Emotional detachment is an inability or unwillingness to connect with other people on an emotional level. It may help protect some people from unwanted drama, anxiety, or stress.
For others, detachment isn’t always voluntary. Instead, it’s the result of events that make the person unable to be open and honest about their emotion. Below you’ll read about the different types of emotional detachment and learn when it’s a good thing and when it might be worrisome.
What Is Emotional Detachment?
Emotional Detachment depicts when you or others withdraw or disengage from others’ feelings. It might come from a reluctance or a powerlessness to associate with others.
There are two general sorts. At times, you might foster profound separation as a reaction to a troublesome or distressing circumstance. In different cases, it might result from a basic mental condition.
Symptoms
People who are emotionally detached or removed may experience symptoms such as:
- difficulty creating or maintaining personal relationships
- a lack of attention, or appearing preoccupied when around others
- difficulty being loving or affectionate with a family member
- avoiding people, activities, or places because they’re associated with past trauma
- reduced ability to express emotion
- difficulty empathizing with another person’s feelings.
What Causes Emotional Detachment?
Profound separation might be deliberate. Certain individuals can decide to remain genuinely eliminated from an individual or circumstance.
At different times, close-to-home separation results from injury, misuse, or a past experience. In these cases, past occasions might make it hard to be transparent with a companion, cherished one, or huge other.
How To Identify That You Have Suffering From It ?
Emotional detachment can slowly build over time, or it may occur more rapidly in response to an acute situation. Though everyone is different, some signs and symptoms to watch for include:
- inability to feel emotions or feeling empty
- losing interest in enjoyable activities
- becoming less involved in relationships
- showing little or no empathy toward others
- being harsh or unkind to others
Is There Any Treatment For Emotional Detachment?
For some people, however, emotional distance isn’t problematic. In that case, you may not need to seek any treatment.
However, if problems with feeling or expressing emotions have caused issues in your personal life, you may want to seek out treatment or other support.
A therapist or other mental health provider can provide treatment, though you may find that talking first to your primary care provider can help connect you with those who can help.