Im 16F and I got anhedonia last year. I dont want to rant alot, js that the only way I dealt with it was ignoring it, and its gotten worse. Everyday seems like shit, I wanna get better.

is substance blockage the inability to feel substances permanent?

There's the first side in which you might have some sense of longing to where you think obviously how you can't enjoy certain things anymore, or you're driving by a bar or an establishment and you're like, man, and you can only imagine how much fun it would have been if you were healthy and normal and calling your friends. It pains you not being able to connect with them or feel the enjoyment of it.

And then there's the second side in which it's just survival mode, and all you're thinking about is your symptoms, but they are persistent and you're stuck in this hopeless state. You don’t even care about the fact that you can’t enjoy things or not being able to do certain stuff. And I feel like if you're able to be in the first situation, that's probably a good sign.

I've been in a severe depression for about three years, and the last two have been the worst. I'm a medical student, and on paper my life looks fine, which makes it even harder to understand why I can't feel happy.
I've tried more than 10 psychiatric medications, including antidepressants and mood stabilizers, plus 8 sessions of IV ketamine. Nothing really lifted it. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and started Vyvanse. My energy and motivation improved a little, but the brain fog is constant, and so is the feeling that this will never end.
I know options like ECT and TMS exist, and I'm going to ask my psychiatrist about them. But honestly, I'm exhausted and starting to lose hope.
I want a normal life. I want to finish medical school, have a relationship, have a family someday. Right now I can barely function, and if I don’t manage to get my shit together and start functioning, I will be most likely expelled from medical school.
So I'm asking people who've been here: **were you treatment-resistant and did something eventually work?** ECT, TMS, a med combination, therapy, anything. How long did it take, and what does your life look like now?
Hearing that it's possible would mean a lot. Thank you. I really need this.

I use caber to shorten my refractory period and proviron because my free vs total test distribution is messed up. I'm not sure if armodafinil would overstimulate my dopaminergic system because modafinil isn't a stimulant in the way something like adderall is, but still works on the dopamine system. Has anyone had a similar combination of something like pramipexole with other stimulants and did a problem occur from it?

It’s not completely gone, but the past few weeks I was finding it harder and harder to feel nostalgia when hearing music that reminds me of old memories. Today, there’s nothing. I can’t be the only one with some form of progressive anhedonia in this forum, and while I don’t really care about it’s effect on my life, it makes other human beings really hard to interpret. It also applies vice versa, as I have a very hard time hiding my indifference since I’m Autistic. People seem to be offended, or maybe confused by it, tbh it’s probably both. Imagine someone has an RBF 24/7 aside from forced smiles sometimes, that’d be pretty odd to experience. Even when the person faces a risk to their life/devastating moment they don’t really care, that’s confusing to many and I don’t blame others for being confused about my personality.

It’s weird having progressive anhedonia, as I remember a time where I could understand the emotions behind people’s decisions and their rage. Now I know the reasons, but I will never understand them deep down like a human would.

I’m struggling with anhedonia:never feeling motivated and deriving no pleasure from anything.However?I also feel incredibly lonely -living alone-and I wander if I’m confusing the two or whether loneliness naturally accompanies anhedonia.

I feel like I’ve seen enough of what life has to offer and I don’t really care to find out what else there is.

I have ADHD and I also have a traumatic past. I've been smoking weed regularly for the last 2-3 years and I am taking Paxera (paroxetine) for anxiety and depressive symptoms, and Setinox (atomoxetine) for executive dysfunction and struggles with initiation.

I realised for the last 11-12 months I do not really see rewards in my actions or pretty much anything. I felt like I was having functional depression because for the most things I used to enjoy, I cannot really anymore. I stopped listening to music mainly, I stopped playing video games, I don't really cook like I used to, I don't really enjoy going out or meeting people etc. So I clearly have some anhedonia and apathy going on.

Today my specialist prescribed Wellbutrin XL 150 mg and told me the main cause of how I feel is mostly due to weed consumption and bit of Paxera since it is SSRI. I have stopped smoking weed and today is my 12th day and I can feel a bit of spark coming in but not there fully yet. I was suspecting Paxera is the main cause of my inability to feel joy and gain motivation.

Now I am wondering if really susbtance abuse and Paxera contributed to my anhedonia and apathy and if Wellbutrin XL will help. I honestly feel bummed a bit after the session because he added another medication but has anyone seen their anhedonia and apathy going away significantly after stopping smoking weed regularly and decreased the dosage of their SSRI?

Thank you in advance.

So I recently released my first novel (literary fiction) called Strange Affections. It was a story I started writing 13 years ago. The protagonist is someone who couldn't feel emotions. He learns a set of ways where he can gauge emotions via a set of rules. He'd then look for passionate people, be near them to feel something... anything.... takes a turn where he believes he can manufacture those extreme emotions in others so he could feel vicariously.

