Emotional Blunting
SSRIs work by raising your levels of serotonin, but they can also decrease dopamine transmission. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for many of those feel-good emotions you get when you fall in love. This effect, sometimes called emotional blunting, can also include such symptoms as feeling less empathetic, less able to cry, and less able to experience the same degree of positive emotion as one normally would. SSRI antidepressants are sometimes associated with emotional blunting. This can also include such symptoms as feeling indifferent or apathetic, being less able to cry and less able to experience the same degree of positive emotion as one normally would.
Decreased Sexual Desire
Emotional blunting may also be connected to sexual side effects, such as decreased libido and difficulty with orgasm. One small study found that about 80% of people who experienced antidepressant-related sexual problems also reported having emotional blunting. This effect is not permanent, however. According to Dr. Ronald Pies, there are certain steps which can help patients who are experiencing emotional blunting with their antidepressant. He suggests that the answer lies in either lowering their dose, changing them to a different medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most common cause of emotional blunting) or perhaps giving them an additional medication which can counteract this side effect.
Treatment
If you are considering stopping your medication because of this side effect, or any other, you should be aware that abruptly stopping your medication without first obtaining your doctor’s advice can be a bad idea. Many people will find that their depression returns, or perhaps even gets worse, upon stopping their medication. In addition, it may be necessary to either taper off your medication slowly or switch to a different medication in order to prevent discontinuation syndrome. This syndrome is a cluster of unpleasant symptoms, including strange sensations, dizziness, aches and upset stomach, which many people experience as the antidepressant leaves their body.
