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Real members of MyDepressionTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

Anyone else with MDD get the “depression “ under control but still can’t find joy or excitement in anything?

A MyDepressionTeam Member asked a question 💭
Anderson, SC

I have treatment resistant MDD. Take auvelity, trazadone, and go to counseling. The auvelity has finally taken the knot out of my chest (it pops up every now and then) and I can function in life. This is the longest I’ve been continuously without the knot but I don’t look forward to anything. I mean nothing can excite me.

July 21
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A MyDepressionTeam Member

Yes, I've been dealing with this too. I have days or moments anyway, where I feel better and enjoy doing things but I still feel like I'm not part of the rest of the people at the same event. I'm like an alien observing the humans. I'm making a little progress and I hope it will just take more time. I am taking Wellbutrin. I can increase my dose if I want. They said all I have to do is call if I want to but I'm waiting to see if I see a pattern of falling into depression after I have episodes of chronic pain or I guess emotional situations. I'm worried that too much medication will make me feel numb. That happened before with Effexor.

July 21
A MyDepressionTeam Member

Hi Tonya, yes I do too. Some days it really sucks.

July 21
MyDepressionTeam

What you're describing — functioning but feeling emotionally flat or unable to find joy — is actually a recognized symptom of MDD called anhedonia. It's that frustrating in-between place where you're not in crisis, but you're not really *living* either. You're definitely not alone in this.

Many MyDepressionTeam members Show Full Answer

What you're describing — functioning but feeling emotionally flat or unable to find joy — is actually a recognized symptom of MDD called anhedonia. It's that frustrating in-between place where you're not in crisis, but you're not really *living* either. You're definitely not alone in this.

Many MyDepressionTeam members describe this exact experience — the heavy sadness lifts, but a kind of numbness or emptiness takes its place, making it hard to connect with positive emotions. The good news is there are some approaches that may help bridge that gap. A few worth exploring with your care team:

- Therapy adjustments — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Problem-Solving Therapy can specifically target motivation and reconnecting with positive experiences
- DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) — focuses on building a life worth living through practical skills
- Medication review — since you have treatment-resistant MDD, your psychiatrist may want to evaluate whether your current regimen is fully addressing anhedonia specifically

Progress with MDD isn't always linear, and feeling functional is genuinely a real win — even when it doesn't feel like enough yet. Be patient with yourself, and definitely bring this up with your counselor and prescriber. It's worth addressing directly.

July 21

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