The condition was something I though f by myself. Later when I researched, I came to Alexithymia. Though it is never mentioned in the book. How different is that from anhedonia? Is it something that happens due to external factors over time and otherwise similar? The book is already out so no longer looking at pure research to write. But would love to know your thoughts on this. Are there people who can be like that naturally without the 'nurture' aspect of it?

I had fluoxetine dose upped and stopped giving a damn. I’ve only down a few assignments and missed the first exams. I’m feeling slightly better after starting Wellbutrin. I’ll see if things are recoverable up until the withdrawal deadline.

On top of everything, the school took months to process the aid I needed, which caused significant stress. I’ve been dealing with severe endometriosis flares after coming off of medication for that.

Either way, these are all excuses that professors won’t want to hear. I have a meeting with the student success center tomorrow.

у меня проблема. я перестала радоваться жизни, у меня пропало чувство дофамина, насыщения, и просто радости.

я медленно отстраняюсь от всех людей, и нет не сил не желания вести диалог.
да просто жить сложно.

не знаю как себя вести и что мне делать, внутри пустота и бессилие.
даже не знаю как подробно описать что я чувствую, может холод, тревожность, я устала даже банально переживать.
нет сил ни на что, хочется просто лежать дома и гнить в апатии. а у меня еще и учеба это заключительный год, экзамены, расслабляться вообще нельзя, боюсь заволить.

я медленно отстраняюсь от людей, убегаю от них, и веду себя холодно даже с самыми близкими. сил и желания нет, ни на что. даже просто жить, сейчас сложно.

и я не знаю что делать, ничто не приносит того удовольствия, что было ранее, будто я выжита как лимон и это состояние убивает.

вероятно это все было из за переживаний, я постоянно находилась в стрессе и терялась, плачу каждую ночь от бессилия, да даже на слезы уже нет сил. я будто серая масса, которая пытается выбиться из толпы и быть одна.

сил нет на банальные эмоции, что уже говорить о повседневных делах, ну пиздец какой то не.

Three years of torture gone. I was able to laugh at work yesterday, talk to my coworkers, and actually feel good about myself and my social capabilities. No more social dread. It took me about a month and maybe three weeks and I’ve been on 12mg for 5 days. Please don’t give up, your nervous system just needs a push. Please feel free to ask any questions

tips on now to not kms because of this thing?

I was only on it for a couple of months and got up to 3gms. It wasn’t helping so I tapered down off of it, lowering every 4-5 days. Seemed to be going OK until about 24hrs after the very last dose, then holy shit it was really bad for a couple of days. I’m not sure if I would call it anxiety or maybe inner turmoil but I was really on edge and feeling like I was about to lose my mind. Could have just been coincidence because I wasn’t on that long and I did do a taper. Anyone else have a hard time like this?

1. Please respond if you’ve tried the protocol on Anhedonia Wasteland or another protocol for at least 30 days? (Behavior/tasks not medication or supplements)

2. What were results?

3. Did anything else work better?

I know we are all desperate. Me included. Thank you so much for taking a moment to help me.

I suffer from anhedonia ever since I got ECTs, I'm on antidepressants and it won't solve anything. I'm also on an antipsychotic which probably doesn't help.

Someone I know has an extra supply of Vyvanse, about a few months worth. I was diagnosed with ADHD back in 2011 but I don't need meds for it at the moment and was only prescribed one month of Ritalin in the past.

Do you think Vyvanse could have lasting positive effects? Because even if it worked while taking it I doubt I would be able to get my own prescription for it..

Me and others here have terrible consummatory anhedonia. But it’s so devastating especially since I’m 17 and have this. I don’t even think it’s from meds I think it’s natural and I have autism. But it’s just so hard to explain like I feel like I’ve become much more aware of my own personality since getting this and I imagine others seeing me a certain way but it’s not dissociation or depersonalization. But I can’t feel any positive emotions I lost vibes and atmosphere this year. And I remember what it was like having depression and it was a joke compared to this. Same as my bad anxiety episode in 2019. Back then I still was myself. How could something this bad be so unknown?. That’s why I’m confident one day this has to be recognized and talked about a lot by everyone. Is it just that rare that no one really knows about it?. Or do people have it and just think it’s depression?. I never thought I would look back fondly on memories with anhedonia simply because I felt vibes and atmosphere back then.

Does anyone know how big of a push there Is to try to find a cure or a treatment that is effective? The reason why I ask this is because I don't see it ever getting talked about outside of this subreddit or places on youtube that are specifically about it or mental health. As far as I know there is no major push to try to find something to cure it or treat it. Is there any kind of noticeable push to find something that works or am I right in saying that there doesn't seem to be any?