[Terraminator]

Would it be possible for a person to sort of shut down emotionally? Like, consciously, they know that they are shutting down. So say after a few deaths and major life events that have taken a toll on them, the next time it happens they just...don't care. They stop caring about death, or feeling empathetic, or anything really. But the difference is, they know what they are doing. They can't exactly stop it, cause it's already taken over, but they know that they forced themselves to stop feeling.

[Lazermage]

I'm not sure if it's possible to shut your emotions down. But in theory, if that happened the person without emotions would "become" a robot, doing everything without question, etc.

[gma45]

I am no Dr. but I believe it is possible. I have done it before just kinda went numb to all feelings and emotions. I had the help of drugs and drinking to numbed the pain. I had to learn all over again how to feel emotions. And I did act like a robot sometimes!

I've been in situations where so much catastrophe had happened I finally couldn't feel anymore....at least I thought I couldn't feel anymore I was so numb to all emotions. But they were there, just under the surface.

Days later I just imploded. It was awful.

So no, I don't think it's possible to completely shut down emotions deliberately....they just wait and then emerge as they see fit, when they see fit, and in my case, how they see fit. My first suicide attempt.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Terraminator

Would it be possible for a person to sort of shut down emotionally? Like, consciously, they know that they are shutting down. So say after a few deaths and major life events that have taken a toll on them, the next time it happens they just...don't care. They stop caring about death, or feeling empathetic, or anything really. But the difference is, they know what they are doing. They can't exactly stop it, cause it's already taken over, but they know that they forced themselves to stop feeling.

yes it is possible to purposely shut off ones emotions, while being consciously aware of doing so. people do this every day. Just this morning I hit my elbow on the edge of the table. my emotion was a combination of pain, anger and frustration. one of my children was crying and needing a fresh diaper so I purposely shut down my emotions about the pain, anger and frustration from hitting my elbow and went to take care of my child.

this is just one example of how parents have to sometimes shut down their own emotions in order to take care of their children.

another example at work I have to deal with all kinds of people, some abusers of children and women and men. I would just love to...well use your imagination and would will hit on the millions of ways I would just love to vent my anger on these abusers. but instead I must remain calm, and help the victims through their own trauma and emotions while at the same time keeping my own shut down on purpose. then when I get home I take my anger out in more useful, non violent, and sometimes creative ways.

The other day I was riding uptown in a taxi. I could tell the driver was frustrated and angry at this one driver that was not driving very safely. instead of swearing, ranting and building up into road rage he took a deep breath, shutting off his feelings and continuing on doing the job of driving his taxi...

these are just a few of the many ways human being purposely shut off their emotions on a daily basis.

[Terraminator]

What I'm referring to specifically is shutting down all emotions for an extended period of time. Like a month or even more. Where the death of pets doesn't upset you, you stop feeling guilty for hurting people, and you become like a robot. I know that sometimes you have to hide emotions, but I know maybe it's not normal to shut off all feelings

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Terraminator

What I'm referring to specifically is shutting down all emotions for an extended period of time. Like a month or even more. Where the death of pets doesn't upset you, you stop feeling guilty for hurting people, and you become like a robot. I know that sometimes you have to hide emotions, but I know maybe it's not normal to shut off all feelings

yes it can happen. here in NY that is called lack of affect, shutting down, stuffing ones feelings, selective feeling, intentionally shutting down, shutting off and other mental health terms.

[Pierro]

I think it can be done but not on a concious level. My brother died last year and I felt absolutely nothing. I did not mean to shut down but it just happened. I think when something is so painfull it was easier for me to shut down. I was like a zombie for months and in some ways still go back to that state but not as intense. Its not normal not to "feel" anything. Emotions are a release that we need to be able to function. Best wishes.

[refika]

Yes, it is absolutely possible to shut off your emotions for a long period of time. I should know, I've done it for more than 10 years of an abusive marriage, and then some. For me, shutting off my emotions was a defense mechanism. It got to the point where I didn't even know I was doing it. I would just go through life, through the daily routine of work, taking care of my marriage, showering, making dinner, holidays, everything, but I NEVER felt anything. I would just do, not react.

