Anhedonia is the absence of the ability to experience pleasure.
Anhedonia is a term used in the field of psychology to refer to the lack of ability to experience pleasure . Anhedonia, in this way, is associated with the absence of satisfaction in the activities carried out.
We have to establish that anhedonia is a neologism that comes from the French word anhédonie and that was coined in 1896 by the psychologist Théodule A. Ribot , who used it for the first time in his work titled "Psychology of feelings" .
Ribot shaped the concept using various components of the Greek language:
- The prefix an- , which can be used to indicate negation.
- The noun hedoné , which can be translated as "pleasure" .
- The suffix -ia , which is used to establish a quality.
What is anhedonia
It can be said that anhedonia is a classic symptom of depression : the person no longer finds positive elements in actions that were generally pleasurable. Beyond depression, anhedonia also appears in schizoid personality disorder and certain types of dementia .
There are several causes that can cause anhedonia in a person. These include everything from depression to drugs, schizophrenia or even the fact that the brain interrupts the production of dopamine , which is responsible for human beings having pleasurable sensations.
Anhedonia is considered a symptom of depression.
Chapman's scales
In order to diagnose anhedonia, it is necessary to establish that the Chapman scales exist. There are two types of questionnaires that allow us to diagnose this disorder and even its degree and the causes that may be generating it.
These scales are based on questions related to the individual's abilities to have satisfaction at a social level or the possibility of suffering from schizophrenia or depression.
Likewise, it should be noted that there is no single treatment for anhedonia. Specifically, based on the causes that caused it, the psychologist will proceed to determine one or the other.
Types of anhedonia
Experts usually distinguish between two phases of anhedonia. That linked to dissatisfaction with the result of an action (that is, the enjoyment it provides) is called consummatory anhedonia . Motivational anhedonia , for its part, is associated with a lack of motivation to carry out the action in question.
It is also possible to differentiate between physical anhedonia and social anhedonia . Physical anhedonia arises from the lack of pleasure in the face of typical physical stimuli: the individual does not enjoy sexual relations or food, for example. Social anhedonia, on the other hand, is related to the absence of enjoyment in relationships with other people, such as in a conversation.
Anhedonia, in short, is due to a lack of reaction or response of the subject to positive stimuli . The human being blocks the normal reception of these stimuli and, in this way, is unable to feel the pleasure that they should provide and that they even previously experienced.