Anhedonia: Is the chronic inability to feel joy affect you too?

For a better understanding of anhedonia and its treatment, let’s know its different types and symptoms below:‍

Types of Anhedonia:‍

In life, everyone has its own expectations from different activities that make them happy. For instance, someone dances to enjoy or feel pleasure spending time with a special person. But, these activities are no longer making them content; this is what struggling from Anhedonia feels. Generally, there are two types of Anhedonia:

• Social Anhedonia: Individuals with this kind of anhedonia usually tend to avoid spending time with other people; taking less part in groups and interactions
• Physical Anhedonia: Individuals with this kind of anhedonia do not enjoy physical sensations or touches. For instance, a hug can make a person with physical anhedonia feel emptier rather than feeling nurtured.‍

Symptoms of Anhedonia:

‍If you are experiencing any mental stress that keeps you unhappy you must consider consulting a psychiatrist or a specialist . If you are worried about how to start, you can always book your online doctor consultation with KR4ALL.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms are:

• Social withdrawals
• The diminished pleasure from regular activities or even the activities that one used to enjoy before
• Lack of interest in pursuing hobbies
• Lack of libido or decreased interest in physical intimacy
• Withdrawal from previous relationships‍‍

‍Anhedonia: What’s happening inside the brain:‍

The brain’s circuitry is dense, complicated and ever busy. In Anhedonia, the underlying reward mechanisms are impaired which is not just a simple lack of appreciation for things and various activities. The condition involves a lot of alterations in the levels of motivation, interests, anticipation, efforts and as well as expectations. All these are processed by overlapping of neural circuits. The reward process is unhinged for the people with Anhedonia. It is difficult to figure out which part of this process is unshackled. According to various researches and studies, there are various parts of the brain that are involved in this:

• The Prefrontal cortex: Involves expression of one’s personality and planning.
• The Amygdala:  Involves decision making and processes information.
• The Striatum: This houses the nucleus accumbens that works with the reward system.
• The Insula: This part predominantly involves consciousness and self-awareness.‍‍

‍Anhedonia: Who are at high risks‍

People diagnosed with the following conditions are always at a higher probability of developing Anhedonia.

• Major depressive disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Social anxiety
• Substance abuse-related disorders
• PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Parkinson’s disease‍

According to various studies, Anhedonia could be present in 70% of people that have major depressive disorder.‍

How Is Anhedonia Diagnosed:‍

There are many self-reported assessment tests that can determine several psychological parameters related to anhedonia tendencies. Some of them are mentioned as follows:

• Revised Social Anhedonia Scale
• No Close Friends Subscale
• Introverted Anhedonia Subscale
  

To feel more certain about your condition, it is advised to talk to a specialist. Connect with KR4ALL to book effortless online doctor consultations from home.

Also Read: Are depression and work stress killing your mental peace?

Let’s face it confidently:‍

The sooner we take care of any depressive/schizophrenia tendencies, the faster is the recovery. People with any mental health issues should be on a constant check if they are developing anhedonia or other related tendencies. There are no such preventive measures for this condition but there are few steps which can go a long way to reduce the onset.

Currently, doctors rely more on talk therapy and antidepressant drugs. Medical practitioners are already working for a reliable solution for the condition. Moreover, the below mentioned activities/suggestions are somewhat helpful to minimize the unpleasant behaviour:

• Destress yourself regularly 
• Exercise 
• Get proper sleep every night 
• Maintain a healthy weight by following a long-term fitness programme 
• Don’t consume any inflammatory food such as sugar and refined foods 
• Engage in altruistic and volunteering activities ‍

If anyone feels that their anhedonia symptoms are getting stronger despite taking the above  measures, he/she shouldn’t delay getting evaluated by a psychiatrist. Download the KR4ALL app and begin with your online doctor consultation.

Not only online health consultation, but the app also helps  users to order medicines online and get it delivered to home for FREE!

Join the KR4ALL community and enjoy the digital benefits!

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