“I don’t care”: what is emotional insensitivity

Everyone has their own threshold of psychological endurance, and no one can predict what will be the reaction to severe stress. Sometimes a person ceases to experience any emotions and becomes indifferent to everything. This condition is dangerous because it can develop into a serious mental disorder.

Almost everyone experiences periods of emotional insensitivity. At some point, the brain simply turns off part of the functions, and we live purely mechanically. This is neither good nor bad. Different people perceive the same events differently. We are not connected to a single control center, which means we cannot respond to what is happening in the same way. An emotionally insensitive person seems to become numb and becomes indifferent to everything, including situations that previously evoked a lively response.

What is emotional insensitivity

Emotions are an integral part of human life. They guide our desires and actions, make us strive for more and be proud of our achievements, sad, angry, upset, surprised, love. Each emotion has many shades that make up a colorful picture of life experience.

Emotional insensitivity is not just indifference, it deprives the ability to perceive the outside world and evaluate everything that happens around. It does not allow to work, communicate and live normally. Hobbies, interests, relationships with people become insipid and unnecessary, because there are no emotions: a person does not want to do something that does not bring joy or pleasure. Why make meaningless moves?

Responsibilities are another matter, they must be fulfilled, otherwise you will slide to the bottom. And everything beyond that – meetings with friends, entertainment, hobbies, creative impulses – is tied to emotions and desires.

Many people mistake insensitivity as a life-saving coping mechanism. This is not true. It really helps to turn off your emotions from time to time in order to focus on important tasks, since excessive vehemence will only hurt. Another thing is bad: we too often forget to go back and mentally live through a difficult situation. Residual emotions accumulate inside and sooner or later make themselves felt.

The habit of silencing emotions in order to close off any unpleasant feelings is called avoidance, and this is not the best defense mechanism. Protracted insensitivity indicates serious violations, in such cases it is necessary to contact a specialist. Here are a few signs to look out for:

  • loss of interest in social activities;
  • feeling of uselessness and detachment;
  • emotional and physical exhaustion, loss of strength;
  • complete indifference, neither positive nor negative emotions;
  • general lethargy, difficulty in daily activities;
  • inability to think deeply and perceive complex information;
  • difficulties in expressing feelings in words and explaining them to others;
  • the desire to close at home and not meet with anyone.

Causes of emotional insensitivity

Most often, this condition occurs in response to constant pain, physical or mental. A person who has to endure torment involuntarily tries to drown out emotions, and then it becomes easier for him. It helps at first, but the problem only gets worse as time goes by. The trouble is that the wall is getting higher and denser, and over time there is no gap left in it, where at least some emotions, positive or negative, could penetrate.

The path will be closed until we guess to cut through the door.

Among the most likely causes are psychological problems, including:

  • דעפּרעסיע;
  • psychological and physical abuse;
  • chemical dependence;
  • דרוק;
  • grief;
  • traumatic experience and post-traumatic disorder;
  • increased anxiety or anxiety disorder.

Emotional insensitivity often develops after shocks, especially in people who have been bullied for a long time by abusive parents or partners. As a rule, victims of violence cannot influence what happens to them, and therefore close in on themselves, because this is the only available way of protection. Difficult experiences come back again and again: even when everything ends, a person tries to avoid situations, conversations and sensations that remind him of the past.

In anxious people, emotional insensitivity is triggered as a kind of compensatory mechanism that allows you to reduce a high level of stress to tolerable. In addition, certain medications can cause it. This side effect is observed in almost all psychotropic drugs.

How is she treated

There is no universal remedy for emotional insensitivity, each case is individual. Friends, relatives, support groups will not be able to help with all their desire, because they do not know how. The best way out is to consult a psychologist. He can determine the root causes and work through this condition together with the patient.

You should not expect an instant result: the boxes where unlived emotions are hidden must be opened carefully, rethinking each situation. If everything is done correctly, the ability to feel is gradually restored. The two most common approaches to treating emotional insensitivity are:

Therapy of acceptance and responsibility. Focused on the development of awareness, the ability to recognize and interpret emotional experience “as is”. The patient learns to recognize his own destructive reactions and replace them with constructive ones.

קאָגניטיווע-ביכייוויעראַל טעראַפּיע. Pays more attention to developing the ability to understand and express emotions. The patient learns to consciously replace negative attitudes with positive ones. In addition, the method helps to thoughtfully evaluate different situations and choose the right emotional response.

Insensitivity is not always explained by dramatic events. It often develops in those who live in constant stress and work to the limit. In this case, psychologists recommend reconsidering the way of life.

How to maintain psychological balance

Emotional insensitivity can be prevented by following a few simple rules.

1. Do your exercises

Sports loads are the best remedy for emotional insensitivity. When we actively move, the brain produces endorphins, which improves mood and causes a surge of energy. Just twenty minutes a day can go a long way in improving mental health.

2. Practice good sleep hygiene

Quality sleep works wonders. You just need to create conditions for him: a comfortable bed, a dark room, no smartphones in bed and not staying up late.

3. Watch for food

Food is a vital fuel for the body. This is an ideal car, but if you fill it with anything, it will certainly fail. If you replace harmful foods with healthy ones and eat when you really want to, your health will soon improve.

4. רעדוצירן דיין דרוק לעוועלס

Most insensitive people have many unresolved problems. They accumulate gradually and turn into an unbearable burden. In the end, the brain simply cannot withstand the overload and goes into a limited mode. To prevent this from happening, it is critically important to rest and restore your resources.

5. Learn to recognize, express and live emotions

Anyone who has been indifferent to everything for a long time simply forgets what it means to feel and respond to impressions, because unclaimed skills become dull over time. It could be worse. People who were abused as children don’t know what emotions are because they weren’t allowed to experience them. Fortunately, emotional intelligence can be developed.

6. Look for those who are ready to support you

It is good to have friends and family close by who are ready to help in difficult times. Sometimes just talking heart to heart is enough to make it clear what to do next. But if there is no one to trust, look for support groups, go to a therapist, just don’t be alone.

Emotional insensitivity does not go away on its own, the path to recovery is long and difficult. You will have to change yourself and change your relationship with the outside world. But you will definitely make it. After all, this is done in order to restore the taste of life again.

לאָזן אַ ענטפֿערן