***Emergency mental health resources are listed at the bottom of the page.***
“Anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure from life’s experiences. You may not want to spend time with others or do activities that previously made you happy. Anhedonia is a common symptom of many mental health conditions.” – Cleveland Clinic
This isn’t a topic that I take lightly. Those who know my backstory may already be aware, but I have suffered with this condition, brought on by severe depression and PTSD, for a long time.
The Schnooks song “Bleeding Me Dry (Anhedonia)” is about how it felt for me to suffer from the condition. From 2005 onward, I have been battling periodic bouts of anhedonia as a component of the other psychological issues mentioned above. There have been times where the pain from my disability was almost completely unbearable (sometimes still are), and my overall mental welfare went down the drain. It will feel like nothing can make me happy, and I don’t want to do anything at all.
It’s a miserable experience. But it is an experience that many others suffer with in silence. I know I’m not the only one who had anhedonia brought on by traumatic life experiences. And I was right.
My partner actually began to use the song as a part of the counseling that she provides to people with addiction and/or anger issues. On more than one occasion, she had played the song for her clients. In one group session she had an extremely quiet, withdrawn client finally look up and say “it’s like that song is about me.”
There is no greater compliment that I can receive than to hear that my music has made an honest to goodness positive difference in somebody in some small way.
Despite that, I do not consider myself an advocate for mental health. My intention, in all honesty, was to publish this song as my own way to deal with what I was going through at the time (when I finally decided to publish it). The fact that it has been successful in a clinical setting is great, but that is a by-product of the song, not the reason for it. However, I am deeply honored when my experiences do help others, regardless of intent.
There is no shame in admitting that you don’t feel well and need help. If you or a loved one suffers from this, there is hope. Don’t give up. Please seek help and know that you are not alone. If you need immediate assistance, please use these following resources:
*National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988 or on the web at 988lifeline.org
*Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
*Mental Health America Crisis Resource Center: Visit mhanational.org for important resources
*National Alliance on Mental Health: Visit https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Navigating-A-Mental-Health-Crisis.pdf for a downloadable PDF titled “Navigating a Mental Health Crisis”
For something a little more light-hearted: Pay attention to the outro of the song, and see if you notice notice the key change from the rest of the composition. I would love to say that this was a conscious creative decision, but it wasn’t. I just screwed up and recorded the outro in the wrong position. I actually didn’t even notice that until well after it was published. It is a subtle change, but you’ll notice it now that you know.