Menopause gets plenty of attention for hot flashes and mood swings. What rarely gets discussed? Anhedonia—the symptom that makes everything feel flat even when life is objectively fine.

Anhedonia means low mood and a persistent "meh" feeling about everything. One woman described it as "having your emotions turned off." Despite being a recognized perimenopause symptom and affecting 75% of people with depression, nobody discusses it. Partly because of shame—it feels hard to explain losing interest in a life you know you should love but can't feel.

What It Actually Is

Getting bored occasionally is normal. Anhedonia changes how you engage with life entirely.

"You become disconnected from your emotions," says Donna Morgan, an integrative counselor specializing in menopause. "Life becomes muted and flat, and you stop enjoying things that made you feel alive."

Feels like sleepwalking, according to Tanith Carey, psychotherapy counselor and author of Feeling 'Blah'? Things that used to bring joy—celebrations, music, time with friends—just don't hit anymore. Even senses like touch and taste become less intense.

"If that spiral continues downwards, and you can't think of anything that makes you feel good anymore, it's time to take action," Carey says.

Why Menopause Triggers It

It’s easy to dismiss anhedonia as tiredness or just getting older. But hormones play a massive role.

Research from Cambridge University Press shows menopause alters neurotransmitter activity in the brain, affecting mood and emotional resilience. It's neurobiological, not imaginary.

Low estrogen affects dopamine and serotonin. Estrogen also buffers cortisol, so when it drops, stress hormones take over. Progesterone, which calms you, declines. Testosterone drops. GABA disappears.

No wonder anhedonia shows up during this transition. HRT can help but isn't an option for everyone.

What It Feels Like

The world drains of color. Food becomes flavorless. Being with friends stops being enjoyable. Everything feels like a chore.

Some describe complete disconnection—physically present but not connected to anything. An out-of-body experience where you're going through motions without feeling anything.

Different from depression, though symptoms overlap. Depression often includes sadness. Anhedonia is more absence—not feeling miserable but not feeling much of anything.

These cycles can last days, weeks, or months. It’s isolating knowing you're missing out on life but not caring enough to change it.

Modern Life Makes It Worse

Our brains evolved to get measured dopamine releases motivating us to meet basic needs. Modern culture floods us with constant dopamine from every product designed to keep us engaged.

When everything's provided instantly, the reward system gets overloaded and blunted. Brain neurons can lose dopamine receptors, so the neurotransmitter doesn't circulate as easily.

Then there's information overload. Always-on tech, world events, cost-of-living crises, 24-hour news. Cortisol levels stay constantly raised. This results in feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.

Not the Same as Depression

Anhedonia sounds similar to depression and they're often confused. But anhedonia isn't a mental health disorder—it's a symptom of various conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, grief, and trauma.

Caused by disruption in the brain's pleasure center or imbalance of neurotransmitters like dopamine.

"Anhedonia is often a symptom of major depression, but it's also a standalone condition, and it doesn't necessarily mean you're depressed," Carey explains.

Sometimes it appears for no obvious reason. Might not feel happy or miserable—just nothing. Getting out of bed feels pointless, but you do it anyway.

What Actually Helps

First: realize anhedonia is real and name it. Hard to address what you can't describe.

Change your diet. High sugar and preservatives cause gut inflammation and kill bacteria that produce serotonin. More whole foods encourages serotonin supply. Sleep matters too—lack of sleep interrupts dopamine release. Improve sleep hygiene.

Find small dopamine hits. Do something you once enjoyed, no matter how small. Even if good effects don't come right away, doing something beats doing nothing. Schedule things to look forward to.

Reframe negative thinking. Brains focus on threats. When thinking "I don't want to feel numb," you're reinforcing that feeling. Reframe it: "I want to feel reconnected." Teaches your brain to focus on what you want, not what you're avoiding.

Get help. Talk to friends, family, or a therapist. Good therapists help explore what's underneath and provide tools to reframe thoughts.

Ask your GP for referrals. If they're unsympathetic, request someone else.

The Bottom Line

Anhedonia during menopause is isolating and frustrating, but it's not a personal failing. It's a recognized symptom with neurobiological causes and actual treatments.

With proper support and medical care, recovery is possible. Start small. Choose one thing daily that brings a flicker of calm or joy. Those flickers can grow.

The hardest part is recognizing what's happening has a name and isn't just "getting older" or being tired. Once you name it, you can address it.

And that's a start.

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