Page 1 of 1 [ 6 posts ] 

beneficii
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 May 2005
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,245

22 Jun 2013, 7:52 am

According to Jung, in healthy introversion you still find social relationships and interaction rewarding; it's just that you get exhausted more easily and need more alone time to do your own thing.

In social anhedonia as a trait (not as a state like in depression), it appears to be associated with not so much anxiety or exhaustion, but rather just finding it not rewarding, resulting in a deficiency in the motivation to socialize. Unlike healthy introversion, social anhedonia is associated with a much higher rate of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia.

When I told my therapist I think I may have social anhedonia, he didn't disagree, but now I'm wondering, how do I sort out whether I have healthy introversion, social anhedonia, just plain ole social anxiety, or both. I took the schizotypal personality questionnaire, and scored an 8 out of 9 on the no close friends subscale both times when I took it, a couple months ago and last November. The no close friends subscale strongly correlates with measures of social anhedonia. Now that I've found a new friend for the first time in a while, however, I wonder what I would score now.

I wonder how I would sort out which is healthy introversion, which is social anhedonia, and which is social anxiety?



starkid
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,812
Location: California Bay Area

03 Jul 2013, 6:09 pm

Well, do you enjoy social interaction or not? If not, why? That's the place to start.



jim9800
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 30 Sep 2015
Age: 1961
Posts: 1

30 Sep 2015, 7:14 pm

Have you determined whether your socially anhedonic? If you are, are you still? I developed social anhedonia less than a year ago and have not gotten rid of it. I don't enjoy being with anyone at all and don't desire company. I used to like talking to some people. Now I hate being with anyone as I get nothing from it. If you're over it it may give me some hope I'll get over it.



psycho
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 28 Sep 2015
Posts: 11

01 Oct 2015, 3:10 pm

Anhedonia and even anemotivity can be reduce or disappear (I'm sure in schizophrenia). So I think, social anhedonia too.


_________________
I'm french and speak very bad english. But I must learn it.


starkid
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,812
Location: California Bay Area

15 Oct 2015, 12:20 am

Read posts/blogs or watch Youtube videos of introverts. If you can relate to their social issues, this is likely just introversion.



existentialterror
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Gender: Female
Posts: 125

09 Nov 2015, 4:22 pm

There is probably some overlap between social anxiety and social anhedonia. (I have both severely - I'm nervous in social interactions and don't enjoy them as well) Having anhedonia can cause anxiety in social situations IMO, because I feel as though I'm expected to feel a certain response when all I feel is numb...