Apathy

Apathy is the lack of emotion, motivation, or enthusiasm. Apathy is a psychological term for a state of indifference — where an individual is unresponsive or "indifferent" to aspects of emotional, social, or physical life. Clinical apathy is considered to be at an elevated level, while a moderate level might be considered depression, and an extreme level could be diagnosed as a dissociative disorder. The physical aspect of apathy associated with physical deterioration, muscle loss, and lack of energy is called lethargy — which has many pathological causes as well.

Related Topics:
Emotion - Motivation - Enthusiasm - Psychological - Depression - Dissociative - Disorder - Deterioration - Muscle loss - Energy - Lethargy - Pathological

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Apathy can be object-specific — toward a person, activity or environment. It is a common reaction to stress where it manifests as "learned helplessness" and is commonly associated with depression. It can also reflect a non-pathological lack of interest in things one does not consider important.

Related Topics:
Stress - Learned helplessness - Depression - Non-pathological

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Certain drugs are known to cause symptoms associated with or leading to apathy.

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