Aboulomania, a Mental Disorder Characterized by Pathological Indecisiveness

The mental disorder known as aboulomania, characterized by pathological indecisiveness, is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), widely used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental illnesses. However, it is frequently observed alongside other mental disorders. Aboulomania is linked to neurotic thinking or "neurosis," which pertains to a mental disorder arising from previous anxiety. This case presentation is on a 40-year-old Caucasian male, with a past psychiatric history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moderate cannabis use disorder, with no known medical history, who was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric ward. Prolonged hospitalization of over two weeks was attributed to his severe and persistent indecisiveness, which hindered progress in discharge planning. In order to tackle this problem, the patient received encouragement from his treatment team to take small, concrete actions to deal with his indecisiveness. This case report emphasizes the significance of aboulomania in causing long-lasting indecisiveness and provides valuable insights on how to overcome this condition.