You also learn new ways to process experiences and anxieties that previously upset you and led to the emotional numbing.For some people, however, emotional distance isn’t problematic. A new three-country survey found that 46 percent of patients receiving antidepressant medication for major depression experience emotional blunting. The survey applied a validated questionnaire to distinguish drug treatment side effects from the symptoms of major depression. Get our free guide when you sign up for our newsletter.Patel K, Allen S, Haque MN, Angelescu I, Baumeister D, Tracy DK. It helps you stay at an arm’s length from people who demand a lot of your emotional attention.But emotional detachment can also be harmful when you can’t control it. Continue working with your doctor to find the right formula of medications, therapy, and lifestyle to overcome and manage your depression over the long term. 1 That is now widely agreed, as is the need for well-tolerated medication essential to promote adherence and so minimize risk of incomplete response and relapse. A cross-sectional study by Fava and colleagues (2006) reported some form of ‘apathy’ in about 30% of patients on SSRIs. Depressed patients with emotional blunting had much higher total blunting scores on OQuESA than controls (42.83±14.73 versus 25.73±15.00, p<0.0001) and there was a correlation between total blunting score and HAD-Depression score (r =0.521). (2017) Emotional blunting with antidepressant treatments: a survey among depressed patients. If you find the side effect intolerable, do not stop treatment without first speaking with your doctor. Journal of Affective Disorders Fava M, Graves LM, Benazzi F, Scalia MJ et al (2006) How is emotional ‘blunting’ different from anhedonia, one of the core symptoms of depression. In that sense, it can be healthy. No misinformation. I never had depression as severe as Linda so I am not arguing against antispressants in the short or long term. Emotional numbness is a common, yet not talked about, symptom of depression. We have previously used qualitative methods to develop an appropriate scale, the Oxford Questionnaire on the Emotional Side-Effects of Antidepressants (OQESA). Different psychological conditions or reactions to certain events can cause emotional numbness. Higher levels of emotional blunting were associated with a more negative perception of it by the patient (r =– 0.423).This survey suggests that emotional blunting is reported by nearly half of depressed patients on antidepressants.The authors conclude from this survey that emotional blunting is reported by nearly half of depressed patients on antidepressants and that it appears to be common to The OQuESA scores are highly correlated with the HAD depression score; emotional blunting cannot be described simply as a side-effect of antidepressant, but also as a symptom of depression.A higher degree of emotional blunting is associated with a poorer quality of remission.Limitations of this evidence include the self-evaluation of depression and the modest size of the sample for detecting differences between antidepressants.Emotion blunting may be experienced as both a helpful and unhelpful phenomenon. In the sample on antidepressants, 401 reported significant emotional blunting, of whom 91 were receiving more than one antidepressant. Higher levels of emotional blunting are associated with a more negative perception of it by the patient (r = –0.423). ?Do you have a suggestion for a paper? Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This treatment can help you learn to overcome the impacts of the abuse.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. According to the Oxford study, men experienced blunting more than women (54% vs. 44%, respectively). ‘Emotional blunting’ or ‘numbing’ has been described by people taking antidepressants (Faulkner, 2016), and particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).. Though the percentage of people who experienced emotional blunting was similar between the three drug classes, there were variations. People who have been neglected or abused may develop this as a coping mechanism.A healthcare provider may be able to see when you’re not emotionally available to others. In the sample on antidepressants, 401 reported significant emotional blunting, of whom 91 were receiving more than one antidepressant. Reduced affect display, sometimes referred to as emotional blunting, is a condition of reduced emotional reactivity in an individual. The latter were excluded to provide a more homogeneous population of depressed patients on monotherapy, for whom the rate of emotional blunting was 46% (310/669); 53% (453/854) reported no emotional blunting on the screening question.The experience of emotional blunting was slightly more frequent in men than women (52% versus 44%) and in those with higher Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale scores. These include an inability to show empathy or a fear of commitment. ... DePaulo asserts, “If the treatment is sufficiently helpful, it … Linda Gask is Emerita Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry at the University of Manchester and a retired consultant psychiatrist.

For others, emotional numbing is unintended. They may not know how to respond to a significant other in a time of high stress and emotion.Emotional detachment or “numbing” is frequently a symptom of other conditions.

New blog on They can then help you work through that behavior in a healthy way and attempt to correct it.© 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Just wanted to share this ; done without medical supervision, but I have a great GP and she will understand.

What causes emotional blunting in people taking antidepressants?