The Great Depression: if you lost interest in life. Lost interest in life: how to regain interest in life and emotions
No one is immune from depression. Almost every person has experienced depression at one time or another in their lives. At the same time, some people experience it quickly and easily, while others plunge into despair. It is a misconception that women suffer more often. It’s just that women more often turn to specialists for help.
How to understand it is depression. The first sign is that you experience sadness, apathy, you have no hopes, and you lose interest in life. In a word, a feeling of despondency has settled in you. The second sign is that you don’t see a way out or a solution to problems. The third sign is that sexual interest disappears and decreases. physical activity. Interest in food may be completely absent or present in excess, as well as the ability to sleep. The fourth sign is decreased self-confidence. The fifth sign is that you avoid the company of other people due to an unreasonable fear of rejection. You try to avoid life to such an extent that you even have suicidal thoughts. The sixth sign is that you have become hypersensitive to what other people say. The seventh sign is that you cannot control your emotions. The eighth sign is that you feel guilty.
Now that it is clear what depression is, we need to establish its causes. Wrong things and rest can lead to depression. For example, when you don't eat regularly and don't get enough rest, you may become depressed. Some medications can also cause chemical changes in the body that lead to depression. If your doctor prescribed you medications and they cause you difficulty concentrating or apathy, be sure to consult a specialist. Various reasons can lead to depression. These are various infections, hepatitis, hormonal disorders etc. A loss loved one can also lead to depression. In this case, it decreases over time.
In order to cope with depression, you need to really want it. First, learn to look at the problem directly instead of running away from it. People who take drugs or alcohol try to escape reality, but this is not an option. Sometimes medications are required to overcome depression, improve sleep, appetite, and the ability to experience pleasure in life. However, never self-medicate. Only a doctor can prescribe medications for depression. Prevention of depression - maintenance active image life.
Remember that problems cannot last forever. Everything changes in life. So, no matter how difficult it may seem, believe that things will change. Never give up. Decide for yourself that you will only move forward, because there are so many people and things that can help us, and we never know when they will appear. Do what brings you pleasure. This will create positive attitude and overcome depression. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Don't criticize yourself. Be in nature more often. The world will fill you with its energy and support. Believe in yourself and that you are stronger than depression.
It often happens that at a certain life period Interest in everything that previously seemed important and attractive may disappear. The person claims that he has lost interest in life, and the fault is apathy, a state of deep depression. In such a situation, extensive symptoms are observed. It is important that in some cases there is no depression and the mood does not change. In this case, there is . This is dangerous and very difficult, because identifying somatized depression is quite difficult. In particular, a negative background takes place, and a person begins to think that his life has only bad sides. In addition, he is sure that the same is true for his loved ones.
In addition, in such a state, people are sure that they themselves are the cause of the failures that occur. In this case, it makes sense to find out what apathy is, because it is known that in this case a person becomes indifferent and does not strive for anything. Apathy is characterized by the fact that there is indifference to almost everything, and it does not matter that events of varying importance occur in life, no activity arouses interest and attention. Is it possible to somehow overcome this indifference? Psychotherapists assure that there are always ways, it is important that the person knows about this, and does not think that he is the only one experiencing such a problem.
Causes of this condition
It has long been proven that there are many reasons why a person can literally withdraw into himself.” First of all, it influences professional activity, if new stresses at work are added every day, then anyone can lose self-confidence, and thoughts arise that it is impossible to cope with the task, so depression is just one step away.
Another reason is the presence of “childish traits” in a person, and they are mainly found in men. You can often hear that a man is a second child, and this statement has a certain meaning. It is known that if a man finds it difficult to overcome any difficulties in life, and this continues for a long time, then he can withdraw into himself, completely surrendering to depression.
Although this does not happen often, the explanation is simple. This is the loss of loved ones, divorce, the collapse of a dream that I have been striving for all my life, and so on. In addition, there are people who are naturally depressed. There is almost always a “mask of detachment” on their faces, although friends and relatives try to support them.
You should know that it makes no sense to try to cheer up such people, since after you leave they will again become gloomy and withdrawn. If you have lost interest in usual life, you must not only try to get rid of this condition on your own and with the help of friends, but also get help from a doctor.
