posttraumatic-emotional-numbing
/ˌpəʊst.trɔːˈmæt.ɪk ɪˈməʊ.ʃən.əl ˈnʌm.ɪŋ/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A mental state after trauma where a person feels emotionally shut down or less able to feel joy, sadness, or fear. It is often linked to post-traumatic stress.
- She described a long period of emotional numbing.
- Trauma can sometimes lead to emotional numbing.
Adinary Nuance
Posttraumatic emotional numbing is not the same as sadness, depression, or tiredness. Sadness still has strong feelings, while numbing feels more like a blank or shut-down state. It is also different from being calm, because the person may feel cut off from emotion rather than peacefully relaxed.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- sự tê liệt cảm xúc
- Spanish
- embotamiento emocional
- Chinese
- 情感麻木
- Japanese
- 感情の麻痺
- Korean
- 감정적 무감각
Etymology
This term is made from posttraumatic, emotional, and numbing. It became common in psychology and trauma studies in modern English, especially in the late 20th century.
Common phrases
emotional numbingpost-traumatic numbingfeel emotional numbnessshow signs of numbing
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is posttraumatic emotional numbing a medical term?
- Yes. It is a psychological term used in trauma and mental health writing.
- What is the difference between emotional numbing and depression?
- Depression can include low mood and hopelessness. Emotional numbing mainly means feeling shut down or less able to feel.
- Is this phrase common in everyday speech?
- Not very. People more often say "emotionally numb" in everyday conversation.