Well, I know Lis may have said something about this already, but here's my two cents worth...
I'd call, "emotional states disassociated from external stimuli" a mental illness or disablity, separate from depression. The skill of determining the (usually external) sources of my emotions is THE most important skill I have. So it floors me that you can function without it, and, apparently don't consider the it's lack to be a major problem.
Well, it's your life. If you aren't bothered by it, and want to spend your time and energy elsewhere, that's your decision.
On the other hand, IF you want to change this...
1) Take Lexpro... because when you don't, your emotional state IS disassociated from external stimuli. (I'll assume that when you're taking Lexpro it replaces the false emotional state "depression" with the healthy state "emotions respond to external stimuli" rather than the equally false emotional state "always happy".)
2) Determining why you feel the way you do is a skill. Learn it. I can't say that therapy is the best way for you to learn this skill, but it is the most common, the most polite, and, for most people, the fastest. Therapists are the only professionals that I know of who teach this skill, and it is a good part of what most of them do, one way or another. (and, BTW, you are not the only one in this boat. Why do you think there are so many therapists?)
You shouldn't judge the usefulness of therapy with medication by the uselessness of therapy without medication. Several people have said that therapy with medication can help retrain bad habits that were established by depression. The dissassociation of emotions from external stimuli looks like that kind of bad habit. The tendency to avoid long term commitments (a couple LJ posts ago) could be another.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm strongly in favor of therapy. I think it would make you more functional, and possibly happier. And it would decrease the frustration of the people around you who often WANT to know why you feel a certain way and find "biochemistry" a... frustrating... answer.
no subject
I'd call, "emotional states disassociated from external stimuli" a mental illness or disablity, separate from depression. The skill of determining the (usually external) sources of my emotions is THE most important skill I have. So it floors me that you can function without it, and, apparently don't consider the it's lack to be a major problem.
Well, it's your life. If you aren't bothered by it, and want to spend your time and energy elsewhere, that's your decision.
On the other hand, IF you want to change this...
1) Take Lexpro... because when you don't, your emotional state IS disassociated from external stimuli. (I'll assume that when you're taking Lexpro it replaces the false emotional state "depression" with the healthy state "emotions respond to external stimuli" rather than the equally false emotional state "always happy".)
2) Determining why you feel the way you do is a skill. Learn it. I can't say that therapy is the best way for you to learn this skill, but it is the most common, the most polite, and, for most people, the fastest. Therapists are the only professionals that I know of who teach this skill, and it is a good part of what most of them do, one way or another. (and, BTW, you are not the only one in this boat. Why do you think there are so many therapists?)
You shouldn't judge the usefulness of therapy with medication by the uselessness of therapy without medication. Several people have said that therapy with medication can help retrain bad habits that were established by depression. The dissassociation of emotions from external stimuli looks like that kind of bad habit. The tendency to avoid long term commitments (a couple LJ posts ago) could be another.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm strongly in favor of therapy. I think it would make you more functional, and possibly happier. And it would decrease the frustration of the people around you who often WANT to know why you feel a certain way and find "biochemistry" a... frustrating... answer.
Kiralee