What is anhedonia?

Anhedonia refers to the condition of not deriving pleasure from life, and it is an effective symptom in some diagnostic processes. This term is derived from the Greek words "-an" (-sen) and "hedone" (pleasure).

Although we see its manifestation in many psychological disorders, some of them are considered more fundamental. For example, according to the DSM-5 published by the American Psychiatric Association and considered as the general diagnostic language, depressive states or anhedonia are considered mandatory symptoms for diagnosing major depression.

Is there really a disease where one does not derive pleasure from anything?

So, is anhedonia just an abstract concept, or does it have a biological basis? Research by Harvey and others on neuroimaging (2007) shows that the degree of anhedonia in a person is directly related to the activity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) of the brain and inversely proportional to the activity of the ventral striatum. Considering that the VMPFC plays a role in suppressing emotional behavior and ensuring automatic control, and the ventral striatum is responsible for the brain's reward system and behavior motivation regulation, it can be said that anhedonia has a biological basis.

What are social and physical anhedonia?

When we look at the types of anhedonia, we see that some researchers divide it into two groups: social and physical. In social anhedonia, a person does not derive pleasure from spending time with others, while in physical anhedonia, there is indifference to physical stimuli such as food, exercise, music, and sex. In other words, if a person does not experience any emotions in social situations, strives to simply fulfill the requirements of the environment, and prefers solitude, they may have various levels of social anhedonia. On the other hand, if there are no physical activities that excite you, and you cannot feel emotions towards pleasant physical activities, you may have physical anhedonia of varying degrees. Additionally, it is possible to measure the level of anhedonia. The Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Rating Scale (SHAPS), created in 1995 and consisting of 14 questions, is considered reliable for this purpose. So, what are the signs and causes of anhedonia?

Signs of Anhedonia

Among the signs of this condition are not enjoying life, apathy towards life, inability to derive pleasure from previously enjoyable activities, excessive or lack of sleep, loss of appetite or excessive appetite, weakness and fatigue, lack of concentration, depressive mood, slow thinking and movements. When considering the causes, we see a wide range. We encounter various factors such as developing tolerance to pleasure levels after substance use, alienation from the external world after trauma, genetic predisposition, side effects of various medications, hormonal changes, factors related to chronic illnesses, and low socio-economic levels associated with anhedonia.

Treatment for the Lack of Pleasure in Life

Let's say we have noticed the presence of anhedonia in ourselves. Is it possible to change this condition and how can we deal with it? Considering the multitude of different causes of anhedonia, we cannot say that there is one specific and single solution. It seems evident that for the proper diagnosis and treatment of this condition, it is necessary to consult a specialist in medical and psychological reasons. On the other hand, considering the positive effect method tested by Craske and others (2019), we see that the research yielded positive results. This method is generally used to describe situations that evoke positive feelings in our lives, enhancing our awareness of positive components in our lives through various events and allowing us to see positive aspects for spiritual development. It aims to establish a systematic view of life. The beauty of the positive effect method lies in the fact that we can apply it to our own lives. We shape our minds in this direction, activating the relevant brain regions through conscious efforts to introduce positive components into our lives. The main reason is that we can physically develop these areas by activating them through conscious efforts. We need to pay attention to the positive aspects of our lives until it becomes a habit. If we engage in sports, we can imagine the impact of sports on our bodies and feel satisfaction from it, declaring that we are training now. If we listen to music, we can imagine how music affects our bodies and try to feel the music we are listening to. When we eat, we can slow down and pay attention to the taste of the food. By doing this, we can shape our minds in the desired direction.

Anhedonia is actually a condition known to all of us and experienced at various levels.

In cases where it is caused by specific illnesses, seeking help may be the best choice. The solution to cases where it is caused by conscious or unconscious apathy towards life is right in front of us. Just as we have taught ourselves apathy, and as time goes on, we strengthen the relevant brain regions, we can strengthen our minds in this direction over time, striving to live a full life and trying to see the positive sides.