I could NOT get excited about Christmas, birthdays, vacations, nothing. I was just "there", existing, but hardly any emotions. I never cried, never got angry, never showed anything but joy and happiness - to show that all was well. I had two pets die a year apart. When they died, I cried for about 30 minutes then that's it, I moved on, no grieving, no nothing. I went on a 2 month cross-country trip of a lifetime with my husband - I couldn't even get excited about it. I have no emotions about that trip, other than empty memories. It got to the point where I didn't care about anything - I never got stressed, never got upset, angry, happy, sad, nothing.

Then one day, I had a severe accident while on a trip to visit a relative. As a result of the accident, needing surgery because of my injuries, and other things, I hit rock bottom. I was depressed, suicidal, borderline self-harm, in pure crisis mode. I sought professional help from a psychologist as a last ditch effort and through nearly a year of working together, he helped me realize that before the accident I was pretty much a robot, just going through life without feeling.

I always questioned what love was - I was married for a LONG time, but never "felt" love for my husband, my pets, my family, nobody. I kept telling myself how would I know what love is, I never felt it. I never felt sadness, happiness, angry, nothing. Then when I started working with my therapist, all that changed. I realized I can feel my emotions, I DO have them, and now I'm learning how to cope and contain them. It's hard because for so many years I ignored them, stuffed them away, pretended they didn't exist. My therapist said that you can't stuff your emotions away forever, eventually they will explode and surface. That's what happened to me. I've since learned that you HAVE to express your emotions, and if you can't then be kind to yourself and learn why or how to do so.

Now that I'm feeling my emotions more, I'm SO much happier, content, and joyful. My friends have told me they see the difference. I FEEL the difference. I still have a long way to go in feeling all emotions (I haven't really experienced my anger yet), but I know in time I'll get there.

[Terraminator]

Thanks to all of you. I've read all your replies and got a better understanding of this. It's good to see that a lot of people experience this. I can't say it's changed for me (yet), but I'm not as worried that it will last forever. I've been trying to get myself to let them out, but honestly, that hasn't been working. I guess I'll have to wait for them to come out on their own and not worry so much. Thanks everyone <3

Drug induced you probably can but I don't think that you can intentionally. Here's something that I wrote, plagiarized from people that were doped up on risperidone (anti psychotic);

Life seems like nothing. I believe that this has caused me to be completely flat. I feel like I relive the same day over and over. I feel no emotions. When I watch tv nothing sinks in. I have been brain damaged one way or another. It has ruined my life. I no longer have a personality. I feel like I'm a dead person. My memory is gone. I feel like I'm disconnected from my body. No creativity, no Love to give. I often find myself walking around in a circle out of boredom and restlessness in my current state. I don't get any sensation out of anything and nothing feels good at all. I feel like I have no enthusiasm and I don't want to do anything. I never feel like doing anything like dancing and I don't have much energy. Running is a chore and doesn't feel good like it used to. I walk and talk like a dead person and I cannot move fast at all. People say that I look stoned or on dope. I can't join words together. I don't know how to describe it, just like part of my brain is disconnected and I can't think of anything to say. I can't stand the lethargic feelings. i feel flat every day and produce no emotion whatsoever when having conversations. I have never had a real conversation with anyone since then. Sometimes, I can't even think of a good response to say, it's like I'm not living anymore. It's very hard to get up in the morning and I have difficulty with my appetite. I look at the board at school and its just dead, no thoughts come across my mind. I am feeling this incredible boredom like nothing stimulates my brain. I no longer can genuinely laugh, cry, feel fear or remorse, get those deep feelings from movies/music/weather. Just basic functioning. Mostly I prefer to sleep as this state brings nothing, no joy or pleasure. Friends? Well I have had to wave goodbye to that... I don't feel anything after seeing aquatints or family like I used to. You know, that warm feeling of love and happiness you're supposed to get after seeing your family? I don't get that at all anymore. Well they all said it was depression blah blah and put me on anti depressants but that never cured it I still have to put up with this emptiness and after a while you just forget how you used to feel before it. I am supposed to do what is right for me, to think about the future, and just be happy in the present. Live day by day with no hate. It's my life, and I need to do exactly what will make me happy by trying to get a treatment by myself with months of research, having doctors ignore me when I say how I'm feeling.. it makes me week.. I'm starting to give up hope. I want to repetitively hit my hand with a hammer to feel something. It's a very disturbing feeling.

