Why Is It So Difficult For Me To Make Decisions?
Have you been experiencing difficulty making decisions recently? Most people have some difficulty with decisions from time to time, especially major life choices. However, some people find it difficult to make even minor decisions on an everyday basis, leading them to ask themselves, “Why can’t I make decisions?” While there are many potential causes of or reasons for this type of daily indecisiveness, it could be related to depression or anxiety in some cases. Here, we’ll take a closer look at this connection.
The link between depression and trouble making decisions
According to research from 2022, “Indecisiveness is a prevalent and impairing symptom among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD).”
Clinical depression is one of the most common mental health disorders today. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 8% of the US adult population experiences depression in a given year.
One common but lesser-known sign of depression is difficulty making decisions. Some other possible signs of depression include:
Feelings of unexplained sadness
Loss of interest in favorite activities
Withdrawing from friends and family
Changes in sleep (sleeping less or more than usual)
Agitation or restlessness
Fatigue
Trouble concentrating
Eating less or more than usual
Crying episodes
Lack of motivation or enthusiasm
Suicidal thoughts*
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Support is available 24/7.
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One of the reasons that people with depression sometimes have trouble making decisions may be that they are not as motivated as they used to be as a result of their condition. The reward of making any decision may no longer seem important or enticing, so they may not see an incentive to make a choice at all. Researchers believe that the prefrontal cortex in the brain is impaired when someone experiences clinical depression, and this may cause impaired decision-making ability.
The link between anxiety and trouble making decisions
Anxiety may also contribute to difficulty making decisions. The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune.” This feeling is a common part of the human experience, but it may represent a diagnosable mental health condition if it’s persistent and interferes with daily life.
If you are experiencing feelings of anxiety or an anxiety disorder, you could experience indecision due to a fear that you will make the wrong decision and therefore might overthink/overanalyze any choice that you make. Researchers suggest that since anxiety involves the fight-or-flight response, it may cause the limbic system in the brain—which is responsible for memory, motivation, and emotional responses—to be overworked. As a result, you might feel a sense of overwhelm with all the possible outcomes of a situation.
Getting help with decision-making in therapy
If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, it may help to speak with a licensed therapist. A therapist may use techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you learn to recognize and shift negative or inaccurate thoughts. They may also suggest strategies like meditation, which could help you step back from overwhelming thoughts so you can make decisions more easily.
If you feel hesitant to sign up for traditional in-office therapy for any reason, you might consider online therapy instead. With online therapy, you can connect with a licensed therapist via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging from anywhere you have an internet connection. Research suggests that online and in-person therapy can offer comparable outcomes in many cases.
Counselor reviews
“I put off finding a therapist for a long time. I dreaded my first conversation with Neil and all the awkward, clunky explanations I’d have to give about my depression and anxiety. All of the things that felt like dirty little secrets that caused me so much pain. But I was so pleasantly surprised by the way Neil accurately picked up on what I was saying and gave me more insight into how my brain was working. It made my issue feel so much less of a personal problem and more of a universal problem we could examine together. He always gives me a thoughtful response within a day or two any time I send a message. I actually think we’ve made more progress in between sessions just by being able to communicate things that are coming up in real time. Neil is intelligent and kind. I really appreciate his communication style and highly recommend him.”
“Thanks to Melissa Powell I have come to the realization that I am dealing with depression and anxiety (a hard pill to swallow) and am now working on developing a routine/coping and grounding skills that will assist me in everyday living and in the event of an anxiety attack or a depression episode. Melissa also helped me understand that some days are going to be harder than most and on those days I have to work harder to get the simplest of tasks done and that is ok.”
Takeaway
What is it called when you can't make decisions easily?
Having difficulty with or feeling stuck when it comes to making small or big decisions in daily life can simply be referred to as “indecision.” When exploring this topic, you may also come across the term “aboulomania”. This term refers to “pathological indecisiveness,” though it’s not included in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a clinical mental health disorder.
What mental disorder affects decision-making?
Various mental illnesses and conditions can affect a person’s ability to make decisions about both mundane and important tasks or topics. Examples include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as types of neurodivergence like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, among others.
What is the disorder where you cannot make decisions?
There are several different mental health conditions that could make a person ask themselves, “Why can’t I make decisions?” as a symptom. Some of these include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and forms of neurodivergence like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among others. Getting mental health support from a therapist or clinical psychologist for conditions like these could potentially help you feel confident in final decisions and your own decision-making abilities and improve your overall well-being as well.
How do you fix indecisiveness?
There’s no quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution for managing and promoting more confident or sound decision-making. However, there are various strategies you can try to help you in the decision-making process and to work through a fear of making the wrong decision.
Examples include accepting that you’ll make mistakes, starting with smaller or lower-stakes decisions, surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family, and working through challenges related to self-doubt, self-esteem, and trust in yourself. If a mental health condition like depression or PTSD is making it more difficult for you to make decisions, seeking professional support for your symptoms may also be helpful.
Is indecision a symptom of ADHD?
Yes; indecision can be a symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It can be a result of the common ADHD symptom of impulsivity, which may have led to distrust in one’s own decision-making in the past. It could also be the result of trouble concentrating, especially when faced with a complicated decision that involves many moving parts or that requires sustained focus to study a complex context. If you’re having trouble with decision-making—whether related to ADHD or not—you may benefit from working with a trained therapist.
Can anxiety cause an inability to make decisions?
Yes; anxiety can result in trouble making decisions. Someone experiencing clinical levels of anxiety may worry that they’ll make the wrong decision, leading them to not make one at all. Or, a person may feel anxiety regardless of the decision they make, which could also lead them to avoid choosing one route or another. Some also can feel so consumed with persistent feelings of anxiety that it can feel difficult to think clearly when weighing options.
What is an indecisive personality type?
Sometimes, a person’s natural level of decisiveness can simply be a feature of their personality. According to the Myers-Briggs personality classification system, for instance, four-letter types that include the letters “N” and “P” are often associated with indecision (such as INFP or INTP).
N stands for “intuition” (as opposed to “thinking” types) and P stands for “perceiving” (as opposed to “judging” types). A person who defaults to intuition rather than being strictly factual or logical could tend to make decisions based on emotions, which can change, resulting in a feeling of instability when it comes to choosing a side. If they also default to perceiving all the options rather than using a “judging” mechanism to decide what they think about each one, it could also be hard to simply embrace one choice and close off other possibilities.
Why is indecisiveness a weakness?
Indecisiveness can be considered a weakness in some cases because it can result in inaction or in constant second-guessing of decisions that are made. However, making decisions too quickly or having such strong, automatic opinions that you're closed off to considering other possibilities can also be considered a weakness. In other words, aiming to be somewhere between these extremes is often a healthier option.
Why do I make choices without thinking?
Some people may make decisions without thinking because they’re naturally more decisive personality types, or because they’ve become used to making quick choices in order to rid themselves of feelings of discomfort or uncertainty. Others may engage in this behavior as a result of impulsivity, which can be a symptom of conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Is indecisiveness a symptom of autism?
Indecisiveness can be a symptom of autism. As one study suggests, autistic individuals may experience “more decision uncertainty, stress, choice overload, exhaustion, lack of confidence, indecisiveness, confusion, and mental freezing in decision-making compared to neurotypical controls.”
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