Apathy Syndrome
Apathy Syndrome is an elusive and rare (on a global scale, anyway) disorder that appears to be most common in the Port City and surrounding areas. Victims show a complete loss of self-determination, inability to care for oneself, and inability to react to exterinal stimuli in any proper fashion. The Syndrome only began making its first appearances within ten years ago, where it was mostly mistaken for various other neurological disorders. It's only within the last year or so that the term 'Apathy Syndrome' was coined. Researchers are still studying the disease. The Port Island area has a lot of those little donation boxes for people who are afflited that goes to various research institutes.
Extensive examinations of Apathy Syndrome victims turn up no biological cause, but this doesn't prevent some scientists from claiming that some chemical, genetic defect, or virus or another might be behind it, especially given the much higher frequency of it occuring within Port Island than anywhere else in the world. Most other researchers believe that the problem is psychological in nature, resulting in popular studies and books that launched a number of self-help and motivational series.
People will find a way to make money off of anything, it seems.
Apathy Syndrome victims who are given regular care generally will survive well enough. The problem comes in that if they are not cared for, the victim inevitably perishes from malnutrition or exposure. It's rare for someone to recover, but in recent times, especially, it has been known for people to suddenly come out of the Syndrome, much like if someone was coming out of a coma.
Rumors fly everywhere on the nature of Apathy Syndrome. Like any poorly-understood disease, there's always a massive number of folklore, urban myths, and other rumors about the disease. Who knows if any of them are accurate or not...
