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FlarnflingerContributor
I've been trying to find help with my condition (Anhedonia) for decades but it's such a foreign concept to pretty much everyone
.
If you know or have had experience with my condition, are there any resources you can direct me to?
Most doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists have no clue and just say, "let's try this for a bit and come back and see me". I've done that for 35 years now and am still nowhere.
Cheers.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
BAOModerator
Hi @Misty7 @Dogman - just tagging you for the posts about address to you from @Flarnflinger
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
FlarnflingerContributor
p.s. @Misty7
Pathways was an in-house therapy unit that covered group & family counselling, meditation, psychology and medication.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
Misty7Senior Contributor
@Flarnflinger
I'm not an expert but sounds like you have social anhedonia or the social aspect is a major part of it which must make it challenging. Anhedonia can be a symptom of depression or other mental disorder but it can exist on its own also.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
RadderSenior Contributor
Many thanks for your clarification and patience @Flarnflinger
The mental health system is very far from perfect. If they are scratching their heads and there are no similar cases, could it be that anhedonia was the closest diagnosis they knew of? Could anhedonia be a misdiagnosis/inadequate diagnosis that was given at some stage, and has subsequently clouded the true issues due to diagnostic overshadowing? That can sometimes be the case if meds aren't working as expected for the diagnosis.
Personally, I view diagnoses as psychology's subjective labels for symptoms of distress or unfulfilled needs. Some people can fixate on those labels, but I'm far more interested in the whole person who is so much more than a diagnosis.
Have you ever tried a psychologist specialising on Positive Psychology?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology
Or Existential Therapy?
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
DogMan79Senior Contributor
@BAO you just tagged "dogman" who hasn't visited the forum in years, and potentially just received an email notification for your tag
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
HistoryloverSenior Contributor
@Flarnflinger, I have to ask—is there anything you're particularly drawn to, skills you could develop/further? Forget the enjoyment aspect would be my advice. Just work on filling out your life. Make of it what you can.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
Misty7Senior Contributor
Hi @Flarnflinger
I was going to ask you if you have trauma in your background especially from early childhood. Have you had treatment for the trauma? The anhedonia is probably linked to the trauma. I suffer from Cptsd and it does make you feel numb sometimes.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
AppleblossomSenior Contributor
@Flarnflinger I can relate to many aspects of this thread.
I remember my young adult days as the days of trying to find a way through God's police and Damn ed Who res ... or excessive Sanctimoniousness, hedonia and people self harming. So your statements resonate a lot with me.
I too, take diagnoses with a dose of salt, too heavy for physical health, but good enuff for metaphorical meanings. lol. Yes, the whole person is important.
I am going through changes recently due to all the years of different therapies I have tried. I come from CPTSD background.
A few moments in my journey might be relevant.
In a Tai Chi class ... I was asked to find an inner half smile. I found that extremely hard. I had not felt able to smile for decades, but over the years, here and there, I have found it a practice that helped. I was nowhere near being able to laugh or laugh out loud. Maybe a little like Mona Lisa smile ... a little tickle ...
20 years ago I started reflecting on humour and what actually made me laugh. I had a lot of resistance, as I had seen a lot of bullying and unethical laughter, throughout my life, but I also read a lot of literature and appreciated wit and irony ... these days I do laugh quite a lot, and learning spontaneity and to make other laugh a little..
Anyway ... just some thoughts.
In response to: Lifelong Anhedonia @50y.o.
Misty7Senior Contributor
@Flarnflinger
Sorry to bother you again. Here's a link I found about your condition. It mentions therapies such as TMS , behavioural activation and dopamine targeted medication.
https://www.cognitivefxusa.com/blog/patient-guide-to-anhedonia-treatment
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