Understanding and Overcoming Anhedonia with Tanith Carey
In 2023 I interviewed Tanith Carey - author of 12 insightful books on psychology, parenting, and social history, about her book "Feeling Blah: Why Anhedonia Has Left You Joyless and How to Recapture Life’s Highs."
What is Anhedonia?
Anhedonia is a term that encapsulates the loss of enjoyment in activities that once brought pleasure. It manifests as feelings of flatness, lack of motivation, and a sense of sleepwalking through life. Tanith shares that this state is a disruption of the brain's reward system, often due to various reasons, including the insufficient flow of dopamine in the brain’s mesolimbic reward pathways.
Tanith’s interest in anhedonia stemmed from her own experiences. A few years ago, she found herself unable to feel joy from good news about her literary career. This persistent numbness continued through life’s significant moments, such as enjoying Christmas with her children. Her curiosity led her to discover that anhedonia is a well-recognized condition in psychiatry and neuroscience, yet not well-known among the general public. This realization inspired her to write the book to bring the issue to light.
The Modern World and Our Ancient Brain
Our brains are still wired like those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, designed for survival with an acute stress response system. Tanith explains how the constant bombardment of dopamine-triggering stimuli in our modern capitalist society has dulled our brain’s reward system. Instant gratification from readily available services and products has made it harder for us to experience lasting joy.
The Role of Stress
Our modern lives are riddled with stressors that continuously elevate cortisol levels, suppressing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Day-to-day stress, whether from work, financial concerns, or global issues like climate change, can erode our ability to enjoy life. Finding ways to manage and reduce stress is crucial for reclaiming joy.
The Impact of Hormones
Tanith also delves into how hormonal changes, particularly related to oestrogen, can impact our brain chemistry. Declining oestrogen levels in midlife, during perimenopause and menopause, can reduce dopamine production and lower our resilience to stress, contributing to feelings of anhedonia.
Building a Toolkit for Joy
One of the key approaches to overcoming anhedonia is behavioral activation—engaging in activities you once enjoyed, even if you don’t feel motivated initially. Reconnecting with hobbies and interests from your past can help revive your brain's reward system. Tanith also emphasizes the importance of regular exercise, known for its mood-boosting effects, and practicing gratitude to rewire your brain to focus on positive experiences.
Rediscovering Your Spark
Finding something you're passionate about, what Tanith calls your "spark," is essential for fostering joy. This could be any activity that fully engages you and brings you into a state of flow. Whether it's embroidery, painting, or bird-watching, regularly engaging in these activities can significantly enhance your well-being.
Understanding that joy consists of anticipation, appreciation, and memory can help you harness all three to enrich your life. Planning activities to look forward to can boost your mood significantly. Your brain’s anticipation of positive events triggers dopamine, helping you feel happier even before the event occurs.
Anhedonia Versus Depression
While anhedonia is a symptom of depression, it can also exist independently. Unlike depression, which might render one unable to function, anhedonia is more about the feeling of blah, lack of motivation, and a diminished capacity to experience joy. Identifying whether you’re experiencing anhedonia or depression is important for seeking the right kind of help.
Creating a Joy-Filled Life
Tanith’s book provides a plethora of suggestions to combat anhedonia and live a more fulfilling life. Building connections with nature, nurturing relationships, and engaging in mindful activities are just a few steps you can take. Tailoring these practices to fit your specific circumstances will help you craft your personal prescription for happiness.
Understanding anhedonia and taking proactive steps to address it can pave the way to rediscovering joy. Whether it’s reconnecting with a long-lost hobby, planning activities to look forward to, or managing stress through exercise and mindfulness, small but consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in well-being.
For those feeling stuck in a gray area, remember—there’s always a path to the light.
Be sure to check out Tanith Carey’s book "Feeling Blah" for a deeper dive into recapturing life’s joys.