Lack of motivation

Recently, I've been losing my motivation to do just simple things. This is the beginning of the third week I haven't done my laundry, and my room is messy because I can't be bothered to tidy it, and I can't be bothered to take my dirty plates to the kitchen. Today, I couldn't even be bothered to make anything to eat! I just snacked on some cakes that were available in my room ,all day. I'm at college right now, staying in the halls. I have a class this morning, but I haven't bothered to complete the homework , it's late here as I write this: it's 6.25 AM. I'm just about to go to bed. I imagine I will end up just skipping my classes since I won't wake up in time to get there. All day and all night, all I have done is surf the net, literally. I couldn't be bothered to do anything else. I don't want to talk to my flatmates: I avoid them. I can't even be bothered to change into nightwear: for the second night in a row, I am going to go to sleep fully dressed.

I'm not usually like this. I used to keep my room reasonably tidy, and wash my plates immediately after a meal, and do my laundry once a week. So what is wrong with me?!

Hello Silver Queen --

This is called DEPRESSION, so you have come to the right place to talk about it. I urge you to go to the counseling services on your campus RIGHT NOW.

I apologize for using caps, traditionally considered "shouting" on the web, but I want to do everything I can to URGE YOU to do something NOW.

Do not wait to see if things are going to get better.

Do not sleep through the day and get out of bed when the counseling services are closed. It doesn't matter if you throw on clothes that should be in the laundry or if you need a shower. It doesn't matter if you can hardly make yourself go. GO ANYWAY.

If you do sleep all day, and you still feel bad when you get up, call a crisis line or get into the chat room here. And then ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY GO TOMORROW. Please?????

I was in a similar place to you for most of the summer, and it just got worse and worse. I wound up feeling as if I couldn't move from my recliner, where I sat plugged into the 'net and playing e-solitaire. It was very, very bad.

Then I had a bright idea -- hey, maybe I should start back into counseling. That led to me getting a physician who could evaluated my medications. With a higher dosage, I am at last coming out of it.

But I let myself suffer all summer. And the longer the paralysis of depression goes on, the harder it is to do anything to help oneself.

IPlease take care of yourself, Silver Queen, and post here as often as you need to. I can to URGE YOU to do something NOW. GO ANYWAY This is really, really important, okay?

Im so sorry! What i try to do is to start "making myself" do things that would make me feel better in the long run. Things like talking to friends, going for a walk, cooking for myself, etc. These things are the ones im trying to focus on doing. I hope you take care of yourself.

Thanks Wants2Fly for your advice. However I have actually only felt sad for the past couple of days, and to be diagnosed with depression you need to have felt like that for at least two weeks. It's the lack of motivation that worries me. I'm finding it very difficult to do the homework set because I can't concentrate on it, but I put that down to lack of food, but making something requires going upstairs and making it, and I'd have to wash my plates first and then wash up, and I don't want to meet any of my flatmates...

Those sound just totally stupid reasons, I know...

Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to do...and kind of failing. I did make myself have a shower earlier though...

I hope you have already gone to talk with a counselor or someone. Even ppl with day to day problems do that, right? Let us know how you are doing.

The pernicious thing about depression is that you can think your OK, while everyone around you can see different.

It's hard to tell from just reading your posts, but I would suggest seeing the counsellor and trying to tell it like it is. Also (as a fellow 'bed potato') I would suggest going out somewhere, a day out and a complete change of scene. That might help you decide how you feel.

I hope you'll keep us posted.

Myzen

Yes, you need to be like that for two weeks or more to get an official diagnosis of depression - but that is not the point in going for counselling. What you describe is depression and that is why your motivation is so low at the moment. Please please get help & stay safe.

XXXXXX

Although the time is two weeks for a usual diagnosis of depression it does not mean that you are not suffering from it. Your symptoms sounds very much like depression..the lack of motivation to do anything, the inability to concentrate, does not want to eat...
If you really want to wait the two weeks then do it, but I think the sooner you talk to someone the better you will feel lady!!

Stay strong,
Jessica

I'm glad so many people agree that it's time to see a counselor. Even if it's not an official diagnosis of depression, if you need some help with day-to-day life, why not get it? Would you wait two weeks to see if a toothache went away?

Other points worth considering: Other people may have seen the depression before you noticed it. It's hard for me to believe that one day you felt great, and then next you woke up and said, "I don't want to get out of bed. Who cares?" Unless there was triggering event -- breakup with a romantic partner or even learning someone you were interested in has another interest, bad test grade, illness at home, fight with a close friend, money worries. And if there was a trigggering event, seeing a counselor may be helpful for dealing with the response.

Lastly, depression is stimatized by society. No one "wants" to be depressed. It's like those commercials of little kids saying, "I want to grow up to be a drug addict." Ixnay. No one dreams of being depressed. And society tells us -- You're just being moody. Get up off your duff. You're just lazy. Etc. This does not help. We absorb these messages that it's our fault. We're just a tad sad. We wait two weeks, two months, two years to get help. I've done it, for sure.

So again, seeing a counselor can help you clarify whether it is just sadness, laziness, etc. Then you can come back to the Forum and say -- I was right, folks. It just a bit of sadness. I'm okay. And we will be glad to hear that.

Please let us know how you are doing, SQ, and what's going on with you.