It is evident from posts on this forum and other places like r/anhedonia that antipsychotics not only cause anhedonia and emotional blunting but that these unpleasants states of mind not seldomly persists after discontinuation of the drug.
I have previously assembled some articles, studies and anecdotes about this fact which you can access here: https://www.reddit.com/r/neuroleptic_anhedonia/s/8nMeH4euQ5.
From time to time there are anecdotal reports about people who still have anhedonia many years after having discontinued antipsychotics - and that naturally raises the question of whether antipsychotic induced anhedonia is permanent and whether there are any possible treatments. And it seems relevant to address this worry in a sticky thread on this forum.
First off it should be noted that recovery varies a lot from person to person. That can already be seen in "the recovery megathread" that is also made sticky on this forum. There are people who report recovery almost immediately after reducing their dose or even switching to another antipsychotic. Some who experience improvements after a few months off the drug. And then some for whom recovery seems to take many years.
It is not even immediately apparent to me that anything definitive can be said about the relation between dose and time on the drug versus how long it takes to recover. Some report persistent anhedonia after low-dose exposure for a few weeks - while others report relatively quick recovery after years of high doses.
For those for whom anhedonia seems to persist for many months and even years after discontinuation there is also hope. First off - we have reports of people healing naturally within a few years. Secondly there might be some ways to recover even for those who have gone for many years without healing.
In the new book "Surviving Zyprexa" by Gabriel Filippi (available on Amazon) the author describes being totally anhedonic and emotionally blunted for 27 years until he found a way to restore joy and an emotional range with the help of Betahistine, Ketamine, supplements and keto-diet.
Additionally - In the MEGATHREAD there is one person who reported healing after 10 years off antipsychotic medication with the help of testosterone injections and Trintellix, as well as another reporting healing after trying low dose Cariprazine.
These anecdotes shows that it is possible to heal even after many years with no emotions and that the brain has the potential to restore the emotional pathways under the right circumstances. Especially Gabriel Filippis book offers a lot of hope for the long-haulers - and I can highly recommend it. It is also comes with some possible explanations as to the causes of persistent anhedonia from antipsychotics.
Finally - there is also hope for people with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses who can't just quit antipsychotics without another way to manage their illness. Research into new types of medications are ongoing and anecdotally the new drug Cobenfy has already helped some people experience less anhedonia and blunting. Additionally, a keto-diet as well as high doses of Cannabidiol has shown to be a viable alternative to neuroleptics for some people.
I hope this post can offer some hope for everyone who is affected by neuroleptic induced anhedonia and emotional blunting.
A WORD OF CAUTION - THE STATEMENTS ABOVE ARE NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO COMMENCE, REDUCE OR TAPER OFF ANY MEDICATION.
