Is it normal?
By kaspera
@kaspera (46)
United States
September 19, 2010 7:46am CST
Is it normal to feel nothing? I know what you are thinking. I am not a sociopath. I tend to feel emotion at inappropriate times, and at other inappropriate times, I feel no emotion whatsoever. I get sad news, and I feel a chilling emptiness where I know there should be some sort of emotion. I wait for it to come, and I don't feel it. I get happy news, maybe about someone else (like they are getting married or something), and I feel nothing. I can't figure it out. I try and I try really hard to feel something, anything, and sometimes I just can't. I do care about people. I love. I feel emotions. I just don't care as much as I think I should. I don't love the way I feel I should. I don't feel emotions when it is appropriate for emotional responses. I think it is a defense mechanism, to shield myself from pain, but it might go deeper than that. I don't mean to alarm anyone with this post. I am not psychotic or a sociopath, because I do feel emotions, and I have a major sense of right and wrong. I would never hurt anyone. I scare myself with my emotional responses (or lack thereof) sometimes, and wonder if anyone else has the same issue.
3 responses
@GemmaR (8517)
•
19 Sep 10
I thnk you might be suffering from depression. I feel like that myself sometimes. I can't bring myself to feel excited about things, and I don't feel guilty about things that I should probably feel guilty for. I was diagnosed with depression 4 years ago and was on medication for a year, but I stopped it because I actually preferred being down than having the side effects caused by the medication. I couldn't stand it! You should maybe go to see a doctor about it, as there are newer medications now than there were when I was diagnosed. Much better.
@kaspera (46)
• United States
20 Sep 10
it is depression, for the most part, but I have always been this way. As a child, I felt guilty for getting Christmas presents, yet I did not feel guilty for other things that I should have felt guilty for. I used to be on meds also, but it is not as bad as some, and my doctor feels as though I do not need to be treated at this time. I evaluate myself fairly often, and I still do not understand the lack of emotion. I have never heard of that as a symptom of depression. It is interesting. I really am happy, most of the time, but when sad things happen, I do not feel the emotion I should. I don't even feel the emotion when good things happen... yet... I am generally a happy person... Lol, maybe I really am just strange...
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
19 Sep 10
there is an underlying cause cause to whatever it is happening to you. i think it would be best if you would re-evaluate yourself. you might be hurting somehow and yet you are afraid to show that that is why you tend to show no emotions to other incidents. it would be best if you can talk to a friend whatever is bothering you.
@kaspera (46)
• United States
20 Sep 10
I think that maybe you are right about part of it. I probably do it to shield myself from pain. The problem is that I don't know that I do it, and I don't know how to fix it. Sometimes I do not know what it is that is bothering me, so it is a little difficult to talk about. It feels wrong that when I know I am supposed to feel some sort of emotion, all I feel is a chilling numbness, a black emptiness, even pain or guilt. Never sorrow. Never sadness. Only those two when I don't even think I should be feeling anything. It's kinda opposite, I guess.
