Drugs for amotivational syndrome

[KingBlueTwista]

Drugs aren't the answer. The nervous system is far too complex to just alter with chemicals without repercussions. The body needs to maintain a balance to survive, therefore anything you put into it that severely alters it's functionality will ultimately lead to greater imbalance in the future, as it acclimatises to it's new state. Problems of amotivation like you say are likely linked to dopamine imbalance, however dopamine has completely different functions in different areas of the brain. The shotgun approach (which is all drugs ever are) is at best an ineffective and at worst wildly destructive strategy.

Amotivation, in the vast majority of cases, is due to life circumstances. Do you have any thing you particularly want to achieve? Anything you particularly want to be? Any aspect of your life that you truly desire to be different in some way? If the answer is no then of course you have no motivation... motivation is always directed towards something. You can't have motivation for motivations sake.

I used to get myself in a twist about how I was like you, completely demotivated to do anything. I thought something was wrong with me, because it had been impressed upon me by society that human beings need goals, and I had none. Only recently have I realised (with the help of certain readings) that those who are very goal-oriented are the ones who are out of sync with themselves and the world they inhabit. Wanting breeds dissatisfaction. To want is to lack. Why would you want to be pre-occupied with an uncertain future that will never really arrive anyway? Once I realised this I no longer problematised my 'problem', and when I came to accept it it seemed to just sink into the background. We tie ourselves in knots, we magnify what others define as problems and convince ourselves something is wrong. Fuck them, fuck the comparisons, fuck the definitions. It's all redundant.

It seems most likely that all this stems from depression. You want a mood-booster? Run your ass off or pump some iron!

Exercise also helps alot, however starting a regime can be a bit of a catch 22 when you have a severe lack of motivation. Therefore I suggest a program like p90x (torrent it) which is a weekly rotational program where you follow along with a guy working out on a video. The exercise on that is relatively intense, and as silly as it sounds could definitely help you if you have trouble getting motivated to workout. However you do it, an exercise program of quality and consistency will really help you get out of a rut. When you're depressed your brain slows down it's production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). This makes it harder for it to forge new neural networks - which equate to new thought/feeling patterns. Hence why depression is sometimes called a rut; it can be hard to get out of. Exercise stimulates the release of BDNF, giving you a potential foothold out of the hole of depression. A few other things that stimulate BDNF are meditation and omega-3s (specifically DHA). Do/take these things regularly and you'll see a world of difference. At least try these things before blasting your brain with that over-used shotgun we call 'medication'.

 

[JackiesBabyy]

Drugs aren't the answer. The nervous system is far too complex to just alter with chemicals without repercussions. The body needs to maintain a balance to survive, therefore anything you put into it that severely alters it's functionality will ultimately lead to greater imbalance in the future, as it acclimatises to it's new state. Problems of amotivation like you say are likely linked to dopamine imbalance, however dopamine has completely different functions in different areas of the brain. The shotgun approach (which is all drugs ever are) is at best an ineffective and at worst wildly destructive strategy.

Amotivation, in the vast majority of cases, is due to life circumstances. Do you have any thing you particularly want to achieve? Anything you particularly want to be? Any aspect of your life that you truly desire to be different in some way? If the answer is no then of course you have no motivation... motivation is always directed towards something. You can't have motivation for motivations sake.

I used to get myself in a twist about how I was like you, completely demotivated to do anything. I thought something was wrong with me, because it had been impressed upon me by society that human beings need goals, and I had none. Only recently have I realised (with the help of certain readings) that those who are very goal-oriented are the ones who are out of sync with themselves and the world they inhabit. Wanting breeds dissatisfaction. To want is to lack. Why would you want to be pre-occupied with an uncertain future that will never really arrive anyway? Once I realised this I no longer problematised my 'problem', and when I came to accept it it seemed to just sink into the background. We tie ourselves in knots, we magnify what others define as problems and convince ourselves something is wrong. Fuck them, fuck the comparisons, fuck the definitions. It's all redundant.

It seems most likely that all this stems from depression. You want a mood-booster? Run your ass off or pump some iron!

Exercise also helps alot, however starting a regime can be a bit of a catch 22 when you have a severe lack of motivation. Therefore I suggest a program like p90x (torrent it) which is a weekly rotational program where you follow along with a guy working out on a video. The exercise on that is relatively intense, and as silly as it sounds could definitely help you if you have trouble getting motivated to workout. However you do it, an exercise program of quality and consistency will really help you get out of a rut. When you're depressed your brain slows down it's production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). This makes it harder for it to forge new neural networks - which equate to new thought/feeling patterns. Hence why depression is sometimes called a rut; it can be hard to get out of. Exercise stimulates the release of BDNF, giving you a potential foothold out of the hole of depression. A few other things that stimulate BDNF are meditation and omega-3s (specifically DHA). Do/take these things regularly and you'll see a world of difference. At least try these things before blasting your brain with that over-used shotgun we call 'medication'.

Depression is just as much of a physical illness as anything, there's a massive difference between being "down" and having depression as a brain chemistry disorder. If you get heartburn, you don't think the acid away, you take tums. People who believe what you do have never suffered from depression and never known anyone who has, because it is a real, PHYSICAL ailment. Avolition also equals no physical energy either.

Anyway, another quick and OTC suggestion I have is possibly ephedrine? I've used it to get me through 4-FA binge comedowns and it works wonders for the total lack of energy.

 

[Alex000]

I wouldn't doubt the obvious explanation that everyone has seemed to overlook. Do you think it is possible that the amphetamine use has caused chemical imbalance. I am not a fan of the theory that mental illness is due to chemical imbalance, but amphetamines are neurotoxic, and can be damaging to one's general state leading to such states of avolition and anhedonia. I think this is very plausible as to why you suffer from this current avolition. Of course, it could be due to mental illness unrelated to amphetamines, but I wouldn't doubt they were in some way involved in putting you where you are right now. They have a place in medicine, but can be damaging. That is a fact. If you have interest in drug therapy, I would look into a drug or supplement which is neuroprotective, or a cocktail of such to allow for natural regulation of neurotransmitters and all that good stuff. Holistic therapies can also be of great benefit, and simple action and modification of lifestyle can help in your condition. Changing exercise patterns, weather exposure, diet, sleep habits etc. can all be of potential help.

However, I think you could benefit from psychotherapy, regardless of the origin of your troubles as a good psychotherapist could at least help you deal with your issues, even if left unresolved, they could be treated via therapy. Make sure, however, the therapist knows what he is doing, and is a good fit for you. That is very important. You can do therapy on your own, even, without the aid of an actual psychotherapist if need be. Expressive therapies such as in art form, whatever type, can be helpful. Exposure to different and new things can help in changing your way of thinking/living, and possibly help you along with your troubles with motivation. Don't be afraid to be out-of-the-box, so long as it is safe.

I don't know the extent of your actual depression, and its nature, so I wouldn't go about to give any advice which would be inappropriate for your condition. To whomever said "to want is to lack", I seriously disagree with that philosophy. Wanting is natural and human, and is the very thing that provides motivation to achieve this goal or that, even if it is not a goal in the classical definition. Wanting is important and healthy. Perhaps, even, you need to do a bit of soul-searching and find out what you want to do with your life, whether it be just today or the rest of your life. Meditation and yoga exercises are very good grounding techniques, which calm one down while elevating mood and helping with overall well-being. You don't need to go into the woods to soul-search, just ponder a bit now and then. Fall in love with something, find something you enjoy. Let your life unravel, and be in control, while also going with the flow. You aren't deemed to a life of avolition at all. It is not a life-sentence by any means.

I don't know if it would be appropriate for you but psychedelic therapy with a classical psychedelic or otherwise could be of help in flipping your life a bit. You just have a good attitude going into it, be at ease, and it could potentially help. You would only do this once, and perhaps if you wanted a few times spaced well apart after. Melancholia and avolition are things I could see being helped by a psychedelic. If it gets to be too much, keep a neuroleptic or benzo on hand to kill the trip, but if you just go with it, I don't think that would be necessary. Sometimes it is just better to know you have a back-up just in case.

Whatever you do, I wish you good fortune and a speedy remission.

 

[KingBlueTwista]

Depression is just as much of a physical illness as anything, there's a massive difference between being "down" and having depression as a brain chemistry disorder.

Of course, as everything is a physical illness. I'm not saying it's a metaphysical one. Depression can be seen from 2 sides, on the one hand you have the feeling it gives you and on the other you have the physical processes that underlie it. The two are intrinsically linked, you cannot talk about one without the other. But poor/lack of life experiences can cause chemical imbalances themselves! So which came first, the chicken or the egg? I see no clear answer in the case of typical depression, but I'm inclined to believe that it usually begins outside the self. Of course you get some people who are severely depressed due to imbalances from birth, but these are a tiny minority of the people who are actually depressed (One analysis showed it was ~40% in the western hemisphere). And even then the line between them is blurry.

Brain chemistry does not exist in a vacuum; how you live effects it, and it effects how you live. It is a feedback cycle. To ignore one aspect of this gives an incomplete view of depression.

If you get heartburn, you don't think the acid away, you take tums. People who believe what you do have never suffered from depression and never known anyone who has, because it is a real, PHYSICAL ailment.

You may have heard of the placebo effect.

The body and mind are not separate to any degree.

 

[Dysphoric]

Do you think it is possible that the amphetamine use has caused chemical imbalance. I am not a fan of the theory that mental illness is due to chemical imbalance, but amphetamines are neurotoxic, and can be damaging to one's general state leading to such states of avolition and anhedonia. I think this is very plausible as to why you suffer from this current avolition.

Read OP again. I've been like this most of my life. At least since middle school. I've had little to no motivation to move on and do what I want to do.

You want a mood-booster? Run your ass off or pump some iron!

Its not good enough of a mood boost, it's wayyyy too subtle...

 

[JackiesBabyy]

Yes, amphetamines are neurotoxic, if you take high doses for years and years. Look at all the kids who grew up on daily adderall/ritalin, their brains have been shown to be perfectly fine.

 

[Deleted member 175441]

Modafinil looks really interesting. I'm going to try ethylphenidate for some boost in motivation. It's very hard for me to gather up motivation :/. I doubt I could use adderal or desoxyn for motivation without having my own script which would never happen.