Anhedonia!

Reported.

Ian, this is caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain. It's treatable with medication and CBT. I hope you are under the care of your doctor and he/she is working with you to find a solution. Good luck 🙏.

This sounds horrible but I hope you are getting the right treatment and will soon respond and feel a lot better
There is treatment, it’s not untreatable it may take a few attempts to get the right medication and help and that your life will improve again.

So sorry to hear about your illness.
I'm wondering if you are on any medication to help you.
Please take the advice offered by
TheSunRisesInTheEast.
I wish you well for the future.

I believe there are several different types of treatment for this upsetting condition so do reach out for help. Meanwhile exercise of any sort should help. In answer to your question I have never heard of the specific condition but I know someone who fits your description. He is finally responding well to medication. Don’t give up.

merlotgran

Reported.

Why?

dragonfly46

merlotgran

Reported.

Why?

Yes…..I’m curious as to why this was reported. The condition does exist…..there’s no reference to advertising a product and the OP is curious to know is anyone else has experienced this. Please be kind!!!

IanMcKlatchie, please pray for love from Jesus even if you have no faith..

Hi.

To "TheSunRisesInTheEast", "BlueBelle", "Aldom", "Greenfinch", "Macaydia", and any others who answer/ed my post...

I thank you for your kind words...I am, happily, still able to feel gratitude for such considerations.

TheSunRisesInTheEast: I am aware that medication can sometimes crack open anhedonia's worst. Unfortunately, due to weak kidneys, I am unable to (1) add to my current 30mg a night of Mirtazepine, unable to (2) add another anti-depressant to it and I am unable to (3) switch to any other. That is one of the more frustrating aspects of this predicament. CBT, on the other hand, I had not realised might help, and will now look into it - so, thank you, for that.

BlueBelle and Aldom: Thank you for your kind words. They do make a difference to my isolation feeling.

Greenfinch: I'd not realised that exercise might help with this condition - I will be investigating that avenue of approach, and I heartily thank you.

Macaydia: The cruellest of the cut-offs has been my Faith! But, I will take your advice, and I will try to pray - thanks, for your kind advice.

Merlotgran: I, too, feel a little puzzled as to why my post required reporting. Could you enlighten me as to where I have gone wrong in my post/ing and I will, if possible, correct it, happily.

Thank you, to you all.

Ian's Ghost.

My apologies, Ian. I should have read your OP more carefully.

Sending you best wishes Ian.
Can I say you are not Ian's ghost ,you are Ian. Perhaps a new Ian but we are glad to hear from you!
Perhaps little steps, a short walk every day, going out for a coffee somewhere. Planning something.
All best wishes.

Ian, I don’t know if your age, tastes or circumstances make this a possibility, but have you thought of aquiring a dog? Very good for getting you out, and perhaps back into, your old self. Lots of benefits, if the idea has any attraction at all for you.

To...

LoopyLoo: Thank you, for your kind message. I hope to give up the Ghost one day, soon. I will be doing my utmost to go out for some walks (I'm an agoraphobic, also, but I beat it, last year, for 9 x 1-hour walks, at 10pm, UK time. For me, that was a minor miracle).

MerlotGran: "Thank you, for getting back to the thread, on that. My post, I realise, may seem a little weird, at first reading.

Delila: Long ago, I realised that I was too old to have a dog. Back in the 1980s, I had one: "Sheba". She was half Dane, half German Shepherd...she weighed 8 stones. Once, I had to see her put down and I know that I could never go through such an experience, again. My heart couldn't take another of those. I thank you for the suggestion, though.

Therapy?

My daughter has a personality disorder which has/had detached her brain from her emotions, so she simply felt nothing at all.

Three years on with an amazing therapist and medication she is slowly making a recovery and reconnecting with her former emotional self.

It’s slow, it’s hard, it’s awful but gradually she is working her way back.

I wish you well

Cossy: Thank you, for posting that. That story is very encouraging, indeed. The Inner Desolation, as I call it, is a terrible feeling to live with! Also, my congratulations go to your daughter, for making progress against a disgusting condition from which to have to suffer!

