You have found the Queen of anhedoniablog! AKA Diane.  If you understand “everything is nothing “ you may be experiencing anhedonia. 

If you want plain white cotton underwear for your birthday-you may be experiencing anhedonia. 

If a free Caribbean Cruise with a HOT member of the opposite sex (opposite from you), sounds like too much work-you may be experiencing anhedonia. 

“ Imagine a world where you can feel no joy for your own achievements and certainly no joy for those of others, a world in which you feel little or nothing for members of your family, your friends, the human race, where because everything falls flat – art, music, nature, spirituality there is no salvation for you. All you are left with is observation of a party you may never get to, and resentment, alienation.” The writer described it as torture, living death.

“Put your best foot forward.”

To say I am unimpressed with virtually everything is an understatement. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. 

         I had never heard of anhedonia until I trained to teach a class for The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).  The class is a free 12 week educational offering for family and friends of individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses.  It is called Family to Family. 

This definition nearly jumped on me:  

Anhedonia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“In psychology, anhedonia (< Greek αν- an-, without + ηδονήhēdonē, pleasure) is an inability to experience pleasure from normally pleasurable life events such as eating, exercise, and social or sexual interaction.

Anhedonia is recognized as one of the key symptoms of the mood disorder depression according to both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems(ICD). Other than anhedonia, the DSM considers only depressed mood to be a key symptom.[citation needed]The ICD lists both depressed mood and fatigue or loss of energy as the other key symptoms. Anhedonia is also seen in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizoid personality disorder and other mental disorders."

I am loved-but I can not feel it.  Sometimes people offer ‘comfort’-but I can not receive it.  I have looked everyplace for God-but I can not feel him.  Is it any wonder I am sad.

As a member of a family with many individuals who have diagnoses of mood or psychotic disorders and co-occurring alcoholism, for decades I just thought life was gray and hard at best.  It still is, but now I’m determined to do something about it…   something inside my head.

ME, daughter, sister, care provider, artist, teacher, mentor, business person, recovered alcoholic, puppymother, cardboard boat designer, bipolar / anxiety disorder patient, former psychiatric nurse, friend, thrift store addict, garage sale devotee, spiritual seeker, eBay queen, belly dancer, good cook, computer wizardess…   I live in suburbia, drive a red Prius and have the TWO best dogs in the world.  I have decided I will be a Gypsy when I  growup.  Got any good snake oil recipes? Please head on over to the HOME page and talk to me!           Diane
Thought for the Day: “I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel.” Peter Nivio Zarlenga

The Cartoon Diane

Donations are very welcome!

50% of donations go to NAMI ( The National Alliance on Mental Illness). 50% of donations go toward my Brain Transplant…It shouldn’t be too hard to find one; there are a lot of people running around who obviously are not using theirs…thank you!   

I am in no way directing you to do as I say or to do as I do.  I have no professional standing.  I have no history of saving myself or anyone else.  Consider this my disclaimer.       Diane, aka puppymother