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  1. #1
    Established Member Feedback Score 0 xxaleksi's Avatar
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    Emotional numbness

    Hey guys so I consider myself recovered from PFS. One thing I'm still dealing with though is some sort of emotional numbness. Basically feels like my emotions are being suppressed, like I feel them at only 30% or something. I had this issue a bit pre PFS as well but PFS made it much worse.

    It's hard for me to enjoy social situations and feel a connection to people as I don't get that feeling you're supposed to when having a nice conversation. I often feel like I have to fake excitement when talking to people so I don't seem so dull and boring. Also lost my gf of two years recently because of this as I was emotionally distant a lot of the time despite loving her. It was hard for me to "show" her I love her because of the emotional numbness thing. It was really depressing because she was really supportive during my pfs although I can imagine how difficult it can be for someone to understand issues like these unless they experience them themselves.

    So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to improve this naturally? This is the only symptom I'm still dealing with although I can't really remember 100% how I felt pre-PFS but my life is great now other than this lol.

    Interestingly nicotine makes this issue go away pretty much completely, though I only take it very sparingly due to it being addictive. So perhaps it's low dopamine or desensitized dopamine receptors? Saw some people on reddit saying going on ADHD meds fixed it but I'd rather not touch pharms
    Last edited by xxaleksi; 02-25-2021 at 04:56 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by xxaleksi View Post
    Hey guys so I consider myself recovered from PFS. One thing I'm still dealing with though is some sort of emotional numbness. Basically feels like my emotions are being suppressed, like I feel them at only 30% or something. I had this issue a bit pre PFS as well but PFS made it much worse.

    It's hard for me to enjoy social situations and feel a connection to people as I don't get that feeling you're supposed to when having a nice conversation. I often feel like I have to fake excitement when talking to people so I don't seem so dull and boring. Also lost my gf of two years recently because of this as I was emotionally distant a lot of the time despite loving her. It was hard for me to "show" her I love her because of the emotional numbness thing. It was really depressing because she was really supportive during my pfs although I can imagine how difficult it can be for someone to understand issues like these unless they experience them themselves.

    So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to improve this naturally? This is the only symptom I'm still dealing with although I can't really remember 100% how I felt pre-PFS but my life is great now other than this lol.

    Interestingly nicotine makes this issue go away pretty much completely, though I only take it very sparingly due to it being addictive. So perhaps it's low dopamine or desensitized dopamine receptors? Saw some people on reddit saying going on ADHD meds fixed it but I'd rather not touch pharms
    Yah it's most likely a question of dopamine deficiency, whether it's at the receptor level or neurotransmitter level.

    Of course the best way to tell is to look at the indicators of a dopamine deficiency. https://medium.com/publishous/fixing...s-72649aab40b1
    This website has some good indicators for various neurotransmitter deficiencies and some supplements you can take to address them.

    Additionally, you could have a look at dopamine fasting. A lot of professionals in Silicon Valley do it apparently, and though the science seems conflicted, it could be helpful.

    Other than that, I think the last suggestion I have is to avoid masturbating excessively. Try and do it once every 2/3 weeks if you can.

    Hope what I've just told you helps in any way.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MungYarlon View Post
    Yah it's most likely a question of dopamine deficiency, whether it's at the receptor level or neurotransmitter level.

    Of course the best way to tell is to look at the indicators of a dopamine deficiency. https://medium.com/publishous/fixing...s-72649aab40b1
    This website has some good indicators for various neurotransmitter deficiencies and some supplements you can take to address them.

    Additionally, you could have a look at dopamine fasting. A lot of professionals in Silicon Valley do it apparently, and though the science seems conflicted, it could be helpful.

    Other than that, I think the last suggestion I have is to avoid masturbating excessively. Try and do it once every 2/3 weeks if you can.

    Hope what I've just told you helps in any way.
    I think I just read an article about what you’re talking about, the dopamine fasting thing. Basically this guy said to go to work, gym, then go home and read books and that’s it. Nothing with any sort of mental stimulus for at least a week, including even engaging in thought. Apparently it helps to reset your dopamine.

    Could be anecdotal but I was thinking of trying it just for the hell of it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnover25 View Post
    I think I just read an article about what you’re talking about, the dopamine fasting thing. Basically this guy said to go to work, gym, then go home and read books and that’s it. Nothing with any sort of mental stimulus for at least a week, including even engaging in thought. Apparently it helps to reset your dopamine.

    Could be anecdotal but I was thinking of trying it just for the hell of it.
    Yep, worst it does is nothing at all to be honest.

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    I was wondering where were you @xxaleksi, long time no see...great news you are doing fine.

    My opinion on your issue, I wouldnt Go only in the
    lack of dopanime. Emotion is not only a matter of numbers, It has to do with How you see life, and the value you put on things/people/situations/etc. People say gratitude exercises and maditation are good for this, but i'm sure theres a lot more ways to increase the empathy and Joy. One of them, that worked for me, was spending more time with my family and being intersted for them.

    Regarding on nicotine, have you being smoking along your entire journey? Do you think this might have delayed your recovery?

