I recently received a comment over on the YouTubes on the episode where I talked about anhedonia. The commenter asked if I was still dealing with it, if I thought it was medication-induced, and was looking for hope in dealing with his struggle. This, of course, got me thinking about such things.
I don’t know if I would say I deal with anhedonia now. One of the characteristics of anhedonia is the lack of interest in things. While it’s true that I don’t feel pleasure from nouns (people, places, and things), another characteristic is that I do have an interest in doing things. I’m interested in finding yummy, fat-free snacks I can make at home.
I don’t, however, get any satisfaction from (or at least recognize it) successfully making a yummy snack. Conversely, I don’t feel (or at least recognize feelings) negatively for a failed attempt. And really, the last time I can recall having emotions was a time of immense stress for me, and I have exactly zero coping strategies for stress.
From the internet:
Signs and symptoms of alexithymia include:
- difficulties identifying feelings and emotions
- problems distinguishing between emotions and bodily sensations that relate to those emotions
- limited ability to communicate feelings to others
- a lack of fantasies and imagination
- a logical and rigid thinking style that does not account for emotions
- poor coping skills when it comes to dealing with stress
- poor life satisfaction
We’re going to reference this list over the next few days as I explain how these apply to me. (Stayed tuned because I know you’re dying to find out)