Most of us can find some joy in Christmas even this year but just imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t, or, indeed, if you took no pleasure in anything most people enjoy, from eating a lovely dinner to going for a walk.
This is how some people feel every day, owing to a condition called anhedonia.
‘It is likely to get worse at Christmas, too, because there is an expectation at this time of year that everybody must be happy,’ says Carmine Pariante, a professor of biological psychiatry at King’s College London.
Social anhedonia involves not wanting to spend time with others because it is not enjoyable. It is distinct from social anxiety, which is driven by a fear of social situations [File photo]