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Anhedonia Treatment - What you Need to Know

Gloria Goodwin's picture
Anhedonia Treatment - What you Need to Know

If you suffer from anhedonia, then there is treatment available for you, but it does make sense to understand more as to what is involved before you start. What follows is all of the information you should really know about not just the possible treatment, but also the condition itself to allow you to determine if you do indeed suffer from it or not.

What is anhedonia?

Anhedonia is a major symptom of a major depressive disorder and it is perhaps best characterised by the person losing all interest in activities that used to give them a great deal of pleasure. There is a theory that it occurs as a direct result of the reward system of the brain actually breaking down so people lose a certain amount of their emotions and find it difficult to enjoy anything. If you suffer from depression, then there is a good chance you will also have anhedonia. People with it will generally have an extremely flat mood with no changes in it, which does make it difficult for them to get treatment.

What is the treatment?

There are several ways in which anhedonia can be treated and it may indeed result in a combination of both medication as well as natural remedies. One issue is of course the depression and it may be decided that the sufferer will require medication to help with that and then the anhedonia will be tackled on its own. As it is linked to anxiety it is best to tackle the problem as soon as possible with the following treatments having been shown to be successful with a number of people.

Doing some form of physical exercise is widely accepted as being a fantastic treatment in not only this, but also depression in general. By doing exercise it releases chemicals in the brain that does elevate the mood so look at doing it on a regular basis even if it just involves going for a brisk walk on most days.

Apart from exercise, another treatment can involve the use of yoga to help calm the mind and this is of course something that can be done alone. Yoga is known as being a good way to tackle anxiety and actually stop it from developing too quickly and you can then keep it under control. Do also consider meditation as an alternative and others will also tend to use tai-chi to help them remain calm.

You may also want to look at homeopathic treatments if you wish to avoid using medication that is prescribed by your doctor and there are several things that may be used. Valerian is good for not only helping you to sleep better, which is also part of the treatment for anheodnia, but it will also help with anxiety, but you are certainly advised to consult an expert to ensure you take the right things.

Another approach to take is to live a healthy lifestyle, which means look at your diet and stop smoking as well as reduce the amount of alcohol you consume. Doctors and psychologists will often state that a healthy lifestyle can make a difference with anhedonia as well as depression and build a close relationship with friends and family who can support you.

Finally, there are of course antidepressants available or other medication designed to help tackle anxiety issues, but for some people they will lead to side effects and it may be best to look at natural remedies instead. Side effects are of course not an issue with the natural approach and it will, therefore, be kinder on your body and mind in general.

How successful is the treatment?

As with any kind of treatment the success rate does vary between people; however, the fact there are several methods available does make it far more likely you will be able to find something that works for you. There are a large number of people who would swear by the natural, holistic approach and there has certainly been a lot of research into the impact it has on the mind and depression in general.

So if you do indeed suffer from anhedonia, then at least there are a number of potential treatments available for you to try. It is perhaps quite importantn to point out that there will be no guarantee of one treatment being suitable for everyone, but the key is to try a mixture of both natural remedies along with those that are perhaps prescribed by your doctor in order to give yourself the best chance of recovery. Getting over this is entirely possible and in doing so you will be able to start to enjoy life once more rather than the depression and anhedonia slowly crippling you.