Anhedonia describes a reduced interest in activities you typically enjoy. It’s a core symptom of major depressive disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other mental health disorders. Anhedonia is not a health condition.

The word “anhedonia” translates to “without pleasure” in Greek. This translation helps outline what anhedonia is — a lack of pleasure in doing things you usually enjoy.

Anhedonia itself is not a condition. Rather, it’s a core symptom of depression and other mental health disorders.

The exact causes of anhedonia aren’t well understood.

It may be due to a decreased level of certain neurotransmitters or an increased level of inflammatory markers. Atypical levels of these may affect what your brain finds pleasurable.

This may explain why anhedonia is often a symptom of inflammatory diseases or conditions associated with increased signs of inflammation, such as depression.

While every experience with anhedonia will be different, you’ll often notice that the things that used to bring you joy don’t anymore.

Perhaps you have noticed that the hobbies that can usually keep you occupied for hours don’t anymore, or that you haven’t participated in them recently.

Other possible symptoms of anhedonia may include:

  • social withdrawal
  • diminished pleasure derived from daily activities
  • lack of relationships or withdrawal from relationships
  • decreased interest in hobbies
  • lowered libido or a lack of interest in physical intimacy

One important note of differentiation: Anhedonia is not the same as social anxiety, which is categorized as withdrawal from social situations due to a fear of how those situations might go.

If someone is living with anhedonia, they may avoid social situations because there seems to be no reward or point to participating, or they anticipate a lack of pleasure from participation.

If your symptoms of anhedonia are accompanied by thoughts of suicide or self-harm, reach out to emergency services right away.

Help is out there

If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:

  • Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
  • Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
  • Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
  • Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.

If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.

If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.

If you have received a diagnosis of depression or schizophrenia, you may be at an increased risk of developing anhedonia.

It has also been identified in individuals who live with:

Not everyone who experiences anhedonia, however, has a mental health or medical diagnosis for one of the conditions outlined above.

Anhedonia isn’t a health condition itself, so you can’t diagnose or self-diagnose it. It’s a symptom of an underlying condition. Only a health expert can provide a diagnosis of what’s causing your anhedonia.

Because anhedonia can be a symptom of many mental health conditions, how your doctor screens you for an underlying cause will differ.

Generally, they may ask you questions about how you feel and your general mood. They may also ask if you have a history of substance use.

Your doctor may perform a physical exam to determine if any physical issues may be at the root of your concern.

Additionally, your doctor may take a blood sample to test for a vitamin deficiency (like vitamin D) or a thyroid problem, both of which may contribute to symptoms of depression.

The first step in managing anhedonia should be seeking the help of a medical professional.

A health professional should be your first choice to rule out a medical cause of your symptoms. If they don’t find any medical issues, they may recommend you see a:

A primary care professional can refer you to a therapist. If you have insurance, you can check with your provider to see who is in-network.

Treatment for anhedonia often starts with determining the tools that can help you manage the mental health condition that’s likely causing the symptom.

Medication and therapy are often effective management strategies, but they are not cures.

Medication

Your doctor will help determine the right prescription medication for you, such as antidepressants, if depression is the underlying condition.

If another condition is the cause, your doctor will recommend the proper medication.

You should take the medication as prescribed and let your doctor know if you have any side effects. They may need to adjust your dosage or medication.

Medication affects people in different ways. A medication that works for you may not work for someone else with the same symptoms. You may also need to try several different medications before finding the one that works best.

Therapy

Often, therapy and medication are used in combination to help treat depression and other mental health conditions. Some options that may work for you, depending on the underlying condition, include:

  • Talk therapy: This therapy involves talking with a therapist about your feelings, emotions, stressors, and more. The goal is to help you develop new ways of coping with distress.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Often used to help treat depression, CBT involves disrupting negative thought patterns and replacing them with more constructive ones.
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): This is one of the most effective treatments for severe depression that therapy or medication has not helped relieve. It involves applying an electric current to your head while you’re under general anesthesia.
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): TMS uses a small electric current to stimulate your nerve cells. It does not require general anesthesia. TMS can help treat major depressive disorder in people who have treatment-resistant depression.
  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS): During VNS, your doctor will implant a medical device similar to a pacemaker in your chest. This device creates electrical pulses that stimulate your brain. As with ECT and TMS, VNS can help with treatment-resistant depression.

Online therapy options

Read our review of the top online therapy options to find the right fit for you.

Lifestyle management

To help with your treatment, you may also need to make some changes to your lifestyle, such as:

  • aiming to get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep every night
  • eating balanced, nutritious meals
  • moving more, even if just for a few minutes
  • practicing mindfulness when you can
  • trying to stick to a daily schedule that helps get you out of bed or out of the house

Though this list may seem intimidating, especially if even the smallest tasks may sound insurmountable to you right now, remember you can take it slow and at whatever pace you set for yourself.

Perhaps you may choose to focus on one thing at a time, instead of trying to do them all at once, to help make lifestyle changes seem more manageable.

A diminished capacity to experience pleasure or a reduced interest in things that used to make you happy can impact your quality of life. But help is available.

If you have noticed a waning interest in things that once brought you joy, contact a doctor or a mental health professional.

Treating anhedonia sooner rather than later can help improve your outlook on life. Keep in mind that recovery requires patience.

You may need to try several different treatment approaches before finding the right one, and this process may take several months.

Treatment, though it depends on the underlying condition that’s causing your anhedonia, is often highly effective.

Anhedonia often involves a decreased interest in things that usually bring you joy. Why it occurs isn’t well understood, but it’s often associated with depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions.

Recovery is possible, but you’ll need to reach out to a mental health professional or your doctor first. They can diagnose an underlying health condition and recommend treatment.

Remember: Though it may seem far off, recovery is possible. Get started by reaching out to a loved one, doctor, or therapist for help.