People Slowly Losing The Ability To Make Even Simple Decisions Are Usually Dealing With 5 Major Issues
BearFotos / Shutterstock When your ability to make decisions seems to be getting worse over time, there may be something deeper going on beneath the surface.
Having more and more trouble making even simple choices can be a sign that your brain is struggling to keep up with everything you have going on.
5 issues people slowly losing the ability to make decisions are likely to be dealing with:
1. Overwhelming decision fatigue
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Every day is like a new choose-your-own-adventure book. You wake up and immediately get to start making decisions. What do you want to wear? What time do you need to leave to get where you're going on time? What's the best way to get there? Most of these choices are pretty basic, so we don't even give them much thought.
That said, if someone has been severely overworked or going through an especially stressful time, every single minor decision can add more emotional weight, leading to genuine decision fatigue. Fortunately, this state of mind tends to be a temporary one. With proper care and some rest, most people eventually overcome it. But if the pressure never lets up, even the most trivial decisions are likely to remain overwhelming.
2. Chronic stress
When we're under serious stress, our brains have to work harder to do just about everything. The sudden rush of hormones weakens our ability to plan and reason, shifting gears from slow and logical to fast and impulsive thinking.
You may have been someone who had no trouble deciding where to go for dinner or which flight to book for your vacation, but now that you're dealing with crushing stress that won't seem to let up, even being asked if you want fries to go with your meal can be enough to cause you to basically lose it.
3. Severe anxiety
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If you find yourself struggling to make decisions because you are scared of making the wrong decision, anxiety may be one reason why. Anxiety can affect your decision-making because it causes you to overthink every choice or even avoid making them altogether.
You may feel like every option you have to choose from comes with high stakes and that something bad may happen if you choose wrong. That kind of risk can be paralyzing, as you sit and think for longer and longer, hoping the correct thing to do will magically pop into your head. Sooner than you realize, so much time has passed that the decision has been made for you, and not in a good way.
4. Unmanaged depression
One of the things too many people still get wrong is that they think it just means being really, really sad. True clinical depression goes much deeper than that, causing the brain to misfire in multiple ways that lead to poor judgment, negative thinking, risky behavior, and fears about making the wrong choice.
Depression can also weaken your memory and your ability to complete tasks. When you lack the mental energy to take the time to give questions careful consideration, even basic decisions can feel paralyzing.
5. Executive dysfunction disorders like ADHD
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When someone has executive dysfunction issues, such as ADHD, autism, OCD, depression, and other mental health conditions, managing their thoughts and focusing on tasks can become difficult. Even making simple choices like picking a shirt to wear to work can feel unbearable.
A brain that's having trouble dealing with thoughts and emotions can become overwhelmed by options because it cannot accurately weigh potential outcomes without using a lot of energy. This can turn daily decision-making into a battle, causing people to avoid making choices altogether if they can.
Aricka Croxton is a writer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan who covers relationships, self-help, and wellness.
