100 Best Depression Quotes About Love, Anxiety Or uncomfortably numb. Experts regard it as a form of dissociation, a process that allows us to unconsciously protect ourselves from emotional pain. Douglas Coupland. Young people in our care heal the underlying causes of emotional numbing while gaining self-knowledge, self-care practices, and life skills. But if you find yourself feeling emotionally numb day after day, for weeks on end, and it begins to affect your daily life and relationships, it might be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. For long-term methods of treatment and prevention of emotional numbness, you may want to follow these tactics: Eat a healthful diet: By eating nutrient-dense foods, you fuel your body to work at its best. But, if that terrifies you, you will just be numb, and you better just stay at home and watch TV and do something else. Though simple, these practices are not always easy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. I can't remember my name. I imagine her smelling clean, like tea. Being heartbroken doesnt mean you stop feeling. Last medically reviewed on September 23, 2022. What Are the Symptoms of Depression in Women? The techniques of yoga and mindfulness soothe the nervous system, increasing physical and mental flexibility. 2023 Healthline Media LLC. Access Resource Library. I sighed and continued, "When someone who was once significant in your life comes back after an extended absence, emotions you had finally freed yourself from are reawakened, and if that's not enough to contend with, dormant memories are summoned whether you want them to be or not." The experience of feeling emotionally numb can also include: A limited or muted emotional response to events. Feeling required nerves, connections, sensory input. I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the I ignored all else. Robin Hobb, 24. The best things arrive on time. After all, I had the perfect, mind-blowing orgasm down to an art. All that would mean is that you didnt feel anything. Cassandra Clare, Change happens in the boiler room of our emotionsso find out how to light their fires. Jeff Dewar, In order to move on, you must understand why you felt what you did and why you no longer need to feel it. Mitch Albom, It is a curious sensation: the sort of pain that goes mercifully beyond our powers of feeling. Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. In all our searching, the only thing weve found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other. Carl Sagan, 2. Experts regard it as a form of dissociation, a process that allows us to unconsciously protect ourselves from emotional pain. Feelings and emotions are a unique part of the human experience. However, if you were to ask me what my own feelings are, I wouldnt be able to tell you., Rebecca C.* has a similar experience with numbness caused by depression: The world around me often seems slightly superficial, [like] I am simply going through the motions and cant connect to my environment, she explains.
