Enjoyment

[lottietucker]

Does anyone else have the inability to enjoy anything due to there anxiety? With me I'm anxious all day long and it stops me from enjoying anything. I've stopped doing all my hobbies/interests. I dont take my dogs out because I get stressed about going out. I get through the things I need to do (with difficulty) but can't enjoy anything. If for a fleeting moment I start to, within seconds I am flooded by anxiety again. Is this what others experience?

[lottietucker]

Oh and I feel on the verge of tears all the time.

[aforce]

are you on medication ?? if yes wat are those ...if not have you ever been to psychiatrist

[lottietucker]

See my post under the Welcome forum "Hi everyone - does anyone relate to me" to see the list of my meds. It was discussed in some detail.

[dazza]

Yep... absolutely typical.

Anxiety is actually VERY closely related to depression. They seem to work hand-in-hand.

I dunno about everyone else, but even before anxiety disorder I would have great days and bad days.
On a great day I felt as though I could accomplish anything.
On a bad day I could barely find the motivation for anything.

Happiness is obviously the key to beating depression... but it is also key to beating anxiety!

[raggamuffin]

Depends where i'm hurting. If it's a relatively new symptom, like today then I feel overwhelmed and terrified. If it's pains i've experienced a lot throughout the past year and a half then I tend to be able to distract myself easier.

Ed

[owl]

I can relate to this. My anxiety has kept me from enjoying things I used to like and from trying new things. Today I was asked what my passion was, and I didn't have an answer. Nothing stands out in my mind as something I LOVE to do. It makes me feel like a machine instead of a human. I am so used to forcing my body and mind to accomplish the functions that it must complete that I have abandoned the idea of "things that I WANT to do" and "things that I LIKE to do."

[lottietucker]

Owl, thanks for replying. That is exactly how I feel everyday. I have no passion for anything anymore. I too have to force myself to do just the bare minimum. I cant cope with much more. And even if I try to say play my flute (which I used to really enjoy) playing it just becomes mechanical and I don't really enjoy it. It's a horrible existence.

[owl]

That's a good way of describing it- "mechanical." I take comfort in knowing at least one other person understands how I've been feeling.

I want to go back to enjoying things as I used to. Unfortunately it seems there is no "easy" cure for this empty feeling. There's no medicine that can reanimate you. Passion is something that can only be incurred in an organic way.

I used to struggle with depression. I felt miserable all the time, but at least I felt something. In my darkest moments, I found solace in writing and painting. I wonder if this mechanical, passionless feeling is just the next step in overcoming depression. Have you fought with depression as well, lottietucker?

[lottietucker]

Yes I suffer major depression as well as GAD.