[celtic.starlite]

I mentioned in another thread that I am working on learning what I am feeling. Long story short, I had to learn not to feel in order to survive my childhood.

My T has started working on feelings/emotions with me. I'm trying to assess my feelings daily and I'm seeing how sometimes I feel something and other times I don't. I have friends who say there is always some kind of feeling. They tell me I'm numbing myself so I don't feel, which I know I do numb myself but I have been trying not to.

Is it true do people always feel something?

[Piraeus]

Hi Celtic Startlite, We all have feelings. The trick is how we cope with them. It's great that you are working with a therapist. A lot of people just don't know where to go, or how to cope. Keep working with you T. That is the best thing you can do right now.

Sincerely,

Piraeus

[celtic.starlite]

We all have feelings, but are normal people always feeling something?

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by celtic.starlite

We all have feelings, but are normal people always feeling something?

You would not be "normal" if you did not have feelings. We use feelings to communicate. They come before thoughts and words. If you did not feel you would not be able to speak or think.

[celtic.starlite]

Well, I already know I am far from normal. Guess I have a lot more work than I realized to even get close to normal.
Thank you everyone for your replies.

[Travelinglady]

I used to squelch my emotions, too, for the same reasons you have been. I don't think that exactly means we are not "normal" in the sense of being mentally ill. We can learn to get in touch with them. It just takes time. So, please don't feel discouraged. Okay?

[Calm]

Depending on what a person experiences and the seriousness of the experiences, it's possible a person would develop the ability to just numb out. It's a protective mechanism used when things get too overwhelming for the person. It helps a person survive! I have numbed out when feeling overloaded, and I'm glad I'm able to do that. It's far better to numb out than go ballistic. Again, who is normal anyway? Haven't met a normal person yet. You're doing fine and don't let anyone make you feel otherwise.

"Always" feel something? No. I think it's entirely normal not to feel something about every detail that occurs in our lives. If we always feel something about everything, that in itself can make us crazy.

[Travelinglady]

Yes, I think some of us are thinking of being "blase," "unaffected," "uninterested," as not having feelings. Some things just have no impact on us.

[r3b0rn]

I am a narcissist, I don't feel much really. Sometimes I feel anger when someone upsets me, and sometimes I feel sad when I lose control. Other than that I don't feel much.

[abused-baker]

I also wonder if most people always 'feel something' or do many of them have periods when their emotional status is blank/neutral.

mine is usually blank/neutral. meaning i dont feel many things :/ I took this emotional IQ test i found on here, and my result was 15 out of 100 yea. im emotionally retarded. my friend got 60 >.> their emotional status varies quite a lot in a day.

[celtic.starlite]

I am causing myself to get frustrated because I feel like I'm too stupid to figure out what I am feeling or something isn't working right in my head that causes me not to feel. I just don't get it and I guess my next T appointment I am going to tell her.

It is nice to hear that maybe there are other people out there who don't feel something all the time, and maybe those people understand what I go through.

Thanks for the replies!