[Ad Intra]

I've heard people say it before but I have no real idea of what it is.

[JaneTennison1]

Well for me, the last visit I had I shut down. What I mean by that is I stopped being able to deal with any issue, I couldn't talk about the issues at hand. I cried and counted the minutes until I could leave. I shut T out entirely and wouldn't discuss a new subject.

For me, it is about losing touch with my emotions -- just shutting them off. Sometimes I also lose the ability to speak or make eye contact and just sit there and stare at the floor.

[ThisWayOut]

for me it's an inability to communicate, or know how to communicate, what is going on inside. I'm not so much out of touch with my emotions as I am completely overwhelmed by them and can't talk about it or ask for help or speak to T about what's going on. I often can't even talk about lighter topics at times like these, kinda like what Jane mentioned... The most I can get out are maybe shrugs or nodding/shaking my head. My body language also "goes limp" so T has a difficult time reading even that.

[brokenwarrior]

I do this all the time as a way to cope. I don't even realize i'm doing it until someone or something brings me back. Its hard to describe but basically I stare off into space and my brain literally shuts down. I feel no emotions, I don't talk, and I have no thoughts. Its scary in a way as I'm not sure where I go during that time. I don't realize that I do it or that I have done it unless I'm with someone and they bring it to my attention.

For example, today I had to called to set up a mental health appointment nd the lady was asking me about my issues and symptoms. It was very triggering so I "shut down". I'm not sure how long the lady on the other end was asking me if I was still there... luckily I hear her voice and aaas able to come back before she hung up. It was kind of embarrassing.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Shutting down for me is getting emotionally overwhelmed that I can no longer communicate. Like others, I stare off into space, I try to block out my T's voice...

Usually, my T notices I'm about to shut down, or she knows beforehand that I will. She often asks me to try to "hang in there" so she can get some information, and then gives me permission to shut down after a few minutes. During this time, she whispers and talks slowly to try to keep me calm. It does help. But it took her time to get to know me before she was able to try to prevent me from shutting down.

Having a break down is the severe version of shutting down.

[nottrustin]

I honestly don't know what they mean by shutting down either. For ME it seems to be where I get to the point where I feel closed off and unemotional. I am able to communicate but feel like a robot. I give answer the questions she asked but they are surface answers. I don't really think about the answers just what is right there on the surface and what is "safe". I also find I stair on into space and sometimes find that I am constantly trying to "adjust" my eyes to get a better focus.

[SabinaS]

Not speaking or feeling able to discuss feelings. Keeping everything in and everyone out. Not feeling safe. Sometimes not even being able to think or articulate feelings.

[musinglizzy]

When I shut down, I just kinda zone out. I'm not facing my T (hiding my face by turning around or something), and I just kinda quit responding. I feel rude, like I'm ignoring her...but I just can't talk. Sometimes I'm aware, sometimes not. I'll try to respond, but nothing comes out. She's gotten pretty good at realizing it's coming on...and she'll just keep talking, or come sit by me. If it's too late and I'm already gone, she sits by me and rubs my leg or back until I come back. By that time I'm usually emotional, and she'll hold me. She's a great T. She's perfect for me. And she's done pretty well at "keeping me here" lately..... now that she's got the signs figured out.

[Partless]

I think it means different things for different people. Potential meanings:

-Not speaking.
-Not be willing/able to continue work on the issue.
-Feeling numb and separated from feelings.
-Not being present mentally.

When I use it, I usually mean that I lose courage or hope, or feel lacking energy, but all resulting in me not being able to deal with the issue we were going to be working on that day. So I'm there only physically but no real work gets done.

[Little Jay]

For me it's like when I dissociate - I cut off from everything and don't speak or really listen, I don't even feel connected to my own body.

[JustShakey]

For me it's not feeling anything, being numb. I do it a lot, not just in therapy. Whenever anything gets too intense, I just don't feel it. At all. I can get really upset about things that happen to other people but when the same things - and often worse, happen to me I'm all like, oh, whatever, no big deal, yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me... Where are my feelings? I can't find them. I know what I should be feeling, but I'm not. I'm only starting to realize how strange this is...

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It's much like shutting down any other time.... You shut off all emotions, put up a wall and don't let anyone in. Sums up my life right now.