Tips to Fight Medication Emotional Numbness?

Hello all!

My recently increased dose of medication makes it hard for me to feel emotions. I hope I am not incorrect in assuming that some of you have had similar medication experiences, so maybe we can share tips?

So far what has worked:
-getting piercings
-reading books (feel through others)
-watching sad movies

Any recs?!
Thanks

G
Abilify/Celexa/Lithium/Klonopin

The only thing that truly helped me was changing medication . But i cannot speak for everyone

I have been feeling the same way for a long time…emotionally void…taking no joy in anything I see or do. I have been working with my pdoc for several months to try to adjust my medications by increasing the dosages and by adding Lamictal and Zoloft to the mix. It hasn’t helped and I started to think that this is just how it was going to be for the rest of my life. I had an appointment with him two weeks ago and unbeknownst to me, my therapist had called him and told him I was suicidal…that got his attention. We are changing out two of my meds and after only two weeks I’m starting to feel better. So, I guess my advice would be to see your pdoc and tell him how you’re feeling. Maybe he can change things around.

Hope you feel better soon

D

Hi,

It must be difficult feeling so emotionally blunted, and it's certainly an effect I recognise from medications I've been on in the past (particularly antipsychotics). However, I have to agree with others in that, for me, the only thing that genuinely helped the numb feeling to lift was a change in medication.

I'd suggest discussing how you're feeling with your psychiatrist and seeing if there are any possible adjustments to be made. Obviously, although treatment aims to 'turn down the volume' of emotions in some sense, deadening them isn't the desired outcome, so I hope your psychiatrist takes your concerns on board. Good luck.

while waiting for the change in meds to allow me to feel again, I try to push myself to go a bit beyond where I am comfortable. My comfort zone when I'm flat is, in order of importance, in bed, in front of the TV, or on the computer.

Good things will be happening around me, and when I hear about them, I plan to go but when the time comes, I choose to stay in my comfort zone at home.

When I do push myself to get out, it may feel challenging, but in the end, I am happy I did and I feel good about myself.

My uncle's 99th birthday is on Sunday, this week. The family have been planning it for months and I have my plane ticket and hotel reservations already. The closer it gets, the more I feel like dropping out. I have to convince myself that it will be OK when all I want to do is curl up in bed and hibernate for the weekend.

I have to battle the flatness. Past experience has taught me that I can win and it will be good.

I hope you find the strength and courage to confront the flatness too.

Take care,

I also found changing medications was the solution to fight emotional numbness brought on by meds. And, in the meantime, what Skilsaw said makes sense. Opposite action is a skill that one can use to feel differently and activate oneself. If you feel like hibernating, try doing the opposite, something active. If you feel like avoiding interpersonal interaction, make yourself call a friend, or get out a do something with someone. It sounds hard, and it is, but usually afterward there was a lift in emotion in a positive direction. If you just cannot do things, then wait it out while you change meds, and be kind and gentle with yourself. It's okay:)