Emotionaly Numb

I've been visten my doctor for the last 3 months now, and about 3-4 weeks ago shes told me i may have to see a someone else, and when I just meet them the other day, they asked if they could do a psychiatric asesment. Agreeing with it, they asked mostly questions like

Have you had any large injuries? - yes, three
Lost A family member at younge age? - yes
Have you had a Auto accident? -(how i lost a family member) yes
Have you ever needed Surgiery? - twice

and other (more personal) questions, both on paper and talking about them.

After that they said I might have become partically emotionaly numb, I disagreed with them saying, Its just that I can control myself alot easier,

I've had times where i've felt nothing, but thats not as odd as its sounds right?


Is there anyone who knows more about this stuff? I think they just don't really know me well. but it seems rather odd to say this on a first day if it wasn't near the truth.

Any situations where you logically know there should be an emotional response and you don't have one?

Asking questions can only get someone so far in making such an assessment; I think they'd need to actually talk to you and get to know you as a person (and not just what's happened to you) to figure that out. You could just be desensitized to a lot of things, or naturally a calm and collected person.

There's a lot of possibilities. I second Avatar's question - do you have any examples?

Logically known reactions? I can't remember anything that would be unemtional or something....

i've had times where poeple said "You should be proud" but i didn't know what to feel (and i guess i didn't feel much, not sure if it just didn't mean anything to me)

Can you guys though out some expamples? something to refer to?
i've never been in a relationship so i think love and such would be out..

Being bullied. Failing at something. Someone you know dying. achieving something you found difficult.

i've never been bullied, i left school for a year, but i woudn't consider that Failing...

Achieving something difficult? I don't think i've been given much opertunity for that.

When my father died, i don't know if i was just to young, or i didn't get it.
i guess i didn't feel much there. When i remind myself of him just now... i guess i didn't know him well enough.

also they asked this too, when i answered the same as this, they didn't say much of it...

I'm pretty emotionally numb, and most people around me have told me as much. I would say how that makes me feel, but it doesn't.

The way people approach emotional and mental health in this country is pretty funny. Quiet = depressed, talkative = happy, social = healthy and so on. If you don't fit into their preconceived notion of what is ok, you'll have more anti-depressants thrown your way than you can count.

[size=12] I think you should always be mindful of peoples' interests. I've heard many accounts of therapists writing their patients off as having X wrong with them based on a few inconclusive and sometime rather ubiquitous symptoms (trouble sleeping, restlessness, overall feeling blue) and can easily be falsely diagnosed. This then leads them to prescribe medication that gets progressively stronger when the symptoms don't go away. The most prominent example of this can be seen in many false diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in children and teenagers. I've also had first-hand experience with medical politics when my best friend came back from his tour in Iraq and the doctor kept prescribing him stronger and stronger medication and he'd get worse and worse. Sometimes doctors get a kickback from pharmaceutical companies when they prescribe certain medications.

I'm not trying to say that all doctors are like this and I'm not about to say that some people really don't need medication, but one should always be mindful of such things; is your doctor more interested in helping you or themselves?

Also one should always keep in mind that just because a figure of authority declares something as right it doesn't make it, so. This may sound pretty obvious but is often overlooked (see: Milgram Experiment).

A few related articles on kickbacks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/health/policy/04doctors.html

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blphil_ethbio_prescript.htm

A video on the Milgram Experiment recreated by Derren Brown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w
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I share familiar characteristics, I tend to fake my emotions/personality when I'm with friends so they don't think i'm weird or whatever.
My facial expressions tends to be blank/stoic all the time.

Well this guy never offered any medication.. if thats a good thing, and I've heard alot of storys about such in the states and such, but i guess it obivously can happen anywhere.

The "Also one should always keep in mind that just because a figure of authority declares something as right it doesn't make it, so. This may sound pretty obvious but is often overlooked " part was what I made this mostly from, I didn't like how they could say something from a single session.

Emotional health is mostly important when dealing with relationships, primarily romantic ones. If you aren't able to be there enough for your significant other emotionally, you might find it difficult to pursue a relationship with them.

As for other situations, well as long as you are able to feel a sense of empathy for people I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you aren't able to feel that sense of empathy with people, you might want to consider actual treatment because that is something that can lead to really serious problems.

same here, not every time but at least 85% of the time i do it.

You have the power to become a cyborg. Join usssssssssss.

I think it is more like "I just don't give a fuck" syndrome. I know cuz i have them.

I notice that I am kind of that way too,It doesn't take me long to get over something, and I really have to try to not speak my mind when I'm around people that piss me off, Ive lost a couple friends that way.

they where not your friends if that is the case.

Emotionally Numb - It defines as not caring about anything for me too.

People trying to do me in - So what?
Me trying to study - Why study when there's supposedly no meaning behind it?
A future - Does that truly exist for such a wretched soul - Wait, why am i caring about myself?

That's for me anyway(Self-esteem issues?)

Yours could be in the repressive nature(for emotional defense?) or a "naturally calm and collected" type. But do know that you're still a human like anyone out there regardless. I have to remind myself like that sometimes(lol).

Just my 2-cents worth of thoughts.

First we replace the blood in your veins with pure cyborg-juice, and then we put an exoskeleton over your body which will camouflage itself to your body color and shape. The exoskeleton can kick ass, chew bubblegum, but it cannot do both at the same time.

I've gone through a similar ordeal. Those places for most people will not help and will in fact make things worse. You need to find your answers on your own! I recommend taking out thirty minutes each day to meditate! You might think sitting down and just relaxing, not speaking, not thinking anything in your head won't help anything but I promise it will.