Amotivational syndrome: causes and its 15 common symptoms

Amotivational syndrome is a psychological condition which is characterized by loss of interest in social situations and participation in activities of all kinds. One of its characteristic features is marked apathy.

This syndrome is more likely to appear in those people who consume 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 has many similarities with depression, because the person feels like they don't want to do anything and projects an intense apathy, but they also feel distant from their own emotions and those of others.

According to some research, the main cause of amotivational syndrome is found in the frontal parts of the our brain, those that are involved in social behavior, motivation or the ability to reasoning.

Causes

Studies suggest that it is very characteristic of people who consume marijuana

, which is why they usually appear in individuals who use this drug. Although there are many defenders of cannabis consumption, in the article “Marijuana: science reveals its long-term effects on the brain” We already told you some of the side effects that this substance has on habitual and chronic users.

Now, experts affirm that the appearance of this condition is not exclusive to marijuana consumption, but is associated with the frequent use of substances that cause instant gratification.

In reality, 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 who suffer from this syndrome are predisposed to suffer from it, and marijuana would be a triggering factor.

In any case, its causes are not clear, so there is still a lot of work in this line of research.

• Related article: "The brain's reward system: how does it work?"

What characterizes this syndrome?

Although the causes are not very well defined, the characteristics and symptoms of 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 regarding their life and the environment that surrounds them. Nothing catches his attention or makes him feel like doing things.

2. No future plans

Since you feel in an apathetic and uninterested state in the present, this also manifests itself in the future. The person lacks vital goals, something that fits perfectly with the lack of disinterest he suffers from. He is not worried about his future, nor are the people around him.

3. Passivity

Apathy in these people not only shows respect towards themselves and their goals, but, as I have mentioned, an individual also is passive towards the environment and the stimuli that surround it. He has serious difficulties when carrying out activities and paying attention to any task.

4. conformism

The lack of vital objectives makes his personal development impossible and turns him into a conformist person. The person lives in his comfort zone, from which he is unable to leave. He becomes lazy and has a state of mind in which his body feels heavy when carrying out any activity.

5. Loss of principles

The person lives immersed in a reality in which nothing interests him/her**, he lacks principles and ideals**, and his life itself ceases to make sense. There is no motivation to act. And doing anything is like walking uphill.

6. lack of emotion

Not only does the person not connect with her ideals, but he is unable to live his emotions and feelings. He does not experience them, neither towards himself nor towards others. Even good news is meaningless.

7. Isolation

This causes the person to isolate themselves, to stop having contact with others. That is to say, the motivation is not only in reference to the activities, as it could be if he were lazy, but he also does not seem to care about interpersonal relationships. He is not interested in 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 span is minimized.

9. Sadness

Individuals with amotivational syndrome may also feel great sadness, as they are not aware of why they feel that way. That is, the person has serious difficulties in identifying the reason for their disinterest.

• You may be 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 around you.

11. Impaired social skills

This can also be observed in the deterioration of social skills and a lack of interest in communicating with other people. The person has serious difficulties relating to others and, as I said before, it tends towards isolation.

This has to do with something very simple: relating to other people, especially if they are not well known, requires 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 talk or generally interact with others.

12. Decreased concentration

Since the person invests their attentional resources in internal attention, both their broad and narrow external attention are affected. This causes difficulties on a cognitive level, since the person has difficulties processing information. His memory is also affected.

13. Slow movement and decreased reflexes

The attitude of apathy and decreased attention also affects your ability to perform movements. Not only that, but it also presents 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 taking care of themselves, grooming themselves and even cleaning themselves.

Hygiene is seen as an unimportant "whim", despite the fact that the simple fact of not washing oneself has a direct and very important impact. negative effect on the person in the short term: for example, through dust (dry skin particles) that passes into the respiratory system.

15. Difficulty in sexual relations

Disinterest in sexual relations is also a reality, and you can stop having sex. This can complicate his sexual life, and different problems may appear, such as those discussed in the article “The 8 most common sexual problems and how to treat them”