INT. REGINA'S ROOM - FRIDAY NIGHT

Ok just stop.

What’s going on here?!

This is an exchange with my 6th grade daughter while we practice for her school’s Mean Girls play.

She's like a robot.

I can’t even tell what’s supposed to be going on because there’s no emotional context, and if teenagers are involved, it’s gotta be dripping with emotion. (And I haven't seen this movie in like 2 decades...)

But you don’t have to practice theatre with a tween to know a robot when you see one.

There may even be a few in your practice right now!

Because sometimes that robotic feeling that people have is actually a medication side effect called emotional blunting!

This is another one of those sneaky, subtle side effects that you’re more likely to notice than a prescriber will in their brief med checks.

And although clients may know they feel different or numb, they may not know that this is a side effect of medication and NOT the goal of treatment!

And that’s what this week’s video is all about!

But if you want the take aways, here you go:

What is emotional blunting?

• It’s a med side effect, especially with SSRIs and SNRIs, where people feel numb or emotions feel muted
• Clients might say, “I don’t feel bad anymore, but I don’t feel happy either,” or “I feel like a robot.”

How to tell the difference between emotional blunting and depression:

• Depression often involves sadness, guilt, and hopelessness
• Emotional blunting is more like an overall “numbness” or detachment from both good and bad emotions.

Why does this happen?

• Medications that increase serotonin can sometimes “dampen” emotions across the board; like turning down the volume on all feelings, not just the distressing ones
• It may also impact the brain’s reward system, making joy and excitement harder to feel

What can you do, Reader?

• Help clients articulate their experience by asking questions like:
  • “What emotions feel different since starting your medication?”
  • “Do you feel like yourself, or more detached?”
• Work with prescribers to adjust medications by lowering the dose, switching to a different med, or adding something like bupropion
• Encourage mindfulness, journaling, and activities that used to bring joy to help clients reconnect with emotions

Emotional blunting is fairly common but YAY because it’s treatable! As long as clients know it’s a side effect and not the effect we want from the medication.

Unfortunately, for parents of middle schoolers though, there is no easy treatment for the robotics of tween theatre. Except, hopefully, practice. And puberty. I’ll keep you posted…

But no one wants to feel like Ferris Bueller’s science teacher on their antidepressant. Definitely not the goal.

Cheers to healthy brains,

Dr. B

Jessica Beachkofsky, MD

Your friendly, online psychiatrist!

P.S. Here’s the video link again​

P.P.S. Did you know mean girls is a play now??? On Wednesdays we wear pink. Mind blown.