The world celebrates on October 10 of each year the World Mental Health Day, and mental and psychological health is one of the problems that should not be ignored, especially in light of the impact of the Corona pandemic on mental health and causing psychological damage to many people, and among the common mental health problems that are not discovered Many say it is a sign of mental illness “losing passion and interest in the things you used to love.” Scientists have called this problem “anhedonia,” which is one of the symptoms of depression. In this report, we learn about “anhedonia,” or loss of passion, its causes, symptoms and treatment.
What is anhedonia or loss of passion?
According to a website report, onlymyhealth“Anhedonia or loss of craving is a condition similar to depression known as an inability to feel pleasure and also called anhedonia. It is a mental health condition that is often a symptom of depression and other disorders such as psychosis, anorexia, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. This leads to feelings of disinterest and loss of interest in activities. Which a person liked very much in the past.
Somatic Anhedonia- When a person suffers from physical anhedonia, he does not stop feeling any physical sensations but is unable to feel the pleasure and joy associated with it in general.
For people with this type, activities such as hugging, touching, and eating are no fun.
social anhedonia
It is a symptom of depression and a type of anhedonia that makes a person feel lonely and not even feel like spending time with others. This state of social anhedonia causes a person to lose interest in any kind of social activities or events.
Symptoms of anhedonia
Some of the most common symptoms of anhedonia are-
- Cut ties with the people around you and reduce your social world
- social withdrawal
- Lack of interest in any family gathering or social event
- Failing to express feelings and keep your thoughts to yourself
- Losing interest in your favorite activity
- Hate the food you used to love
- Lack of participation and hide yourself from the world
Causes of anhedonia or loss of passion
Nothing in this world happens without a reason and therefore there is a reason behind everything, and some research has also proven that anhedonia is linked to a change in a person’s brain activity.
This condition can be caused by the way your brain responds to the feel-good hormone dopamine, and researchers confirm that dopamine neurons are overactive in people with anhedonia, thus affecting the way a person feels and helps.
Treatment of anhedonia or loss of passion
If someone feels a loss of pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyable, the patient should be taken to a mental health professional for evaluation. This can be one of the symptoms of several common mental illnesses, which can be treated with drug therapy and psychotherapy.
Some other treatment options a person might look for include:
- Meditation
- talk therapy
- Taking medications to treat depression.