What does it mean when you start becoming numb and emotionless?

[TZ]

Because I have always had trouble with being too emotional and now I have the opposite problem. I just don't care much about anything anymore. While I still feel them its not as strong and I am having trouble expressing them. IE when I do have the inclination to watch some funny stuff on TV I don't laugh as much or as long. I also can't really cry at the moment no matter how sad I am feeling (there is something that has been breaking my heart but I can't seem to cry about it at all). Never experienced these lack of feelings before. I know I am miserable and unhappy yet I don't feel it. I know this sounds weird but its not right. I feel like my emotions are drying up (and I said something to a relative the other day that was pretty cold and uncharacteristic from me as well).
I also know there is a strong part of me that thinks this is not necessarily a bad thing but yet...I have never felt this way before so I don't know what to think to be honest.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. It means...

You need to speak to your doctor.

I am not qualified to diagnose and assess, so I won't. But this sounds like a flattening of mood and affect and that needs to be discussed with your doctor.

[Droopy]

2. I agree

The "flattening of mood and affect" could be indicative of many things and a doctor can help you sort it out by examining other feelings and thoughts that you've been having.

[varkam]

3. I know how you feel.

Sometimes, things can be so bad that I know I should cry - or that it would be appropriate to - but I can't seem to. It is very much a numbness, which I hate worse than the depression. I've quit a few different SSRIs because that's how they made me feel - numb and empty. What usually brings me out of it, honestly, is writing. I write about how I feel, about life, about anything at all.

But I agree with the first poster - you should speak with your doc about it regardless of what anyone here says. They're going to be in the best position to fill you in.

:pals:

[Larissa238]

4. I have been there

I third the motion about seeing a doctor, and if you have one, making another appointment.

I have been so numb that I didn't care about anything. *anything*. I was trying to explain it to my friend, and I said "You know, I'm so numb that at this point if you told me my mom was dead I would just shrug it off." She said "You know, it hurts God to hear you say that" I hated to say it, but my reply was "I can't even say that I care about that."

I think that was part of the borderline that I have, but I get it every now and then. It's really not a good sign, since major depression and mood swings tend to follow for me - hence the advice to see a doctor. And when I say mood swings, I mean rapid cycling of moods that can last for hours (trust me, you don't want to be there... angry one minute, laughing the next, then crying... only feeling an emotion for a minute or so before changing to another random emotion).

I will be off and on for the next couple days, but if you want to talk, feel free to PM me.

:hug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I get this sometimes. It's part of my bipolar cycle. Total disconnect from emtoions. Very weird and

uncomfortable.

I hope your doc can help you out. :hug: