Psychology: 3 signs of anhedonia

“Oh no, I don’t feel like it.” We all know that feeling. Then we get home and stare into space and cancel on our girlfriend. There are phases like that. That’s okay, some even celebrate the state of no longer being tormented by FOMO, the fear of missing out. I can do something – but I don’t have to. Anhedonia, on the other hand, is something different, more tormenting.

3 Signs of Anhedonia

Anhedonia (from the Greek “an” = not, “hedone” = pleasure) refers to the inability to feel joy, pleasure or pleasure – even in things, situations or activities that one used to enjoy.

In anhedonia, sufferers describe their condition as empty inside, completely numb. Or it feels like as if the colors disappear from the world and everything still seems grey. British journalist Annalisa Barbieri, a complaint aunt at The Guardian, paints a picture of a run over, flattened cartoon characterwhen anhedonia hits her. She would just be a shell and she simply wouldn’t be able to feel anything anymore.

Now there are people who think: If you don’t feel anything, nothing can hurt. That’s true, of course, but this absolute lack of joy and pleasure definitely feels wrong. An anhedonic state is not just a canceled date with your girlfriend, an occasional isolation. Rather, it means the At least temporary loss of what made and makes us happy.

“Anhedonia is a symptom of depression, but not a disease in itself”

In an interview with BRIGITTE.DE, Dr. Sabine Köhler, a practicing specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy from Jena and chairwoman of the Professional Association of German Neurologists, explains that anhedonia is not depression in and of itself. “The lack of ability to feel joy is very often a symptom of mental disorders. But it is not a mental illness,” the expert emphasizes.

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“Depression requires certain criteria to be met, including anhedonia, lack of motivation, sometimes delusional thoughts, suicidal thoughts. These are all individual symptoms that, taken together, lead to a diagnosis of depression,” says Dr. Sabine Köhler. “But there is also a time factor. If anhedonia and other symptoms of a certain severity persist for a period of two weeks, then we make the diagnosis.”

A warning signal to take a closer look

Anhedonia can also occur alone and does not necessarily or always require treatment. For example, after an event such as a separation or job loss it is sometimes a normal grief reaction of our psyche. This state usually passes with time and the joy of life returns step by step.

According to Dr. Köhler, the time factor of two weeks does not apply to anhedonia as to whether it is worth treating. But this condition occurs again and again, perhaps always, even without an official reason, so it could be useful to seek medical help to find the underlying causes of why you keep getting into such deep holes.

This is what the expert recommends

As we know, people are different. Some tend to look at the world and life in a pessimistic way, others have a more optimistic attitude. Some people are always enthusiastic and happy, others tend to have a flatter emotional curve and tend to be brooding. But what unites us is The task of taking responsibility for our well-being. To take our needs seriously, to react under certain circumstances and to make certain adjustments.

So you should ask yourself whether you are paying attention to yourself and your body signals. Dr. Sabine Köhler recommends patiently making small changes in your everyday life. These can be things that sound so insignificant, such as lighting a candle to create a nice environment or regularly making yourself a cup of tea. Also, show yourself appreciation again and again. “It’s all about consciously experiencing small moments of pleasure again and again,” says the specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy.

It is also conceivable that external circumstances or changes in life situation contribute to a loss of enjoyment in things. Dr. Köhler: “For example, if I always enjoyed going to the climbing hall, but I notice that I just don’t enjoy it when the children or my partner are there, then it helps to take this perception seriously and do other things together with the children or the partner, and in doing so, get the joy of climbing back.”

As with diagnosed depression, relatives should refrain from giving advice like “Pull yourself together” during anhedonic phases. This often makes the suffering worse because those affected would love to feel joy again but are unable to. On the other hand, the expert knows that saying “Come with me, once you’re here, the joy will surely come back” can also lead to loved ones helping you out of the situation and their prediction actually coming true.

Pop culture knowledge at the end

The film “Annie Hill”, Woody Allen’s first big success in 1977, was originally supposed to be released under the title “Anhedonia”. Allen only renamed it shortly before release because he realized after filming that the female character was more important than his role as the unstable man who never enjoyed anything. And the studio also found the term too cumbersome.

Even though many of us have experienced anhedonic phases, the term is usually only known to experts.

Brigitte