Depression and emotional numbing

Numbing is not the same as calm. It can feel like being behind glass, present enough to function, but unreachable to yourself and others.

Emotional shutdown sometimes follows prolonged stress, grief, or overwhelm. Feeling goes quiet when too much has been happening for too long.

You may worry that numbness means you do not care about people or goals you value. Loss of enjoyment may be part of the same experience; neither feeling gives a complete picture of what you care about.