Anhedonia, emotional numbness and motivation

Hi,
I’m a 26 year old student from wales . I have been hearing voices for the last 3 years. They are derogatory unpleasant nasty and cruel
I also have anhedonia . I’m unable to feel pleasure from things like drinking a cup of tea , physical touch or eating.
I also have sexual anhedonia . I cant feel pleasure from sex and my sex drive is very low
This is all very distressing for me. Instead of feeling pleasure I feel this intense discomfort underneath my scalp .
It’s really affecting my motivation and quality of life . I’m moving into a new house on Friday and yet I feel nothing
Does anyone have any advice on how to treat the anhedonia ?

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Welcome @Emu567

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Welcome there! Are you on medicaments atm? For me the feeling of anhedonia and despair went better with antidepressants. Still, it´s something we struggle with.

Welcome.
I have that too. No solution that doesn’t worsen positive symptoms.

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Actually maybe try Wellbutrin, its an antidepressant that works on dopamine and gave me back some of my emotions.

I’ve never had anhedonia for food and drink, but I have had it for most entertainment activities. My advice for improving it is pretty simple. Be on minimum dose of meds that controls symptoms and just keep trying new things. I improved my anhedonia/concentration for watching shows/movies simply by trying to find something that I am really interested in and keep trying. I think that it is also important to not have expectations of whether or not you are going to enjoy an activity but just do it and see what happens.

I have no idea if this will help you or not but mine has improved by these simple steps.

Edit: Note that I started watching small segments of shows and slowly worked my way up to full length as well. This incremental approach may help for some activities.

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Hi,
I am taking mirtazapine and clopixol . However they seem to have made the numbness worse and I also gained a lot of weight .
I feel quite robotic . I went out over the weekend and I felt very numb , unable to laugh and quite blank. I couldn’t enjoy drinking with my friends.
I just feel like I am really boring now and I am bored all the time .
I will try finding something I’m interested in. I spend too much time in bed not doing anything and feeling sorry for myself ! :sob:

Welcome to the forum :hatched_chick::hatched_chick::hatched_chick:

Yup. No stimulates. :cry::cry::cry:

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I just feel this intense discomfort and pain underneath my scalp all the time . I cant enjoy anything I cant feel pleasure sexually or physically . It’s hell . I’m bored all the time . I don’t want to carry on if this is what life is. I’m too bored to live

I take mirtazapine too and the pdoc increased it a few weeks ago and my avolition has improved. He wanted to increase it to help with avolition

These past few days I’ve had virtually no avolition

And I’ve had major problem with avolition for years. Although in my well periods it did improve, and my meds help.

I hope you can find some solution with your pdoc and find relief! And welcome to this awesome group!

@Aziz

If wellbutrin works so well then why aren’t you still on it?

It made my positive symptoms worse and made me quit vaping. Also made me angry but lately my anger issues are gone so maybe I should try it again but I miss vaping nicotine.

Many here found Wellbutrin helpfulband are on it.

Oh right i see. I dont know @Aziz life can be so bloody complicated can’t it

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