Emotional Numbness

Hi.. Anyone has experience with emotional numbness? Mine happened gradually and now it's as if my emotions are really weak. Before this I was dealing with many problems and extreme anxiety. Especially health anxiety. This thing can really take over someone's life.

It is more of an emotional anesthesia, I do recognise myself and people although I also feel a little bit disconnected emotionally. I am aware that it is caused by my anxiety. It happened very gradually. One day after another I became more and more numb bit by bit until this point, then it stayed this way. As it happened, I also saw that the world is brighter visually and even at night it feels like it's bright which scared me at first. It's kind of scary that I've gotten used to it when I am actually a very emotional person. But now I feel like I don't really worry about anything and much more calm. I do want to fix this but I'm just afraid if my feelings come back full force suddenly and I might break down and cry. It is persistent. I have problems with my immune system but I don't know if it's happening bcos of that or solely based on my anxiety.

Hi S.C.

Thanks for the advice as always. That is what I've been thinking too. I hope it atleast stays this way for now and not get worse any further. Feeling this way however does make me think more rationally than getting extra panicky over small symptoms. So I'm still trying to be positive. I always try to remind myself that some are having it worse than me.

Sildasher-

SC is exactly right. Emotional fatigue as a result of the anxiety and stress you've been having for the past many months.

As odd as it sounds, this is actually the way the brain is healing itself. That's good news if you can believe it..

It's a very upsetting feeling- I know personally. Been there at various points & degrees, over the past year and a half. It's better now. I still feel it at times but it's easier to move past it. I don't get stuck there like I did.

The death/dying is absolutely anxiety. For me, I felt very abnormal & while I did not ever want to die or self harm, I felt like I was dying. Or that this suffering was worse than death.

When my psychiatrist would ask if I felt like self harming, I said "no but I feel like I am dying & i'd just like to go to sleep until this passes then wake up." He smiled real big and said he's heard that same statement too many times to count. That while it's extremely upsetting and the thought can get stuck in our head, with time and treatment, it will & does pass and that I'm not crazy, losing it or dying (bc I asked more than once if I was)!

Know that this too will pass. It really, truly will. You're actively pursuing your recovery and healing with the physical health concerns & the mental ones. That is the formula for recovery and you're doing it. You will absolutely find joy and "normalcy" again.

Ps: when I'd have hours/days of the DR (derealization), I described it as a numbing feeling and also like I was a stranger in my own familiar world). I didn't necc feel physically anxiety, nor depression. I felt stuck in a weird place betwixt the 2. I call it "The Twilight Zone" (my friends term who'd also had it during extreme times of stress. I thought I was the only person in my life who'd had this and when I started talking about it, I heard a handful of "me too's!" which made me realize it's not uncommon and I wasn't an anomaly). I wonder how common it is but ppl don't talk about it bc it's odd and hard to describe- like many may not have the words for it)?

You hang right in there bc you are going to be just fine!

Lisa