Responder apathy syndrome

Responder Apathy Syndrome (also known as RAS) is generally considered to be a condition where Emergency Responders develop apathy toward the persons or patients they respond to. Those affected will display a change in attitude, loss of interest in work, and a general disdain for others.
This condition is an emerging syndrome and as such is still awaiting medical backing. It is however backed by testimony of numerous personnel who serve as emergency responders for various services.
Apathy (also called impassivity or perfunctoriness) is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, or physical life. He or she may exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness, also. The opposite of apathy is flow. In positive psychology, apathy is described as a response to an easy challenge for which the subject has matched skills.
Often, apathy has been felt after witnessing horrific acts, such as the killing or maiming of people during a war. It is also known to be associated with many conditions, some of which are: depression; Alzheimer's disease; Chagas' disease; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; dementia; Korsakoff's Syndrome; excessive vitamin D; Hypothyroidism; general fatigue; Huntington's disease; Pick's disease; progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP); schizophrenia; Schizoid Personality Disorder; Bipolar Disorder, and others. Some medications and the heavy use of drugs such as heroin may bring apathy as a side effect.

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