Let me begin by clarifying the meaning of the word anhedonia, which describes the inability or reduced ability to feel pleasure. The person loses interest and, at the same time, a sense of pleasure in activities, hobbies, or experiences that they once enjoyed. In the motivational component, the focus is on the reduction in the desire to seek out and repeat experiences that were once pleasurable for the individual, and in the consummatory component, the individual's reduced ability to experience pleasurable emotions in response to previously pleasurable activities is observed.
I should mention that anhedonia is a common symptom of major depressive disorder, other depressive disorders such as dysthymia and substance-induced depressive disorder as well as being a symptom in people with neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder. stress (PTSD).
According to studies, anhedonia is divided into two categories, physical anhedonia and social anhedonia. Physical anhedonia is defined as decreased interest and pleasure in engaging in physical experiences, such as eating, exercising, and sexual interactions. In social anhedonia we will observe reduced interest and pleasure in social interactions, as well as the individual experiencing reduced rewards in social interactions.
Studies and observation show that anhedonia is difficult to treat, because although medications may be prescribed to treat the various mental health issues associated with it, the anhedonia itself does not seem to be sharply and drastically curtailed. Some studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that allow people to predict rewards and motivate them to seek them are weakened in those with anhedonia. Thus if a person is diagnosed with anhedonia, one goal is to engage in more activities that can boost dopamine, such as trying to participate in social situations and exercising.
If you feel that you are suffering from anhedonia, the best option is to seek out a mental health professional who can listen to you and assess with you the magnitude it has taken in this phase of your life and together develop a course of treatment that will help you work together toward reviving interest and pleasure in activities and situations you used to enjoy and experience.
The security of an expert's knowledge, his experience together with his impartial support, always make your personal journey towards self-knowledge a special and highly specialized rich life experience, with you as the protagonist and receiver.
