Anybody Else Feeling Extreme Anhedonia/Apathy?

Post Reply New Topic

Other than eating good food, I am finding it difficult to derive pleasure from anything right now, and am very apathetic towards activities that I would usually love to do (such as compose music). I feel restless and unable to stay attentive to one particular thing, and I would like to play video games, or I would like to listen to music or read a book, but every time I try to I stop just a few minutes in and let myself get bored again, because I don't get anything out of it. Anybody else feeling like this lately? If so, what have you done in the past to help with it?

That's how I've been feeling too. I don't care about anything lately. My house is filthy because I can't bring myself to clean it. I can't focus on anything because my house is a mess, yet I don't care to clean it. Even after I take boat loads of adderall, I can't bring myself to do it. Everything is just so boring for the past two months. I can't even enjoy food, I've lost a lot of weight. I'm hoping it will pass soon. I might go back to my psychiatrist and see about starting back on antidepressants.

Not feeling it now, but I have before. It is usually associated with depression. I recommend you seek treatment.

So, it's starting to feel a little better, although I still am having a hard time composing music.

I feel the same. luckily my wife is supportive. Meds have helped some, but not completely. I think if I can get out and get some exercise that would help but hard right now with both of us working and trying to make sure our kids have as normal a life as possible.

Although it obviously has its benefits, sometimes I think that the whole routine of "take 'anti-depressant' drug to mask symptoms, try and cope with negative effects it has on your body, and regularly go back into a clinical setting and report your adjustment to a life you (probably) are currently finding fundamentally unfulfilling in some way" can be somewhat soul crushing in itself.

Are there any changes you can make to your life to maybe give it some more colour or make you feel more like you? I think when you lose touch with who you feel you are at the core in some way then everything can flatten out and seem pointless.

And I'm sure you're much more familiar with this than I am, but creativity, whilst it thrives on practise, also needs an impetus and is a hard thing to keep alive even when we're not depressed.

I know we create our identities by doing things we enjoy and/or are passionate about, so trying to overcome depression when it is just so physically and mentally debilitating is a terrible catch-22 type situation. But I wonder if maybe some kind of change of scenery or new friendship/situation could be the starting point for a positive kind of snowball effect. Sometimes life just needs shaking up and if you're not restricted by conditions like clinical anxiety disorders then that can (maybe) be achieved fairly easily. Good luck

We shouldn't forget about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which brings about depression in the winter months. Possibly it is contributing to your low mood. Bright light therapy helps many people with this disorder. It can be an added level of depression on top of what you are already getting treatment for. Ask your provider if this is available. Sometimes you can borrow a therapy light before having to buy one. Also, sometimes mental health centers have a room where SAD patients can come and sit every morning in front of the bright lights without any fee.

Bea,

You are a good writer and very astute about medical topics. Thank you for the interesting information.

For two years, I had extreme anhedonia. I thought nothing would ever get better and I was headed toward death. I didn't want to die, but I was afraid that extreme lack of sleep (actually no sleep at all) would cause me to have an accident or some medical issue. I never was at the point of apathy, however. Extreme frustration, yes, but apathy, never. I don't know how I survived those years.