Research says when loneliness stops hurting and starts feeling normal, you've entered a state called emotional numbness - and it's not apathy, it's your nervous system protecting you from a pain it believes will never end - Silicon Canals

"Emotional numbness is not apathy; it is the nervous system deciding that the pain of disconnection is never going to end, shutting down the alarm because it's been ringing too long."

"Polyvagal Theory describes a hierarchical process in the nervous system, where the dorsal vagal response represents a shutdown state associated with immobilization, numbness, and withdrawal."

"When someone experiences chronic, inescapable stress, including the chronic stress of social isolation, the nervous system can drop into this dorsal vagal state as a survival mechanism."

Emotional numbness occurs when loneliness becomes prolonged, leading to a cessation of pain and longing. This state is not acceptance but a response from the nervous system. When faced with chronic stress, the nervous system can enter a dorsal vagal state, characterized by shutdown and withdrawal. This response is part of Polyvagal Theory, which explains how the body reacts when social engagement is not possible. It highlights that this shutdown is a survival mechanism rather than a personal failure.

Read at Silicon Canals