  The role of the environment initial conditions in the breaking of the time
reversal symmetry of effective theories and in generating the soft
irreversibility is studied by the help of Closed Time Path formalism. The
initial conditions break the time reversal symmetry of the solution of the
equation of motion in a trivial manner. When open systems are considered then
the initial conditions of the environment must be included in the effective
dynamics. This is achieved by means of a generalized $\epsilon$-prescription
where the non-uniform convergence of the limit $\epsilon\to0$ leaves behind a
spontaneous breakdown of the time reversal symmetry.
