Establishing the etymological origin of the term abulia leads us to go to the Greek and that is where we find the word from which it comes: abulia. A word this that is made up of three clearly differentiated parts: the prefix a – which is equivalent to “without”, the word boilé that is synonymous with “will” and finally the suffix – ia that can be translated as “quality or action”.
According to what is expressed in the dictionary of the Digopaul, abulia is the lack of will or the notable decrease in energy. It is an alteration in the preliminary phase of voluntary activity, where the desire or the decision to carry out an action is disturbed.
Abulia implies a lack of interest that results in a lack of activity and in the absence of emotional responses. In ordinary language, it could be said that abulia is the lack of desire to do things or the feeling of wanting and not being able due to lack of strength.
When a person suffers from abulia, he experiences a deterioration in the will to act, which is reflected as indecision and a feeling of helplessness. The affected person feels apathy and indifference to those issues that previously generated satisfaction.
But not only that. Other clear symptoms that someone suffers from abulia are: absolute passivity, the lack of all kinds of spontaneous movement or the fact that they have made a palpable reduction in the time they spent on their hobbies or hobbies, their social relationships or Spontaneity.
A concrete example of abulia is that case where an individual feels that any other day will be better than today; therefore, he simply waits for the arrival of that day and meanwhile does not make any decisions or take any action. The person feels that, in case of acting, they may later regret it since at another time they may be in better conditions to make the decision or to carry out their action.
The psychology claims that apathy may be a symptom of mental illness such as depression, the schizophrenia, the bipolar disorder and dysthymia. It can even appear as a consequence of a brain disorder caused by an accident or an infection (such as syphilis).
Dysthymia, previously cited, is also known as dysthymic disorder and is characterized by being a chronic affective disorder that brings with it that those who suffer from it not only feel sad, alone or melancholic but also with very low self-esteem. Of genetic origin, it seems that it is one that can also be accentuated by lack of stimuli or even by absolute uprooting.
Insomnia, lack of appetite, social phobia, unwarranted tiredness, pessimism, memory problems or inability to concentrate and make decisions are some of the symptoms that make it clear that someone suffers from dysthymia and also as a consequence of abuse.
The use of medications is the most common treatment used to treat this affective disorder, which is also addressed through psychotherapies.
