The Great Mental Health Secret
Jun 16th, 2009 by Trace
Let me know your feelings so far. Because of a little known condition known as anhedonia, kids, today, can’t go two minutes without engaging in some pleasurable activity without giving the appearance of being bored to death or depressed. Why are not more mental health care professionals aware of this condition? I’m guessing one of twenty mental health professionals have even heard of it, much less have a remedy. Anhedonia manifests symptoms similar to that of depression; yet, it’s not depression. Doctors are dispensing depression medication for it and exacerbating the problem! We at SHF get to see the problem reversed by virtue of what we do here. The answer is not medication, but engaging the child in some form of critical, constructive, and/or creative thinking activity—preferably using his head, hands, feet and back, but not necessarily. A crossword puzzle is better than nothing. Anhedonia is a destruction of the pleasure center of the brain from over stimulation. The bottom line is this: because kids are pleasuring themselves into imbecility, we must require our kids to engage in activities that require responsibilities and obligations rather than an endless flood of pleasurable and high energy excitement that comes with unlimited rights and privileges. I will be back another time to follow up and give many more insights and observations
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Hi! I am a mental health counselor and have also heard very little of this condition. Thank-you for pointing me in a new direction.
Trace, I have been asking people I know about Anhedonia as our converstaions seem to head that way with their kids. I’m getting the same answer. “I’ve never heard of it?” When I explain it to them, it like the light comes on but, it is not fully lite up! I believe we must not only expose this problem, but we are going to have to teach those that want to learn how to fix the problem.
While I am not a doctor, I noticed that your description of anhedonia is very similar to what is commonly diagnosed as “attention-deficit disorder”. Am I correct in my reasoning that you propose anhedonia as a possible alternative diagnosis for attention-deficit disorder, or am I mistaken?
I think it should be noted that anhedonia is actually a symptom of other conditions, actually, such as depression. I would say that social environments contribute to depression and such a lot more so, than the media.