hey everybody,
i havent posted in a long time. i have checked up every once in a while, its always nice knowing you guys are here.
im just wondering if anyone else has trouble feeling things, if that makes sense.
for the past year and a half ive been seeing this girl, and shes great, but i havent been able to connect with her emotionally. or really anyone else for that matter.
i dont really know, it might just be me, maybe i was always numb emotionally and she just pointed it out.
thanks, : |

A broad generalization: yes. Chronic problems of any kind--health, emotional, family, etc.--can, if not resolved, dampen our emotional responses. It's not full bore depression but a rather early stage where our emotional responses are sort of anesthesized.

Would be useful to take a good inventory to see if you have become compulsively absorbed with the Cluster (or whatever the issues are). Chronic watching, anxiety about the issue, waiting for the next event--whatever--takes its toll.

If you want some assistance, look for a counselor who works with cognitive therapy--it's an ideal approach for this kind of issue.

livin on pins wrote on Jun 11^th, 2011 at 12:42am:

i dont really know, it might just be me, maybe i was always numb emotionally and she just pointed it out. thanks, : |

In general, I am in full agreement with what Bob replied. However, this quote from you does raise other concerns. It is possible you have always been, or are periodically, emotionally numb. I wouldn't know but you do make a good point. Suppose you have. Then there is a reason why you are suppressing, and those reasons are too numerous to list here. There may also be an issue with whatever meds you are taking. Point is, you have raised an alarm and now you owe it to yourself to pursue an avenue of discovery. Blessings. lance

Aside from the clusters, I have chronic depression.  I've been on meds for it on and off.  I definitely find that when I'm not on anything for the depression, a cluster will REALLY sink my mood.  Last cluster sent me into a deep (eg, missing work, couldn't get out of bed) depression for three months after it was over.  I've read that this isn't totally uncommon.  Since that last cluster, I've stayed on anti-depressants and this cluster, I'm emotionally fine.  I'd recommend seeing a therapist.

Thanks so much for the replies.
How would I go about seeking a therapist? It's something I've thought about before, but not seriously considered. Are they expensive?
Also I'm still a student, I have very limited funds.

If you're in college, check with your health service.

This is one choice where you wnat to ask around, your doc, others you think may have first-hand knowledge of local therapists. Don't rush this decision.

If no such sources, you can look look in the Yellow pages under "mental health couselors", "psychologists". Don't be shy about calling and talking on the phone, asking about their approache. Your intuition is important: how do you react to this phone contact--comfort, caution, distance,etc.

Bob's right. Your college's health service is a good place to begin since they tend to exist for the sake of the student body. Another source can be your local church, whatever denomination that might be. I know many ministers and priests who are trained, and degreed, in a variety of mental health disciplines. You might want to check out "pastoral counseling." As a rule, you do not have to be active in that particular church or denomination to have access to their help. Just a thought. Blessings. lance