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What Is The Cause And Treatment For Anhedonia?
Question: I think I am suffering from anhedonia. I don't talk to anyone or do anything. I just kill time at job. Is this really anhedonia or I am just paranoid. Is it curable? XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
need some more details.
Detailed Answer:
Hello Dear XXXXXXX
Welcome to HCM.
You dont talk to anyone or do anything. You kill time at job. You think you suffer from anhedonia.
I can understand your concerns.
I would like to tell you that anhedonia is just a symptom and can commonly be a part some psychiatric disorders like:
Depression,
Schizophrenia,
Personality disorders,
Paranoia and Anhedonia are two different terms.
Anhedonia is defined as the inability to experience pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable previously.
Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself.
Yes, its curable. But the treatment depends on the cause of anhedonia. Once the primary disorder causing it is treated, anhedonia will be cured itself.
Please consult a nearest psychiatrist for detailed assessment and further treatment.
If you can provide some more details about your symptoms, I can help you to reach to the cause.
Since when you feel this?
how has you mood and energy levels been lately?
Any sleep, appetite disturbances?
Any fearfulness?
Any kind of hallucinations?
Any feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts?
Anger outbursts?
Answers to these questions will help me to guide you better.
Hope this answers your query satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Dr. Shubham Mehta, MD (Psychiatry).
need some more details.
Detailed Answer:
Hello Dear XXXXXXX
Welcome to HCM.
You dont talk to anyone or do anything. You kill time at job. You think you suffer from anhedonia.
I can understand your concerns.
I would like to tell you that anhedonia is just a symptom and can commonly be a part some psychiatric disorders like:
Depression,
Schizophrenia,
Personality disorders,
Paranoia and Anhedonia are two different terms.
Anhedonia is defined as the inability to experience pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable previously.
Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself.
Yes, its curable. But the treatment depends on the cause of anhedonia. Once the primary disorder causing it is treated, anhedonia will be cured itself.
Please consult a nearest psychiatrist for detailed assessment and further treatment.
If you can provide some more details about your symptoms, I can help you to reach to the cause.
Since when you feel this?
how has you mood and energy levels been lately?
Any sleep, appetite disturbances?
Any fearfulness?
Any kind of hallucinations?
Any feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts?
Anger outbursts?
Answers to these questions will help me to guide you better.
Hope this answers your query satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Dr. Shubham Mehta, MD (Psychiatry).
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Since when you feel this?
few years now hard to pin point the start... must be 3 to 4 years
how has you mood and energy levels been lately?
Energy level is low. I am not tired but just don't feel like doing anything. I even avoid eating unless I have to. Mood is normal friends say I have been acting secretive because I don't talk much anymore. everything bores me.
Any sleep, appetite disturbances?
I eat when I absolutely have to. I sleep when I feel sleepy. (I am a sailor and at quite XXXXXXX position so no one is there to question me if I leave early). when on vacation sometimes I sleep 10 to 12 hours, and few days I don't sleep at all.
Any fearfulness?
No.
Any kind of hallucinations?
No.
Any feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts?
No.
Anger outbursts?
No, Fact is nothing bothers me. I hardly ever get angry.
Its like my emotion is stuck on "I don't care" mode. I don't feel happy, Angry, sad or anything. I am indifferent to everything.
Can this a psychiatric disorder? If yes should I see a doctor for this.
If you need any more info plz let me know
Regards XXXXXXX
few years now hard to pin point the start... must be 3 to 4 years
how has you mood and energy levels been lately?
Energy level is low. I am not tired but just don't feel like doing anything. I even avoid eating unless I have to. Mood is normal friends say I have been acting secretive because I don't talk much anymore. everything bores me.
Any sleep, appetite disturbances?
I eat when I absolutely have to. I sleep when I feel sleepy. (I am a sailor and at quite XXXXXXX position so no one is there to question me if I leave early). when on vacation sometimes I sleep 10 to 12 hours, and few days I don't sleep at all.
Any fearfulness?
No.
Any kind of hallucinations?
No.
Any feelings of guilt, suicidal thoughts?
No.
Anger outbursts?
No, Fact is nothing bothers me. I hardly ever get angry.
Its like my emotion is stuck on "I don't care" mode. I don't feel happy, Angry, sad or anything. I am indifferent to everything.
Can this a psychiatric disorder? If yes should I see a doctor for this.
If you need any more info plz let me know
Regards XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Most probably Dysthymia;Consult a psychiatrist.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for providing the details and sorry for the late response.
I think your details point towards 'Dysthymia'. It is a milder form of depression.
I would definitely suggest you to visit a psychiatrist.
The treatment would consist of psychological therapies, most specifically 'Behavioral activation'. The goal of this therapy is to make person understand the relationship between actions and emotional consequences and a systematic replacement of dysfunctional patterns with adaptive ones. Additionally, focus is given to quality sleep, and improving social functioning.
Say for example in your case, the prominent emotion being the feeling of boredom and as a consequence, it cause you to kill the time at job without doing any productive work. The therapist will make efforts with you to realize how you can overcome this feeling of boredom and thus improve your functioning.
This is just a simplified example to make you understand the goal of therapy.
Drugs like Fluoxetine (SSRI antidepressant) or modafinil (Psychostimulant) can also help along with the psychological therapies. But these are prescription drugs.
The psychiatrist will help you with the regular intensive sessions of the therapy and also the drugs.
Hope this helps.
Feel free to ask further.
I wish you good health.
Thanks.
Most probably Dysthymia;Consult a psychiatrist.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for providing the details and sorry for the late response.
I think your details point towards 'Dysthymia'. It is a milder form of depression.
I would definitely suggest you to visit a psychiatrist.
The treatment would consist of psychological therapies, most specifically 'Behavioral activation'. The goal of this therapy is to make person understand the relationship between actions and emotional consequences and a systematic replacement of dysfunctional patterns with adaptive ones. Additionally, focus is given to quality sleep, and improving social functioning.
Say for example in your case, the prominent emotion being the feeling of boredom and as a consequence, it cause you to kill the time at job without doing any productive work. The therapist will make efforts with you to realize how you can overcome this feeling of boredom and thus improve your functioning.
This is just a simplified example to make you understand the goal of therapy.
Drugs like Fluoxetine (SSRI antidepressant) or modafinil (Psychostimulant) can also help along with the psychological therapies. But these are prescription drugs.
The psychiatrist will help you with the regular intensive sessions of the therapy and also the drugs.
Hope this helps.
Feel free to ask further.
I wish you good health.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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