Anhedonia

[TruthFreedom]

If you don't know what anhedonia is - it's the lack of pleasure or enjoyment of things which you used to find pleasurable or enjoyable. I am experiencing this every day now. I have stopped drinking alcohol, which I was addicted to for eight years, and now I think my reward system in my brain is fucked. I also think the medication I am on (risperidone, which is an antipsychotic) is contributing to this lack of joy. It is not depression, because I don't feel overwhelmingly sad or hopeless, I simply feel flat. I went to a music event recently and there was no feeling there whatsoever. Social interaction was also devoid of any meaning or fun.

I am considering taking antidepressants again. They may counteract this feeling.

I am also getting cravings for alcohol because this feeling (or lack of feeling, rather) is not a pleasant experience. You cannot live life as a zombie or a robot. But I have "bitten the sober bullet" as you suggested Leo, so I hope you're proud of me. I am doing all the right things - keeping my living space organized, exercising, working towards my future, reading etc.

But I am not getting anything from these activities. I'm hoping that eventually my brain will rewire itself and I will feel human again.

Leo, I hope you can help me with this, because you are very intelligent. You may not have liked some of my previous posts, but I hope I've not offended you in any way. Is there anything you could suggest?

 

[Sugarcoat]

Same

[Sugarcoat]

I think in your case it could be a matter of just waiting it out due to the past addiction to alcohol, and things will eventually return to normal. Also if you have other addictive habits, like internet for example, overindulgence in pleasures those could also wreck your dopamine system, so finding a balance there is good , doesn’t have to quit it all entirely. The antipsychotic could def contribute , I’m on one too. I’m also on antidepressant but I can’t really tell what it’s doing, it’s not counteracting the anhedonia at least from my experience 

Edited Thursday at 06:41 PM by Sugarcoat

[Nilsi]

I have a similar issue in that I can’t function without nicotine and coffee. I’ve tried quitting so many times, but after a few months, I always hit this wall where life just feels unbearably dull and unmanageable. That said, alcohol dependence is a different beast - it’s far more physiologically and neurologically disruptive, so finding a safer substitute makes sense.

You might consider pregabalin (Lyrica). Like alcohol, it modulates GABAergic transmission, but it does so indirectly by binding to voltage-gated calcium channels rather than acting directly on GABA-A receptors. This means you get some of the anxiolytic and relaxing effects without the neurotoxicity, liver strain, or long-term cognitive impairment associated with alcohol. I also find it feels more natural than antidepressants, as it doesn’t dampen emotions in the same way SSRIs tend to do.

[Hojo]

Focus on God. Why would you take anti depressants when you say you don't have depression? Why do you feel the need to change from feeling nothing? Anti depressants will make you feel more nothing so I don't get that logic. There is nothing wrong with not feeling anything.  lack of enthusiasm is you not fully understanding what being God means. You dont need to take a pill.

Edited Thursday at 07:12 PM by Hojo

[Schizophonia]

39 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

but it does so indirectly by binding to voltage-gated calcium channels rather than acting directly on GABA-A receptors. This means you get some of the anxiolytic and relaxing effects without the neurotoxicity, liver strain, or long-term cognitive impairment associated with alcohol.

Why ?

[Nilsi]

12 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

Why ?

Wdym "why?"

The difference is like performing brain surgery with a precision scalpel versus hacking at it with a machete. Lyrica modulates neural activity with targeted effects, while alcohol disrupts the entire system indiscriminately.

[Schizophonia]

Just now, Nilsi said:

Wdym "why?"

The difference is like performing brain surgery with a precision scalpel versus hacking at it with a machete. Lyrica modulates neural activity with targeted effects, while alcohol disrupts the entire system indiscriminately.

Why directly increasing GABA would be more toxic.

[Nilsi]

6 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

Why directly increasing GABA would be more toxic.

In theory, it wouldn’t - but alcohol isn’t just a GABA agonist; it wreaks havoc on your brain and body in a dozen other ways.

I’m sure there are GABAergic neurosteroids that don’t take the indirect route Lyrica does, but at the end of the day, it’s just more practical to use a patented medication that’s proven to work, reliably dosed, and legally available rather than gambling on some obscure research chemical from the deep web that could be anything.

Of course, from a purely idealistic standpoint, I’d rather use the cheap research chemicals instead of paying 100x more to corrupt big pharma, but at the end of the day, it’s just safer and more reliable to go the traditional route.