Usually people neglect treatment, even if they understand that they suffer from depression, and this serious mistake. Currently, depression can be successfully treated with medications, and the results of such therapy are always pleasing.
Find out the cause
If everything has become indifferent, you don’t want to do anything, there is no interest in life, you need to find out what caused the depression. In practice, there are cases when a person suffers from misunderstanding of the opposite sex, does not find common language. Over time, a withdrawal occurs and thoughts of hopelessness come. A person begins to think that no one will ever be seriously interested in him.
Moreover, this situation arises not only among young people, but also with adults. If there is no self-confidence, a person is tense, then he needs to be liberated, he needs an incentive to gain confidence.
It's no secret that many women get out of depression thanks to shopping. To feel confident, renewed and irresistible, just change your style, and then the whole world will see these updates. Of course, shopping alone is not always enough; you will need to make new acquaintances and go on a date.
According to experts, some women are single only because they are perfect, and men are simply afraid of their beauty. As a result, such ladies lose interest in life, because they cannot find a man who is able to truly love them, not only under the influence of external attractiveness.
There are moments that contribute to withdrawal from apathy and depressive states. In this case, individual qualities and character traits play a role. It is important to balance your diet, eat regularly, and at the same time, forget about snacks, you need to eat according to your schedule. I should be calculated in such a way that there are no deficiencies in minerals and vitamins.
Get yourself a success notebook and write down in it everything that you have succeeded in, even the little things. Include dark chocolate in your diet, although it may seem trivial, but this method also helps improve the situation. The thing is that thanks to chocolate, endophins are released.
There are cases when a person was returned to normal life with the help of a rapid shock state. That is, a certain incident has occurred, measures need to be taken, so the patient immediately forgets about his depression, he begins to work on solving the problem. But such moments are carried out under the supervision of a specialist; it is not recommended to carry them out on your own; you can get even deeper negative consequences.
Now I'm at a dead end. I hardly work. Because I don't know where to go. Who I want to be. Today you want one thing, tomorrow another, the day after tomorrow a third.
I don't want to communicate with people. I don’t understand what to talk to them about. I'm not interested in reading books, watching movies, etc. Although I used to be a fairly sociable person, had clear goals, read a lot, and loved to travel.
Also have fears related to transport and speed. I don’t take the subway, trains, or elevators. Every trip by car is not easy. I don't leave the house almost all the time. I don't see the point in this.
I'm married. We don't have children. Today I want children, tomorrow I don’t. I'm afraid I won't be able to love them. I'm afraid it won't be the same. I think I love my husband, but maybe I don’t. Don't know.
I don't feel any emotions. Neither joy nor sorrow. Nothing. I don’t cry, I don’t get hysterical, I always smile at people.
In general, I live like an amoeba. It's scary that it will always be like this. The feeling of being in a dream.
Help, please! How to restore interest in life and emotions? Find a goal and understand what you want.
I don't feel any emotions.
Unfortunately, this is the whole problem. I “want” everything, including a stable interest in some business, love for it is feelings. And if feelings are suppressed (and judging by your description, this is exactly the case) - then it will really be difficult for a person to decide and want something, to rely on himself. If you don’t trust your feelings, then why? head? - well, you’ve observed what it’s like to live with your head: it’s always “on the one hand, on the other hand... on the third side...” - and even though you’re torn, it’s not clear where your desire really is... .
Read this article:
It describes the mechanisms of avoidance and suppression of feelings, how this happens, why, and what you can start doing about it.
And try to do exactly what is described in it. If possible, without reflections about “whether it will help me or not.” You can remain in these reflections for the rest of your life and do nothing. So try to just start.
And if it seems difficult on your own or it is not entirely clear what to do with the results, then apparently you will then have to turn to specialists for this, whom you can, among other things, choose on our website.
Lost interest in life: how to regain interest in life and emotions
Hello, Alena!To regain interest in life and emotions, you need to understand how and when you lost them.
Although I used to be a fairly sociable person, had clear goals, read a lot, and loved to travel.
At what point and why did you change? In my opinion, it is in that moment of change (situation/event/life period) that the key to your feelings, interests and meanings lies.
