Unable to cry

[Jadienne]

Ever since I've started Prozac it sometimes feels like I've become emotionally stuck.  If any of you have seen that scene in Prozac Nation where Elizabeth is talking about she is deprived of her tears, that's what I am talking about.  When I want to cry, I can't seem to.  Has anyone ever had this problem?

Edited January 13, 2016 by Jadienne

[jt07]

Yes, I have that problem, and I believe that it is a common with SSRIs. On the other hand, whenever I've gone off an SSRI, I've become very emotional labile and could cry at the drop of a hat. Neither state is good in my opinion, but I'll take not crying over crying all day.

[saintalto]

Not because of meds, but I find certain moods do this. Often when I feel particularly disconnected or numb it becomes impossible for me to express anguish even though I feel it festering under the stony surface.

[cosima]

i've experienced this before, but it was never prompted by meds, i don't think. more along the lines of self-inflicted numbing as a coping mechanism when emotions and hurt became too unbearable. i've also experienced the opposite like jt mentioned. both suck. i can't really say one was better than the other but i didn't appreciate having to explain to the neighbours why i would randomly burst into tears while taking out the recycling. perhaps they just thought i was intensely attached to household paper and plastics. 

[melissaw72]

2 hours ago, jt07 said:

Yes, I have that problem, and I believe that it is a common with SSRIs. On the other hand, whenever I've gone off an SSRI, I've become very emotional labile and could cry at the drop of a hat. Neither state is good in my opinion, but I'll take not crying over crying all day.

^^in bold.  This for me too. 

I am currently weaning off of Prozac and it is really hard.  The crying was out of control, so pdoc added a little more prozac back.  It means a longer taper, but I'd prefer that than crying constantly.

[dilemma]

I'm not on any SSRIs, but I have been on AAPs for years, and I rarely cry. My sister died 3 years ago, and I didn't shed a tear.  People that came to the hospice were more emotional than me, but then she was so sick for so long and I was her only caregiver, so it was almost a relief when she died, but it really bugged me that I couldn't cry.

However, a couple of months ago, I went to the Carole King musical, and at the end all of the actors on stage lead the audience in a song and everybody was holding hands and singing, and for some reason, I started bawling! I couldn't stop, and fortunately it was dark in the audience, so I don't think anyone noticed.

[longshadows]

9 hours ago, Jadienne said:

Ever since I've started Prozac it sometimes feels like I've become emotionally stuck.  If any of you have seen that scene in Prozac Nation where Elizabeth is talking about she is deprived of her tears, that's what I am talking about.  When I want to cry, I can't seem to.  Has anyone ever had this problem?

I had this problem with Pristiq for the first few weeks. It wore off after a month or so, I think, from memory. At the time it was a relief. Before taking Pristiq, I was basically crying constantly and over everything. I couldn't function. I'm on different meds now.  

[melissaw72]

9 hours ago, dilemma said:

I'm not on any SSRIs, but I have been on AAPs for years, and I rarely cry. My sister died 3 years ago, and I didn't shed a tear.  People that came to the hospice were more emotional than me, but then she was so sick for so long and I was her only caregiver, so it was almost a relief when she died, but it really bugged me that I couldn't cry.

However, a couple of months ago, I went to the Carole King musical, and at the end all of the actors on stage lead the audience in a song and everybody was holding hands and singing, and for some reason, I started bawling! I couldn't stop, and fortunately it was dark in the audience, so I don't think anyone noticed.

Have you talked to your pdoc about this?

(in bold) I can totally relate, except I was not somewhere when it happened.  I have been home every time.  Things like watching anything on TV that had a "happy" tone (ie audience clapping for something good happening/someone winning something) got me overwhelmed and I would burst into tears.

The problem for me was that I had been going off prozac, and eventually the withdrawal was too much to handle, so my pdoc gave me a little bit of prozac back and it worked.  Tears all the time gone. 

Do you think a small dose of SSRI would help?

 

[melissaw72]

12 hours ago, Jadienne said:

Ever since I've started Prozac it sometimes feels like I've become emotionally stuck.  If any of you have seen that scene in Prozac Nation where Elizabeth is talking about she is deprived of her tears, that's what I am talking about.  When I want to cry, I can't seem to.  Has anyone ever had this problem?

I used to be this way awhile back, even on meds.  Didn't cry for any reason.  I think as time went on and my meds were changed I got some emotion back.  But it wasn't an overnight thing.  Years later it changed to too much emotion.  I haven't really found that balance between the no tears/ too many tears.

Like I was saying above, I was on prozac for a long time ... got me doing ok.  Going off of it has been hard.  But regardless it always seems either one end or another end.  Not in between, where I would have any balance of emotions.

I hope this makes sense.