The Sense Of Pleasure
An explanation of anhedonia in depression
Depression is not just feeling depressed. Not being able to enjoy things? There is a word for that. It comes from the Greek. If you've heard of a hedonist, put the two letters that denote "not that thing" in front--"an", and we're almost there! Anhedonia. Welcome to The Frontier Psychiatrists, a daily health-themed newsletter written by Owen Scott Muir, M.D., DFAACAP. I practice medicine at Fermata in NYC and Acacia Clinics in Sunnyvale, CA. I still see patients…you can click this link to book a consultation.1
During the pandemic, many of us learned what it was like to have one of our senses go away. Covid-19 creates a problem with your sense of smell, called anosmia-- the inability to smell. When it comes to the ability to feel pleasure or joy, it's like our sense of smell. You take it for granted until you can't because you get an illness. Just like COVID-19 can make your sense of smell vanish, depression can make your sense of pleasure vanish.
This can be a real problem. …