Amotivational syndrome: causes and their usual symptoms
The amotivational syndrome is a psychological condition which is characterized by the loss of interest in social social situations and participation in activities of all kinds. One of its characteristic features is the marked apathy.
This syndrome is more likely to occur in people who use cannabis for a long period of time. In this article we will delve into this phenomenon and respect its most important characteristics.
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Motivational syndrome: what is it?
The motivational syndrome presents many similarities with depression , because the person feels no desire to do anything and projects an intense apathy, but also feels distant with respect to their emotions and those of others.
According to some research, the main cause of amotivational syndrome is found in the frontal parts of our brain, those that are involved in social behavior, motivation or reasoning ability.
Causes
Studies suggest that it is very characteristic of people who use marijuana , so they usually appear in individuals who use this drug. Although there are many advocates of cannabis use, in the article "Marijuana: science reveals its long-term effects on the brain" we already told you about some of the side effects that cannabis has on regular and chronic users.
However, experts say that the appearance of this condition is not exclusive of the use of marijuana, but is associated with the frequent use of substances that cause instant gratification .
In fact, many individuals who use marijuana do not suffer from this syndrome, so some researchers suggest that the personality of some people may be the main cause of their appearance. In other words, it could be that individuals suffering from this syndrome are predisposed to suffer it, and marijuana would be a triggering factor.
Anyway, their causes are not clear, so there is still a lot of work in this line of research.
- Related article: "The reward system of the brain: how does it work?"
What characterizes this syndrome?
Although the causes are not very well defined, the characteristics and symptoms of the motivational syndrome are. But what are these characteristics? In the following lines we explain them to you.
1. Apathy
As already mentioned, apathy is one of the characteristic symptoms of amotivational syndrome . This means that the person lives in a state of permanent disinterest and feels unmotivated about his life and the environment that surrounds him. Nothing catches your attention or makes you feel like doing things.
2. No future plans
Since in the present one feels in an apathetic state and without interest, this also manifests itself in the future. The person lacks vital objectives , something that fits perfectly with the lack of disinterest that suffers. His future does not worry him, just as neither do the people around him.
3. Passivity
The apathy in these people not only shows respect towards themselves and their objectives, but, as I have commented, an individual also he is passive in front of the environment and the stimuli that surround him . He has serious difficulties when carrying out activities and paying attention to any task.
4. Conformism
The lack of vital objectives impede his personal development and make him a conformist person. The person lives in their comfort zone, from which they are unable to leave. He becomes lazy and has a state of mind in which his body weighs when performing any activity.
5. Loss of principles
The person lives immersed in a reality in which nothing interests him, lacks principles and ideals , and his life itself stops making sense. There is no motivation to act. And doing anything is like walking uphill.
6. Lack of emotion
The person not only does not connect with their ideals, but rather he is unable to live his emotions and feelings . He does not experience them, nor towards himself, not towards others. Even the good news is meaningless.
7. Isolation
This causes the person to isolate himself, stop having contact with others. That is to say, that the motivation is not only in reference to the activities, as it could be if he were a lazy person, but that the interpersonal relationships do not seem to matter either. He does not care about anything or anyone.
8. Introversion
The person adopts an introverted attitude, in which he directs his attention towards his internal events and his thoughts. Your external attention capacity is minimized .
9. Sadness
Individuals with amotivational syndrome may also feel great sadness, because they are not aware of why they feel this way. That is, the person has serious difficulties in identifying the reason for their disinterest .
- Maybe you're interested: "The 6 differences between sadness and depression"
10. Lack of affection
The lack of emotional connection is accompanied by a lack of affection, so you will not identify with anyone or strengthen ties with the individuals in your environment.
11. Deterioration of social skills
This can also be observed in the deterioration of social skills and with a lack of interest in communication with other people. The person has serious difficulties in relating to others and, as I said earlier, it tends to isolation.
This has to do with something very simple: relate to other people, especially if they are not well known, it costs effort and the use of numerous cognitive resources. Therefore, someone who is in this kind of mental state will probably tend to adopt a passive attitude and avoid situations in which it is necessary to converse or interact with others in general.
12. Decreased concentration
Since the person invests their attentional resources in internal attention, their external attention, both broad and narrow, are affected. This causes difficulties at the cognitive level, because the person has difficulties to process the information. Your memory is also affected.
13. Slowness of movement and decrease in reflexes
The attitude of apathy and decreased attention also affects your ability to perform movements. Not only that, but it also has slow reflexes and other psychomotor alterations.
14. Abandonment of personal care
Demotivation and disinterest it also manifests itself in your personal care , and the person stops caring, grooming and even grooming.
Hygiene is seen as an unimportant "whim", even though the simple fact of not washing has a direct and very negative impact on the person in the short term: for example, through the dust (particles of dry skin) that it goes to the respiratory system.
15. Difficulty in sexual relations
Disinterest in sex is also a reality, and you can stop having sex. This can complicate their sexual life, and different problems can appear such as those commented in the article "The 8 most frequent sexual problems and how to treat them"
