Overwhelmed by Life? Depression? Apathy? You Need To Know Which Now!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Did you just receive a bad medical report? I have. Overwhelmed by all you must deal with? Ditto for me. Has it caused depression? Or is it apathy combined with your chronic illness instead?

Recently, I heard the news, “Your MRI/MRA showed a problem.” Not words you want to hear. Conclusion two months later: a large vein in my head is occluded and there’s no treatment. Decidedly different from my other problems. Another new problem, the exacerbation of several long-standing challenges, and excessive activities for my strength level, overwhelmed me. I don’t want to do activities I normally enjoy (like these posts) or tasks I need to do.

I thought I was mildly depressed. But, I read apathy and depression can be confused, so I wondered if apathy is the problem. Therefore, time to research again. Read my conclusions below.

Both depression and apathy can be medical conditions; both can be treated. Each can also affect a person in milder forms. See definitions. Examine some ideas for alleviating milder forms of apathy and depression along with chronic illness. Find a downloadable PDF of symptoms, similarities, and differences between depression and apathy.

Disclaimer: While I offer tips for living with invisible disabilities, I’m not a licensed medical physician, psychotherapist, or psychologist, and I’m not offering medical or psychiatric advice. Please see your health care professional for advice.

Definitions

• Depression
  • The Mayo Clinic offers this definition. “Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. … it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living.”
  • The Cleveland Clinic adds these thoughts .“An estimated one-third of people diagnosed with a serious, life-changing chronic illness or disease will experience symptoms of depression. After a diagnosis of a serious illness, feelings of sadness and despair are normal. But if depression persists, treatment … may be needed.”
• Apathy
  • The Oxford English Dictionary defines apathy as a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
  • The National Library of Medicine adds this. “[Apathy] is defined as a quantitative reduction of goal-directed activity in comparison to the patient’s previous level in multiple dimensions including behavior/cognition, emotion and social interaction.”
  • There is a component of neurobiology for apathy.

Helps for mild apathy or depression

• Review past good times.
• Proactively do something different.
  • Listen to music. Contact a friend. Watch or read something funny.
• Turn to God.
  • Think of a fun activity. If large or overwhelming, break into small segments. Consider setting an alarm to remind you to work on it.
• Take care of yourself.
• Talk to health care professional.

Observer, help your friend

• Know when your friend is down.
• Keep lines of communication open.
• Look for ways to encourage.

Warning

If you’re feeling suicidal, seek immediate help. Talk to a trusted friend or minister. Reach your doctor, if possible. And/or call the Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Summing up

You can treat mild apathy or depression, combined with chronic illness, by yourself or with the help of friends. Longer-lasting apathy or depression may need the help of a medical professional, especially if it interferes with daily living.

For myself, I talked to a spiritual counselor. My conclusion: Mild apathy bothers me right now. Additionally, unanswered questions about the vein swirled in my mind, increasing my fatigue. I remembered, though, God already knows the answers. For that reason, I turned to Him in trust and received blessed peace in return.

If you, or a friend or family member, are struggling, I wish you the best as you find your way out of it.

Share Your Thoughts

Please add any thoughts that may help the rest of us.

Search these links for further help. The Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic, the differencebetween.com website, and the National Library of Medicine. As always, when researching medical information, only use reputable websites. Consider talking to your medical professional.

Check out two other posts about depression. “Can you cheer me up? I’m feeling so down.” And “One way out of the darkness of depression.”