Aprosexia: what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment

Sometimes, we are focused on a topic and our minds get out of focus and other thoughts come up that divert us from what we were focused on. This situation can be frequent because the world in which we live is full of stimuli. However, there are people who have a hard time sustaining and/or paying attention to a specific stimulus.

This lack of concentration can have various consequences that affect the development of daily activities. Having concrete and convincing data about this problem can help us find possible solutions. In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about the aprosexia: what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment.

Index

1. what is aprosexia
2. Causes of aprosexia
3. Symptoms of aprosexia
4. Treatment of aprosexia

aprosexia is the difficulty paying attention and/or the inability to concentrate and pay attention to a given stimulus. This clinical picture is considered an attention disorder and can be included within the group of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Although it is true that aprosexia does not circumscribe hyperactivity as a trait, there are some patterns that fall within the parameters laid out in the DSM-V^[1]to make a diagnosis. We see them below:

• Persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity.
• Attentional failures in the fulfillment of school and/or work tasks.
• Difficulty sustaining attention in recreational activities.
• Disadvantages in the organization of spaces and times.
• Presence of symptoms before 12 years of age.
• Deterioration of work, social and family relationships.
• The alteration cannot be explained due to another mental disorder and/or due to the intake of medications.

Knowing the causes of aprosexia allows finding the best strategies to address this problem. Therefore, below, we will tell you what causes aprosexia:

• Genetic factors: genes play a transcendental role in the development of personality. In this sense, it should be noted that there are various structures of the cerebral cortex that are responsible for processing information from the environment. So if a parent has aprosexia, it is possible that their offspring will have the same condition, as it can be passed down through genes.
• Environmental factors: the experiences that are experienced in early vital stages have a great influence in the construction of the personality of each individual. Here we must bear in mind that certain situations related to lack of attention, family violence and with verbal and/or physical abuse, they can have a direct effect on a person's inability to focus. Consequently, aprosexia may be a defense mechanism against psychological trauma.

When determining the diagnosis of aprosexia, it is important to know the manifestations that usually appearboth physically and emotionally and behaviorally. Next, we will locate the main symptoms of aprosexia:

• Difficulty sleeping.
• Lack or inability to pay attention.
• Fatigue.
• Respiratory discomfort.
• Anxiety.
• Distress.
• Low self-esteem.

Even so, the presence of any of these symptoms in isolation does not necessarily imply that we are facing a clinical picture of aprosexia. To determine that it is this problem, the diagnosis must be made by a mental health professional who takes into account the characteristics of each patient.

Fortunately, today there are methods to treat aprosexia and that improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it. In the following paragraphs, we will show you the most effective treatments to address this problem:

• psychological therapy: There are various therapeutic methods to resolve personal conflicts. In the case of aprosexia, one of the most important approaches is cognitive behavioral therapy, as this works the emotions, thoughts and behaviors of the person that cause the mentioned symptoms previously. Furthermore, this treatment provides different tools to deal with situations in which the sustained attention in a more pleasant way.
• Pharmacology: Medications that act on the attentional levels of the human being are an effective tool to treat aprosexia. In general, the use of medication helps to focus attention and reduce distractibility, since it modifies the neuronal connections of the cerebral cortex linked to attention capacity.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Aprosexia: what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Pan American Medical Publisher.

• Mantilla, S. P. (2006). Neurological diseases and attention problems. Colombian Neurological Act Journal, 22 (2), 190-194.
• Meneses, S. (2004). Attention disorders. Synectic Electronic Magazine, 25 (4), 67-74.