@IanMcKlatchie
Your current situation sounds really hard. I notice that you are taking Mirtazapine: one of the longer term side effects of this drug can be 'emotional blunting' even though initially it is prescribed for depression and anhedonia.It might be worth a discussion with your GP to consider a different medication to see if this helps.

Calipso: Thank you, for your reply. Unfortunately, because of my kidney condition, I am unable to (1) increase my antidepressant; (2) add any antidepressant to it, or (3) change to any other antidepressant! Mirtazepine, it seems, is the only show in town, for me, right now.

The above advice included exercise and CBT, so I'm considering both of those, for this Summer - presupposing that we will be getting a Summer, this year - fingers crossed.

Many thanks, again.

It is very profound depression and the looking at yourself and past self "through a glass darkly" - all those symptoms.

1. It might not be the right Anti-Depressant. Are you absolutely sure Mirtazapene is the only anti'd you can take medically
Clearly your system can't take a lot, but it may be a change is needed. there are other non anti-depressant drugs that might help

But I think you need to see a psychiatrist with your condition becuase most of these other meds need a Psychiatrist to prescribe.

Speaking from experience I know that exercise helps a lot but when I was very bad I couldnt make myself do it.

Everyone's recommendation of talking therapy is excellent, Ian. Pester your GP. Well done as a bloke for coming forward and talking emotionally, its often harder.

There are groups around the country where "blokes talk to blokes" about MH stuff. where you will not be alone.

Google
ANDYSMANCLUB, Talk Club, and The Proper Blokes Club.

Ian , I have no experience of this however please know so many of us are sending you strength , supportive vibes are winging your way.
There has been so much advice on here for you , I sincerely hope you are able to glean some comfort from that.
Remember you are not a ghost , you are IAN !
Please access any help you can, I wish you well in every sense of the word. Good luck - hang in there Ian .

Wyllow3: Thank you for your reply.

The kidney readings were what delayed antidepressant treatment in the first place, for 4 months of utter hell. The antidepressant (AD) that I'm on is the only safe/est one that they can prescribe. I've no idea what the other medications would be that could help...can you tell me anything about them?

I am still under the wing of the psychiatrist who looked after my case when I spent June/July in a psyche hospital, last year, and she keeps in touch by phone, every few weeks. She is the one who told me that only Mirtazepine is safe for me, due to the condition of my kidneys.

Thanks, for confirming that exercise helps. I will be seriously looking into this possibility, during this year, and I hope to make myself stronger in time for the severity of the Winter emotional decline that every human experiences, to some degree, every year. I must try to make myself stronger before that Winter drop. I won't make it through another Winter without some improvement in my condition.

*(Talking Therapies)*: This is pointless, believe me...I've registered with them, twice. First of all, the waiting time bottoms out at 30 weeks. When you get to your turn to begin, you get an early 20s psychology student asking you questions, ticking boxes on her clipboard, then saying, at that 28 minutes mark, "Well, I'll ring you again in two weeks, and we'll....". It used to be more experienced psychology services staff, and it used to be a one hour phone call. Now, it's just the box tickers and bonus hunters. My last attempt with Talking Therapies took 33 weeks and I was too ill, in hospital, by then, to even take part. So, they put me back at square 1 and I never heard another word from them.

Also, since then, when I've contacted Talking Therapies, they tell me, within a week, that my case is far too severe for mere talking therapy, anyway. I never hear another word then, either.

Thank you for giving me the names of those groups: AndysManClub, Talk Club and The Proper Blokes Club. I will be going from sending this reply to you...to Google, to look those up.

Shelflife: Ian , I have no experience of this however please know so many of us are sending you strength , supportive vibes are winging your way. There has been so much advice on here for you , I sincerely hope you are able to glean some comfort from that. Remember you are not a ghost , you are IAN! Please access any help you can, I wish you well in every sense of the word. Good luck - hang in there Ian.

I cried while reading your reply, ShelfLife...thank you for that.

I will be looking very closely at a lot of the advice I have seen in this thread, believe me. I'm fighting for my emotional life, now. Being a member, here, has helped me, enormously, already. I thank you, heartily, for your encouragement and good wishes.

I have felt a fraction brighter since starting to post, here. I thank everybody for that, also.

