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If you are "limited" or "unresponsive" to certain moments in your daily life, you may be experiencing "emotional dullness."
"Emotional retardation" refers to the fact that your emotions become sluggish when you react to things that would normally make you happy or sad. You may feel numb for various reasons.
But, you know what? Mood sluggishness is also one of the side effects of many antidepressant medications.
Are you currently taking antidepressants to help alleviate your psychological problems and emotional state? But the side effects of antidepressants make you very uncomfortable, and you may have the side effect of "emotional retardation".
So what to do? Is there any way to alleviate the "mood sluggishness" side effects of antidepressants? Let's take a look.
Antidepressants and mood retardation
Depression itself can lead to emotional retardation.
"The inability to experience happiness or other emotions, apathy, lack of motivation, and loss of desire or interest in things are all possible symptoms of depression," explains Professor Rong Xinqi, a psychologist.
Clinical psychologists usually use antidepressants to treat major depressive disorder, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
A 2017 survey showed that 46% of people experience symptoms of emotional retardation when taking antidepressants.
Which antidepressants are less likely to cause mood retardation?
Antidepressants that usually cause emotional retardation include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), escitalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (zoloft), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), duloxetine (cimberta), venlafaxine, etc.
Many experts believe that SSRIs and SNRIs have a high probability of triggering the side effects of emotional sluggishness because they interact with your serotonin levels.
Currently, it is generally believed that there is a great association between serotonin and depression, so in this case, antidepressants that do not affect serotonin or only have a slight effect on it will be the drug of choice in this case.
Some experts have suggested that bupropion as an antidepressant can reduce emotional sluggishness. Bupropion is part of a group of antidepressants called "norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)," which doesn't affect your serotonin levels, but mainly affects your dopamine levels, making it less likely to cause emotional sluggishness.
A 2017 internet-based survey found that only 33 percent of people became emotionally sluggish when taking bupropion, while 75 percent reported emotional retardation when taking common SSRIs.
What if your antidepressant medication has side effects?
For some people, emotional retardation can alleviate strong emotional changes. But others may feel that this interferes with their normal lives and relationships, Professor Rong said.
He adds that if you experience unbearable levels of emotional retardation, then you need to communicate "openly" with your attending physician to discuss your symptoms and adjust your medication and dosage.
If your antidepressant medications cause side effects such as mood retardation, there are several things you can do:
1. Replace antidepressant medication
Professor Rong said that if you develop the side effects of the drug that is emotionally sluggish, most doctors will recommend another antidepressant drug that does not affect serotonin. If you are considering changing medications, be sure to follow your doctor's advice and instructions.
2. Reduce the dose of antidepressant drugs
Professor Rong explained that higher doses of antidepressants are more likely to lead to the development of emotional sluggish side effects. Therefore, reducing the dose is another option you can consider discussing with your doctor.
3. Add another drug
Experts have suggested that if your antidepressant medications are effective for you to relieve and control depressive symptoms, your doctor may recommend adding a second medication to help alleviate the side effects of mood retardation.
4. Emotional improvement work
You can also try other ways to boost your mood, such as spending more time doing things that once made you feel better.
In recent years, multiple studies have shown that exercise helps elevate mood in people with depression. Of course, in addition to exercise, there are many ways you can improve your mood, including: keeping a journal, listening to soothing and happy music, spending more time with friends and family, watching some sitcoms, and doing activities that make you happy (e.g., playing basketball, dancing, painting, etc.).
It should be noted that not all self-emotion improvement strategies are suitable for everyone, the specific method is still different from person to person, and you have to choose the method that works best for you to be effective.
You may also find it helpful to talk to a mental health professional, as professionals can provide you with a diagnosis and help you find a treatment that suits your situation.
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