anhedonia

[aronchick]

Hello;
it was a long time ago swim wrote here.
swim is trying hard to get off from his oxy hobby.
He is clean most of time.nowadays swim uses much less and he feels he is on the way out.
just afraids stopping it totally.
the mean problem now is swim pays attention that he has anhedonia.
which means without his oxy swim can't enjoy from nothing.
when on oxy swim enjoys from the evening;the moon;the sun;his room;his PC;the green grass outside and a lot of things what made him happy before he started with this cursed thing.when he is not on these substances he can't enjoy from nothing.nothing seems interesting any more.things done because they need to be done and not because swim wants and is happy with them...
like meeting with his family members;go to party in the work and etc...
swim has social anxiety disorder and one of the reasons the main reason he still uses these drugs when he puts his hands on them is because the relief from the tension/anxiety.
please spare from him the lectures that it alleviates the anxiety to short run but to the long run it is harmfull and is not usefull.
swim knows that well.
anyone has any idea/solution about the anhedonia?
it is the thing the most swim is bothered from...
thank you very much.I love you.You are the Best people...

[brettjv]

Welcome to the site, man.

All I can really tell ya is that until you stop taking opioids COMPLETELY for a GOOD, LONG while (like a month or more at least) you will likely have this anhedonia when you're not on them. This is a big part of the mechanism that keeps us hooked.

And I have a bit of social anxiety disorder as well, so you know what I do? I don't go places where I can expect to be feeling that way, and on the rare occasions I do, I stay only as long as I'm comfortable, then I leave.

I save the being 'sociable' for things like weddings, funerals, and important birthdays of loved ones (not casual friends) ... I skip the friggin St Patties day and the bars and the clubs and all that. I go to work parties for the most part, but ... I know everyone real well so it's not uncomfortable.

Bottom-line, recovery has to come first, and interacting with people I'm going to feel uncomfortable around due my social anxiety ... is WAY WAY low on my list of 'things to do'.

So my best advice to you, obviously, is to try to get yourself totally clean, and see how you feel. My guess is that you'll feel WAY better if you quit doing this on/off stuff. That's honestly no way to live in my book. I'd rather just be strung out and using every day than clean 'most of the time'. Screw that ... I would either 'do this shit', or I'd get clean and try to stay clean. Those are the only two ways I can operate, personally. 'Chipping' like you're doing ... that's a big part of all the issues you speak of if you ask me.

Get clean, stay clean, work a recovery program. That's my best advice to you. You'll feel MUCH better in not too long.

Good luck, and keep posting

[Black Transit Blues]

Anhedonia - fuck I had to reach for a medical dictionary, now I know what it is I can tell you I have been clean three months and my Anhedonia is only just starting to lift.If paws really exists this is the one symptom I get big time, and it's pretty common although not every one suffers from it, it's probably the number one reason most people bust.

Identifying problems is easy coming up with solutions is more difficult so I will make two suggestions.

Firstly you have to try and re-establish the link in your brain between effort and reward.Set yourself tasks/goals short term ones like doing a workout, polishing your car whatever, you might not feel great while you are actually doing these things but once you have done them you will feel a sense of achievment, it's no miracle cure but it will slowly start to rebulid that lost link in your brain.

Secondly try and find some completely new interests/hobbies ones you do not associate with using dope.I have always found it hard to maintain interest in things when I am clean, because in a way they are triggers because dope potentataed my interest in them, so try something different.

For eg I have never been much of a reader of fiction, so I joined the local library and have started reading detective shit, much to my suprise I have found that I can concentrate on it and reading before bed helps me sleep.Also I have never been into classical music, no absolutely nothing about it, but I have been listening to the local classical radio station and once again much to my suprise find that some of it I quite like, whilst all the music I used to listen to just bores me because my brain links it to strongly with dope.

I'm no addiction counsellor or shrink but these are a couple of suggestions, just keep on trying if you are not proactive and just wait for things to change they possibly never will.

Reputation Comments on this Post:

Some good concrete and practical advice.