Is there anyone on this forum that experiences both anticipatory and consummatory (“in-the-moment”) anhedonia? Or am I the only schizophrenic that has both?
Abstract
"Research on anhedonia in schizophrenia has revealed mixed results, with patients reporting greater anhedonia than healthy controls on self-report measures and semi-structured interviews, but also reporting comparable experiences of positive emotions in response to pleasurable stimuli. Basic science points to the importance of distinguishing between anticipatory and consummatory (or in-the-moment) pleasure experiences, and this distinction may help to reconcile the mixed findings on anhedonia in schizophrenia. In two studies, we tested the hypothesis that anhedonia in schizophrenia reflects a deficit in anticipatory pleasure but not consummatory pleasure. In Study 1, we used experience sampling methodology to assess reported experiences of consummatory and anticipated pleasure among schizophrenia patients and controls. In Study 2, schizophrenia patients and controls completed a self-report trait measure of anticipatory and consummatory pleasure and interviews that assessed negative symptoms, including anhedonia, and community functioning. In both studies, we found evidence for an anticipatory but not a consummatory pleasure deficit in schizophrenia. In addition, anticipatory pleasure was related to clinical ratings of anhedonia and functional outcome. Clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed."
“Many researchers have reported that patients with schizophrenia experience a normal level of pleasure when participating in pleasurable activities […] However, they have an abnormality in anticipating hedonic experience that will happen in the future, which is a deficit in anticipatory pleasure.”
I have both mildly with the anticipatory variety being a bit more prominent. In the early stages of my illness I had both types to the extreme, life was hell. I couldn’t enjoy anything, inability to anticipate pleasure in future led to no motivation. I felt like god hated me. Anhedonia was at one point my most prominent negative symptom.
For me it’s that i’m experiencing something and it’s not unpleasant but I’m not getting strong pleasurable/positive emotions about it. Emotionally I’m quite neutral.
Yes, I have both anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia. Those who think consummatory pleasure is unaltered in all schizophrenics, are dearly mistaken.
You’ve all complained about experiencing anhedonia. So, do you personally agree or disagree with the claim that schizophrenics don’t feel pleasure when anticipating a fun activity that they could do in the future, but will experience pleasure when actually doing the activity?
Or do you have complete anhedonia, in which case you NEVER experience any pleasure whatsoever?
I don’t have anticipatory anhedonia because I can create projects and work on them. I think I don’t have consummatory anhedonia as well because I enjoy doing some activities (even washing the dishes).
I have both. But most anticipatory anhedonia. I do things because I KNOW I like them. But I never get excited. In an activity I don’t feel joy. I do feel somewhat joyful after an activity. If I did well.
Not only anticipatory or consummatory, there is also a posteriori anhedonia with the fact always having regrets or nostalgia about past events or actions. Looking backwards, revisiting the past with negative depressed point of view and deleting the eventual pleasure taken.
I have both, although not 100% anymore. I can experience a little bit of pleasure again some days, not really euphoria, but contentment. Acceptance, to stop monitoring myself and stop frustration about my lack of joy and love and focus on the good outside things helps. I am not diagnosed with schizophrenia, and anhedonia is something that started with meds and eventually goes away when I am off meds for a longer while.
I don’t really look forward to things. I think the two types of anhedonia are:1) getting a boost of dopamine as reward mechanisn i.e. feeling good from killing a bad guy in a video game AND 2) being able to enjoy a sustained activity such as watching tv or biking. I would say i have both types of anhedonia. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, i think they’re interrelated systems.
thats an interesting question. for me if i like…feel pleasure…its usually super temporary. i have bpd as well so sometimes there are high points but for the most of the time its hard to have pleasure in anything because im just so depressed and confused
So you masturbate and excessively so but you don’t form normal relationships because your experiencing anhedonia?
I suffer a lot from negatives and I’d say that it’s a loaded question much like paranoia is to positives.
Paranoia covers a hell of a lot of ground for example. It’s not about everyone out to get you even though it very well can be. It can also be about people saying certain things about you that are negative for example…even though you may just perceive them to be!
Much the same with anhedonia. Yeah I can orgasm and get off…but natural things like love…attraction etc are all fundamentally affected by the schizophrenia.
I have both. I know you didn’t ask about details but if my thoughts can help then: Anticipatory anhedonia is the harder one in my experience. Consummatory anhedonia has been all over the place with me, depending on the activity and level of mindfulness. I can feel pleasure if I zone into the moment; with the help of medication and lots of therapy homework. Actually, if it helps, doing therapy homework and practicing it in real life can do a lot for us… including trying to do activities without thinking about it from an outsider’s perspective. Both types of anhedonia affect each other, so pleasure in general can be achieved by commitment to therapy and meds. Eventually we deal with it better… the best we can.
Okay, longer response than you probably wanted but I just had a strong coffee and I want to be helpful.
