"From Apathy to Hope: The First Step Is Always the Hardest"

### **Life Isn’t Always About Conquering Castles**

The days passed by quickly, one after another. The air grew colder. I pulled the blanket over my head. These were tough days—days when depression had consumed me. I truly couldn’t do anything.

But something inside me was screaming: **"Save me!"**

A tiny spark of hope still lingered in my heart. I picked up my phone and searched: **"Doing nothing."**

A page popped up with the title:

**"Avolition Syndrome."**

**"Avolition syndrome is a psychological condition characterized by changes in personality, emotions, and cognitive function. People with this syndrome often experience symptoms such as lack of focus, disinterest, and poor memory."**

**So what was happening to me actually had a name?**

How many people were suffering from this without even knowing what it was?

I had always believed that if you want to defeat something, you must first understand it—know its strength, recognize its presence, and then stand against it. So, I started researching its symptoms:

- Difficulty performing daily tasks

- Apathy and lack of motivation

- Emotional numbness

- Disinterest in activities

- No drive to pursue goals

- Unusual fatigue and low energy levels

- Persistent drowsiness

- Withdrawal from activities

- Lack of emotional response to positive or negative events

- Poor memory and short-term forgetfulness

- Inattentiveness

- Social isolation

But don’t get me wrong—**sometimes we all feel lazy, and that’s normal.** We’re humans, not robots. However, when this state of mind lingers for too long, what should we do?

### **The First Step Is Always the Hardest**

It’s incredibly difficult to tell someone with no motivation, **“Go exercise,” “Take a walk,” “Get things done”**—just like my mom used to tell me. But **the first step is always the hardest.**

Once I took it, I realized it wasn’t as impossible as I had thought. I went from **doing nothing and avoiding studying to studying six hours a day.**

There are still days when I pull the blanket over my head, but now I know **there is always a way back.**

**Life isn’t always about conquering castles; sometimes, it’s just about climbing out of the valleys.**