Anhedonia

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Anhedonia

Question:

What is anhedonia?

Answer:

Anhedonia is the inability to take pleasure in usually pleasurable activities. Nothing is fun — not eating, playing, socializing or having sex. A person also can't experience satisfaction at work.

The term has the same Greek root as the words hedonism and hedonist. Hedonism is the opposite of anhedonia. It is the pursuit of pleasure in all its forms.

Anhedonia is best known as a symptom of depression. In fact, many people with depression don't report low mood. Instead they describe anhedonia, or flatness in their day-to-day lives.

Anhedonia can be a symptom of other major mental disorders, such as schizophrenia. And it can be present in substance abuse. For example, people withdrawing from cocaine may feel it as the opposite of a cocaine high. This can heighten their craving and perpetuate the addiction.

Many neuroscientists believe anhedonia represents a problem in the brain's reward system. Some researchers are now focusing on this symptom as a specific target for drug treatment.

By definition, anhedonia takes the joy out of life. But treatment helps!

For those who think they are experiencing anhedonia, a mental health professional can help them figure out what the underlying problem is. The most common cause is depression and in many cases an antidepressant will be the first thing to try.

For those struggling with an addiction — I understand that's a very difficult roller coaster to get off. If you can conquer that problem, life can become more pleasurable.

Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009