Anti-Depressant Apathy Syndrome (AAS) is the presentation of apathy in the absence of depression. It is associated with certain serotonin uptake inhibitors that are taken to battle depression. This behavior largely goes unreported.
Many people that suffer with depression do not even realize that their behavior has gone from depressive to apathetic. The good news is that this condition is largely associated with the size of the dose of medication and can be completely reversed. This syndrome can be debilitating and may present financial, career and personal issues for those that are suffering from AAS.
The Difference
For some people it may be difficult to recognize the difference between depression and apathy but there is a difference for other people the difference is very apparent. Depression is the inability to care but apathy is simply not caring.
Depression is the inability to act apathy is the lack of concern about acting. In many cases of AAS patients will somewhere down the line end up realizing that they have traded one set of feelings for another and seek help a simple medication adjustment usually resolves the issue within a few days.
Under Reported
Many mental health professionals are in agreement that AAS is largely unreported. Patients may confuse the feelings of depression and the feelings of apathy. They may complain that the medication is not working.
In the case where the depression is chronic or the panic attacks are prevalent the apathy may be the preferable mind set but drug induced apathy can be very dangerous with a great deal of consequences in some cases the consequence related to the apathy may be greater than the consequences related to the identified issue.
Desired Results
For some patient’s apathy, indifference and the ability to ignore the issues at hand are the very feelings they were hoping to achieve by taking anti-depressants. While most clinicians agree that not facing problems is not the path that anyone should be on but for the patients that are not reporting their new found indifference it may be exactly the path they hoped for.
The Danger
Certain ideations that would not be entertained without the “legs” that anti-depressants offer them would not be acted upon. Of course the danger is to oneself and to others when there is an indifferent or apathetic attitude that is the result of AAS. Increased risk of suicide is always a possibility, loss of job, relationship troubles, financial difficulties and other risks to health and welfare are the largest dangers with AAS.