Emotional Numbness

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14 pages in length. Suppression of feelings is a common human approach to dealing with unpleasant situations. The extent to which Andrew has mastered this defense mechanism is both grand and far-reaching; that he shuts down in order to get through the psychological pain inherent to relationship breakups speaks to his tendency to become emotionally numb until that pain has subsided. Those who experience post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) experience similar responses after going through distressing events. The prominent emotion for Andrew is disassociation - the ability to detach from normally occurring feelings - which is illustrated by his ability to shut down his emotions and remain that way until the perceived threat of painful feelings is not longer looming. Bibliography lists 10 sources.