- Hi everyone, today we are going to be talking
about what avolition is.
(bright music)
Hi, and welcome back to the channel.
Avolition is something that I have struggled with myself
and I think is actually a common symptom of schizophrenia.
Avolition is when an individual
has a complete lack of motivation
which may makes it hard to get really anything done.
It makes it hard to start or finish everyday tasks.
Now, it's a fairly normal thing
for most people to feel like they're dragging their feet
with tasks they don't particularly want to do,
but when an individual has avolition,
this habit of putting off tasks
is on a completely different level.
Seemingly simple tasks such as getting out of bed
or off the couch to take a shower or wash the dishes
or just going out to get groceries
can all feel akin to the daunting feat
of climbing Mount Everest.
It's important to understand that avolition
is not the same thing as laziness or irresponsibility,
as it is often misunderstood as.
People with avolition
literally do not have the ability to act.
It is almost as if they are paralyzed by apathy.
Now, before we get into why avolition occurs
and signs and treatments,
my name is Lauren and I live with schizoaffective disorder.
I make videos about my experience
navigating a schizophrenia spectrum illness,
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So, avolition is often a symptom of schizophrenia,
but can also occur in individuals
living with other illnesses
such as depression and bipolar disorder.
In schizophrenia,
avolition is considered to be a negative symptom.
Some potential signs of avolition
include not being able to do things
like keeping up with your personal hygiene,
not showing up for meetings or events
you had planned to go to,
not responding to calls, texts, or emails,
putting in minimal or no effort at work or school,
or just not being able to take care of everyday tasks
such as paying bills.
An individual experiencing avolition
may withdraw from social contact and regular activities.
They often experience very little enthusiasm
or enjoyment of life.
Emotion often becomes dulled
and conversations can be disjointed.
Avolition is often mistaken for depression.
Positive symptoms are easier to identify
in an individual with schizophrenia,
but the negative symptoms such as avolition
are often the first to present.
I was definitely experiencing avolition for several years
before I had my first positive symptoms,
and it was mistaken for depression.
Perhaps an important differentiation
is that a person with avolition is not avoiding activities,
they just literally don't have the ability to act.
So why does avolition occur?
Some factors that are thought to contribute
to developing schizophrenia include genetics,
brain development, and chemicals in the brain.
It's not known specifically
why negative symptoms like avolition occur,
however, some scientists believe
it has to do with a brain chemical called dopamine.
Dopamine is involved with your brain's reward system,
and one theory is that a drop
in your brain's dopamine causes avolition.
When you have less dopamine,
you consequently have less motivation.
Some scientists have also made the connection
that people who don't get enough mental stimulation
can also experience avolition.
Avolition is a symptom of schizophrenia,
but it can also be a side effect of some medications.
Ironically, some of the antipsychotic medications
used to treat schizophrenia can also cause avolition.
Now, in order to diagnose avolition,
your psychologist or psychiatrist
will likely try to determine
what potential disorder may be causing it.
Also, some potential problems to be aware of
that may present as avolition include alogia,
which is when the individual has troubles
with speaking or carrying out a conversation,
asociality, which is basically when the individual
is not motivated to be social,
anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure,
which can lead to a lack of motivation.
We actually did a whole video on anhedonia
which you can check out here.
Affect blunting or flattening,
which is when an individual is unable
to show or express emotions,
attention impairment, which refers to how many people
with schizophrenia often have trouble
with concentration and focus, or memory as well.
Now, in terms of treatment for avolition,
the main treatment is to treat the underlying schizophrenia,
usually using antipsychotic medications.
Now, this of course poses a problem,
as like I said earlier,
some antipsychotics can actually cause avolition
as a side effect as well.
Newer second generation antipsychotics may work better
for symptoms like avolition than older drugs.
Antidepressant medications have been found
to help some people in managing their avolition.
Sometimes medications to treat memory
or thinking can help as well.
Alternatives to medications include trying therapies
such as cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT,
art therapy, or social skills training.
If you are struggling with avolition,
make sure to speak with your doctor about it.
There are medications and interventions
that you can try to hopefully help alleviate
some of the difficulties posed by this symptom.
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We'll see you in the next video, bye.