Difficulty assessing effort drives motivation deficits in schizophrenia, study finds

Interesting article on motivation deficits in schizophrenia .

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I’ve always focused on far-off, over the horizon goals. I can’t seem to stop it.

This hits the nail on the head for me. I always think something is going to be harder then it is. So I get nervous about trying it. The more I get used to breaking things down and doing a little and then doing a little more… the better I get.

I don’t know why I’m so afraid of being in over my head, but the thought of trying something new… by myself… will really upset me. I grapple with it for a long time.

I get overwhelmed by the thought of a lot of tasks such as housework and put it out of mind, procrastinate until it’s unacceptable to put off any longer. My rational mind is aware that it would take five or ten minutes and minimal effort to accomplish but another less rational aspect of me feels overwhelmed by the very thought of just getting it out of the way.

I am not diagnosed with schizophrenia but I know I get overwhelmed by tasks that require multiple steps. Then when i get overwhelmed I back away from the task.Also if i am honest effort comes into it as well. I find if I can do part of a task, with others doing other parts, then it is less overwhelming.
It’s hard though for me to break things down into smaller chunks.

My son sees what he wants but doesn’t see the steps needed to get it :smile:

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:boom: :boom: Yes… That happens to me too. I can see the end result… I can see the cake but I can not figure for the life of me that first step in getting to the cake.

Then… there are too many options to the cake… do you buy the cake, make the cake, steal the cake, ask someone else to get the cake, have the cake delivered, on and on and on… then I’m frozen in thought… racing my mind… trying to figure out how to begin… and then… it’s tomorrow and no one needs cake anymore.

(the cake is just a metaphoric example)

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My son has little motivation OR doesn’t want to do tasks. Right now he lives with us where he doesn’t have to do much. Everything comes to him. Once he finishes college he will leave the nest and live independently. Hope for the best.

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