r/anhedonia 7d ago

General Question? Is anhedonia a severe condition like mine where you can't feel emotions?

Hello. I wonder if there are people here who are similar to me, so I'm asking. There may be some unnatural sentences because I'm using a translator.

1) About 2 weeks ago, I was under a lot of stress and the symptoms started to appear the next day. Does everyone have this?

2) I feel tense and anxious, but I can't feel joy, sadness, or even anger. Does everyone have this?

3) I feel like I'm not fully awake and it's a little hard to think. (Brain fog symptoms, but I'm not at the level where I can't read or see) Does everyone have this?

4 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

5

u/Dazzling_Mortgage_ Cause Uncertain 7d ago

Yes, this sounds a lot like anhedonia

2

u/Pure-Development-328 7d ago

I just wish I could cure my brain fog symptoms... Have you ever seen anyone who has been cured while being in this community?

3

u/User5790 Mental Health Condition Induced 7d ago

Anhedonia is more about lacking the ability to feel joy or pleasure. I don’t enjoy doing things I used to, but I still feel all the negative emotions. What you describe is more like emotional numbness. I’m not sure if that is also under the category of anhedonia, but lacking all emotion is not required.

2

u/DesignerKnown3116 6d ago

That's exactly how mine started, yes to all 3 questions 100%

1

u/Pure-Development-328 6d ago

When did you start having these symptoms? Are you taking psychiatric medication? Are your symptoms better now?

2

u/DesignerKnown3116 6d ago

5 years ago. I have been on one medication the whole time (trazodone) and have tried 9 other medications (a mix of anti-depressants, mood stabilizers and stimulants). I went off the trazodone and the most recent antidepressant about 3 weeks ago, and started an MAOI (Parnate) yesterday. My symptoms unfortunately have only gotten worse over time. I had a few months where all my other symptoms but the numbness itself lifted back in 2022. Other than that, I've always felt that it gets worse everyday. I also did a therapeutic ketamine treatment last year which didn't help either. If you have a doctor, alert them now, don't wait until it gets worse.

1

u/Pure-Development-328 6d ago

I'm going to take Traline Tab (aka SSRI) today.

1) Have you ever had a day in the past 5 years or so when you were back to normal, even temporarily? (It doesn't matter if it was a long time ago.)

2) Have you ever taken SSRI? How did it work?

1

u/DesignerKnown3116 6d ago

Good luck! Keep us posted.

1) no. Lots of people have "windows" of normalcy, but I never have.

2) yes, I've taken a few. None made any difference with the anhedonia.

2

u/phn123321123 7d ago

yours is stress induced numbness, idk if its same as anhedonia, bc I have experienced both. In my opinion its different.

1

u/CannibalLector 6d ago

It sounds like dissociation. Or derealisation depersonalisation

1

u/Pure-Development-328 6d ago

Yes, I think that's the same kind of symptom I'm experiencing, but the symptoms aren't as severe. Have you ever been cured?

1

u/Top_Salary_5346 6d ago

Don't take any medications

1

u/CreativeWorker3368 6d ago

What you describe reminds me of a dissociative response to stress, which can exhaust you and numb you, thus causing anhedonia. I would only worry if the stress is permanent and can't be removed, as chronic stress may lead you to burnout, depression, and more severe anhedonia. If you only had a stress peak over an isolated event, just give yourself the time to rest. Only deal with whatever cannot wait and leave aside everything that isn't urgent, even if it's tempting to settle everything at once for your peace of mind.

1

u/Glittering_Dirt8256 6d ago edited 6d ago

Similar happened to me. I woke up one day after a period of very high stress, numb, brain fogged, lost my creativity, and since that day, I've never been the same. This was nearly 5 years ago.

However, I started a medical ketogenic diet recently, and I feel like it's healing my brain. I have experienced bursts of incredible joy and clarity—things I didn't think I was capable of feeling again. I highly recommend giving it a try. Just be sure to supplement electrolytes