This is especially true for those in high-stress environments and those who have experienced trauma. Numbness may also be a coping mechanism to prevent more pain from entering the psyche. The combination of the two can lead to a feeling of being drained and, consequently, numb. High-stress situations can tax our emotions and exhaust the physical body.

This is the area of the brain that deals with emotional regulation and memory.

Emotional numbness can occur when the limbic system is flooded with stress hormones. There’s no one answer to this question, but experts have a pretty good theory. This article will walk you through causes, treatment, self-help strategies, and additional resources. The good news is, emotional numbness is usually temporary and treatable. It can be linked with states like dissociation or depersonalization - feelings of being disconnected from yourself, your emotions, or your surroundings. It can also occur with other mental health conditions and medications. Feeling numb can make it hard to connect with others, which creates loneliness or a sense of isolation in your experience.Įmotional numbness, also called “affective blunting,” is most commonly associated with depression. It can also be described as chronically running on empty, feeling ungrounded, having a hard time focusing, or losing track of time throughout the day. Perhaps events and people seem muted, or less colorful somehow. Many people report feeling disconnected from the world around them sometimes, feeling “flat,” or feeling like life is on autopilot. Share on Pinterest Illustration by Brittany England

Getting in touch with emotions