  6. #6
    Established Member Feedback Score 0 xxaleksi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mineiro-up View Post
    I was wondering where were you @xxaleksi, long time no see...great news you are doing fine.

    My opinion on your issue, I wouldnt Go only in the
    lack of dopanime. Emotion is not only a matter of numbers, It has to do with How you see life, and the value you put on things/people/situations/etc. People say gratitude exercises and maditation are good for this, but i'm sure theres a lot more ways to increase the empathy and Joy. One of them, that worked for me, was spending more time with my family and being intersted for them.

    Regarding on nicotine, have you being smoking along your entire journey? Do you think this might have delayed your recovery?
    Good point man!

    And no, I don't smoke. Just tried some nicotine gum a couple times to see if it helped my emotions, and it did. Only take it on very rare occasions to avoid getting addicted lol.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by MungYarlon View Post
    Yah it's most likely a question of dopamine deficiency, whether it's at the receptor level or neurotransmitter level.

    Of course the best way to tell is to look at the indicators of a dopamine deficiency. https://medium.com/publishous/fixing...s-72649aab40b1
    This website has some good indicators for various neurotransmitter deficiencies and some supplements you can take to address them.

    Additionally, you could have a look at dopamine fasting. A lot of professionals in Silicon Valley do it apparently, and though the science seems conflicted, it could be helpful.

    Other than that, I think the last suggestion I have is to avoid masturbating excessively. Try and do it once every 2/3 weeks if you can.

    Hope what I've just told you helps in any way.
    Interesting site, gonna take a look at it when I get some time. Thanks!

    And yeah, I've heard about dopamine fasts before but never gave it a shot haha. Perhaps worth a try.

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    Sounds like you’re just not quite done yet! It’s probably a little difficult to hit the protocol with the same vengeance you had originally since your so close.

    Over the last 6 months or so, I’ve seen your symptom lists/descriptions get smaller and smaller, and now I guess it is just this final thing. I bet if you go full on savage mode, you’ll be reporting back this is resolved in not too long.
    Last edited by Brooks; 02-25-2021 at 06:32 PM.

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    Yeah, I don’t know man. I wouldn’t go down any more rabbit holes, especially the dopamine one. I second what Mineiro said, even though the dude wants to fuck his cousin.

    I’d first suggest that you read The Body Keeps the Score. IMO, the emotional blunting/numbness/anhedonia is a combination of the neurophysiological effects of fin, the neurophysiological/psychological effects of the trauma of PFS, & the current environment you find yourself in now. Fin fucks with the brain. Fine, but that’s fixable & you’ve already addressed that. The trauma & your current environment – I bet not.

    Did you know that emotional numbness/inability to connect with others/anhedonia are some of the most frequently reported symptoms by veterans upon returning home from deployment? You are no different. You have been living your life in a physical & psychological minefield for a couple of years & some change. You’ve lived like a spartan & adopted a lifestyle that helped you survive & overcome that – you had to.

    But that lifestyle doesn’t jive with your new environment. “Normal” people don’t fuckin cycle 21 herbs, workout like a demon, rub prohormones all over their body, take cold showers, etc. You’re a veteran still lacing up his boots to go to the grocery store. Its no wonder why you can’t connect at the dinner table with others who are all eating pizza, laughing, drinking beer. You forgot what that feels like and it’s going to take time to relearn it and reacclimate. I know you’d have no issue right now connecting with your fellow comrades here at SS over some raw vegetables and fucking coconut water.

    Also, take stock in which emotions you feel more strongly. You just said you can’t really feel emotions and then proceeded to describe how depressing it is that your girlfriend just broke up with you. All of us have experienced way more negative emotions and few to no positive emotions since PFS. Emotions are reinforced states. You’re going to need to really try hard to feel, foster, and reinforce positive emotions moving forward without being too analytical about it. That is why it is important to practice things like gratitude and surround yourself with positivity. It should be immersive.

    So to your question about how to do this naturally? Go out and live your life, naturally. Learn how to properly take a load off. Practice kindness and community. Leave this forum and PFS behind. Give it at least a year. Remember, your health is extremely valuable, but it’s not something to keep locked away in a vault where it can’t be lost again. It’s something to be experienced, enjoyed, & grateful for. Use it and go live your life.

    Side note: I also feel close to completely recovered when on nicotine, albeit a much higher dose. I was lipping 60-70mgs in a 24 hour time span for a solid couple of months until I could feel my tolerance building and the effects wearing off. Cold turkey’d it, bodied the withdrawals, lost a lot of progress. It’s not really progress if it’s propped up unsustainably like that though.

    Also, I’m sorry to hear about your breakup man. What you said about not being able to love her really resonated with me because I went through a similar relationship. It’s not that you’re incapable of love, it’s just that love had to take a backseat in order to beat this. Nobody except for guys who have gone through PFS will ever understand that. I don’t know if it’s possible to overcome something like PFS & be there for someone emotionally all at the same time. To keep the vet analogy going – veterans are 60% more likely to divorce than non vets. Be kind to yourself.

