Antidepressants have helped millions of people manage their Depression so that they can live more fulfilling lives. Antidepressants may be able to treat the symptoms of Depression (also called Major Depressive Disorder, MDD); they can also be used to help with anxiety and other mental or behavioral health issues. However, when taking an antidepressant, it’s important to discuss the medication in detail with your psychiatrist or doctor. Be sure to discuss the goals of taking antidepressants, as well as the symptoms with which they may help and the side effects they may cause. As 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. A substantial amount of evidence suggests that emotional blunting is induced by antidepressants and is different from the emotional states experienced during depressive episodes.
What Is Emotional Blunting From Antidepressants?
Despite frequent reporting from patients taking antidepressants for MDD, the side effect of emotional blunting has not yet been extensively explored or studied. When being treated with an antidepressant medication, it is possible that you might experience a sense of feeling numb and less like yourself. Though the symptoms of Depression may have improved, there may also be a sense that other emotional responses – such as laughing or crying, for example – are more difficult to experience and are “blunted.” This is currently termed “emotional blunting,” which is the experience of dulled emotional states caused by an antidepressant. Despite this terminology, there is no official, clinical definition of this condition. Currently, the limited research done on emotional blunting suggests that the condition is likely more common with higher dosages of antidepressants.
What Are the Symptoms of Emotional Blunting From Antidepressants?
The symptoms of emotional blunting can include the following:
- A sense of numbing of both positive and negative emotions
- Being less able or unable to laugh or cry in appropriate situations
- Feeling less empathy for others
Emotional Blunting is a side effect that is important to discuss with your psychiatrist or doctor, as it may affect your work, your relationships and your experience of daily life.
Emotional Blunting from Antidepressants: Correlation or Causation?
Studies have shown that nearly half of people who take antidepressants experience emotional blunting. For example, in accord with prior studies, a 2017 internet-based three-country survey was offered to 66,000 adult individuals in the U.S., 40,000 in the U.K., and 98,000 in Canada. 669 depressed patients currently taking antidepressants and 150 recovered (formerly depressed) controls participated. It was found that 46 percent of the patients who were taking an antidepressant to treat a major depressive disorder experienced dulled emotional states or at least restrictions to their range of emotions. There was no difference according to which antidepressant agent they were taking, although it appeared less frequent with bupropion.
Furthermore, the study separated the patients into two categories. The first category was made up of patients with Depression who had been taking an antidepressant for at least two months prior to the study. The second category was made up of patients who had recovered from Depression and had not taken medication for at least two months prior.
A significant difference was found between these two groups in that the only group that experienced emotional blunting was from the first group, thereby suggesting an association between emotional blunting and antidepressant treatment. The study also found that emotional blunting occurred more frequently in men (52 percent) than in women (44 percent).
What to Do About Emotional Blunting From Antidepressants
If you are experiencing emotional blunting from antidepressants to the extent that it is impinging upon the quality of your daily life, it is best to see your psychiatrist or doctor as soon as you can to discuss options which may be helpful such as:
- Decreasing the dosage of the current antidepressant
- Switching to a different antidepressant
- Working with a therapist to work on the psychological component of the Depression by finding ways and behaviors to elevate your mood
- Incorporating more exercise (a natural way to stimulate serotonin) into your day, eating healthier, and avoiding alcohol
- Exploring other treatment options, like TMS, that do not have the adverse effects of antidepressant medications
Resolving Emotional Blunting From Antidepressants With Mid City TMS
If you’re experiencing Depression and you feel the emotional blunting from antidepressants to be too bothersome, there are other options to consider, including both medicative and non-medicative. Mid City TMS provides patients with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which has been proven to be one of the most effective procedures available for the treatment of Depression and works well both in combination with antidepressants and without antidepressants.
TMS is safe, effective, and noninvasive and has helped patients experience:
- An uplifted mood
- More energy and motivation
- The ability to more effectively concentrate
- Better sleep patterns
If you have experienced emotional blunting from antidepressants and are seeking an effective treatment for Depression other than just relying upon antidepressants, contact Mid City TMS today. Many of our patients appreciate that after a course of TMS, they are able to more fully experience and express their emotions and appear brighter and more fully engaged with friends and family.
At Mid City TMS, you will work with some of the best doctors and professionals who care deeply for their patient’s ability to live the most enjoyable life that they can. They will work every step of the way with you in order to achieve the best treatment plan possible for your individual situation.