Ian, it's good to hear that you are benefitting from our advice and knowing that we care about you 🤗.

You are never alone, there is always someone on here to chat to.

I would just point out how beneficial it is for your mental health to get out walking in the fresh air. Don't wait for sunny weather, you'll wait forever! Wrap up warm, put on a coat and scarf, comfortable shoes, and off you go 🙂.

Mental health care in this country is pretty dire, keep taking your medication, eat regular meals, drink plenty of water, and get out there. Make sure to talk positively to yourself in your head, turn negative thoughts into self affirming ones. You may benefit from joining a walking group, but if you'd rather walk alone, that's fine.

Try to find pleasure and joy in music, reading books, watching uplifting TV programmes/films. Attend church, if that's your thing. You may enjoy the tea and chat after the service.

I sincerely hope that you are able to find peace in your heart, a relaxed mind and hope for the future.

Take care, you're worth it 💐.

"Ian, it's good to hear that you are benefitting from our advice and knowing that we care about you."

I'm not used to having people care about me, so it takes me a while to get accustomed to that feeling again, after so long.

"You are never alone, there is always someone on here to chat to."

The other forums online tend to leave depression patients feeling a bit disconnected. Some of the forums are abysmally bad at what they're supposed to be doing. That's why I find this place so refreshing, really - it's delightfully old school, and courteous!

Going Out: My agoraphobia was never expected to return. During the trips between the psychiatric hospital and this house, in my last week as a voluntary resident, there (last year), the agoraphobia seemed to be getting weaker. But, after leaving there and being here for a few months, it started to come back. I'll be working on that, though, this year...all I need are warm Summer nights and...hopefully, out I go. Until then, though, all going out is too close to impossible for me to even consider, at this point. I'll work on it, though. It's been a long time since I did much going out. I don't even own a coat, or a scarf, oddly enough.

Mental Healthcare in the UK is a tragedy - we are sold short at just about every turn. I suppose that we must just make do with what we are given. We can't bring about change in such a system.

"Try to find pleasure and joy in music, reading books, watching uplifting TV programmes/films. Attend church, if that's your thing. You may enjoy the tea and chat after the service."

I can put music on, but it tends to jar on me, right now. TV shows?...no chance. I'd already stopped watching those long before Anhedonia struck. I have quite the fight ahead of me, I suspect. I'm very grateful for the welcome that I have received from the members of this forum/site.

I've heard of "Behavioural Activation" therapy, which is CBT against Anhedonia. I'll be investigating how that works and trying to apply the principles of it to my life, but I'm expecting that it will be tough, and a slow, slow job. If it gets too bad, I'll try to find professionals who might be able to show me how to do a much better job.

"I sincerely hope that you are able to find peace in your heart, a relaxed mind and hope for the future. Take care, you're worth it."

I thank you, heartily, for such kind words. These are scary times. I'm glad that I posted, here...it was a very good move forward, in my opinion.

Thank you, all.

If you are under the care of a psychiatrist then I wouldn't suggest particular drugs, because they know a lot more than me: I have cross checked with the one that helps me and ones I know have helped others, and it harms the kidneys.

The trouble with MH services includes the fact that a lot of resources, like drop in centres, like supervised art groups, are very restricted. It is easier I know at bad times to be able to relate to others with similar problems.

And most of all, serious talking therapies that might be suitable are now very very restricted indeed on the NHS - they were fine when I needed to access them but that was 2008. Yes, it is very hard to get them unless you can self resource. If you can self resource, and have a decent NHS psychiatrist, they may be able to suggest which sort. Some people can get visits from a Community Psychiatric Nurse, thats via a psychiatrist again.

With your agoraphobia difficulties I know it's harder to go out to places or even leave the house at times.

I think searching for Zoom groups might be helpful if you are confined to the house. Do try those mens group references.

Try ringing MIND HQ up to find out about possible Zoom groups or MH chat lines. they used to do one, I'm not up to date.

Church - thats difficult one. Sitting there when it seems meaningless is very difficult, and you feel those around you cant understand. All I can say is try when you feel you can. To expect it to be difficult, but to try when you can get out of the house. To see if it can possibly just be "good enough" as opposed to the warm heart that is able to be fully engaged.