An emotional inertness in which you are neither able to cry nor share a real belly laugh
Feeling distant or detached
Feeling less empathy for others
Emotional Blunting: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
By Nancy Schimelpfening Updated on November 09, 2021
Medically reviewed by Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS
When first starting antidepressants, you may suddenly find that you don’t feel like yourself anymore. Though your depression symptoms may have improved, the overwhelming waves of gloom can sometimes be replaced by an emotional inertness in which [you] are neither able to cry nor share a real belly laugh.
If you feel this way, you are definitely not alone. In fact, there’s a term used to describe this feeling—called emotional blunting—which aptly captures the dulled emotional state many people experience while on antidepressants.
Symptoms of Emotional Blunting
Emotional blunting means that your feelings and emotions are so dulled that you neither feel up nor down. You simply feel “blah.” People who experience emotional blunting will often report:
- Being less able to laugh or cry even when appropriate
- Feeling less empathy for others[1]
- Loss of motivation and drive[2]
- Not being able to respond with the same level of enjoyment that you normally would
