Aboulomania () is a

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

in which the patient displays

pathological Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...

indecisiveness. It is typically associated with

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

stress Stress may refer to: Science and medicine * Stress (biology), an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition * Stress (linguistics), relative emphasis or prominence given to a syllable in a word, or to a word in a phrase ...

, depression, and mental anguish, severely affecting one's ability to function socially. Although many people are indecisive at times, it is rarely to the extent of obsession. The part of the brain that is tied to making rational choices, the

prefrontal cortex In mammalian brain anatomy, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) covers the front part of the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. The PFC contains the Brodmann areas BA8, BA9, BA10, BA11, BA12, BA13, BA14, BA24, BA25, BA32, BA44, BA45, BA46 ...

, can hold several pieces of information at any given time. This may quickly overwhelm somebody when trying to make decisions, regardless of the importance of that decision. They may come up with reasons that their decisions will turn out badly, causing them to over-analyze every situation critically in a classic case of

paralysis by analysis Analysis paralysis (or paralysis by analysis) describes an individual or group process where overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become "paralyzed", meaning that no solution or course of acti ...

. Lack of information, valuation difficulty, and outcome uncertainty can become an obsession for those with aboulomania. Researchers speculate extremely authoritarian or overprotective parenting can lead to the development of aboulomania. They believe the disorder is a result of overinvolvement and intrusive behaviours. The caretakers who have caused this extreme dependency may have rewarded loyalty and punished the child or patient for independence. It is thought the family of the diagnosed might also be neglectful or avoid expressing emotions in order to demonstrate properly defined relational roles in the family.

References

Mania {{psychology stub