Emotional numbness can come from many things. If you feel depressed, anxious, or have suffered a trauma, you need to seek help. Don't isolate yourself, but surround yourself with the people you love. Do something that helps you open up slowly, such as writing a journal and reducing stress.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting Help and Support
Step 1. Relate to other people
Avoid isolating yourself from the people you love and the things you like. When you distance yourself from the people around you and the activities you usually engage in, loneliness can take over and make matters worse. Regularly hang out with friends and family, especially one-on-one. You don't have to talk about your state of mind, but it will do you good to be close to those who are willing to support you.
If you don't have any friends or family nearby, do something that allows you to socialize, volunteer and make new friends
Step 2. See a professional for a psychological evaluation
Anxiety can generate antisocial thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Many people with PTSD also experience emotional numbness in between symptoms. Additionally, depression can promote detachment, lack of joy, and loss of interest. If you feel that your emotional numbness is due to any of these problems, consult a therapist to get a diagnosis and treatment.
A diagnosis will help shed light on other problems that may arise, while a treatment can give you hope and allow you to become aware of your emotions
Step 3. Consult a psychotherapist
Emotional numbness can result from depression, anxiety, or sadness. A psychotherapist is able to help you process your emotions in adequate times, without feeling tormented or overwhelmed. It also allows you to better understand past and present situations that favor your emotional numbness and gain a new perspective. It will teach you to identify and define your emotions, giving them meaning.
- A mental health professional may recommend psychotherapy, but also recommend other practices, such as meditation, self-hypnosis, concentration, and the centering technique, which will help you relax, calm down, and manage your emotions as you manifest them.
- Find a mental health professional by talking to your doctor or ASL psychologist. You can also ask a friend or family member for advice.
Step 4. Talk to your doctor
If you are taking medications and feel that your emotional numbness is related to taking them, talk to your primary care physician. He may change your dosage or prescribe something else, but also tell you about dietary or lifestyle changes.
Tell him about your moods and ask him if they may be related to taking the medications. Describe in detail how you feel. For example, you might say, "Since taking this drug, I have been feeling emotionally detached and unable to connect with myself or other people."
Part 2 of 3: Unleashing the Emotions
Step 1. Identify what you are feeling
You may feel emotionally numb because you can't understand your state of mind or because you feel compelled to appear a certain way, perhaps always in a good mood. If you can't identify your emotions, observe your body and learn to catch them in the bud. For example, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable, you may feel "butterflies in your stomach" or a tension in your shoulders. Notice the smallest changes in thoughts and behaviors that affect your mood.
- If you feel lonely, admit it. Pay attention to your physical sensations and notice how they affect your mood, thoughts and behavior.
- If you purposely ignore your emotions to defend yourself, don't speed up the process, otherwise you may feel overwhelmed and panic.
Step 2. Express your feelings
Once you have identified your emotions, learn to manifest them constructively. Many people explain to others what they feel to get a clearer idea and externalize it, but that's not the only way. You could write, dance, play, listen to music, paint or meditate to give vent to your emotions. Creativity can help you improve your health and well-being. Find a way to express your mood.
- Let your emotions out instead of repressing them or pretending they don't exist.
- If you'd rather talk about it, confide in a sincere friend or consult a psychotherapist.
Step 3. Keep your feet on the ground
If you feel detached or emotionally numb, try to ground yourself in the present. Sit down and learn to feel the sensation of your feet on the ground and your body on the chair. Examine body perceptions and use the five senses to make contact with the surrounding environment. Take longer breaths and start noticing things around you.
For example, start by identifying all blue or yellow objects in your field of view. Listen carefully to sounds and noises. Get in touch with the reality around you
Step 4. Write down what you feel
If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, writing can be a simpler tool that allows you to process your emotions. Keep a journal to analyze and express them. It will be an intimate refuge where you will not be judged, but you can express thoughts and feelings.
If you don't know where to start, start with notes that lead you to think deeply or describe your emotional state
Step 5. Do something that makes you happy
Most likely in this situation you will have the impression that you are missing a part to enter into a relationship with your emotions and, consequently, you find yourself in a state of boundless emotional emptiness. So, dedicate yourself to something that brought you joy in the past. For example, you can start painting, running or playing with your dog.
Even if you don't want to do anything at first, don't give up. You may feel more involved once you get started
Step 6. Cast out negative thoughts
Maybe you have the feeling of being in a dead end and you don't know how to change your mental horizon to cheer you up. If your thoughts are generally negative or you can't improve them, start questioning them. For example, ask yourself, "Is this true? Are there other perspectives I can look at this situation from? Am I jumping to conclusions?"
Try to think more positively. Since thoughts affect your mood, if they become more constructive they give you the opportunity to get in touch with your emotions
Part 3 of 3: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Step 1. Cope with stress
Discomfort and tension can weigh on your physical and psychological health to the point of making you apathetic. If stress is taking up all of your energy, you may feel drained and unable to communicate with your emotions. If you are under stress and need a solution, try practicing yoga and meditation every day. You can also do other relaxing activities, such as journaling, listening to music, playing an instrument, or going for a walk.
To cope with stress, avoid activities that promote emotional numbness, such as watching television or playing video games. Manage it in a way that makes your life better
Step 2. Increase the distractions and let your creativity run wild
List all the things you think are fun or the creative ones you would like to try. Put your favorite activity first. You can include anything you want and want to introduce into your daily life, such as taking a class on knitting or crochet, painting or drawing, jotting down thought-provoking observations, writing, fishing, attending events organized by an association and so on. Hang up the list in a place where it can stay in sight every day, and start deleting entries as you finish what you wrote down.
- Creative and fun pastimes will help you relax and cope with times when you struggle to manage yourself emotionally. They will allow you to stay active and avoid isolation, and some, such as painting, drawing, or writing, can become a form of expression with which to release repressed emotions.
- If you engage in an artistic or creative activity, it will communicate to the mind that you are taking care of yourself. This way you will be able to process all the emotions you feel or hold in check. Share your creativity with the people you feel closest and comfortable with.
Step 3. Establish healthy habits
Don't ignore what your body needs even when you feel in a state of emotional numbness. You may lose your appetite or drift away from others and the world around you. However, pay attention to your physical needs. Follow a healthy diet and eat regularly. Get a good sleep, about 7-9 hours every night. If you start sleeping too much or too little, see your doctor.
By taking care of your body, you will be well on your way to recovery
Step 4. Avoid the consumption of alcohol and other substances
Some people use certain substances to suppress (or escape) emotions. If you want to use drugs or alcohol to stifle your feelings or numb yourself further, be aware that they will not help you manage and can even make the situation worse.
