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Anhedonia Emotion loss

anhedonia

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#1 Bennyy214

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 01:59 AM


19 From US need help. Woke up one day and for some reason i couldnt enjoy anything or have any positive emotions. Some weed preceded this but ive been smoking for a while and did not know if it was relevant. After about 3 days of this i began having severe 24/7 anxiety/panic attacks. Since then i have been losing my emotion. I tried effexor and it worked in the very beginning but when i first got happy my heart went crazy like tachcardic then it was skipping beats and going brachycardic it was weird. eventually the effexor stopped working and i still had the nonstop anxiety. I tried wellbutrin but after a week  it gave me severe head pressure and dizziness and it made me completely and absolutely numb. Its possible maybe the wellbutrin rammed my anxiety so high that my mind began to disassociate. Only speculation of course but now im completely numb to everything cannot make human connection TV or videos dont even phaze me i would rather watch the already dry paint on the wall, just looking for any advice or suggestions any input is appreciated  



#2 Bennyy214

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 02:05 AM

it is also worth to mention that i still have behavioral/physiological feelings of the anxiety like my heart still thumps my chest still gets tight i still have shortness of breath but i dont "feel" anxious. This may be hard to articulate but i dont feel anything at all. no happy, sad, anxious, anything of the sort even though the physical feelings are still there



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#3 psychejunkie

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 06:14 AM

Have you visited any psychiatrist?

have you tried any Beta Blocker?

how many times per day do you smoke weed?



#4 jaiho

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 07:36 AM

This is depression. You should see a psychiatrist. Weed wouldn't cause this, but likely exacerbated it.



#5 Bennyy214

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 02:32 PM

Ive stopped smoking and have been visiting a psychiatrist so far no luck

#6 jaiho

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 02:52 PM

It takes time to find the right medication to treat depression. Depends on the psychiatrist. Keep at it.

 



#7 PeaceAndProsperity

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 05:14 PM

Another cannabis-induced psychiatric disturbances report. Very common. Did you also experience paranoia with your anxiety? 

It's possible that you are emotionally numb because of a serotonergic effect or something to do with opioid receptors. Like the rest of us have tried doing, you should try to eliminate what it could be. When the issue is opioid receptor related I think (but this is just wild speculation) it shows with the eyes, sort of "dopey eyes". If it's serotonin receptor related then you'd probably also have libido issues. Needless to say I have the same issues to some extent yet I've never been a drug user, never made those mistakes in my life. 



#8 Bennyy214

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 06:13 PM

Ya I keep still get an erection and achieve orgasm it's just a physical sensation it does not feel good or relaxed feeling I also never feel hungry/thirst/tired and I cannot speculate enough that I could not stop this 24/7 anxiety I feel the Wellbutrin just bumped it up so much it caused my mind to dissasociate I've been doing things but I don't feel this is psychologically routed. I feel so numb and emotionless I doesn't even feel human which scares me but ty and ill keep you guys updated, also it might be worth to mention I always feel nauseous right after eating and have to go to the bathroom and when I close my eyes to go to sleep if feels like they move really fast. Weird but thanks anyways I'll keep at it
And I only experienced paranoia slightly after I smoked after this Happened other than that it was just very strong anxiety felt like my whole body was pulsating it was terrible, that's gone now but so are all my feeling completely I actually wish I had the anxiety back

#9 PeaceAndProsperity

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 08:12 PM

Ya I keep still get an erection and achieve orgasm it's just a physical sensation it does not feel good or relaxed feeling I also never feel hungry/thirst/tired and I cannot speculate enough that I could not stop this 24/7 anxiety I feel the Wellbutrin just bumped it up so much it caused my mind to dissasociate I've been doing things but I don't feel this is psychologically routed. I feel so numb and emotionless I doesn't even feel human which scares me but ty and ill keep you guys updated, also it might be worth to mention I always feel nauseous right after eating and have to go to the bathroom and when I close my eyes to go to sleep if feels like they move really fast. Weird but thanks anyways I'll keep at it
And I only experienced paranoia slightly after I smoked after this Happened other than that it was just very strong anxiety felt like my whole body was pulsating it was terrible, that's gone now but so are all my feeling completely I actually wish I had the anxiety back

The inability to feel emotions, tiredness/fatigue, hunger and more, as well as the inability to feel angered by other people--which you didn't mention but I assume you have it--, are issues I've had for a large part of my life. Besides the other reasons, these were some of the reasons I tried the highest dosage of risperidone they use for several months. Did it help? It made me feel a literal nightmare feeling constantly, as if I was literally living in a nightmare. The anxiety, if you can call it that, was the most intense I've ever felt in my life. My point? I don't think the problem is excessive D2 receptor activation.

 

The obvious thing is to call it "psychosis" or "prepsychosis" but I think it does no justice. For these sorts of issues, especially being unable to feel fatigue, I find that it helps a bit to take something dopaminergic but milder (like pregnenolone, phenylalanine, etc.). It sounds nonsensical but it works slightly for myself. Fixing my sleeping schedule and using melatonin is one thing that keeps me able to feel tiredness. Another obvious thing is to avoid exhausting myself such as with excessive physical activity. I'm pretty sure some of this has to do with some serotonin receptor but I would say that about most of my problems..



#10 Bennyy214

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Posted 26 October 2016 - 08:55 PM

True sorry that you had to deal with this and ur also right people don't really make me angry. Although I've always been pretty nonchalant although I haven't been like this all my life I enjoyed socializing and many other things it's only been like this 3 months so I guess we'all see how it plays out, just wish I could feel the love for my family that I know I have sucks man

#11 Londonscouser

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 05:07 AM

I have the same problem from smoking a lot of weed as well. I smoked everyday for 5 years, and now I am also emotionless and cannot form effective human connections with people. The longest I quit for was 5 months, and if i am being completely honest, the anhedonia did improve. Unfortunately I 'relapsed', so now I am back on the path to recovery.

 

Reading back on your post. I also get nauseous and tired after eating, and I can easily achieve erections and get an orgasm. Seems like we have similar brains :O

 

If i ever find something that helps I will let you know. Hopefully this shit ain't permanent.



#12 Bennyy214

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 07:58 PM

Yea If it was permanent I would rather have them fry my brain with ECT my Anhedonia is pretty complete 100% so let's hope it isn't and ya I smoked pretty hardcore for about 2 1/2 years so I feel ya ill keep you updated glad to hear you had improvements

#13 psychejunkie

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Posted 29 October 2016 - 05:32 AM

you shouldn't be alarmed, some chronic cannabis users experience such an Anhedonia. it isn't normal, but a known side effect.

some even experience more harsh side effects like depersonalization disorder etc but no common treatment for such disorder would work!

 

I myself have smoked cannabis for one year and a half 24/7 and experienced the same (but maybe less potent) symptoms of low motivation, Anhedonia, blunt emotions and high red blood cell count etc...

 

I found some helpful drugs, accidentally, in those early days of abstinence from weed which helped me recover: Ibuprofen, Propranolol and Modafinil 

(BE CAREFUL: Ibuprofen may damage your liver, so do not use it chronically)

 



#14 Bennyy214

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Posted 29 October 2016 - 09:29 PM

My Anhedonia and emotional numbing seem a little more intense than anything I would acquit to weed withdrawal or even depression, I did have extremely bad visual snow for 3 days before all this started also so maybe I'll consult a neurologist I def know that something is wrong with my body/mind nobody has 24/7 panic attacks that never end for days w/ negligible history of anxiety I literally feel just nothing all day. Doesn't even feel like I'm existing

#15 Londonscouser

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Posted 29 October 2016 - 10:09 PM

So do you currently have '24/7 panic attacks/anxiety'?

 

How long have you been smoking weed by the way ? was it a daily thing ?

 

I can relate to the feeling empty all day with severe anhedonia and emotional blunting, but I've only experienced 5-6 weed-induced panic attacks in my 5 years of daily smoking, and the only type of anxiety I would experience was social anxiety. I also didn't have the visual snow which is usually described by people who have experienced adverse effects from MDMA, so my guess would be that something is wrong with your serotonin.

 

Neurologist probably can't do much. Maybe a fMRI can show if you got any hypo/hyper activity of brain regions. They would probably tell you to see a doctor, who would say you have anxiety/depression and prescribe the relevant medication.

 

Good luck anyways



#16 Russ Maughan

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 09:03 AM

Idea. Go to a pet store or shelter and see if any of the little ones take a liking to you. Several probably will. Some may disslike you very much though so just be as calm and friendly as possible. Afterward try to find naturally occuring running water; a creek or river and listen awhile. Think about the animals that liked you and consider adopting one if you plan to not smoke pot any more. You would not like the results of raising a pet that learned to vacate it's emotions from you. It might eat you.


Edited by Russ Maughan, 30 October 2016 - 09:04 AM.

  • Good Point x 1

#17 gamesguru

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 12:39 PM

THC is strongly correlated to anxious arousal, but not to anhedonic depression (perhaps because the subject is more aware of his anxiety).  This doesn't mean it lacks potential to make anhedonia worse, just that anhedonic patients won't self-medicate to the same degree as sufferers of anxiety.   A lot of anxious people use it to cope.. you don't see as many cases of anhedonic stoners, because they don't "feel" it as being medicative.  But the ones with anhedonia to begin with may find weed making it much worse over time.

 

I wouldn't worry about the visual snow too much if it went away fast.  Probably neurologic, not somatic.  Cannabis withdrawal is known to induce photophobia and palinopsia, and likely messes with other items on the list.

Proposed diagnostic criteria for the "visual snow" syndrome:[10]

 

If you're going to continue getting high, try balancing it out with dopamine modulators: shilajit, ginseng, polygala, mu gua, maca, quinoa... a lot of these would also help panic attacks.  I like the suggestion of getting a puppy, perhaps a girlfriend and new job, starting a company or volunteering, and just making a concerted effort to be more positive and outgoing.  Not sulking or dwelling on past regrets

 

Psychejunkie mentioned ibuprofin?  The reason it helps with cannabis impairment is most probably COX-2 inhibition, an effect it shares with ginseng and ginger.  Blulight agrees.  Even examine.com talks about COX-2 being useful, on the cannabis page.  Meanwhile the propranolol helps with situational anxiety, and the modafinil just gives a boost.


Edited by gamesguru, 30 October 2016 - 12:41 PM.

  • Agree x 1

#18 Bennyy214

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 04:27 PM

I have stopped smoking due to the fact that it changes nothing, i am not in complete panic 24/7 but I was prior to this with no history of panic attacks, all I know is now I'm completely numb to everything can't make human connections or connect emotionally to anything around me I can still be anxious although I don't "feel" it

#19 psychejunkie

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Posted 31 October 2016 - 08:07 AM

Psychejunkie mentioned ibuprofin?  The reason it helps with cannabis impairment is most probably COX-2 inhibition, an effect it shares with ginseng and ginger.  Blulight agrees.  Even examine.com talks about COX-2 being useful, on the cannabis page.  Meanwhile the propranolol helps with situational anxiety, and the modafinil just gives a boost.

 

Yeps! COX-2 is probably the case which has serious role in Blunt Emotions/Empathy and Memory Impairment effects of cannabis:

 

Δ9-THC-caused synaptic and memory impairments are mediated through COX-2 signaling

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3918429/

 

 

Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of COX-2 blocks down-regulation and internalization of glutamate receptor subunits and alterations of the dendritic spine density of hippocampal neurons induced by repeated Δ9-THC exposures. 

 

From Painkiller to Empathy Killer: Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) Reduces Empathy for Pain

http://scan.oxfordjo...nsw057.abstract

 

 

As hypothesized, acetaminophen reduced empathy in response to others’ pain. Acetaminophen also reduced the unpleasantness of noise blasts delivered to the participant, which mediated acetaminophen's effects on empathy. Together, these findings suggest that the physical painkiller acetaminophen reduces empathy for pain and provide a new perspective on the neurochemical bases of empathy. Because empathy regulates prosocial and antisocial behavior, these drug-induced reductions in empathy raise concerns about the broader social side effects of acetaminophen, which is taken by almost a quarter of US adults each week.


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#20 Londonscouser

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Posted 31 October 2016 - 02:12 PM

I have stopped smoking due to the fact that it changes nothing, i am not in complete panic 24/7 but I was prior to this with no history of panic attacks, all I know is now I'm completely numb to everything can't make human connections or connect emotionally to anything around me I can still be anxious although I don't "feel" it

 

Yeh these are a difficult set of symptoms to live with.

 

I would advise brushing up on non-verbal communication if the symptoms have a significant negative effect on social life. I don't even want to socialise at times, however on occasions it may be necessary.

 

Like previously mentioned, getting a puppy may help.

 

Also, reading fiction books and watching fiction movies such as horror movies increases empathy in my opinion.







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