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For anyone who has never experienced it, feeling dead inside can be hard to imagine.
Verywell / Nez Riaz
The meaning of feeling dead inside is to find it difficult to process emotions like happiness and sadness.
It can cause a very detached approach to everyday life.
Sometimes, this feeling might be short-lived, leaving as quickly as it appears.
When you feel dead inside, it might not always be clear what these changes represent.
Because this state of mind is manageable, well also look at the different ways to improve these feelings.
What Are the Signs I Feel Dead Inside?
The meaning of “dead inside” can vary somewhat from one person to the next.
They are discussed below.
But when a person feels dead inside, this purpose is missing.
Every day appears with a question mark on the next 24 hours.
These feelings can make daily life tedious and unappealing.
But these thoughts tend to be fleeting, especially because there are no certain answers to existential questions.
When you feel dead inside, however, the meaning of life tends to become a fixation.
Questions asking what the point of living is, andif existence is worth ittend to become overpowering.
Constant State of Numbness
Feeling dead inside produces a constant feeling of numbness.
It becomes difficult to feel or express emotions like happiness or sadness.
This can make it difficult to share your emptiness and receive social support.
It can also play a role in worsening the feelings of emptiness that you are experiencing.
You Might Feel Physically Empty
Emotions are an important way to connect with the world.
When you feel dead inside, it isnt uncommon to feel like you live with an internal void present.
Why Do I Feel Dead Inside?
A number of psychological, biological, or medical reasons may be responsible for the persistent feeling of numbness.
Depression
Depressionis a very common mood disorder.
One notable symptom of this condition, however, is persistentfeelings of apathy.
A depressed person might no longer find joy in things that were once exciting.
This condition makes life and the point of existence unclear.
In very serious cases, depression can lead to thoughts of suicide.
When a person feels “empty,” it may indicate that the person is experiencing depression.
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorderoccurs after someone has lived through a shocking traumatic experience.
It causes a number of changes in the body like nightmares, anxiety, and vivid flashbacks.
When emotions are shut down following a trauma, feelings of numbness and emptiness can follow.
This process is known asemotional numbingand can cause a person to feel dead inside.
Medication
To help manage and treat conditions like depression and anxiety, medication is a common approach.
When emotions are numbed, this can contribute to the experience of feeling dead inside.
This condition comes up whenever a person feels detached from themselves.
It can feel like experiencing life as someone elses existence.
A person might feel disconnected from their body, mind, and environment, making them feel empty inside.
How Do I Cope When I Feel Dead Inside?
Seeking professional help through therapyis one of the most trusted ways to manage mental health challenges.
It could mean that they feel empty and hopeless.
This expression can also have different meanings depending on the context.
It can also be used hyperbolically to describe feelings of intense embarrassment or disappointment.
Klonsky ED.What is emptiness?
Clarifying the 7th criterion for borderline personality disorder.J Pers Disord.
2020;11(1):1807703.
Published 2020 Oct 23. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1807703
