These drugs — including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro — alter the way the body handles the “feel-good” brain chemical serotonin — a hormone responsible for regulating mood and happiness. As a result, things that once provoked strong reactions may now leave the same individual unaffected or even apathetic.
A common side-effect among anti-depressants users is feeling emotionally numb or experiencing emotional blunting. Their hobbies are no longer fun. And their sex life is not as pleasurable as it used to. Researchers estimate that between 40% to 60% of people who take antidepressants experience this side effect.
One of the widely-reported side effects of SSRIs is 'blunting', where patients report feeling emotionally dull and no longer finding things as pleasurable as they used to.
Emotional blunting is very common with SSRI antidepressants, with about 40-60% of users reporting the side effect. But then, not every user will experience this side effect.
As it is with any medication, antidepressants can have side effects, including the possibility of what is termed “emotional blunting.” According to studies, nearly half of people taking antidepressants at some point experience emotional blunting from antidepressants.
When first starting antidepressants, you may not feel like yourself. Though your depression symptoms might have improved, feelings of extreme sadness can sometimes be replaced by an emotional numbness in which you are neither able to cry nor enjoy a real belly laugh. If you feel this way, you are definitely not alone.
Reduced emotional sensitivity is sometimes a residual symptom of an uncontrolled mental health issue. That's according to a report in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Research has also linked blunted emotions to mental health disorders, including: Major depressive disorder.
Emotional blunting can be temporary, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours at a time. It can also occur over the long term, from months to years. It all depends on the underlying cause. Experiencing emotional blunting may affect your relationships and how you feel about yourself and the world.
Whether you've been addicted to a drug used as an antidepressant or have been prescribed one for a mental health diagnosis, healing from emotional blunting is possible. Sometimes, it takes time; other times, you can work with your doctor to adjust your dosage or type of antidepressant.
“Emotional blunting is a common side effect of SSRI antidepressants. In a way, this may be in part how they work–they take away some of the emotional pain that people who experience depression feel, but, unfortunately, it seems that they also take away some of the enjoyment.
among 161 patients, 46% reported a narrowed range of affect, 21% reported an inability to cry, and 19% reported apathy. a cross-sectional study of 117 patients revealed that approximately 30% of patients reported some form of apathy.
Introduction: We describe seven cases of patients with an inability to cry after treatment with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication, even during sad or distressing situations that would have normally initiated a crying episode, in the light of the role of the serotonergic system in emotional ...
PCP is an anaesthetic and was designed to stop people feeling pain during operations. The physical health risks include: A loss of coordination and control.
Lidocaine, mepivicaine, bupivicaine (Marcaine®) and ropivicaine are commonly used for injections at surgical sites or for regional anesthesia (nerve blocks).
Causes of Selective Mutism
Anxiety disorders or being too anxious because of stress. Poor home and family relationships. Early psychological problems that were not addressed properly. Low self-esteem issues.
Schizoid personality disorder is one of many personality disorders. It can cause individuals to seem distant and emotionless, rarely engaging in social situations or pursuing relationships with other people.
SSRIs are among the most widely used, and are effective for the majority of, although not all, patients. Some people on the medication report feeling emotionally dull or no longer finding things as pleasurable, with one study suggesting this applied to 40-60% of people taking the drug.
Someone with a blunted affect displays little feeling in emotional contexts. For example, a person recalling their father's death might simply recount the factual details of the death. The person might not share much information about how they felt. They may show little facial expression or speak in a monotone voice.
by Drugs.com
Zoloft (sertraline) may lead to a small weight gain ranging from 1% to 1.6% of initial body weight when used over 6 months to 1 year. For example, in a 150 lb (68 kg) person, this would equal an added 1.5 to 2.4 lbs (0.7 to 1.1 kg) of weight.
In the case of SSRIs, SNRIs, and related medications, the effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can include developing a condition known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of this condition include the following: Confusion. Agitation.
While some researchers have indeed attributed improved symptoms associated with depression to personality changes, other experts have been skeptical that drugs such as SSRIs have independent effects on personality. They attribute changes to a patient's improved mood.