Emotional blunting

[Claire001]

Hi you guys! I wondered whether anybody has ever experienced emotional blunting due to their medication? I've been concerned for a while now that I seem to always feel quite flat, whether there's something positive or negative going on around me. I rarely feel happiness, joy or elation or sadness. I hardly ever cry anymore and I just feel a complete lack of emotion for anything, even worry or compassion for the people I love. I've experienced anxiety and depression for years and have always been quite an emotional person so this feeling of dulled emotions (good and bad) is highly unusual for me. I kind of feel like a zombie and while it's great that I feel less sad, I feel as though I'm missing out on life! After all, sometimes a good cry is good for you, as is a good laugh! I've been on sertraline for over a year and wonder whether this is what is causing the problem? I also take propranolol for my anxiety and occasionally diazepam when I'm feeling really bad but am doubting that either of these are the cause. Can anyone relate to this feeling at all? I've called the doctor to make an appointment but have to wait a whole month so any feedback on here would be great! I've tried to come off the sertraline previously (as discussed with my doctor) but I found it too difficult as I felt dizziness so continued to take them. I'm just wondering whether to try it again or not as at the moment I have a lot of work on and don't want it to affect that. Would be great to hear your thoughts! Cheers, Claire x

[Anne1221]

I have never experienced that personally, but I have read others post in various places that they did feel an emotional blunting from their antidepressant. You might be able to cut back on your Zoloft. I certainly wouldn't let dizziness keep me on a medication. If you feel dizzy, it just means you're cutting back too fast. I have to go VERRRY SLOOOW when I cut back on medications but I try to just be patient and that way I don't get all those crazy side effects of coming off. For me, I've found staying on my medication, but taking a smaller dose, has helped. (I didn't like the two side effects of feeling tired and wanting to eat all the time).

[Claire001]

Thank you for your reply, it's good to hear that this is possibly a genuine symptom and that I'm not just turning into an emotionless person for no reason! I'll take your advice and try to come off them more slowly. The reason I stopped trying is that I've recently opened a business and the dizziness was interfering with my concentration and I didn't feel safe driving etc. definitely worth another try though! Thank you so much x

[HockeyRules]

Take it slow ........I weaned over a month and was bonkers for a little while....I eventually leveled out. So if your sensitive....slow taper...insist on it.

David

[socaltouch14]

I also have sum emotional blunting. Its hard 4 me to cry now even though i really want to because this is happening 2 me. Its hard to b sad, glad, and hell, even mad. I hope u find comfort soon

[HockeyRules]

I also have sum emotional blunting. Its hard 4 me to cry now even though i really want to because this is happening 2 me. Its hard to b sad, glad, and hell, even mad. I hope u find comfort soon


Those are just a few reasons that made me stop them. It was that I wasn't me anymore....I was someone else and I didn't like it. Everyone is different .....so my experience may not be someone else's.

David

[Weyoun]

I had severe emotional blunting when I was on Zoloft 2-3 years ago. I was on 200mg a day and it just made me a zombie. One of my relatives died and I can remember telling my mother that it's a waste of time going to viewing and staring at a corpse. Yeah, it was that bad. I still feel emotionally detached some days but not nearly as bad as that.

[socaltouch14]

Thank u 4 sharing

[Claire001]

Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone and apologies for my late reply, I haven't been on here for a while. I'm sorry to hear that you have all struggled too and glad that you all seem to be more yourselves now :) I'm in the middle of coming off my meds now and coping ok so far so that's great. Dr says they may be able to give me something other than propranolol to help with my anxiety once I'm off my anti depressants-do you guys have any experience of ant anxiety tablets and what they may offer me? Weyoun, what you have described sums up exactly how I've been feeling. I know that deep down I do care but I just can't feel it. My aunty committed suicide last month and seriously, I haven't shed a tear. I just think to myself well everyone dies, the world is overpopulated, what's the point in worrying about one more person dying? So fucked up it scares me! I've always been an overly sensitive, caring, compassionate person, always wanting to help others so it scares me to think that maybe this really is what I've turned into-an emotionless, hopeless monster! Just hope my thoughts change. Do you feel differently about your relative passing away now? X