Anhedonia

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Just read a thread on extreme happiness over everyday things and marvel at how some of you are able to enjoy things like doing laundry and washing dishes.

I have the opposite situation.....I'm almost always numb, anxious or sad. Emotions like euphoria or pleasure are foreign. I would love to be able to feel joy for once.

When I read those posts (of being able to enjoy the simple things in life), I wondered why I can't. Maybe some of us have an active pleasure center in the brain, while others can't feel joy so readily. Unfortunately, I'm in the 2nd camp but wish it wasn't that way. I wish I could feel a rush of joy or anticipation over a clean room or feel soothed when mowing a lawn for example. (i haven't touched a lawnmower since i was a kid but due to not really having a lawn it hasn't been necessary fortunately )

I would like to know if anyone else experiences the problem of anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure)......How do you cope?

Well I don't enjoy washing dishes, doing laundry or mowing lawns. Yuck!

Just find things you do enjoy. What do you like to do? Start out little and do something you like doing, then think about why you like doing it.

Life can kind of grind you down sometimes and it's hard to let yourself be anything but numb, but if you start small it might work for you.

It sounds like possible mild depression to me.

I have this too, it's hard comming out of that feeling, but look that you stay so active as possible.

About the only thing I like to do is eat....

Anhedonia is a common symptom of depression.

I hesitate to characterize anything as mild however. Posts tend to be rather thin slices of other people's lives.

Wikipedia's Article on Anhedonia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhedonia