I wonder if TMS works for anhedonia (lack of interest, pleasure). I don't have suicidal tendencies although I sometimes fantasize about killing myself cuz of anhedonia (which I only started suffering from last year after coming off Paxil and then Prozac). I'm not sure what treatment resistant depression means and if I have it. SSRIs work on my mood (I mean they give me apathy so) but worsen my anhedonia. Genital numbness from even the lowest dose possible is the worst thing they cause me. Without any AD, i feel more irritable than sad/depressed. My doctor thinks good mood = increased interest in life, and this is why he simply classifies me as treatment resistant. He keeps insisting on me trying TMS. How the fuck would it alleviate anhedonia? does it increase dopamine? and how would it help with other depression symptoms like brain fog? He thinks that ADs don't cause apathy. It angers me how stupid doctors can be.
P.S What if tms works but then after some years you fall into relapse? waste money on it again? the fuck is this?
No. You use the cheaper, more well-studied method of *ECT*.
But before you do that, try and get an fMRI-scan of your brain - see what kind of abnormalities in structure you have, and if there's some clue to treatment to be gained, from having some actual real data.
Also, anhedonia isn't just dopamine - because rewards IS NOT just about dopamine! When it comes to addiction, there's been a lot more research on this, and the dopamine-hypothesis of addiction is coming to an end, a very harsh and powerful end - a bit like how serotonin is NOT the be-all end-all of depression - quite the contrary.
The same is happening with addiction - and since addiction is about abnormal responses from the brains different reward-mechanisms, then there can probably be quite a lot gained from the study of that disorder, when it comes to understanding anhedonia.
Addiction is about the OPIATE networks - and I'd vaguer a big f***ing bet on Anhedonia being about the opiate networks as well.
Btw, I'm not the only one with this idea, and as such, there is currently a research-trial of the experimental antidepressant Cerc-501, an opiate KAPPA receptor ANTagonist. It's also believed to be useful for the treatment of addiction, and is about to start another trial for the treatment of such, as well. (how about that...! hmm...! ; ) ...)
Anyways, CERC-501 was recently synthesized in a group buy here, so have a look at the forums CERC-501 threads and see what happens to us guinea pigs whom are taking the drug - if it proves effective, then perhaps it could be something you can try as well.
Interesting side-note, but some of the symptoms you describe sounds like mine: my current burnout-depression has a huge part of anhedonia in it - but I'm a NATURALLY pseudo-anhedonic person, because of my neuro-developmental disease called SCT - Sluggish Cognitive Tempo - when one has this disease, one cannot DO some things, which are not obviously apparently to the sufferer or the environment around the sufferer, and eventually one becomes beset by punishment-sensitivity which leads to learned helplessness and ultimately anhedonia.
SCT is a disease similar to both ADHD and Dysthymia - connected to Norepinephrine, it would seem.
For those not in the know, NE is ALSO involved in drive, as well as reward. (there are actually rare NE-selective substances which strangely enough seems to produce a "high" - but many of them also seems to create an "anti-high", an unpleasant state which makes many shy away from NE-selective substances)
You might want to give the idea of an underlying mental deficit causing anxiety, depressive thoughts and anhedonia in the end, as the TRUE culprit needing treatment as a resolution to your woes, some merit.
Advanced neuroimaging with fMRI and PET could help you find clues to such a disorder...
It should be noted that there are people with ADHD and Autism, two other diseases with dream-crushing cognition-limiting, incurable genetic and physical abnormalities defining them - whom develop depression as a DIRECT result of the intense symptoms they get from their neurodevelopmental disorders - these depressive symptoms cannot even be TOUCHED by traditional antidepressants - it is beyond them, for in SECONDARY depression, the depression is not the primary disease, nor is it acquired through a trauma which can be resolved by life-style changes, diet or CBT - because it is NOT defined by ILLOGICAL depressive rumination - no, rumination comes from thinking about the very REAL low-level trauma those of us with neuro-developmental diseases are hit with, from birth. We are simply born wrong, and we know it, and we can never build a functional life because it - hence, depression.
It should be noted, that when ADHD-ers at least, get treatments which NULLIFY their ADHD-symptoms, the previously incurable depressive symptoms finally lift, and the patient is "suddenly", "miraculously" cured...
Secondary depression. Give that concept some thought.
Edited by Stinkorninjor, 21 June 2017 - 10:05 PM.
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