Comments on: What Emotional Numbness Feels Like.

By: RW

RW — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 17:29:06 +0000

Thanks, Claire. In my fourth year of recovery after narc abuse. I think you can have periods in your recovery where you alternate between flight and freeze or even sort of experience them simultaneously, because of triggers. That’s where I’ve been for a while. Those periods are becoming fewer and farther apart, but my creative self still gets stuck because of this. I do think I’m moving forward now, but after 30+ years of emotional abuse, recovery may take a little longer for me.

By: Annette Ford

Annette Ford — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 13:21:31 +0000

Thank you for this article, Claire. I feel as though through the process of mourning the many things that occurred in my childhood that I have begun to unravel within myself and not in a bad way but in a healthy way. I know that sounds strange, it does to me, too.

It has been through writing that I have found a voice, though barely a whisper when I consider that I am usually writing in my journal since the discovery I was adopted and my world turned inside out. So many unanswered questions for so many disorienting years. The frozen state of my freeze response is cracking and crumbling

By: Annie

Annie — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 06:54:50 +0000

In reply to Lorrie De La Cruz.

Thanks so much for your twitter feed.
Freeze mode I think, is what Im going through and have been for months. I have isolated myself, its difficult to leave my home – to walk outside. It’s hard to do the simplest things – I avoid and fall into a heap because it causes so much stress eg. to get the mail, then avoid opening the mail, answering the phone, I can’t prioritise or organise ….sleep is not my friend.
Im definitely numb to emotions, I watched a movie and it was sad, and I noticed I was numb, in the past I wouldn’t be. I have no support, my family have ostracised me and life sucks, I have suicide ideation everyday. Ive given up hoping things will improve. Im 60 years old, trauma all my life – family then relationships were toxic and abusive – Ive had many Narcissistic people in my life. I dont trust anyone, and most of all I dont trust myself anymore, due to not being able to discern

By: Claire Exley

Claire Exley — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 10:57:51 +0000

In reply to AK. What is it that feels off? It is difficult to connect with yourself when you feel as if it’s separate to you. Have you tried promoting him to ask you? It sounds as if you are becoming ready but nervous to connect your own emotions to the events. Are you able to feel emotions in any other circumstances? Have you tried mindfulness? Little steps can be better than unleashing everything at once

By: AK

AK — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 02:10:34 +0000

I am 49 years old and started therapy for the first time about 2 months. I have years of emotional and physical abuse from an alcoholic and unstable parent. When I can talk about it, it’s like I am telling someone else’s story. I am starting to have the sense that I need to cry but I can’t. My therapist is really nice. He doesn’t push me to talk about these things. But I think I need him to ask me about it. I just don’t know if I am doing this right. Something feels off and I don’t know what to do.

By: Claire Exley

Claire Exley — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:57:23 +0000

In reply to Lorrie De La Cruz. Is there anything you enjoy/enjoyed doing particularly? Sometimes a release can start to ease the numbness. I never watch tv series but I accidentally got so invested in one and it very slightly defrosted me. X

By: Lorrie De La Cruz

Lorrie De La Cruz — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:12:25 +0000

Im in freeze mode after traumatic year with a narc. I feel nothing and can sit for hours doing nothing and have no real thoughts.

Wondering how to break out