[sonjaward809]

Right now I'm not feeling anything .. heck I don't even have anxiety anymore!! && I'm a very anxious person!! I have PTSD and Generalized Anxiety .. so not being nervous is new to me. I feel numb. No happiness or sadness, just blank. Could this be my normal mood?? Seems like if it was normal I would still be able to feel things .. but I don't. I'm wondering if it's the Risperdal. It's good that my moods are under control, yes. But not being able to laugh at movies or jokes is a little weird.

Has anybody else experienced anything similar to this because of psych meds?? or is it just my normal mood??

[Wild Coyote]

I have felt this way when my affect was blunted by too much medication.
Cannot laugh or show other emotions.


WC

[Victoria'smom]

It's normal for me I guess.

I do think some medications (or too high of doses/too many meds) have caused me to experience blunted affect. It's been a very long time since I was on Risperdal. I know it was very helpful in curbing my mania and related symptoms. I don't recall being happy happy during that time, for sure.

Nowadays I don't have blunted affected. I haven't been feeling well lately, but I sort of had a bit of a situational cause to my recent downturn. Before that I was fairly chipper. I believe I'm a pretty upbeat kind of gal by nature. But there was a time when I was on so many medications, some at very high doses, when it was just too much. As my psychiatrist slowly weaned me off of some, my quality of life improved. It's not good being overly sedated or cognitively impaired.

[~Christina]

Risperdal left me lactating and flat as a wood floor, got off it quick !

[Pookyl]

Can you get feedback from someone who knows you irl?
The first time I complained of having flat affect my pdoc said that in all the time she had known me, I was actually talking at normal speed for the first time, completing my sentences and maintaining eye contact. She also asked if my DH had given any feedback. He had: “you seem really normal”.
It’s pretty hard to differentiate between normal and ‘flat’ (depression) but I’m getting better at it and I don’t need feedback as much.

[Tucson]

At least for some, I think it may come down to a choice between stability, and being able to experience all of your natural feelings in a given situation. I think being able to feel in “living color” like this is way over rated. FWIW

[sonjaward809]

Originally Posted by Pookyl

Can you get feedback from someone who knows you irl?
The first time I complained of having flat affect my pdoc said that in all the time she had known me, I was actually talking at normal speed for the first time, completing my sentences and maintaining eye contact. She also asked if my DH had given any feedback. He had: “you seem really normal”.
It’s pretty hard to differentiate between normal and ‘flat’ (depression) but I’m getting better at it and I don’t need feedback as much.

My mom doesn't get to see me (at least not until March) and she hasn't mentioned if I sound different or not. My brother hasn't really noticed anything different about me either. I'm usually alone 24/7 since I stay by myself .. the only person I talk to on a daily basis is my mom, so she would be the one to notice. So I'm unsure ..