Explore if Smoking Weed causes Apathy?
Does Smoking Weed Cause Apathy There are still so many myths and stereotypes about weed in the world despite the fact that more knowledge is being discovered every day. Such stereotypes include amotivation and passivity, laziness and apathy. The most common stereotype is that weed smokers are apathetic.
In this article, we're going to check whether the link of apathy to weed is scientific or just another stereotype.
Understanding Apathy
Apathy is the lack of interest in things that are happening around you and the lack of motivation and enthusiasm to do anything new or learn. It's very different from depression as depression is an affective disorder while apathy is motivational. Depression is the feeling of great sadness and tiredness. Depression also causes one to have an extremely negative attitude towards everything. On the other hand, apathetic people have no emotions or passion; they generally don't feel anything. Apathy could indicate a more serious condition like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.
They depend on other people to plan things for them.They don't show any effort and don't have the energy to do anything.They don't care about their own shortcomings.They lack the interest to try new things, including meeting new people.They won't show any emotions no matter the situation.They lack involuntary perseverance actions and quit easily.Could The Use Of Marijuana Lead To Apathy?
There is a belief that long term weed smokers have apathy and don't have good judgment. There is a possibility that long-term weed smoking is linked to amotivational syndrome. Let us understand more:
The human brain produces chemicals that are almost the same as the cannabinoids in weed. The most important chemicals are Anandamide and 2-AG, and they're made from fat in our diet. This is why when we eat lots of fat, we feel good because the brain releases these chemicals. Anandamide and 2-AG, when released, attach to proteins called receptors perfectly as a key to a lock, blocking the receptor. If this is done too often by regular use of weed, the brain takes away the lock. This will make a person crave more in a chase to find more locks.
In a quest to control obesity, neuroscientists introduced a drug that blocked marijuana receptors in the brain. This successfully controlled fat craving but proved detrimental as it had serious side effects like depression and suicidal thoughts. This proved that human beings need the endogenous cannabis system in their brains to function optimally. If the receptors are blocked continually, humans lose the ability to feel good and become apathetic.
Since weed works the same way, that is why it could be linked to apathy.
Can Cannabis Use Reduce Motivation?
There are claims that it could happen. A study done in 2016 was aiming to put a base on these claims. It involved a group of heavy weed smokers and another group of people who aren't dependent on weed. After they all completed an Efforts Expenditure for Rewards Task and a Probabilistic Reward Task while sober, it showed that those with THC dependency weren't very motivated to complete the tasks. They were also less likely to pick the more challenging tasks. Our brains produce dopamine when it anticipates something exciting. Research shows that low dopamine levels lead to a lack of interest and apathy. It could also decrease motivation and cause apathy. This is because motivation is the excitement of the reward attained after a task.
Chronic weed use could lead to reduced synthesis of striatal dopamine, which also leads to reduced sensitivity to rewards and generally decreased motivation. However, other factors such as depression could not be disregarded.
Could Weed Lead To Damage of Pleasure Centers in the Brain?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. This means that it works by triggering pleasurable sensations in the brain. In a study published in 2014, regular smokers of weed were found to have reduced dopamine levels. This was especially noted in the striatum, a part of the brain responsible for motivation.
In that study, cannabis smokers and non-cannabis smokers were given a drug that stimulated the high production of dopamine. When their brains were checked, they both showed equal levels of dopamine.
The non-cannabis users showed the reactions that were linked to high dopamine levels, such as high blood pressure and elevated heart rates. Cannabis users, on the other hand, showed little to no reaction to these high levels of dopamine. This led the researchers to conclude that heavy weed use altered brains reaction to dopamine. When such happens, these people will have a lack of excitement and feel less pleasure. It has also been claimed that the use of THC could cause long-term effects. However, the study didn't reflect on the use patterns of a typical human.
Weed Does Not Affect Motivation, According To An Older Research.
Contrary to the information above, a study done earlier in 2006 proved that the use of marijuana doesn't reduce motivation. They did different research where they observed a big number of people, which comprised both weed users and non-users. They continued to analyze the data in different ways, and they couldn't find a notable difference in the motivation between the cannabis users and the non-users. Although the study contradicts the findings of this article, it's interesting to see the differences in the outcomes.
So, Does Weed Use Really Cause Apathy?
Different researches show different results. There is enough proof that long term use of weed could damage a part of your brain responsible for pleasure. Long-term users require more amount to achieve the same effect compared to their first use. So, they could find it difficult to get excited or motivated.
On the other hand, there's enough evidence to prove that the use of weed doesn't affect motivation or cause apathy. People are very different, and they all react differently to marijuana. A naturally apathetic person will remain apathetic whether they use weed or not.
With that said, if you find yourself becoming apathetic due to weed use, it's important to re-examine your usage. You should also consider taking a break to see how you feel. Does Smoking Weed Cause Apathy
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