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    Quote Originally Posted by xxaleksi View Post
    Hey guys so I consider myself recovered from PFS. One thing I'm still dealing with though is some sort of emotional numbness. Basically feels like my emotions are being suppressed, like I feel them at only 30% or something. I had this issue a bit pre PFS as well but PFS made it much worse.

    It's hard for me to enjoy social situations and feel a connection to people as I don't get that feeling you're supposed to when having a nice conversation. I often feel like I have to fake excitement when talking to people so I don't seem so dull and boring. Also lost my gf of two years recently because of this as I was emotionally distant a lot of the time despite loving her. It was hard for me to "show" her I love her because of the emotional numbness thing. It was really depressing because she was really supportive during my pfs although I can imagine how difficult it can be for someone to understand issues like these unless they experience them themselves.

    So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to improve this naturally? This is the only symptom I'm still dealing with although I can't really remember 100% how I felt pre-PFS but my life is great now other than this lol.

    Interestingly nicotine makes this issue go away pretty much completely, though I only take it very sparingly due to it being addictive. So perhaps it's low dopamine or desensitized dopamine receptors? Saw some people on reddit saying going on ADHD meds fixed it but I'd rather not touch pharms
    Buddy try Celery Juice. It Deff helped with my emotions. Look up the medical Medium on Celery juice and it’s BENEFITS.

  10. #10
    Established Member Feedback Score 0 xxaleksi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ratchet View Post
    Yeah, I don’t know man. I wouldn’t go down any more rabbit holes, especially the dopamine one. I second what Mineiro said, even though the dude wants to fuck his cousin.

    I’d first suggest that you read The Body Keeps the Score. IMO, the emotional blunting/numbness/anhedonia is a combination of the neurophysiological effects of fin, the neurophysiological/psychological effects of the trauma of PFS, & the current environment you find yourself in now. Fin fucks with the brain. Fine, but that’s fixable & you’ve already addressed that. The trauma & your current environment – I bet not.

    Did you know that emotional numbness/inability to connect with others/anhedonia are some of the most frequently reported symptoms by veterans upon returning home from deployment? You are no different. You have been living your life in a physical & psychological minefield for a couple of years & some change. You’ve lived like a spartan & adopted a lifestyle that helped you survive & overcome that – you had to.

    But that lifestyle doesn’t jive with your new environment. “Normal” people don’t fuckin cycle 21 herbs, workout like a demon, rub prohormones all over their body, take cold showers, etc. You’re a veteran still lacing up his boots to go to the grocery store. Its no wonder why you can’t connect at the dinner table with others who are all eating pizza, laughing, drinking beer. You forgot what that feels like and it’s going to take time to relearn it and reacclimate. I know you’d have no issue right now connecting with your fellow comrades here at SS over some raw vegetables and fucking coconut water.

    Also, take stock in which emotions you feel more strongly. You just said you can’t really feel emotions and then proceeded to describe how depressing it is that your girlfriend just broke up with you. All of us have experienced way more negative emotions and few to no positive emotions since PFS. Emotions are reinforced states. You’re going to need to really try hard to feel, foster, and reinforce positive emotions moving forward without being too analytical about it. That is why it is important to practice things like gratitude and surround yourself with positivity. It should be immersive.

    So to your question about how to do this naturally? Go out and live your life, naturally. Learn how to properly take a load off. Practice kindness and community. Leave this forum and PFS behind. Give it at least a year. Remember, your health is extremely valuable, but it’s not something to keep locked away in a vault where it can’t be lost again. It’s something to be experienced, enjoyed, & grateful for. Use it and go live your life.

    Side note: I also feel close to completely recovered when on nicotine, albeit a much higher dose. I was lipping 60-70mgs in a 24 hour time span for a solid couple of months until I could feel my tolerance building and the effects wearing off. Cold turkey’d it, bodied the withdrawals, lost a lot of progress. It’s not really progress if it’s propped up unsustainably like that though.

    Also, I’m sorry to hear about your breakup man. What you said about not being able to love her really resonated with me because I went through a similar relationship. It’s not that you’re incapable of love, it’s just that love had to take a backseat in order to beat this. Nobody except for guys who have gone through PFS will ever understand that. I don’t know if it’s possible to overcome something like PFS & be there for someone emotionally all at the same time. To keep the vet analogy going – veterans are 60% more likely to divorce than non vets. Be kind to yourself.
    That's a really great post man, and I definitely feel a lot of what you're saying. Especially the part about adjusting back to a "normal" life is spot on. A few weeks ago I ate some pizza and other "regular" food, gluten and all, with a friend, and had no issue whatsoever afterwards. Drank as well. But it felt really strange to not have to watch what I eat or drink. That normal food wasn't normal to me at all. It's like I've forgotten what normal life used to be. The protocol is my normal. That can be a good thing though, as it'll ensure I stay in good health for the rest of my life.

    I'll definitely leave PFS behind at some point. I took a month break from this forum before making this thread and just lived my life, and it felt good, despite the emotion issue. I think I'll take like a year break or so at some point, but I'm gonna have to make a recovery post before that.

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