Perhaps something happened in your life that everything became meaningless for you. I understand you that it is very scary to live constantly without meaning, without desires, without interest, without joys.
I don’t cry, I don’t get hysterical, I always smile at people.
Here I have a hypothesis that perhaps you are afraid to show your feelings to people. Maybe some situation happened that you decided that demonstrating your feelings is dangerous/pointless/you won’t be understood/you can’t influence anything - and then it’s easier not to feel anything at all.
In general, your story clearly shows some kind of traumatic situation, after which you changed and lost interest in life. And then, in order to return feelings, you will have to return to that situation and understand its meaning - the key to feelings is most likely there.
Your psyche is good at protecting you from painful feelings that you may discover in your past experiences. Therefore, it can be difficult to analyze and understand on your own how to get your feelings back. Then you can turn to a psychologist for help, who will help you carefully and carefully find the way to what you have lost and want to return.
Psychologist Galina Uraeva
Apathy and indifference arise from various reasons: after serious life troubles and stress, during depression, when life is sated or vice versa, if it is boring and routine. It is important to remember here that our soul, brain and psyche need rest, so it is completely normal if you have lost interest in life for some time. And if your soul is still alive, then it’s enough to plunge again into the abyss of vivid impressions and gain new experiences - and it will come back. But how can you regain interest in life if your suspended animation lasts for several years?
Don't throw yourself into the pool headlong
Some answer the question of how to regain interest in life too naively, saying you just need to return to work, parties, sports, personal life in one fell swoop and right away. And that's wrong. Your fatigue didn’t accumulate for so long just to return instantly. Return slowly but surely to the homeopathic dose, and take breaks on days off. Do this regularly and praise yourself for every step.
Go back to childhood
Remember what you liked to do this year? golden age and develop a system of incentives for yourself. There is something here somewhere that will lift you up from the depths of despondency. By the way, your favorite things from childhood can also be an encouragement for every step towards an active life.
Learning to live positively
This is a cliché expression, and besides, the fashion for positivity has given rise to many people with fake smiles. Your task is to get a dose of jokes every day and find something funny and cheerful in everything that happens. This skill in itself will help. You can adjust your worldview with the help of music. We remove everything sad and melancholy from the playlist and player, looking for something active to replace it, something that you want to live and feel.
We are looking for friends, experimenting with communication
This is very difficult if you like to spend free time at home on your favorite couch. But know that funny company will pull anyone out of apathy, and if you have common interests, then life will blossom bright colors. You can perceive every new person on your path as a discovery.
Letting go of the oppression of the past
If you have lost interest in life after a series of unpleasant events in life, you just need to hammer the past with iron nails. How to do it?
First of all, analyze past events and think about what lessons you can learn from them. Now you can calmly say goodbye to your past and move on. Understand that change is normal, because you can’t get stuck in the past. It is quite possible to get rid of fears from the past: they are now irrelevant. The only moment when you can stir up the past is in the evening of your day. At this time, it is important to determine why this day was lived, to note all your achievements, to remember what good you have done. Well, let’s praise ourselves for all this!
But not over everything at once - it’s easy to push yourself that way. If you understand that your character lacks a certain quality, first decide whether you need this quality, or whether it is social pressure and cliches. If necessary, we set goals and develop slowly. The main thing here is not to kill yourself in a month.
Fall in love
It's always the source positive emotions and the necessary hormones. Moreover, by sharing the interests of the one you love, you can find a new interest for your life. If there is no suitable object to fall in love with, fall in love with your soulmate again. Or you can fall in love with yourself! If you radiate love, then it will return to you. What we give to people comes back to us. This is the mirror.
Find a new dream
Or a goal. Let her inspire you. Now put it into practice. This way the apathy will go away on its own. If such a goal or dream is not found, remember a dream that was put on the back burner in the past and forgotten, or you never got around to it. When childhood dreams come true, adulthood it gets much better.
Dramatically change your hobbies
Hobbies can be changed and there will be no harm, and the experience will expand. Therefore, if before you only embroidered or painted, take up extreme sports or music, for example. Or take courses that are unusual for you. You can also change your work schedule and style, your style of communication with your family or friends. But again, not in a month, but slowly and reliably.
