Emotional numbness is a severe mental illness that causes individuals from their past traumatic experiences making them feel numb emotionally. A sense of isolation, emptiness, and pain engulfed them to an extent that they are unlikely to feel any emotions. this is an extremely painful mental illness that makes its recovery process very tough to deal with. The major symptoms of emotional numbness are –
- A sense of loneliness
- Panic attacks
- Depressions
- Self-harm
- Social distancing from people
- Lack of emotional empathy
Emotional numbness is a mental illness that snatches a lot from the individual requiring a lot of courage to face the illness confidently and without any fear of being judged. The emotional breakdown becomes a part of daily routine, and living a normal life with a sense of the things happening around us becomes a dream that is far to fulfill it. The adaption of the traumatic experiences from the past makes it difficult for the person to move on and live a life in peace, years pass but they still never been able to come out of it. Numbness of emotions feels common but at the same time uncomfortable. there are not many treatments that exist for the recovery of emotional numbness but there stand 2 treatments that can be possibly seen as beneficial for the patient to overcome the illness.
Two major treatments are EMDR AND SOMATIC EXPERIENCING
These two are used as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and horrified traumatic past experiences. That takes a toll on the person’s ability to be an active participant in daily activities that takes palace around the person, these kinds of treatments are beneficial to some extent as it helps the patient to recover from-
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Suicidal thoughts
- Substance abuse disorder
- Eating and sleep disorder
These symptoms often consume the person making them a liability to their family and not just the family but to society as well as themselves too, with feelings of self-hatred consuming them and controlling their actions.
The somatic treatment creates body awareness by connecting our body with the brain and our behavior. This is a therapy that focuses on internal growth and a way through which the individual starts connecting with oneself which was otherwise being replaced by alien feelings. It creates a sense of self-safety, self-love, and self-acceptance.
As we study what emotional numbness is, we come to understand that it is not an untreatable illness, and can be cured only if there is enough support and the right kind of treatment is provided to the patient. The right kind of treatment can make it possible for helping individuals get back their range of emotions back even after post-traumatic experiences. Life is a roller coaster that needs to be spent by learning and growing rather than cribbing or spending life in misery.
Therapy sessions -A blessing
Therapy sessions are way more effective than any other treatment for mental illness like emotional numbness. This feeling of numbness is often overlooked if given emphasis to communication and a platform that can help the person share things that are penetrating deep within them for a very long period of time making the individual emotionally numb.
Treatments by the right source at the right time and support from close ones throughout the illness are the ways that can help the person grow and learn from life rather than restricting oneself in a shell where there are no emotions but only vulnerability and misery.
As the role of a cold one instead of judging or making fun of, the family members should stand by the individual as a rock, being an active participant not just in their treatment process but also having their own family or individual therapy sessions.
Reaching to support groups, ensuring a healthy atmosphere at home, providing with utmost care and love, and guiding them through the right path are the basics that we as a family must provide.
It is not a matter of shame but a matter of pride to help your loved one get out of such a painful and severe illness.
