Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionIdentificationCausesTreatmentCopingWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Identification
Causes
Treatment
Coping
When to See a Provider
“Emotional detachment” is a term used to describe behavior in which a person seems to be disconnected from their emotions, particularly those involved in interpersonal relationships. It can present as numbness and may lead to relationship and communication problems, difficulty feeling or expressing empathy, or other difficulties with emotions.
Read on to learn more about what emotional detachment looks like, what causes it, and how to cope if you or a loved one are emotionally detached.
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What Is Emotional Detachment?
Emotional detachment means a person has difficulty tuning into their emotions and connecting with others on anemotional level.
While they may feel disengaged and appear to lack empathy, people with emotional detachment do experience emotions and usually want to express them and connect with others, they just have difficulty doing so in a way that is typically considered appropriate.
People who are emotionally detached may:
What Are the Types of Social Cues?
Emotional detachment in a relationship may look like:
Condition or Symptom?Emotional detachment is not a condition unto itself. Rather, it is a symptom that can be associated with other mental health conditions.
Condition or Symptom?
Emotional detachment is not a condition unto itself. Rather, it is a symptom that can be associated with other mental health conditions.
Identifying Emotional Detachment
If you are prone to emotional detachment, seeing a healthcare provider is a good place to start. They may:
Emotional Health Is Mental Health: One Aspect of Well-Being
Causes of Emotional Detachment
There are many things that can influence how a person regulates emotion, including emotional detachment.
Past Experiences
Exposure to traumatic events and interpersonal trauma in childhood are associated with many problems in children and adults, including emotional detachment.
Complexchildhood traumaand a lack of adequate care and consistent emotional support in childhood can affect a person’s ability to tolerate intense emotions, form healthy attachments and relationships, and develop a sense of self.
Trauma that occurs in adulthood can also cause emotional detachment.
Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a condition that can develop after a single exceptionally threatening or horrifying event or from prolonged exposure to trauma such as abuse. Emotional detachment can be a symptom of PTSD.
Attachment Disorders
Emotional detachment can be a symptom of an attachment disorder, such as:
Mental Health Conditions
In addition to PTSD, emotional detachment can occur as part of several different mental health conditions, including:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Hallmark symptoms ofautism spectrum disorders(ASD) include difficulties reading social cues and relating to other people. Autistic people often have trouble recognizing emotions and intentions in others, and understanding and expressing their own emotions. These are all forms of emotional detachment.
How to Help Children With Autism Handle Emotions
Side Effects of Medication
Emotional detachment may be a side effect of some medications, such as certain antidepressants.
A 2016 study analyzed survey data of people who had been using antidepressants for three to 15 years. While the majority (89.4%) reported that antidepressants had improved their depression, many also noted side effects, including adverse emotional effects; 64.5% reported feeling emotionally numb.
By Choice
Emotional detachment can be a useful tactic many people use to protect themselves in stressful situations. As long as this coping strategy isn’t used too frequently, it can sometimes be a healthy way to set boundaries.
For healthcare providers, for example, being able to emotionally detach from patients can allow providers to stay calm, be objective, perform painful medical procedures, and protect themselves fromburnout. Learning how to regulate their emotions allows them to be empathetic when called for and detached when necessary.Devoting too much time and commitment to patients can also lead to neglecting their personal time, hobbies, and family responsibilities.
Is Emotional Detachment Always Harmful?Detachment is not always a bad thing, especially when done in a healthy way. Research has shown that being able to psychologically detach from work during non-work time is important for mental health and well-being.People who can detach from work during off-hours tend to be more satisfied with their lives and experience less psychological strain, without negatively affecting their work. Some studies have shown this detachment can even improve job performance.
Is Emotional Detachment Always Harmful?
Detachment is not always a bad thing, especially when done in a healthy way. Research has shown that being able to psychologically detach from work during non-work time is important for mental health and well-being.People who can detach from work during off-hours tend to be more satisfied with their lives and experience less psychological strain, without negatively affecting their work. Some studies have shown this detachment can even improve job performance.
Treatment for Emotional Detachment
Treatment for emotional detachment depends on what is causing it and the individual’s goals. If it is a component of another condition, such as depression or PTSD, the underlying condition needs to be treated.
