Anhedonia is characterized by a loss of satisfaction and interest in carrying out various activities, such as going out with friends, going to the cinema, walking on the beach, which were previously considered pleasant.
This type of alteration is very common in depressive states and some psychiatric illnesses caused by substance abuse such as the drug, and the treatment usually consists of eliminating the root cause, as well as undergoing psychotherapy or using antidepressant medications, prescribed by the psychiatrist.
Types of anhedonia
The main types of anhedonia are social anhedonia, which consists of a lack of interest in contact with society or performing activities with other people and physical anhedonia, which consists in an inability to feel pleasure in touch, intimate contact or eating, for example.
What symptoms
The most common symptoms that manifest in people with anhedonia are difficulty in the relationship with other people, negative feelings towards themselves and others, difficulty in talking to other people or showing affection, difficulty in adapting to social situations, tendency to show false emotions and loss of sexual appetite.
Possible causes
Anhedonia is one of the main symptoms of depression, however, not everyone who has depression suffers from anhedonia. In addition, diseases such as schizophrenia, psychosis, Parkinson's disease, anorexia nervosa, drug abuse and the use of medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics used to treat depression, can also cause anhedonia.
Some risk factors can also lead to the development of anhedonia, such as the occurrence of traumatic or stressful events, a history of abuse or neglect, diseases that have a major impact on the person's quality of life or an eating disorder. Know the most common symptoms of an eating disorder.
How the treatment is done
Anhedonia is curable, but it can be very difficult to treat. It usually consists of treating the underlying disease, such as depression or another psychiatric illness.
The first option is psychotherapy with a therapist, who evaluates the person's psychological state and if necessary refers him to a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medications such as antidepressants or remedies for the person's psychiatric problem.
Medical follow-up should be done regularly, in order to identify possible side effects caused by the drugs and in order to adjust the dose, so that better results are obtained.
Other treatments that can be used to treat anhedonia are electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation. Know what electroconvulsive therapy is and how it is done.
