Everyone has their own way of dealing with emotions. While some like to be expressive about how they feel, some people like to keep most of it inside and some find it extremely difficult to emote appropriately. These struggles are normal. The term for this incapability of expressing feelings is ‘Emotional Blunting.’

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Emotional blunting is now more common than ever due to the lack of physical communication and the isolation culture that we are used to thanks to the pandemic. However, emotional blunting can also be an outcome of a past incident or experience, trauma, mental health issues, and in some cases drug abuse.

What is emotional blunting

Emotional blunting is an individual’s incapability to express themselves or their diminished capacity to fully experience emotions and or respond to them in an appropriate way.

In some cases, people fail to experience any kind of emotion at all and may go through emotional numbness.

Emotional blunting includes the inability to express emotions, be it through verbal, written or behavioural means is also diminished. People suffering from emotional blunting may find it difficult to emote through their faces and modulate their voices as per their emotions. 

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How does emotional blunting affect a person

Emotional blunting can make a person lose their ability to feel sadness and happiness. It makes one restless, lose appetite, reduce or end their sexual drive feel sexual, and may completely detach them from their surroundings. Due to a lack of proper communication, a person may feel underconfident.

The worst part about emotional blunting is that apart from the person who is suffering, their friends and family also pay a price. 

Treatment

The only way to treat this condition is to seek professional mental help. Emotional blunting can be health with by getting proper therapies and medication if needed.

Thus, if you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, talk about it with your friends/family and reach out to a mental health professional.