Everyone thinks they have anhedonia. Here’s why and what to do if you’re feeling numb

What is anhedonia?

Broadly speaking, anhedonia is a disruption in your ability to feel pleasure in response to things you typically enjoy—but the specifics can vary from person to person.

Importantly, “anhedonia is a symptom, not a diagnosis or a condition, and symptoms can be subjective,” explains psychologist Ryan Howes, Ph.D. The exact presentation depends on the underlying cause, which makes things tricky because anhedonia is associated with a long list of different conditions (more on those in a bit).

Both experts agree that anhedonia seems to exist on a spectrum, sometimes referred to as “partial anhedonia” (the reduced ability to feel pleasure) vs. “total anhedonia” (the inability to feel it). “Maybe the colors in the world have dimmed or maybe you’ve been living in black and white,” Dr. Howes says.

Similarly, Bencivenga notes that anhedonia can be a blanket feeling over everything you once enjoyed, or the dial might just be turned down in specific areas, like food, socializing, or sex. You might also see the symptom broken up by category, such as “social anhedonia” or “physical anhedonia” she says.

It could look like going through the emotions without deriving any pleasure from what you’re doing, or not being able to summon up the interest to engage at all.

How do I know if I’m experiencing anhedonia?

Occasionally feeling “meh,” even about your hobbies, friends, projects, or other passions, is part of being human. Everyone has off days where you feel bored, restless, or apathetic. Not to mention, certain circumstances can bring about these emotions without signaling a wider problem, Bencivenga adds. Maybe it’s just been awhile since you’ve switched up your hobbies, hung out with new people, or had a meaningful break from your routine.

So how do you know when that ordinary slump has crossed over into anhedonia? Dr. Howes acknowledges it can be tough to spot—we’re more likely to notice strong emotions than an absence of them. Here are a few signs the experts suggest looking out for:

• You feel flat, empty, or numb
• You lack motivation to do things you used to enjoy
• It’s persistent, not a passing feeling
• It’s impacting your functioning or quality of life

What causes anhedonia?

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the exact mechanics that trigger anhedonia on a biological level, Dr. Howes says. Research suggests it often arises from an issue with the brain’s reward system, the network of regions and chemical messengers responsible for motivating us to seek out things that feel good. When parts of that system are disrupted—by a condition, a medication, or a traumatic event, for instance—our natural pleasure and desire responses can become muted or disappear altogether, resulting in anhedonia.

Anhedonia can be a symptom of many different things, including:

Depression and other mood disorders

Anhedonia is considered a core feature of major depressive disorder, described in the diagnostic criteria as a loss of interest or pleasure in all—or almost all—activities. It can also show up as a depressive symptom of bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia

In diagnosing schizophrenia, symptoms are divided into “positive” ones, meaning the addition of experiences (such as hallucinations or delusions), and “negative” ones, or the reduction of certain abilities. Anhedonia is a common negative symptom.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

The diagnostic criteria for PTSD include “markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities,” “feelings of detachment or estrangement from others,” and “persistent inability to experience positive emotions,” all of which signal anhedonia.

Other mental health conditions

Anhedonia can also show up where it isn’t a defining symptom or part of the diagnostic criteria. For example, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, and OCD all have symptoms of their own which may contribute to feeling less interested in or rewarded by everyday life, Dr. Howes says. “If you’re caught up in your head, if you’re stuck in fight-or-flight mode, if you’re overwhelmed—this can all suck your ability to experience pleasure in a sustained way.”

Parkinson’s disease

As a neurodegenerative disease, Parkinson’s is most known for its motor symptoms, like tremors or loss of movement. But neuropsychiatric symptoms are also common, including anhedonia, possibly because the disease can disrupt the reward system or because of its comorbidity with depression.

GLP-1s

More recently, GLP-1s have drawn attention as a possible cause of anhedonia because the hormone and its receptor are involved in reward processing, including food-related motivation and pleasure. So far, studies suggest these drugs can reduce cravings for food, alcohol, and addictive substances. But the research on whether they meaningfully blunt pleasure or impact the drive to pursue other types of rewards is mixed. While there have been some case reports describing emotional flatness, loss of interest, and reduced motivation while on a GLP-1, other research points to an improvement in depressive symptoms for some that may actually curb anhedonia.

Antidepressants

Ironically, some meds designed to ease mental health symptoms can introduce new ones through side effects. Antidepressants like SSRIs or bupropion may cause emotional blunting in some people, Bacivenga says, making it harder to feel not only distress but also excitement, pleasure, or connection. The tricky part is figuring out whether that numbness is coming from the medication, the underlying condition, or both.

Substance use

Repeated substance use may change the brain’s reward system so everyday pleasures stop feeling as satisfying, Dr. Howes says. That said, the link between anhedonia and substance use is complicated. Some people may reach for drugs or alcohol in the first place because they already feel numb or flat, which can reinforce a cycle of heavier or more frequent use—and more anhedonia.

Life circumstances and events

Dr. Howes and Bacivenga point out that periods of intense stress, grief, burnout, or other major life upheavals can temporarily dull your capacity for enjoyment, too, even without an underlying condition. “Any time you’re overextending your brain, you’re going to be less capable of tapping into pleasure and reward,” Dr. Howes explains.

When to see someone

It’s possible for anhedonia to go away on its own, typically when it’s tied to a temporary life circumstance, Bencivenga says. But often, it’s a symptom or side effect of another issue that deserves treatment or attention. If you’re feeling this way, especially in combination with other symptoms, it’s never too soon to explore how you might feel better, both experts agree.

As you can imagine, treatment varies depending on the underlying cause. So the first and most important step is talking to a professional who can help you figure out what’s going on, whether that’s your primary care provider, a psychiatrist, or a therapist.

“They’ll go through all your symptoms and plenty of other questions to get to the bottom of it,” says Bencivenga.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is anhedonia the same as depression?

No. Anhedonia is the reduced ability—or inability—to feel pleasure in response to previously rewarding things. While it’s a common symptom of major depressive disorder, feeling numb or uninterested doesn’t automatically mean you’re depressed. It may point toward another condition or underlying cause.

Is anhedonia a symptom or a diagnosis?

Anhedonia is a symptom, not a diagnosis or a mental health condition by itself. So unlike conditions like depression or anxiety, there are no diagnostic criteria for experiencing anhedonia—but it does appear in the diagnostic criteria of other mental health conditions like depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD.

Can anhedonia go away on its own?

Sometimes. Anhedonia may fade naturally if it’s tied to, say, an extremely stressful period of your life that passes. But often, anhedonia is tied to a bigger issue that requires treatment, such as therapy or medication.

How do you treat anhedonia?

Treatment for anhedonia depends on what’s causing it, so the first step is to talk with a therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care provider who can assess your symptoms and overall health. Depending on the underlying issue, treatments might involve therapy, medication or medication adjustments, or even lifestyle changes.

Can GLP-1 medications cause anhedonia?

It’s not clear yet. GLP-1 medications affect systems involved in appetite, craving, motivation, and reward, so some people report feeling less interested in food and other previously rewarding experiences while taking them. However, research on the subject is still preliminary, so we can’t definitively say that GLP-1 medications directly cause anhedonia or dull pleasure behind their intended effects on eating.