Emotional blunting

[[Ka...]]

Does anyone experience an emotional blunting as either a side effect or as a WD symptom? 
It seems my emotional response is inactive leaving a state of what I can only describe as ‘neutral’. This is not a depression - but seems have just lost the usual reactions to say good or bad news. 

Edited February 13 by [Ka...]

[[dj...]]

Oh yes.  Emotions are disconnected a bit for sure.  Kind of frozen. 

[[Ka...]]

Thank you @[dj...] frozen is a good term. 
I now watch a hospital drama that I could never watch. I have no emotion to it. So weird. I’m flat! 

[[...]]

Extremely common. I would say that is the   purpose for benzos.

[Guest [...]]

@[Ka...]

It’s such a strange experience… 

I’m a musician… singer/songwriter, and I have absolutely no emotion whatsoever through which to create, write, or perform, yet, my nervous system is so easily pummelled by difficult emotions. I can make no sense of it. 

Edited February 13 by Guest

[[Ka...]]

Oh @[Wi...] that is hard. Sorry. I love music but it’s lost somehow. 

[Guest [...]]

It’s was very difficult to come to terms with, @[Ka...], because music was how I would always find my way back to myself. It would centre me. I have come to terms with it to a degree, but it does still feel like a part of my being has been amputated. But, one day…… 👍

[[...]]

It's not amputated, as it will come back. One of the later to return.

[[Ma...]]

@[Wi...] There’s a success story about a musician who ended up going on to create even more meaningful and beautiful works. I believe he was quite famous (?). Keep the faith!

Personally, I worked at world renowned museums until all of this. Creativity was my lifeline. Now I am sketching. Feel no joy, they’re pretty horrible but I am trying to remind my brain who the hell we are!

This probably sounds crazy, but everything about this is crazy IMO, okay, so…I practice’Smile Therapy’. Sssshhhhh. I am beyond miserable, MDD x’s 100 so decided, just smile. Smile. The brain will have to get the message eventually. Right? Know what? After a couple of weeks it just happens-I smile. Feel like shit, but it helps.

[[Ka...]]

12 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

It’s was very difficult to come to terms with, @[Ka...], because music was how I would always find my way back to myself. It would centre me. I have come to terms with it to a degree, but it does still feel like a part of my being has been amputated. But, one day…… 👍

I get it and sympathise. If creativity is affected then that is quite a lot to accept. I’ve been thinking about people like the late Bowie who admitted to being so high during one album. Very typical I guess! 

 

Edited February 13 by [Ka...]

[[kn...]]

I've often found myself in a state where I just really don't care what happens any more.  You're right that it's not depression  I just don't care.  Ongoing pain and suffering have left me totally spent: physically and emotionally.  What really bothers me is that I do not seem capable of presenting empathy to family members and friends.  Just getting through the next few minutes is  about all I can do.  We had some tragic news concerning some extended family and friends last week.  My wife felt a horrible sense of loss.  I hate to say it, but it really didn't seem to touch me much at all.  

[[Pa...]]

1 hour ago, [[K...] said:

Oh @[Wi...] that is hard. Sorry. I love music but it’s lost somehow. 

Yes, its lost right now but your love and appreciation will return, I know this because it was the same for me.  I was walking the other day listening to music and during one song, I experienced an emotion welling up inside of me, it was an actual physical phenomenon and I had no idea what would come out of me as it was building.  Turns out it was tears, right there walking on a sidewalk crying due to the sheer joy and power of the music.  I'll be forever grateful for this. 

@[Wi...], @[Ka...], I expect you'll both experience the joys of human emotion when you recover.  

[[Ka...]]

18 minutes ago, [[k...] said:

I've often found myself in a state where I just really don't care what happens any more.  You're right that it's not depression  I just don't care.  Ongoing pain and suffering have left me totally spent: physically and emotionally.  What really bothers me is that I do not seem capable of presenting empathy to family members and friends.  Just getting through the next few minutes is  about all I can do.  We had some tragic news concerning some extended family and friends last week.  My wife felt a horrible sense of loss.  I hate to say it, but it really didn't seem to touch me much at all.  

