Can anxiety cause someone to become apathetic?

[pbandjelly]

I saw the doctor about my horrible sleeping pattern. He asked me a few questions about what I think about when I try to sleep etc. He threw the word 'anxiety' around and said he wants to refer me to a psychologist before he makes a diagnoses. I have a few symptoms, the main ones being a loss of appetite, nausea and extreme mental fatigue (cant concentrate, memory problems etc). The symptom that has affected me the most is my lack of enthusiasm. I know it is really noticeable because other people have been telling me of recent that I seem 'unenthusiastic', and sometimes I just want to scream because deep inside I am enthusiastic but I dont have the energy to show it. This is really frustrating because I am losing friends because I just dont have the energy to have a proper conversation with them, which makes me feel anxious because they will then think im mad at them when really im not. So i just avoid that all together by staying inside. I also lost a job offer because I came across as 'uninterested', but I know that deep down I really wanted the job. Its really frustrating. I remember when everyone used to tell me how enthusiastic I was about life and now ive changed in so many ways because of whatever Is going wrong in my mind. The most annoying part is I have no idea where this came from, its just gradually gotten worse as time has gone by and now its so bad that im noticing its causing a problem. With all that being said, can anxiety cause someone to become apathetic or is that more related to depression? 

[geoff]

dear Pbandjelly, thanks for asking this question, and welcome to the forum.

There could be many different views on this to answer your question, so this is what I think.

When we start to encounter either anxiety or depression, then our joy in life vanishes, disappears or becomes useless and non eventful, and why we get these illness's, well most of the time we don't know, however there are times when we lose a loved one which will then push us into depression.

I do believe that anxiety is combined with depression, although it has it's own section, and many believe that it should stand on it's own, OK point taken, but when you become uninterested in doing what you loved to do before, and your anxiety makes you feel apathetic, and don't feel as though you want to associate with your friends any more, then anxiety becomes too extreme and then falls over to the depression category, where you have ' loss of appetite, nausea and extreme mental fatigue (cant concentrate, memory problems etc)'.

I am no psychologist nor doctor, but having depression myself for a long time then we are entitled to suggest how we feel, but it can't be used as the gospel, and really a psychologist should diagnose you.

You can't overcome this by yourself, although you may feel as though you can, but you only tackle the surface and not those deep problems which you may not know that you're got, so in other words I do hope that you can continue with your psychologist and doctor.

It maybe a good experience for you or you may have trouble, so I hope that you can get back to us. Geoff.

[_NaturalTalent_]

Hey PB,

I agree strongly with Geoff, Anxiety & Depression are nearly always intertwined, though often one is more prevalent than the other. It sounds to me like Depression may be becoming you larger issue, but its hard to tell without more background info. (More he says? lol) I know you wrote a fair bit there but im talking more history than current problem 🙂

 So, your already seeing a GP that's great work bud, a lot of people struggle with just that.

If you have access, time, finances, and little anxiety over it, I WOULD suggest going further up if the GP wants you to. But don't put so much stock into it that if it doesn't help much it puts you off.. That is SOOO common.

If you do not want to see somebody else, then unfortunately the GP is most likely going to want you to start on medications..

Now... Yes... That helps ALOT of people, however it also damages a lot of people! They are brain chemistry altering substances, and honestly we don't know enough about them. This is coming from someone who's tried more than once too, but don't let me put you off if your willing to trial them under GP supervision.

I have a feeling your GP wants you to visit a psychiatrist, not psychologist first, yeah I know confusing which is which right? The psychiatrist will try to diagnose you, a psychologist is more there to alter your behaviour & thinking patterns to help you deal with the diagnosis..

Suggestions...

I myself have lost a fair few friends in the past due to isolation, however it goes to show who truly cares about you. A big thing you need to bring yourself up to, is telling people what your struggling with... Right now people may just see you as getting snobby? If they knew it was because you were falling apart, some of them may actively try to be there for you. Being with people your comfortable around can help in so many ways, especially if they know your anxiety peaks when their not around.

You need to get out occasionally. If you go somewhere and start to feel like you want to go home, don't feel ashamed, it is normal in your situation, instead, push it for as long as you can, then let people know, your a bit too overwhelmed and either need to go home or go have a break somewhere. You will find yourself lasting longer and longer, it will take some time but one day you will sit there and think, WOW I never used to be able to do this...

No easy answer to where it comes from. Sometimes its an epic event, sometimes its just ur DNA

[pbandjelly]

Hi guys. Thanks for your replies.

About the psychologist/psychiatrist, there is nothing I want more than to see one. My GP has told me to come back in a weeks time so we can further discuss my options regarding this. 1 week feels like such a long time, im becoming hopeful that recovery is ahead and now I dont want to let go of this idea. I must admit, it was really tough explaining to my GP about my thoughts/feelings. I was trying really hard not to cry but I wanted too because he was the first person to truly and honestly know what goes on in my mind and It was such a relief to put it all out there and have someone listen without feeling judged. This is why i refrain from telling friends, because I dont know how they'll react and honestly, I dont know if they'll understand. Im worried about being judged by them and this will just make my anxiety worse. I guess im not ready to tell them in this moment but at the same time I know that isolating myself isnt helping at all. Maybe I should make a promise to myself that next time someone asks me 'whats wrong', instead of saying 'nothing', I should actually tell them.

[geoff]

dear Pbandjelly. thanks for your reply to the both of us.

There are a couple of great thoughts that you have 'Im becoming hopeful that recovery is ahead', well that's a solid thought to keep in your pocket, and when there are times that this seems to 'fly out the window' and you become apathetic, please remember that it will pass, because none of us or anybody can go through everyday life without some type of setback.

This feeling of being judged does have an enormous effect on anyone, especially when you have depression, because it makes us want to hibernate, true and we understand, but the strength that you need is not go deeper into this illness, and then set you back more than you have gained.

Can I also say is that once you have overcome depression/anxiety, you can never know why we have been hit by this illness, there are so many questions we ask ourselves, why were we taken by the black dog, or why couldn't we have had the strength to avoid it, let these thoughts pass, unless you're a trained professional and intrigued by these illness's. Geoff.