It happened – something horrible, traumatic, unbearable…
Now, slowly your life seems to be stabilizing, getting into a normal rhythm, but emotions have disappeared somewhere – as if they never existed. But you remember that it wasn’t like that before! You can’t feel happiness, can’t feel sadness. You go about your day as a robot following the words “should” and “must”. You feel chronic apathy and it seems that your life drags on slowly, without excitement.
“I don’t feel anything,” people say in such cases. “There are no emotions, everything is gray and dull.”
So, what happened?
The human psyche turns on defense mechanisms when it feels that the person cannot cope. When there are too many negative emotions, it can completely turn them off, like an electrician turns off the main switch before beginning repairs. The problem is that this “switch” is one for all emotions. It is impossible to turn off the “bad” ones and leave the “good” ones. The switch “kills” all emotions at once.
The main purpose of this protection mechanism is to ensure that the nervous system is not overloaded. In difficult times, a person has only one task – to survive. And for this, it is enough to do just the bare minimum. The person needs to perform basic functions – eat, drink, and sleep. But emotions and feelings – are phenomena of a higher order.
If you feel that the place where you used to have joy, surprise, anger, sadness, or delight is empty, this means that your psyche is in an energy-saving mode. It is its way to protect you.
But if the crisis has already passed but your emotions are not returning, it means that they “forgot” how to work. Something similar happens with female ovaries when a woman takes oral contraceptives for a long time.
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Then you must take measures to start not just surviving, but LIVING to the fullest – because life without emotions is very gray and dull…
What to do? How to bring back emotions?
1. If this condition lasts more than two months, you need to consult a specialist (a psychiatrist or medical psychotherapist) to rule out depression. They will assess your mental state and decide whether medical treatment (antidepressants, adaptogens, etc.) is needed.
2. Make sure that you take care of your bodily needs: sleep and food. It may sound trivial, but having a stable daily routine and proper nutrition is important. Do not underestimate the connection between the body and the mind: they are closely interrelated.
3. Start keeping a journal of emotions. Every evening, write down a list of all the emotions that you noticed during the day – even if they were just bare hints.
Gradually, your range of emotions will expand. You will notice this because this journal helps you focus on your emotional world.
If this does not help, you should contact a psychologist. They will help you to “wake up” all the blocked feelings.
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