Are Normal People Numb ???

[Rik]

My mother lost her husband, was diagnosed with cancer and had to put her dog to sleep all in two weeks. She reported little fear.

My sister has advanced liver cancer and goes in tomorrow to see how long she will live (prognosis)

If I was diagnosed with cancer I would be screwed up that I would be looking for a bridge to jump of of......so are normal people sort of numb compared to us ??

[Anne1221]

Those without anxiety disorders definitely don't respond like us. They just are able to take things in stride, and not get fearful and worried. I was on a WebMD anxiety board and a girl said the same thing. How every little thing would send her into a tailspin and yet her mother would not be fazed no matter what happened. I don't really think they are numb, they just don't have anxiety disorders. I too have family member who can take major bad events and be okay. Me?! Oh my gosh, the world is ending.

[Almarenco]

I don't think it's their numb - as in immune to feelings we do. They feel them too. They too worry. I think, (thinking back to before my anxiety really kicked into gear) that they are just able to cope with it better. It is a very normal human instinct to try and hide what you are feeling - I am a director, and for instance, I can tell you that a good actor doesn't try to emote, but rather, to hide what he's feeling, but he is feeling - that's because that's what humans do, and acting is about coming through authentic - us humans try to hide what we feel (Some better than others). I think when we're anxious, our minds just make everything seem 10x worse than it really is, making us unable to cope.