Argamemnon
Well-known member
I feel dead inside, no emotions nothing. When I look at someone's face I can't generate a facial expression. I've read this is common for schizophrenia patients. Could it be just depression?
Can't generate a facial expression
- Thread starter Argamemnon
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Argamemnon
Well-known member
Yes, but even when I try my best, I can't. I can't move the muscles around my eyes and eyebrows. I don't feel human anymoreIcarusUnderWater said:
playthepsychedelic
Well-known member
If you even can't move the muscles anymore, then doesn't that mean its more like a physical thing? or is it just when you are with other people?
btw, why would you want to "generate" a facial expression? I mean, sure with SA it aint easy to act natural, but in the end a facial expression is something that should come spontaneously in 90% of the cases,right?...
btw, why would you want to "generate" a facial expression? I mean, sure with SA it aint easy to act natural, but in the end a facial expression is something that should come spontaneously in 90% of the cases,right?...
Slothrop
Well-known member
It isn't uncommon to not be able to move certain muscles of the face independently, as they normally work in concert as part of a single movement. Whatever your emotional problems may be, this probably isn't related.
For instance, many (perhaps most) people can't raise each eyebrow independently, or may only be able to raise one independently, despite having no problems raising both as if to show surprise. The same is often true for closing your eyes -- close both and just the lids close, while if you close one, you sort of scrunch up that side of your face, which you might not be able to do on both sides. Smirking is another example.
This is apparently trainable. I was unable to close my left eye lid alone until as a teenager I spent some time looking in the mirror and moving them with my fingers until I could "feel" how to move it alone.
If you literally cannot move certain muscles at all, you ought to see a physician, as it may be a sign of a neurological problem.
For instance, many (perhaps most) people can't raise each eyebrow independently, or may only be able to raise one independently, despite having no problems raising both as if to show surprise. The same is often true for closing your eyes -- close both and just the lids close, while if you close one, you sort of scrunch up that side of your face, which you might not be able to do on both sides. Smirking is another example.
This is apparently trainable. I was unable to close my left eye lid alone until as a teenager I spent some time looking in the mirror and moving them with my fingers until I could "feel" how to move it alone.
If you literally cannot move certain muscles at all, you ought to see a physician, as it may be a sign of a neurological problem.
Argamemnon
Well-known member
It never comes spontaneously for me. I always spend an incredible amount of energy to appear normal.playthepsychedelic said:
Argamemnon
Well-known member
I can move them when I force myself, but I'm pretty certain that it has to do with mental illness. I also suffer from insomnia, so I think it's perfectly logical that I fail to generate a facial expression.Slothrop said:
KurtG85
Well-known member
Being unable to generate or 'fake' smiles is entirely 'normal' when you are severely depressed. I experienced this totally 'dead' feeling of severe depression/lack of pleasure which can lead to feelings of disconnectedness from oneself or reality (I forget if its reffered to as dissasociation or what exactly) for 15 years or so until I started adderall which suddenly gave me SOME positive energy which then lead to entirely natural and unforced facial expressions associated with positive feelings. This being because adderall helps depression somewhat with its amphetamine content. In fact people immediately started commenting on how incredibly expressive I was with my face and how clearly I conveyed exactly how I was feeling non verbally. This was probably a result of all the 'practice' I had throughout my early life trying to 'force' these displays because it felt so unnatural like you are saying. However, I would feel just as expressively 'dead' during the come down off adderall if not more so than usual so it was not a good treatment for my depression at all despite my initial impression.
I too wondered if this was linked to schizophrenia and if I was schizophrenic because it seemed similar to some of the descriptions I read. This especially worried me when I was diagnosed as emerging schizophrenic at age 16 or so my doctor at that time. My doctor was just an idiot however and I wound up having to do my own psychiatric research and diagnosis because his ignorance was so vast. He had convinced my family to not believe a word I said, such as that adderall helped my depression, because according to him that was impossible. He said I was just addicted to adderall or out of my mind basically. I also had alot of hypomanic bi-polar-like symptoms which he could have mistaken for other schizophrenia like symptoms. Also, amphetamine (such as that found in adderall) is documented as sometimes causing behavior in individuals that is indistinguishable to that typically seen in schizophrenics. I brought this up to him and he would not cooperate with my suggestion of seeing me a few times while I was off adderall (he had never talked to me while I was not on adderall) before he became set on his diagnosis. I am 23 now and still have never displayed one sign of actual schizophrenia, just still depressed and anxious, partly because that doc wasted 4 years of my life which I had to spend trying to get the trust of my parents back who had me put in the hospital as a result of his moronic diagnosis.
Anyhow, there are many, many descriptions of various disorders which all seem to read exactly alike outside of a few distinguishing features. For schizophrenia I believe that feature is primarily a 'break' with reality, in other words you are entirely convinced of bizzare ideas which are entirely irrational. His diagnosis was probably based around such un-thoroughly examined associations. This presence of psychosis and the patients inability to recognize whacked out thoughts as being irrational is essential for a diagnosis of schizophrenia in my understanding.
I too wondered if this was linked to schizophrenia and if I was schizophrenic because it seemed similar to some of the descriptions I read. This especially worried me when I was diagnosed as emerging schizophrenic at age 16 or so my doctor at that time. My doctor was just an idiot however and I wound up having to do my own psychiatric research and diagnosis because his ignorance was so vast. He had convinced my family to not believe a word I said, such as that adderall helped my depression, because according to him that was impossible. He said I was just addicted to adderall or out of my mind basically. I also had alot of hypomanic bi-polar-like symptoms which he could have mistaken for other schizophrenia like symptoms. Also, amphetamine (such as that found in adderall) is documented as sometimes causing behavior in individuals that is indistinguishable to that typically seen in schizophrenics. I brought this up to him and he would not cooperate with my suggestion of seeing me a few times while I was off adderall (he had never talked to me while I was not on adderall) before he became set on his diagnosis. I am 23 now and still have never displayed one sign of actual schizophrenia, just still depressed and anxious, partly because that doc wasted 4 years of my life which I had to spend trying to get the trust of my parents back who had me put in the hospital as a result of his moronic diagnosis.
Anyhow, there are many, many descriptions of various disorders which all seem to read exactly alike outside of a few distinguishing features. For schizophrenia I believe that feature is primarily a 'break' with reality, in other words you are entirely convinced of bizzare ideas which are entirely irrational. His diagnosis was probably based around such un-thoroughly examined associations. This presence of psychosis and the patients inability to recognize whacked out thoughts as being irrational is essential for a diagnosis of schizophrenia in my understanding.