Lack of Motivation

About the Symptom

A decrease in motivation and willpower means having less control over one's ability to do something. It can be a symptom of depression or other psychiatric or medical illnesses.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Disorder of consciousness
• Recent weight loss
• Unexplained weight loss of 5% or more in 1 month
• Change in personality
• Seizure attack
• Difficulty breathing / breathlessness

Possible Causes

Generally, Lack of motivation can be related to:

• Depression

  Depression is a mental illness that leads to low mood, reduced energy levels, and changes in sleep. This affects everyday activities like attending school and work. As the condition worsens, patients might have suicidal thoughts. Although stress and past trauma can cause depression, it can take time to identify and address causes, and genetic factors may also be at play.

• Bipolar Disorder

  A disorder marked by extreme and persistent shifts in mood that last for weeks to months, from periods of sustained depression to periods of elevated mood and euphoria. The precise cause is unclear, but genetic and environmental factors contribute.

• Schizophrenia

  A psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thinking (cognition), emotional responsiveness, and behavior, with an age of onset typically between the late teens and mid-30s. Hearing voices and/or believing things that aren't consistent with reality are common symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are likely responsible.

• Adjustment Disorder
• Migraine
• Fibromyalgia
• Lumbar Vertebrae Disk Herniation
• Tension Headache
• Cluster Headache

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Lack of motivation may be related to these serious diseases:

• Cerebral Infarction

  Cerebral infarction refers to damage to brain tissue resulting from a stroke. It occurs due to decreased blood supply and oxygen delivery to the brain, causing brain cell death and brain damage. It is typically caused by a blood clot or fatty/cholesterol plaques blocking a blood vessel to the brain, but can also occur if a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Have you been experiencing decreased motivation recently?
• When did you first notice the decreased motivation?
• How often do you experience decreased motivation?
• How is your decreased motivation now?

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