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PixieXW
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07 Jan 2013, 2:34 pm

My last interest was really strong for years and I slowed down and I slowly started to not like things as much and give up on things I was enjoying to do with the interest. Likes of starting a writing and loving the idea of it and then I get a feeling I can't actually explain- its a mixture of not enjoying it, anxiety related to not wanting the interesting to end and guilt for not finishing things. It is the strangest thing, I don't even know if that is what I feel! And it just stays like that, only getting sparks of interest every now and again. It was down to one day a week! And then I tore myself away from that interest and I still get thoughts about it which is confusing!
Then the same process has started all over again! I've started to wonder if I could be causing this? Could I be making myself do this by not wanting to move on, is it because of depression? Is it because I haven't found a consuming interest? Is it because I'm not allowing myself to do other things and have very little interest in other things?
It's making me really down and really confused anything would be great!

Edit! Just realised it only says interests and not special interests, when it is special interests that are the problem.


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Last edited by PixieXW on 07 Jan 2013, 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Anomiel
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07 Jan 2013, 2:40 pm

The clinical name for loss of interest is anhedonia, and there can be multiple reasons for experiencing that. Among them depression. Look up anhedonia. Hope you find something you like soon.

Quote:
Anhedonia and loss of interest

For most of nearly every day, interest or pleasure is markedly decreased in nearly all activities (noted by the patient or by others). (See Anhedonia)
People suffering with depression tend to lose interest in things they once found enjoyable. Activities are no longer enjoyable and there is often a loss of interest in or desire for sex. People who are depressed may say, "I just don't care anymore," or "nothing matters anymore." Friends and family of the depressed person may notice that he/she has withdrawn from friends, or has neglected or quit doing activities that were once a source of enjoyment.



lady_katie
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07 Jan 2013, 2:49 pm

Thanks, I'm going through the exact same thing. I had no idea that there was a name for this. Would anyone happen to know how to treat it?

I know that I'm depressed, but regardless, I've been making myself try all sorts of things. Nothing ever seems to stick. I do have a special interest, but I'm pretty sure that it's literally the only thing I enjoy doing at all.

Anomiel wrote:
The clinical name for loss of interest is anhedonia, and there can be multiple reasons for experiencing that. Among them depression. Look up anhedonia. Hope you find something you like soon.

Quote:
Anhedonia and loss of interest

For most of nearly every day, interest or pleasure is markedly decreased in nearly all activities (noted by the patient or by others). (See Anhedonia)
People suffering with depression tend to lose interest in things they once found enjoyable. Activities are no longer enjoyable and there is often a loss of interest in or desire for sex. People who are depressed may say, "I just don't care anymore," or "nothing matters anymore." Friends and family of the depressed person may notice that he/she has withdrawn from friends, or has neglected or quit doing activities that were once a source of enjoyment.



IdahoRose
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07 Jan 2013, 4:26 pm

I went through the same thing with my own interests not too long ago. What I did was come to the realization that just because my interests aren't as strong as before, doesn't mean that I have to stop enjoying them. I find that it helps if I listen to music that I associated with my special interests, because it allows me to indulge in being nostalgic over them without fighting with myself. I just listen to the songs over and over, as often as I need to, until the feelings pass. It was surprisingly effective for me. Another thing that helps is when you finally realize that you can enjoy other interests alongside the ones that you already have without feeling guilty. It's very liberating to be able to enjoy other things alongside your tried and true favorites. Unfortunately, there's nothing that I did to make this realization "click" with me; it just kind of fell into place after I did the thing with the music (though correlation does not equal causation, so I can't say for sure whether or not the music thing sped that process along).

Hope this helps.



Anomiel
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08 Jan 2013, 11:41 pm

lady_katie wrote:
Thanks, I'm going through the exact same thing. I had no idea that there was a name for this. Would anyone happen to know how to treat it?

I know that I'm depressed, but regardless, I've been making myself try all sorts of things. Nothing ever seems to stick. I do have a special interest, but I'm pretty sure that it's literally the only thing I enjoy doing at all.


I don't know much about it, or how to treat it, but at least it's a beginning knowing you're not alone and what the name is so you know what to look for. I think treating the underlying cause and not just the symptom would be best.

Here's the list from Wiki anyway on what else can cause it:
Quote:
Anhedonia can be a characteristic of mental disorders including mood disorders, schizoaffective disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizophrenia [as well as] stressful life events and physical illness.