Oh @[kn...] sorry but can so relate. You describe a kind of ‘shut down mode’ 

Edited February 13 by [Ka...]

[[or...]]

I think I feel rather numb with my emotions.  It's actually kind of good, for me anyway.  I get the anxiety so bad, but it's really died down for most of my days.  I don't feel even half as emotional most of the time.  The only time it happens is if I watch something I know I shouldn't on TV, or read something I shouldn't have.

As a result of this I don't interact with people much, I just can't, especially in person.  I know people can be totally emotionally unavailable and that's not the kind of conversation I enjoy.  I can help calm a person down, and I do have a couple friends that can cool my jets too.

I think I'm getting better at dealing with people, but I think my sort of numb emotional side is rather therapeutic for me, for now.

I hope I didn't misunderstand your post @[Ka...] my mind can wander pretty good too

[Guest [...]]

7 hours ago, [[M...] said:

@[Wi...] There’s a success story about a musician who ended up going on to create even more meaningful and beautiful works. I believe he was quite famous (?). Keep the faith!

Personally, I worked at world renowned museums until all of this. Creativity was my lifeline. Now I am sketching. Feel no joy, they’re pretty horrible but I am trying to remind my brain who the hell we are!

This probably sounds crazy, but everything about this is crazy IMO, okay, so…I practice’Smile Therapy’. Sssshhhhh. I am beyond miserable, MDD x’s 100 so decided, just smile. Smile. The brain will have to get the message eventually. Right? Know what? After a couple of weeks it just happens-I smile. Feel like shit, but it helps.

I get it @[Ma...]

I force myself to smile.

Before benzo’s, I wore a constant smile and would find others smiling back without knowing I was drawing them into it. I could also see I was smiling with my eyes.  It’s powerful. 

[Guest [...]]

6 hours ago, [[P...] said:

Yes, its lost right now but your love and appreciation will return, I know this because it was the same for me.  I was walking the other day listening to music and during one song, I experienced an emotion welling up inside of me, it was an actual physical phenomenon and I had no idea what would come out of me as it was building.  Turns out it was tears, right there walking on a sidewalk crying due to the sheer joy and power of the music.  I'll be forever grateful for this. 

@[Wi...], @[Ka...], I expect you'll both experience the joys of human emotion when you recover.  

Love it, @[Pa...]

I know the phenomenon!

I remember going though a deep (spiritual) healing phase during 2016. I would often be driving (no music) and suddenly I would feel a flood of emotion well up. I would have to pull over on the side of the highway to release a flood of tears. NO sadness, No fear, Nothing more than a Pure Joyful Release. Extremely cathartic and Healing. It happened over and over again through that period of time. 

Edited February 13 by Guest

[[Re...]]

Fear hijacks my emotions so often. It disables any normal human feeling. (I am otherwise extremely compassionate and warm hearted). 

Because of light sensitivity I need to squint often, people think automatically I am smiling. At least I get smiles.... 

[Guest [...]]

@[Re...]

Receiving smiles by default! 😆Nice!

Yes… fear certainly hijacks ones emotions. 

[[Re...]]

I used to play classical music, used to sing, I always listened to music when I had the chance. It has been a very very important part of my life, too. I feel you @[Wi...]. 

Who would have thought here that I used to be a good dancer. I just felt the rhythm somehow 😎

[[Ma...]]

I ‘dance’ to the kitchen. With my forced smile. I dance to my bed, over and over again…

You just have to keep trying IMO and when that day comes?!? Oh boy 🕺!!

[Guest [...]]

8 hours ago, [[K...] said:

Does anyone experience an emotional blunting as either a side effect or as a WD symptom? 
It seems my emotional response is inactive leaving a state of what I can only describe as ‘neutral’. This is not a depression - but seems have just lost the usual reactions to say good or bad news. 

To sum up, @[Ka...]

Benzo’s are well known to blunt emotions, but once in withdrawal, it is somewhat different… simple emotions can be extremely intense as they hit the nervous system. They easily destabilise the nervous system because gabba receptors aren’t playing their calming role. So as @[Re...] said… Fear seems to taint and hijack emotions.