Avolition is a symptom of psychological distress characterized by a lack of motivation or drive. It is often part of schizophrenia and can also appear in people with bipolar disorder. Treatment depends on severity and cause, and may be accompanied by other symptoms such as a lack of speech or pleasure from tasks. Caregivers can attend courses to learn how to help.
Avolition is a symptom of psychological or psychiatric distress characterized by a lack of motivation or drive. People with avolition have difficulty starting and completing tasks and may not be interested in the world around them. This symptom is often part of schizophrenia and can also appear in people with bipolar disorder. Treatment depends on how severe it is and what is causing it.
Many people have days where they find it difficult to move forward or don’t feel like doing anything. For people with the condition, this is taken to a whole new level. People may find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, let alone engage in routine activities such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, caring for children, and commuting to work. This persists for days and can become what is termed a “negative symptom” because it negatively impacts the patient’s life.
Other problems may accompany avolition. People with this symptom may also demonstrate alogy, a lack of speech. The alogy may be total, with the patient simply not speaking, or it may take the form of short, clipped responses to questions and attempts at conversation. This can complicate therapy, as the patient may not communicate clearly enough for the therapist to read what the patient is experiencing.
Avolition can also be accompanied by anhedonia, in which people get no pleasure from the tasks they perform. This can also complicate treatment. A patient might be encouraged to do something pleasurable and find that the task is not fun or fulfilling, thus becoming reluctant to try again. People with this symptom also tend to have flat emotional affect, which can be disconcerting and can also make treatment more difficult because the patient seems emotionless.
Avolition is not the same as disinterest, although the two may seem similar. Treatment is usually based on determining the cause and addressing it. For example, if a patient develops this condition after a drug switch, she would suggest that the change was not effective. Similarly, the emergence of this symptom after the trauma would suggest that the patient needs therapy and treatment for the trauma. Sometimes, all a patient needs is time and support.
Family members and caregivers of people suffering from avolition and other intense psychological and psychiatric symptoms sometimes find it helpful to attend seminars and courses aimed at health care professionals. These courses can provide insight into what people are experiencing and what caregivers can do to help. Caregivers can also ask their caregivers directly about things that might be helpful or helpful.
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