Ever have those moments where you really don't give a shit (about most things)/highly apathetic (and, it comes in waves)

yea, when i’m hanging out with friends, and having a long night of drinking, there comes a point of drunkenness that no matter what happens . . . i wouldn’t give a shit.

if you really think you aren’t depressed. . . it could just be that you are too exhausted.

you’ve exerted yourself so much that you can’t afford the energy to care about anything else . . . maybe?

Yes, I have those moments.
Sometimes I see it as an acceptance of reality – things are the way they are, and that is fine. Sometimes I feel that way when I’m tired and I just don’t feel like thinking about anything.

I don’t think “not caring” every now and then is something of concern – life goes on regardless.

When I’m at work! usually! :-/

Only when I’m really fatigued and stressed out. Then I go “MEH!”

I think it may be related to depression. What makes you say that you are not depressed?

I was thinking that it’s because I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. It could be a bit of depression, though.

Sounds like burnout.

Almost daily. I do have depression, so maybe it has to do with the bloodstream concentration of my antidepressant medication.

No, not really. I try to remain justifiably angry at certain wrongs in this world because I know there are those who don’t have what I have and can’t afford to even take a break from their oppression.

I have those moments every now and then and it’s usually when I am really stressed and overwhelmed.

You could be “running low”. I hear you on being angry about the wrongs in this world, but that can turn into a downward spiral. If you are trying to remain angry, that can take a lot out of you – thinking, fuming, trying to figure out why, the “humanity” of it all. Your energy can be put to great use, but it sounds like you might be draining yourself.

That only happens to me when I’m sick, or very tired.

Sometimes, I wish I could make it happen when I find that I’m caring too much about something that I should be able to ignore.

These days, there is so much input from “media” that it can easily get to be overwhelming. At that point, one really has to be selective about what things that one is really going to focus on. It is not apathy if you choose not to feel guilty or troubled after you see the evening news or hear a politician talk about the “problems” of their favorite constintuency. The only problems that really matter are yours. Take care of them, do your best and rightfully ignore the rest.

I went through a depressed/anxious few weeks when school ended for the year; a feeling of being untethered. Has this been since you were done with teaching or before that?

Yeah, after a lot of working, that’s how I feel. Screwwwwwwwww it all!

I’m starting to get what I truly care about, if that makes any sense.

Jann, I’ve felt like this for a few months now. Doubt that it’s job related.

I’ve felt that way for a long time. I’m not sad, I just don’t care about… Well, pretty much everything. People keep telling me I’m clinically depressed. My response? “Eh”.

Bio rhythms are underappreciated with regards to peoples happy factor. Most days that I am really derailed I can go out at night and see a full moon!

I’m also thinking that it’s because I’ve lost a lot and I’m afraid of losing anymore.

I definitely go through cycles when I am feeling the losses and they get me down…..

@jjmah Don’t think of things that you lost…think of them as things you were not meant to keep. We are born with all we need in life and will die with the same. The rest IMO is memories which is the only thing we are meant to posses and keep.

Uh oh, JP is (was) crafting…

Enough Debbie Downer (tonight) for me, folks.

Of course, everyone does. Just say “Fuck it”. And then you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start giving a shit again. Happens to everyone.

I never really care, it’s just that some days I care even less…..

I’m described by my peers as a Nihilist. I don’t know what that is, but no. I care about a lot of things. I just don’t like admitting it. But sometimes you care too much, and that can be as much of a bitch as a lot of other things.

I often feel that I’m an earthbound misfit or that I was born in the wrong era or that I’m living someone else’s life. I often despise my surroundings and am sad and lonely. I think it could be a case of depression, but I just keep pushing on and on for some reason, so, I must care a little. I don’t know….

@Symbeline You can care about things and people and still be a nihilist. It’s just a realization that everything ultimately is pointless. We realize this, but continue to do our duty, maybe to mitigate the worst of things or to make our little corner of the cosmos a bit bearable.

On rare occasion and then they freak me out so it doesn’t last long.

There are normal episodes of listlessness and fatigue as a medical condition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listlessness

Here’s the key message:

“The majority of people who have fatigue do not have an underlying cause discovered after a year with the condition. In those who do have a possible diagnosis musculoskeletal (19.4%) and psychological problems (16.5%) are the most common. Definitive physical conditions were only found in 8.2%. Fatigue is typically the result of working, mental stress, overstimulation and understimulation, jet lag or active recreation, depression, and also boredom, disease and lack of sleep. It may also have chemical causes, such as poisoning or mineral or vitamin deficiencies. Massive blood loss frequently results in fatigue. Fatigue is different from drowsiness, where a patient feels that sleep is required. Fatigue is a normal response to physical exertion or stress, but can also be a sign of a physical disorder.

I get that way sometimes and depending on the depth of the mood I have two different ways of handling it. Number one is I allow myself the feeling, explaining it away by saying my “give a shitter” is on the blink temporarily. Choice number two is to come to the conclusion that I am in my head too much, it is time to stop thinking and start acting. I act myself into a new way of thinking. I have found in my life that if I have too much time on my hands and nothing to do, then I am bound to get weirded out in my head. I could never retire completely, I would go nuts or turn into a serial killer or something!

Whenever someone says they’re feeling that way but “I’m not depressed”, I wonder if they still think depression always means that you feel sad, or have “the blues”. Clinical depression presents itself in many “non-sad” ways. Anxiety, unfounded anger, “what’s the use…” and thoughts of suicide.

If you’re feeling like that, it could be a serious lack of seritonin caused by stress, lack of exercise, etc.

Take it seriously, ‘cause some days mine has felt so “real” that I gave serious thought to offing myself.

The fact that you’re still here and asking about it is real encouraging!

Yes, but it only happens for a few hours at tops, primarily during a drinking session… only because I’m trying to have fun and let loose. Otherwise, It’s quite challenging for me to actually not care about anything.

@stratman37 Well said, and my experience exactly.

@jjmah Depression is the last great taboo in society. Depression does not mean you’re insane, but that you have a MENTAL illness that doesn’t get treated the same as a PHYSICAL illness. Not everything broken thing has a cast or a sling. Go and talk to a trusted friend, or relative, or anyone that will give a listening and non-judgmental hearing to you.

Most days I have to push myself to do anything, and one of the few things I enjoy doing is commenting on Fluther! That is joy to me.

Have a better tomorrow while you work out today.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Yeah, I’ve read about Nihilism so much, but I don’t understand it at all, I can make no sense of it whatsoever. :/

@Symbeline I don’t feel that I’ve gotten to the bottom of it either. I find myself attracted to the existentialism of Camus; everything ultimately a matter of duty (the physician character in La Peste). We do what we can with the resources at hand.

Yeah but even when we realize what or why, how do we keep doing it if, ultimately, it means fuckall? (And that humans apparently go on things like hope and delusions?) Srsly I dun get it lol. I mean, why do people follow duty, if not for some sort of payback?

@Symbeline Because it’s inherently the right thing to do, doing the right thing being its own reward. We can’t fix the fucked up world, but we can try to make our little corner of it as decent as possible. Flawed, but better than buying into some fairy-tale pie-in-the-sky religiousity. I’m an idealist at heart, but very pessimistic about practical realities. My only payback is the knowledge that I’m doing all I can within my limitations; there are no cosmic rewards, life exists for its own sake.

Yes im pretty sure everyone feels that way at some point or another

Yeah, and I’m just SO glad that society as a whole is past the if-you-take-medicine-for-it-you’re-a-pussy stigma!