Edited Thursday at 07:53 PM by Nilsi

[Schizophonia]

18 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

In theory, it wouldn’t - but alcohol isn’t just a GABA agonist; it wreaks havoc on your brain and body in a dozen other ways.

I’m sure there are GABAergic neurosteroids that don’t take the indirect route Lyrica does, but at the end of the day, it’s just more practical to use a patented medication that’s proven to work, reliably dosed, and legally available rather than gambling on some obscure research chemical from the deep web that could be anything.

Of course, from a purely idealistic standpoint, I’d rather use the cheap research chemicals instead of paying 100x more to corrupt big pharma, but at the end of the day, it’s just safer and more reliable to go the traditional route.

You like benzodiazepines? Ethanol and metabolites are directly toxic but benzodiazepines are chemically harmless, and maybe I'm wrong but I don't think that simply increasing GABA neurotransmition is neurotoxic.
Alcohol has a complex pharmacology but some benzodiazepines like Xanax come close.
I've never tried gabapentinoids.

It sounds like you're a regular drug user lol.

[vibv]

7 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

You like benzodiazepines? Ethanol and metabolites are directly toxic but benzodiazepines are chemically harmless, and maybe I'm wrong but I don't think that simply increasing GABA neurotransmition is neurotoxic.

Wrong. You can mess up your brain really bad with benzos. You can even die if you get addicted to them and suddenly stop, or do serious lasting damage to your brain.

If I remember correctly, this is exactly what happened to Jordan Peterson when he tried to suddenly stop his benzodiazepine consumption. You can read about it.

Edited Thursday at 08:23 PM by vibv

[Nilsi]

12 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

You like benzodiazepines?

Who doesn't? I'm more of an opiate guy though.

12 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

maybe I'm wrong but I don't think that simply increasing GABA neurotransmition is neurotoxic.

 

I tend to agree, as I mentioned before - it was more of an argument about practicality. There are no prescription drugs that purely and directly increase GABA neurotransmission.

12 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

It sounds like you're a regular drug user lol.

Professional drug user, if i may 

Edited Thursday at 08:26 PM by Nilsi

[Schizophonia]

Just now, vibv said:

Wrong. You can mess up your brain really bad with benzos. You can even die, if you get addicted to them and suddenly stop, or do serious lasting damage to your brain.

You have very little chance of dying from benzos unless you mix them with opiates, alcohol, barbiturates etc.
All benzodiazepines do is slow down the central nervous system.

Most of the time brain damage is caused by stimulants like amphetamines which generate a lot of oxidative stress.

[vibv]

@Schizophonia I was talking about getting addicted and then stopping — and getting physically and psychologically addicted to them happens really fast.

Benzos are no child's play. Especially if you underestimate them.

[Schizophonia]

3 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

Who doesn't?

I don't like it too much because I feel like it makes me less intelligent, has no libido, and sleep is weird and feels like teleportation.

3 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

Professional drug user, if i may 

Ahah.

 

[Nilsi]

5 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

I don't like it too much because I feel like it makes me less intelligent, has no libido, and sleep is weird and feels like teleportation.

I get that.

My favorite stack is tramadol, cocaine, and a couple of drinks (of course, all while chain-smoking) - makes me feel and fuck like Superman.

But seriously, don’t try this at home. This combo can easily kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Edited Thursday at 08:37 PM by Nilsi

[Schizophonia]

21 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

I get that.

My favorite stack is tramadol, cocaine, and a couple of drinks (of course, all while chain-smoking) - makes me feel and fuck like Superman.

Once when I was like 16 I took 200/250mg of tramadol in the evening and the next day I spent the day throwing up. 😅
I was with a friend in front of a doctor's office and I threw up a lot, a guy asked me if I was going to clean up I said yes yes and I left lol.

Never again.

21 minutes ago, Nilsi said:

But seriously, don’t try this at home. This combo can easily kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing.

The best thing I tried was a medium dose of LSD, I went into samadhi on it.

Why cocaine? Is it so recreational?
Isn't it neurotoxic btw?

[Nilsi]

34 minutes ago, Schizophonia said:

Why cocaine? Is it so recreational?
Isn't it neurotoxic btw?

Purely recreational.

Giga bad for your health, obviously.