Emotional Numbness: What is it?

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Emotional numbness is a common term for psychological symptoms that could be better defined as detachment. When a person is emotionally numb they may feel cut off from emotional response, even if it is warranted. This symptom can arise after an extreme shock or loss. It can also be a persistent symptom with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorders. Sometimes the symptom is a side effect of certain medications, or the term can be used more loosely to describe people who seem to have difficulty getting in touch with their emotions in an exaggerated way.

There are many definitions of what the condition feels like. People may say that they cannot hear, things that would normally make them happy or sad have no effect, or that they just feel a strange feeling of detachment, as if a part of the self is holding back and not participating in ordinary life. The reaction is quite common in times of grief or loss and, in a sense, can be a helpful adjustment at first. For example, someone who is arranging the funeral for a loved one may feel numb or detached, and not feeling the extent of grief at that moment can get them through the first few days after the death of a loved one.

If the sensation persists, problems are created. It may be important not to feel when the first shock of loss occurs, but it becomes very important to feel the extent of that loss so people can grieve and move on. Persistent emotional numbness halts the grieving process, even though remaining numb may seem to keep away the full emotional significance of the loss, which is very difficult to bear. People don’t usually choose to consciously remain numb, but with grief, some may remain unconsciously detached to protect themselves from the reality of a loss.

In most cases, people have no direct or indirect choice in their feeling of emotional numbness. In conditions like PTSD, this detachment is part of the symptoms that make up the disorder. Overcoming that barrier is critical to successful treatment.

Some other conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and personality disorders such as schizoid, are also associated with detachment or numbness during certain phases. In particular, schizophrenia is often associated with what is called flat affect, or very little emotional response. Voice may sound monotonous and emotionless, and facial expressions or gestures may also seem disinterested in the absence of emotion. Occasionally, medications used to treat psychiatric disorders actually cause some degree of emotional numbness, and these medications should be changed if possible.

Ultimately, humans are not meant to remain emotionally numb, and if this state exists for any substantial length of time, a person needs help. The medical examination should rule out possible pharmacological causes. So therapy, plus possibly medications for psychiatric conditions, can help bring patients back to feeling more attached to themselves and the world.

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