I Feel Empty; How Can Overcome This Nothingness?

I feel empty inside, what does this mean?

The feeling of emptiness is difficult to describe because it’s simply almost impossible to put words to it. In fact, no two people ever experience it in the same way, although we are able to identify several common emotions related to this phenomenon. These emotions include; sorrow, sadness, helplessness, clinical depression, great loneliness, and insecurity.

➜ This feeling can take different forms of psychological expression such as generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety, depression, jealousy, emotional dependence, addictions of all kinds (drugs, alcohol, etc.), eating compulsions such as bulimia and difficulty asserting oneself.

😧 Feeling empty is an expression of deep distress based on life-changing experiences such as an emotional shock. We can feel this way for a multitude of reasons, for example, if we lacked love at some point in our existence (usually childhood), this will ensure we become extremely vulnerable and fragile as adults. Once we have the feeling of not being loved, our emotions become extremely difficult to settle.

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Is feeling empty a sign of depression?

The feeling of nothingness is a sign of desolation, that is to say, a total lack of joy, hope, and satisfaction. It is possible to have this feeling without suffering from depressive symptoms. Depression is only a symptom of emptiness!

If like me, you are feeling this way, it will mean that you are no longer interested in anything. It is essentially an expression of deep pain through a feeling of suffocation. For this reason, people, who feel this way, seek at all costs to get rid of it and fill the hole. If you tend to have old demons, for example, you may end up turning back to them in the quest to feel something else. After all, addictions are often a way for many of us to escape.

How can you tell the difference between depression and feeling empty?

To understand the distinction, here are 7 signs to differentiate the symptoms.

• You feel alone,
• Life has no meaning,
• You don't feel happy or fulfilled,
• You have developed addictive behaviors,
• You feel emotionally weary,
• You are immersed in your work,
• We are bored very often.

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5 tips to stop feeling empty

Before trying anything, we must listen to ourselves and find the reasons that explain why we are feeling this way. It is not easy to do it alone, that is why it is important to be accompanied by a professional. The latter can help you improve your mental health. Nevertheless, in the meantime, here are some ways to fight against this feeling of emotional numbness.

1. Train yourself mentally

We need to set up a daily routine to introspect in order to find solutions that will make us feel better. This can be small things, like not forcing yourself to wear pants anymore, or bigger decisions, like quitting your job.  Questioning yourself all the time is mental training to understand yourself better.

2. Seek self-fulfillment

The first thing is to forget about other people’s opinions and to ignore their advice. Let's live for ourselves by not repressing the passions and desires that make us feel good. These are the steps to take to feel more fulfilled! We know what is good for us, so we need to listen to ourselves.

3. Accepting your emotions

As adults, we have learned to hide emotions such as anger or sadness. However, it is important to let them out so that they don't get the better of us. It is important to do everything possible to express them in different ways: by playing sports, by screaming at the top of our lungs in a forest, by dancing until we are blue in the face… We must be able to express our emotions in a healthy way so that they do not negatively influence our lives.

4. Regain self-confidence

Low self-esteem can be one of the causes of feeling drained. Indeed, it is like having a glass ceiling above us that prevents us from growing and fulfilling ourselves. This is why it is necessary to build strong self-confidence to feel better. You have to see all the qualities you have in yourself!  

5. Surround yourself with positive people

It is necessary to have an empathetic and understanding environment around you. Sometimes family is not very helpful, so try to find support elsewhere, perhaps even in a mental health professional. If you have few friends or none at all, turning to a caring community, or support group on the internet is a solution via forums. Don't hesitate to talk, you don't want to be alone.

Be sure to read the following articles too:

• Things hypersensitive people are great at
• Does talking to myself make me weird?
• Why do I always make the wrong decisions?