Is SAD just an excuse to be lazy?

[xsapx]

Today i told my friend i have SAD and he said that i don't. He said i am just lazy. And i think he is right. SAD like other things can be help with more practice, right?

Here a quote," when we succeed , we once again raise the bar. And when we don't we go back to work to improve our skills and talents, and try again."

 

[NathanielWingatePeaslee]

Sure! Much the same way schizophrenia is a good excuse for not paying for cable tv when you want to see things that aren't there.

 

[illuminationSP]

That's absurd. It's far more complicated than that.

 

[powerfulthoughts]

For people who are clueless as to what it's like to have SAD, it's a very odd and confusing them for them to hear about. It's perhaps like describing a color that doesn't exist. Thus, maybe they are using their own experiences to try and fill in the blanks. But like I said, it's just not something they can quite comprehend. Many people anyway.

 

[Hellhound]

No it isn't. It is an illness and can be helped with treatment. Your friend doesn't seem to understand much... I suggest you not to listen to him.

 

[Psychedelicious]

I love gasoline

For some people maybe. Only if you use it as an excuse for not doing things. I don't see how it's an excuse to be lazy, unless you make it one.

 

[Noca]

Today i told my friend i have SAD and he said that i don't. He said i am just lazy. And i think he is right. SAD like other things can be help with more practice, right?

Your friend is ignorant, simple as that. SA is not laziness.

 

[Richey]

symptoms of SAD etc can cause low self-esteem which leads to indecision and avoidance which can be seen as laziness but its a bit more complicated then just plain laziness ...

if you are perfectly healthy with no barriers and you just don't want to do anything then that is laziness ...

but you can see why people would think it is laziness ...

essentially laziness is a reaction to not having belief in yourself, i believe..
its all a bit confusing ...i'm sure there are people with SAD who aren't idle because they have loads of self belief and esteem ...its all really complex ..

 

[xsapx]

symptoms of SAD etc can cause low self-esteem which leads to indecision and avoidance which can be seen as laziness but its a bit more complicated then just plain laziness ...

if you are perfectly healthy with no barriers and you just don't want to do anything then that is laziness ...

but you can see why people would think it is laziness ...

essentially laziness is a reaction to not having belief in yourself, i believe..
its all a bit confusing ...i'm sure there are people with SAD who aren't idle because they have loads of self belief and esteem ...its all really complex ..

But is not taking steps to overcome the low self-esteem laziness?

 

[Richey]

absolutely correct it isn't taking steps because from what i've learnt it can become like a sickness and if people have literally 0-20% belief in themselves then attempting even menial tasts can become hard for them...

there is always a reason though ...it could be a bad grade someone achieved, it could be people in their life telling them they won't amount to alot ...it could be a humiliating experience or bullying ...it could be rejections from people or jobs or opportunities that lead to this limiting self belief to attempt anything .... you see it everywhere, my auntie always wanted to play an instrument but never attempted it because she obviously thought she wouldn't be any good at it ...

so laziness can come from limited self belief ...so the person stays idle

it can also just be natural laziness ...perhaps people have a sloth gene ...

 

[Kat]

Tell him to go check out the talent in the art department on this forum, that doesn’t happen from laziness.

 

[Dronee]

If I remember some of my psychology stuff right, there's something called Value Expectancy theory. Basically it says that a large part of motivation comes from two things: Value & Expectancy. Basically, how well you value a certain activity or its rewards and how high you think your chances of succeeding is.

I think a large part of what makes people with some difficulties seem lazy is that they no longer believe that they have a reasonable chance of success at something.

 

[redski]

If I remember some of my psychology stuff right, there's something called Value Expectancy theory. Basically it says that a large part of motivation comes from two things: Value & Expectancy. Basically, how well you value a certain activity or its rewards and how high you think your chances of succeeding is.

I think a large part of what makes people with some difficulties seem lazy is that they no longer believe that they have a reasonable chance of success at something.

This is a good answer.

 

[Tempus35]

Hmm so I am confused are we saying that SAD can make someone seem lazy due to low self esteem which causes you to shy away from doing things, or are we saying laziness is that. I ask because I have SAD, yet I have alot of trouble doing much of anything.

 

[lurknomore]

Personally, I think that depression is what causes a lack of motivation to do things- and that's not laziness (although it appears that way to others), it's a real mental problem- and not something that you can usually just "will" yourself out of. Not coping well with SA can bring on low self-esteem and depression.

 

[Tempus35]

Hmm I know that at times I try, and I want to try, there is so much I want to try, but not only am I afraid to at times, but I seem to never have the energy to do it, I might for a moment, but then if fades. I hate it.

 

[FinalSolution]

I think SAD makes u lazy. Or sometimes coz you are lazy you get SAD. No offense but not many ppl on here are so f***** up that they couldnt be better. Most of them are just lazy. Not saying anything about ppl who have panic attacks. I know its hard to get better when u have SA and you need to put at least 2 times more energy than other ppl in every day things. But if u dont do anything, u wont get better and thats lazziness for me. STop wasting your energy on for crying on forums, feeling sorry for yourself, it wont help. Find your problems, maybe get some litterature and solve them whatever they are. And start practicing. With enough of practice you are able to do anything. Even start normally function betwen other ppl. All beginings are hard. Then it gets easier. But you need to start and keep doing it. And learn from it.

 

[Dronee]

I didn't know about SA or anything like that until I found this forum. I knew I was somehow different from others and made a lot of effort to improve and sometimes I can honestly say that the effort was superhuman in that I've gone on for days and even weeks with almost no sleep at all. I recall the worst was sleeping for two hours total for a whole week which is just a few minutes a day... and being depressed and fighting that depression and working hard.

I tackled the problem head on, because I never knew I had a problem in this. A couple of years ago, it came crashing down when the sheer pressure of a high stress, sociable job, conscription, financial problems... etc all come together. By then, I was really depressed and had made plans AND have made preparations to leave this world.

I've racked my brains to solve my own unique blend of problems and I've little doubt that most, if not all in these forums do that as well and have put in a lot of effort. All I'm saying is that if you want to try the 'exposure' thing, do it incrementally and don't just rush in headlong. Keep working on things and building your resources (inner resources, healthy coping mechanisms, actual skill sets... etc)

 

[Lorraine Manca]

lmao, i looked into the whole social skill psychology thing on my college's journal database and found out that where most children find social interaction rewarding and enjoyable, and therefore are motivated to do more of it. some kids with developmental problems do not have that innate motivation. its like a chunk of programming missing in their heads. in studies done to guide and coerce those toddlers pursue social interaction anyway, there was not a "significant" improvement!!! fancy way for saying the study found out crap about fixing the problem. if you've avoided social interaction since you were a toddler, i dont think you can blame bad social skills on lazy toddlers. ill shut up now!

but definately not, especially if you were sa-ish when you were very young

 

[PhillyFlyersGrl]

Your friend is just trying to minimize the problem. Like my family does to me.
But the thing is is you think hes right...so maybe he is.
Most people with S.P. would get angry if someone tried to say "oh no you dont have it" "your making it up" "your just lazy" ..rubbish.
OR, you could have a passive personality.. maybe thats why you could be swayed into believing him, and if you do you'll soon find out, its not just laziness.