Sounds like you're describing a general lack of motivation. There are hundreds of explanations and causes... cognitive therapy is a good way to explore them though.
The motivation is there, the intention to act is there, but the execution fails. It is not a failure of thought, it's a failure of the executive centre of the brain.
I should expound on that... I have literally sat at a desk, yelling at myself out loud to write the simple one page report that was due two weeks ago and failed to do it. No matter how I tried to convince myself to just do it or to tackle just one simple thing about it I could not force myself to act. I was highly motivated to do it because passing the course was on the line. The next day, something clicked and without thinking about it I knocked it out in about 10 minutes and then took 3 days to actually hand the damn thing in.
The next day, something clicked and without thinking about it I knocked it out in about 10 minutes and then took 3 days to actually hand the damn thing in.
That doesn't dispute what I said :)! There's a difference between the desire to do something and the desire for the result of the action. Going from the latter to the former requires your executive functions.
I am motivated (desire to) make my wife happy. I intend on making my wife happy, now or in the future. I also want my actions to result in making my wife happy. I still can't seem to do the damn dishes.
I am motivated to do the action. I want the dishes done too not just to make my wife happy. You're confusing the desire to act (motivation) with the performance of the act (executing).
Same here; you say you want the dishes done, so you desire the result of the action. It's not the same as actually desiring to wash dishes. I think this is a pointless semantic discussion though, both motivation and executive functions are umbrella-terms without a specific neurological definition.
It's not the same as actually desiring to wash dishes.
Not many could say that but use a different action to make it clearer. I desire to rock climb. Absolutely love doing it. Same result: the execution never occurs.
Productive stuff is harder because if given the choice I would do something I wanted more. That doesn't mean I don't want to do productive things. The act of doing them feels good as you're getting them done. It's so hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it... you can be completely aware of everything from the motivation, the steps required, your own abilities to complete the task easily/quickly, that if you just did it you could move on... but you can't act. Hours can go by just sitting there - not doing anything else - just trying to make yourself act... and nothing.
I remember once going days without food because I could not get myself to the store. I had the money, I was starving so I wanted the food, I was dressed and ready to go but I couldn't make myself go to the store for food. I wasn't afraid of going or anxious or "I don't want to eat" - just something about that act had me absolutely frozen. I did other things, productive things like cleaning the bathroom, but was stuck on this one simple thing of walking across the street to the grocery store and buying food. I can't explain why, I can't explain what changed on the day I finally did go, and I can't explain why I could do other things but not this one thing... it's just the way the disorder screws with my life.
Dude you're coming off as condescending. It's the "buck up" attitude that's incredibly dangerous for people with mental health issues. The pre frontal cortex in people with depression simply will not allow them to take action on a task they have consciously decided to make. It's incredibly disempowering and you're making it seem like it's a matter of wanting it enough. I can assure you that nobody wants to do something more than somebody with depression. Nobody has more willpower and motivation. And then your body simply won't. It's a hellish existence untreated and you're constantly disappointed in yourself for disappointing everyone and everything around you.
Not even close. I've been treated for clinical depression and it's completely different. Depression to me is, in part, a failure of thought. There's a neurochemical aspect as well. When you're depressed you aren't as motivated - everything is flat and if you don't do something that's just another failure in your mind... but really you didn't want to try because try or not you feel the same. I say it's partly a failure of thought because the most effective tool is cognitive therapy. The ability to recognize the "thought train" that brings you down and stop it at the first "car". ie: "I suck at doing the dishes on time->I can never do the dishes on time->I can never do anything right->I'm worthless...". Recognizing it at "I suck" and stopping the thought train and saying no, what is the reality of the situation? "In this instance I did not get the dishes done on time" and moving on. The same does not work for ADHD. The proper thoughts occur "I need to do the dishes now." 30 mins go by... "I should have done the dishes by now, stop what I'm doing and go do them". "Just stop". "Stop now". "stop !@#$ replying to people on reddit and go do the dishes"... (I really do need to do them but here I am)
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u/[deleted] May 30 '17
Sounds like you're describing a general lack of motivation. There are hundreds of explanations and causes... cognitive therapy is a good way to explore them though.