I'm going to honestly say it's possible to do anything you put your mind to. However, honestly "shutting down emotions" isn't a great idea, you may never feel them again.

[Terraminator]

Just an update: I'm beginning to feel a bit more, but not much. I get amused at something, but that's about it. I've been bored all the time, and nothing I can think of will excite me. The only thing I can think of is something dangerous and potentially illegal. I need a rush that I can't find. I keep thinking that if I find it, maybe it'll bring the emotions back. I have no idea though.

[avlady]

You maybe would want to see a doc and t too Good luck

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

yes it can happen. here in NY that is called lack of affect, shutting down, stuffing ones feelings, selective feeling, intentionally shutting down, shutting off and other mental health terms.

another term for purposely or not purposely shutting down ones feelings here in NY is called Dissociation and dis-association..

Dissociation is an automatic reaction to things we feel and dis-association is purposely distancing oneself from what we feel.

examples...
when I was a child being abused I would shut down, space off, stuff my feelings and that abusive event.. (dissociation)

When I was in a sports event I noticed I was purposely shutting down my feeling bored, angry and other feelings. so I purposely dropped out of that sports event, purposely stopped going to that sports even meets, practices, purposely cut off my association with that sports event. (dis-association)

when a person shuts down their emotions they also run the risk of having other mental disorders like PTSD, depersonalization/derealization disorder, Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD), Unspecified Dissociative Disorder (UDD) , Dissociative Amnesia, and many others...

my suggestion to anyone that may be shutting down their feelings/stuffing their feelings would be contacting their treatment providers. the solution may be as simple as a medication or learningg other coping tools that will enable a person to handle their problems and emotions in other ways then using their dissociative skills or their stuffing their emotions down and away from their self coping tools.

[Terraminator]

That makes sense, actually. Last year I had a tough time with Depersonalization. I thought it went away, but I suppose this counts.

[reesecups]

Speaking from my experience, you can spend years 'shut down' as a way of not having g to deal with feelings. Knowingly. But eventually, if you do this, it will come out in some other way. Mine was suicidal ideation and isolating myself as well as SI, to calm myself when I wasn't wanting to get overwhelmed.

Out of all the people I've known who died, I only cried for one. I shut down when my father died and when my mother died last year. My whole family thought I was so strong and stoic, but I was ashamed to admit to anyone that I felt nothing. I felt completely dead.

Good Luck

[90sGirl]

I understand! I made a decision when I was 14 to shut down and I'm still living that way, now 19. Just now I'm realizing that I have made my life much worse by shutting down but I can't seem to get myself out of it. It's a long process so don't give up!! Stay encouraged!!

The mind is a powerful thing; you can do anything you put it to. It's just really hard. Heck, you could even be happy if you're dying, it just all comes down to how you decide to handle things. Unfortunately, emotions get the best of us nearly all the time and eventually it's all we focus on. But it can be done; it just takes serious self control.

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by 90sGirl

I understand! I made a decision when I was 14 to shut down and I'm still living that way, now 19. Just now I'm realizing that I have made my life much worse by shutting down but I can't seem to get myself out of it. It's a long process so don't give up!! Stay encouraged!!

Yes, please check with a therp if need be. Are you on meds. I found when I took Wellbutrin that I felt dead. After a long time, I decided not to take it anymore. Good luck to you!

[Terraminator]

Originally Posted by reesecups

Yes, please check with a therp if need be. Are you on meds. I found when I took Wellbutrin that I felt dead. After a long time, I decided not to take it anymore. Good luck to you!

Yeah. I also take Wellbutrin and Zanex or whatever it's called. I have a therapist but I find that therapy doesn't help me much at all.

[reesecups]

Originally Posted by Terraminator

Yeah. I also take Wellbutrin and Zanex or whatever it's called. I have a therapist but I find that therapy doesn't help me much at all.

I use to take Wellbutrin but stopped years ago because of the 'dead' feeling. I'd rather feel bad than nothing at all that Wellbutrin made me feel like. Goid luck.