Motivation problems, How do you handle it?

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I used to be highly motivated and happy. However since I switched meds from Amisulpride 200mg to a combo of Olanzapine 5mg and Amisulpride 100mg around 6 months ago, I have become more and more low motivated and lazy. Before this switch of meds I had a plan of reading and writing. Now this plan seems daunting. Every day I just found it was hard to work on this plan.

Is this low motivation one of the negative symptoms of Sz? How did you handle it if you have suffered from it either?

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Yes. It’s called avolition.

I have avolition. It takes a lot of effort to do anything lots of the time. I’m not sure there is really a good solution. You just have to force yourself to do whatever task you have at hand. Some supplements/drugs may help, but at the end of the day I think it’s left to you to force your actions.

Sorry, I don’t have an easy solution.

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Oh, I see.

Alright, I will try my best to overcome this avolition problem. Thanks a lot for you thoughtful reply.

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Meditation helps me sometimes.

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I haven’t practiced meditation for quite a long time. I think I’ll pick it up when the weather becomes cooler.

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I’m not motivated at all anymore. It’s really hard to accomplish anything. Makes me a bit sad even I think about what I used to be like and everything I could have done with my life if I hadn’t gotten so sick.

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Now I fully understand this word by you. Let’s fight it together and try hard.

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I call it apathy, and in my experience, CNS stimulants are the most effective treatment.

It can be a symptom of depression or schizophrenia, but apathy can also be a syndrome in itself.

-Albert.

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I have this problem, “avolition”, as others have called it. I have a really hard time getting enjoyable things done. I have no motivation or focus to be able to have hobbies, when alone.

I am able to get chores done, which is good, but I have a hard time with keeping myself focused on an enjoyable activity. I guess I just don’t find enjoyment from things, anymore. Maybe that’s a different symptom, but similar? I used to paint, knit, color, and draw (on paper & digitally). I can’t do those things, now. But I would like to be able to get back into hobbies, again…

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It’s not easy to handle motivation. I have diabetes which adds to the regular fatigue of having my brain fried by voices, so it can be hard to do anything. Do you have bad fatigue too? If not, it might be possible to trick yourself into working on something (like a hobby or exercise).

Tell yourself that you can do a task for five minutes (set a digital timer), and if you’re too exhausted, you are allowed to stop after five minutes. A lot of the time, I’ll go way past the five minutes, sometimes doing a hobby for an hour. If I’m too tired, I stop. Getting started is the tough part.

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Getting started is really hard, you’re right. And then following through if it gets tough seems to be a problem for me sometimes. Like I’m fat and certain things are physically hard for me and if I’m in pain from arthritis I just don’t want to finish things sometimes. I’ll do a half assed job of vacuuming, I’m not gonna lie.

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I totally get it. I have some pain issues that get in the way. I end up cleaning only part of the bathroom, and do it over three days, instead of one.

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Exactly, the last time I cleaned the bathroom I skipped the tub because it wasn’t that dirty and I was tired already

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anyway the toilet and the sink are the main things

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My DS called me high speed once. I think he was fibbing. That means motivation. :joy:

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Apathy and avolition are two different things. Apathy is a lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern. With avolition you may want to do the things you just lack the motivation to do them.

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I can relate to that very much @anon40973946 . It takes me 4 days to clean my whole house, I used to do it in 2 hours. Between my back pain, and lack of energy it makes everything a chore

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Sorry to hear you have back pain. It’s the worst! :frowning:

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Or, in other words, a lack of motivation. It often feels like a lack of energy too.

Really? Avolition translates literally to a lack of will (voilition). That is why I don’t use the term.

-A.

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I’m not going to get into a huge argument over semantics, but if you read the article you will see that they are not the same.

You are free to use whatever terms you like.

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