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The inability to find any joy in anything ("anhedonia") is one of the markers for depression. Be on the lookout for others (increase or decrease in appetite; i

The inability to find any joy in anything ("anhedonia") is one of the markers for depression. Be on the lookout for others (increase or decrease in appetite; increase or decrease in sleep). Depression can come in response to specific ("depressing") circumstances or events, and it can come from hormonal or biochemical conditions. Depending on cause, different professional routes may be helpful. Other contributing conditions (e.g., social isolation; career confusion) may be addressed well be a counselor worth their salt. [ Keep in mind that how 'loudly' you complain about how awful you feel will affect how much the counselor accelerates (or not) getting you more significant/experienced assistance. ] The 'right' counselor should be able to convey to you that they take your issues seriously and that they genuinely care about you and finding solution(s) that work for you. Friends can provide some of the support and perspective that a professional counselor does, but usually not enough when you've really got yourself into a clinical depression. Plus a professional will have guidelines to know whether you are a candidate for referral to someone who can consider whether an anti-depressant might be worth trying. I'd encourage you to keep looking until you find a professional who's really an effective ally during these trying times. Thinking of you

shotgun 16y ago
I've been there. Take a look at your diet. If you aren't getting enough protein you may be low on certain neurotransmitters. Even if you are getting enough, there are some harmless supplements you might try to boost them back to normal levels. I'm the kind of person that hates taking any pills or medications for anything, but 100mg of 5-HTP (turns into Serotonin) and small amounts of L-Tyrosine turned my life around at one point. Vitamin D is another one that people are surprisingly deficient of--even if you get enough sunlight. I really think that sometimes a person gets into an anhedonic state first, and then misattributes the feeling to "not liking my major/career/job/friends/etc."

shotgun 16y ago

I've been there. Take a look at your diet. If you aren't getting enough protein you may be low on certain neurotransmitters. Even if you are getting enough, there are some harmless supplements you might try to boost them back to normal levels. I'm the kind of person that hates taking any pills or medications for anything, but 100mg of 5-HTP (turns into Serotonin) and small amounts of L-Tyrosine turned my life around at one point. Vitamin D is another one that people are surprisingly deficient of--even if you get enough sunlight. I really think that sometimes a person gets into an anhedonic state first, and then misattributes the feeling to "not liking my major/career/job/friends/etc."