intj-confessions:

pervocracy:

morganoperandi:

anarcho-shindouism:

for the record, ‘not feeling anything’ is a valid and not unusual response to trauma or grief

so if you feel empty and devoid of feeling, it’s not because you’re a cold and uncaring person.

Sometimes, not feeling anything is the only way you can cope.

Be prepared for a delayed reaction, too. It’s very common to be totally calm during a crisis, and then days or weeks (or years) later suddenly get hit with a tidal wave of “HOLY SHIT THAT HAPPENED.”

Sometimes your mind waits until it feels safe to start processing things emotionally. It’s a powerful survival strategy, but it can really blindside you, because just as you start to feel like things are okay, you’re overwhelmed by the realization of how not-okay things were before.

This may not happen, and that’s okay too. But it’s something to watch out for when your initial reaction is numbness.

If you’re the rock in your family when it comes to staying calm in emotional crisis, be prepared for this. I felt nothing until after my grandfather’s funeral was over, because prior to that I was in work mode. I had to rush over and take care of all of his birds. I had to write and deliver a speech for my mother because she was a wreck and couldn’t do it herself. It wasn’t until everything was taken care of that I could relax enough to care.