Take antidepressants
Don't be afraid of these "fun" pills. Sometimes only they are able to bring us out of suspended animation. But to prevent anything bad from happening, let them be selected by a doctor, and not by you, a friend, or a popular magazine. And try not to overdose.
If pills are not your thing, just eat dark chocolate. There are also antidepressants here. Bananas will also work.
Get a dog
A universal antidepressant, if that. First of all, you won't be alone anymore. Secondly, a cheerful dog will expand your social circle and new interests will enter your life: while the dog is small, you need to take care of it no less than a child. And finally, a dog means walking fresh air, and daily. And such activity is a great way to overcome apathy.
Go to... shopping
Purely female method getting rid of apathy, but the good thing is that after it you feel like a renewed person, and this awakens an interest in life like nothing else.
Lack of mood or desire to do something is a completely normal phenomenon that periodically occurs in every person for no reason or because of some problem. It’s worse when apathy continues for several weeks, months, years, when interest in life disappears completely.
Don't brush it off similar problem. Prolonged apathy is a psychological problem that can lead to serious consequences. Since the deterioration financial situation, dismissal from work or divorce and ending with suicide. Until apathy leads to this, it needs to be treated. And, first of all, figure out the reason.
Why did interest in life disappear?
There are many reasons for lack of interest in life and mood. This condition is often associated with:
- with problems at work: if your work is associated with regular stress, your psyche may eventually fail;
- with financial problems: “debt hole”, big number loans, fear of losing a job due to high expenses - all this ultimately leads to depression and apathy;
- problems in family or personal life, divorce, unrequited love;
- death of a loved one.
Some of these problems can be dealt with by returning interest in life, others, unfortunately, cannot be “corrected”, and all that remains is to come to terms with it. In any case, a person can and should be helped.
What to do if a previously quite successful person has lost interest in life? happy person?
Alas, it also happens: happy family life, a loved one, a favorite job, friends, hobbies, children no longer bring joy, and apathy arises. A person suddenly realizes that there is nothing more to strive for, and no more changes will happen in life.
How to identify the cause of apathy?
If you have lost interest in life, the first thing you need is to identify the reason. In some cases, this is not at all difficult - you have a problem, a disaster or trouble has happened in your life. In others, when outwardly everything is quite normal, only a specialist can help with finding the cause.
Surprisingly, it is precisely this kind of depression - depression that appears to appear in a successful and happy person - that is considered the most dangerous. The fact is that a person in this case cannot understand for himself what the reason for his condition is. And therefore, he does not try to get out of depression.
If a person has lost interest in life, if the desire to do something has disappeared, if nothing makes him happy, he needs to consult a specialist. Or, after studying the relevant literature, try to get out on your own.
To recognize the reason, you need to honestly answer yourself what exactly doesn’t suit you in life. Perhaps you have lost interest in your work, want change, are used to struggling with problems and achieving success. Perhaps you are tired of the relationship or have fallen in love with someone else. Perhaps the reason for this is the state of your body. Vitamin deficiency, sleep disturbances, and some diseases can lead to apathy.
How to help yourself or a loved one get out of depression?
Lack of interest in life is a problem that can be solved.
The first thing to start with is to find out the exact reason. If it is obvious (divorce, death of a loved one, a problem at work or in your personal life), you can get out of apathy by changing the environment, visiting a psychologist, or solving the problem itself (if it is solvable). If the reason is unclear, you should:
- Get a full examination at medical center. If a disease has been identified, it is enough to treat it.
- Evaluate your lifestyle and diet. Getting enough sleep and good nutrition can help you regain your zest for life.
- Do something new. A visit to a cosmetologist or a beauty salon, shopping (including “men’s shopping”), apartment renovations or a change of residence, a change of job or good vacation, a new relationship or a new hobby can all help. Take up active tourism, extreme hobbies, realize your old and forgotten dream - and you will forget about apathy.
- Visit a psychiatrist. It will help restore interest in life if apathy is associated with a psychiatric illness.
Lack of mood can be caused by hormonal imbalance, vitamin deficiency, low level endorphins. Special medications will have a good effect, but they should only be taken with a doctor's prescription. A specialist will be able to help you regain your desire to live, but only if you yourself are ready to work.