Psychotherapy (talk therapy) may be beneficial for people experiencing emotional detachment.This might includecognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which involves identifying and examining maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and transforming them into healthier processes and strategies. Or it could includepsychodynamic psychotherapy, which emphasizes the expression of emotions and examines our emotional defense mechanisms.
If there is a relationship component to the emotional detachment, therapies are available that address the couple or family as a whole.
Discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider or mental health professional, and tell them what you hope to achieve with treatment. They can help figure out which approach is best.
Types of Mental Health Therapy
How to Cope With Emotional Detachment
In addition to professional treatment, people who are emotionally detached can use the following strategies to help them cope:
You can also support them in seeking treatment if needed. Working with a counselor or therapist who understands emotional detachment can help partners learn to reconnect and improve communication. It may take time, work, and commitment from both partners, but emotional detachment in a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you find emotional detachment is having a negative impact on your life, making relationships difficult, or think it may be a symptom of another mental health problem, see your healthcare provider.
Help Is AvailableIf you or a loved one are struggling with mental health, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Help Is Available
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Summary
Emotional detachment can be part of healthy emotion regulation in some cases, but it can be harmful if it leads to interpersonal problems. Trauma, mental health conditions, and medication side effects can all cause emotional detachment. Help for emotional detachment depends on the individual but may include talk therapy. If it is a symptom of another condition, that condition will need to be treated.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berkeley Well-Being Institute.Emotional-detachment: definition, causes, and signs.Dvir Y, Ford JD, Hill M, Frazier JA.Childhood maltreatment, emotional dysregulation, and psychiatric comorbidities.Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2014;22(3):149-161. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000014Grossman FK, Spinazzola J, Zucker M, Hopper E.Treating adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse and neglect: a new framework.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2017;87(1):86-93. doi:10.1037/ort0000264American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Attachment disorders.Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Roberts NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Nicholson AA, Friston KJ, Zeidman P, et al.Dynamic causal modeling in PTSD and its dissociative subtype: bottom-up versus top-down processing within fear and emotion regulation circuitry: DCM in PTSD and its dissociative subtype.Hum Brain Mapp. 2017;38(11):5551-5561. doi:10.1002/hbm.23748National Alliance on Mental Illness.Dissociative disorders.Autism Speaks.What are the symptoms of autism?Cartwright C, Gibson K, Read J, Cowan O, Dehar T.Long-term antidepressant use: patient perspectives of benefits and adverse effects.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1401-1407. doi:10.2147/PPA.S110632Weilenmann S, Schnyder U, Parkinson B, Corda C, von Känel R, Pfaltz MC.Emotion transfer, emotion regulation, and empathy-related processes in physician-patient interactions and their association with physician well-being: a theoretical model.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:389. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00389Sonnentag S, Schiffner C.Psychological detachment from work during nonwork time and employee well-being: the role of leader’s detachment.The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 2019;22. doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.2Sonnentag S.Psychological detachment from work during leisure time: the benefits of mentally disengaging from work.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2012;21(2):114-118. doi:10.1177/0963721411434979
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berkeley Well-Being Institute.Emotional-detachment: definition, causes, and signs.Dvir Y, Ford JD, Hill M, Frazier JA.Childhood maltreatment, emotional dysregulation, and psychiatric comorbidities.Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2014;22(3):149-161. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000014Grossman FK, Spinazzola J, Zucker M, Hopper E.Treating adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse and neglect: a new framework.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2017;87(1):86-93. doi:10.1037/ort0000264American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Attachment disorders.Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Roberts NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Nicholson AA, Friston KJ, Zeidman P, et al.Dynamic causal modeling in PTSD and its dissociative subtype: bottom-up versus top-down processing within fear and emotion regulation circuitry: DCM in PTSD and its dissociative subtype.Hum Brain Mapp. 2017;38(11):5551-5561. doi:10.1002/hbm.23748National Alliance on Mental Illness.Dissociative disorders.Autism Speaks.What are the symptoms of autism?Cartwright C, Gibson K, Read J, Cowan O, Dehar T.Long-term antidepressant use: patient perspectives of benefits and adverse effects.