost get into the "fight or flight" -mode if someone hints that I could lower my quality of life, for instance By moving into a smaller apartment (I need some space when I'm here almost 24/7, dammnit! ).

MVNTE wrote:I also experience anhedonia, even though most of times is only partial - I can still feel something, only it's pretty mild and I can't name it or describe it .
It gets total only when I'm also bored and apathetic.

Applies to me too.

My apathy and anhedonia is pretty extreme lately. See this post.

I have a constant problem with that. Even my cognitive abilities are often affected as I can't be bothered to make any effort. My anhedonia isn't absolute but it is at a level where vast majority of the time I don't even feel like it is worth to watch anything or play video games, even that is too much effort.

What ya'll said.

Spooky how we're all basically the same in that regard.
Well, no, not spooky. Pretty darn predictable, in fact.

Do you experience them?
When I had lost my last friends ( I moved to another town) I get more anhedonic and unmotivated

If you do, how often and to what extent do they occur?
Everytime

Are they accompanied by any anxiety/distress/dysphoria?
dysphoria i think

-- Mon May 05, 2014 1:16 pm --

Do you experience them?
When I had lost my last friends ( I moved to another town) I get more anhedonic and unmotivated

If you do, how often and to what extent do they occur?
Everytime

Are they accompanied by any anxiety/distress/dysphoria?
dysphoria i think

I really have trouble with all these psychological terms. To me it's just laziness. In fact I'm too lazy to live I reckon.

I think that, in general, I am not as anhedonic and apathetic as I see a lot of people are on this forum. I work a lot and am very invested in my work. I have hobbies. I like doing things (though not with others), and I like learning how to do new things, or inventing new things. I really enjoy new experiences.

I do like to have a good hour or two a day to myself though, and most of one day on the weekend -- just to veg and recouperate, and I think this separates me from the 'normals' who are very go-go-go even on the weekend. And I can have depressive periods where I clearly like to do a lot less.

smirks wrote:I do like to have a good hour or two a day to myself though, and most of one day on the weekend.

If you reverse that, so that I'd have an hour or two for other people every day (and hang out with them half of the weekend), it would still be way too much for me I envy your tolerance of socialization