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1401-1407. doi:10.2147/PPA.S110632Weilenmann S, Schnyder U, Parkinson B, Corda C, von Känel R, Pfaltz MC.Emotion transfer, emotion regulation, and empathy-related processes in physician-patient interactions and their association with physician well-being: a theoretical model.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:389. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00389Sonnentag S, Schiffner C.Psychological detachment from work during nonwork time and employee well-being: the role of leader’s detachment.The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 2019;22. doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.2Sonnentag S.Psychological detachment from work during leisure time: the benefits of mentally disengaging from work.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2012;21(2):114-118. doi:10.1177/0963721411434979
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Berkeley Well-Being Institute.Emotional-detachment: definition, causes, and signs.Dvir Y, Ford JD, Hill M, Frazier JA.Childhood maltreatment, emotional dysregulation, and psychiatric comorbidities.Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2014;22(3):149-161. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000014Grossman FK, Spinazzola J, Zucker M, Hopper E.Treating adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse and neglect: a new framework.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2017;87(1):86-93. doi:10.1037/ort0000264American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Attachment disorders.Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Roberts NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161Nicholson AA, Friston KJ, Zeidman P, et al.Dynamic causal modeling in PTSD and its dissociative subtype: bottom-up versus top-down processing within fear and emotion regulation circuitry: DCM in PTSD and its dissociative subtype.Hum Brain Mapp. 2017;38(11):5551-5561. doi:10.1002/hbm.23748National Alliance on Mental Illness.Dissociative disorders.Autism Speaks.What are the symptoms of autism?Cartwright C, Gibson K, Read J, Cowan O, Dehar T.Long-term antidepressant use: patient perspectives of benefits and adverse effects.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1401-1407. doi:10.2147/PPA.S110632Weilenmann S, Schnyder U, Parkinson B, Corda C, von Känel R, Pfaltz MC.Emotion transfer, emotion regulation, and empathy-related processes in physician-patient interactions and their association with physician well-being: a theoretical model.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:389. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00389Sonnentag S, Schiffner C.Psychological detachment from work during nonwork time and employee well-being: the role of leader’s detachment.The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 2019;22. doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.2Sonnentag S.Psychological detachment from work during leisure time: the benefits of mentally disengaging from work.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2012;21(2):114-118. doi:10.1177/0963721411434979
Berkeley Well-Being Institute.Emotional-detachment: definition, causes, and signs.
Dvir Y, Ford JD, Hill M, Frazier JA.Childhood maltreatment, emotional dysregulation, and psychiatric comorbidities.Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 2014;22(3):149-161. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000014
Grossman FK, Spinazzola J, Zucker M, Hopper E.Treating adult survivors of childhood emotional abuse and neglect: a new framework.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2017;87(1):86-93. doi:10.1037/ort0000264
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Attachment disorders.
Bisson JI, Cosgrove S, Lewis C, Roberts NP.Post-traumatic stress disorder.BMJ. 2015;351:h6161. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6161
Nicholson AA, Friston KJ, Zeidman P, et al.Dynamic causal modeling in PTSD and its dissociative subtype: bottom-up versus top-down processing within fear and emotion regulation circuitry: DCM in PTSD and its dissociative subtype.Hum Brain Mapp. 2017;38(11):5551-5561. doi:10.1002/hbm.23748
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Dissociative disorders.
Autism Speaks.What are the symptoms of autism?
Cartwright C, Gibson K, Read J, Cowan O, Dehar T.Long-term antidepressant use: patient perspectives of benefits and adverse effects.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1401-1407. doi:10.2147/PPA.S110632
Weilenmann S, Schnyder U, Parkinson B, Corda C, von Känel R, Pfaltz MC.Emotion transfer, emotion regulation, and empathy-related processes in physician-patient interactions and their association with physician well-being: a theoretical model.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:389. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00389
Sonnentag S, Schiffner C.Psychological detachment from work during nonwork time and employee well-being: the role of leader’s detachment.The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 2019;22. doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.2
Sonnentag S.Psychological detachment from work during leisure time: the benefits of mentally disengaging from work.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2012;21(2):114-118. doi:10.1177/0963721411434979
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