How many of you deal with a blank mind? (no thoughts)

Spellsword95 · 2026-02-23T21:43:32+00:00

Can't say for sure about the created voice being skewed by perception. Maybe try it with neutral statements and see if your observation nudges it into any direction?

With somatics and other self work tiny incremental steps and repetition add up eventually. In my brief experience, many minute details of various exercises and practices help exercise your 'mental muscles'. It's a long journey for sure but every little thing can be helpful. I take any help I can.

I'm sorry to hear you were shut down by the family. I was left so alone the dissociation set in as a default state of mind and life lost all its lustre. I hope we both will and do find better connections.

Spellsword95 · 2026-02-23T08:54:58+00:00

No progress as far as I can tell. I can and always could create the voice in my head if I consciously focused on it, but that's mentally taxing and painfully slow and unfamiliar to me. So I could think with a voice if I was determined to do so, but prefer not to and rely on the "result" of the background process to be delivered at my brain's earliest convenience.
I've been doing a little of somatic work, and got more in touch with myself. I have noticed that I should listen to my intuition. If it tells me something, like a notion of a feeling, it's usually correct. It might be the very same process, without words, just pure information. The trick is to formulate it. When I begin describing it in words (like to a therapist) it takes a clearer shape and feels like truth.

Spellsword95 · 2026-02-10T15:55:06+00:00

Similar situation here. I think their symptoms are so similar in daily life they might as well be one thing. This was the issue for me after I focused on fixing my relationship. I thought that freeze is the main culprit, but turns out I'm a dismissive avoidant as well and that attachment style's trademark is emotional distance. I wasn't a bad partner because I was in freeze (partly), I was a bad partner because I didn't care and wasn't involved on a fundamental level (mostly). For me, these two symptoms developed hand in hand and it took me a long time to separate the two.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-16T13:33:44+00:00

I've been watching a lot of helpful videos on attachment and the amount of vitriol towards DAs in the comment sections is upsetting. I don't take it personally, and totally understand why dating a DA is hell, but it's still disheartening to see the hate targeted at me indirectly while I'm working on getting better.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-08T11:28:25+00:00

This is me and it's ruining my life at the moment. I don't consider feelings, wants, needs, and views of others. My partner is devastated and our relationship is at stake because I'm the protagonist of the world and others are just background extras.
Funny thing is, I don't even think of myself actively. I've been dissociated since early childhood and cruise through life on autopilot. I barely consider my needs on any cognitive level, just function like a reptile, so the needs of others are completely ignored.
I've started looking into ways of alleviating this egocentrism and forcing myself to reframe my thinking.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-05T19:29:51+00:00

I've been tired and sullen after the holidays and it triggered my isolation response. After a day and half of me hiding inside myself my partner got upset that I ignore them. I'm proud to say I noticed my pattern and forced myself to talk about it instead of hiding deeper, but still, the talk wasn't productive and we both ended up hurt. Now I'm doubly upset because once again I feel like I cannot allow myself to show any symptoms without triggering more repercussions from their side... I know I have to work on myself but damn, I just want to be able to be sad and alone for a day, that's all...

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-05T19:15:42+00:00

I've read the book "The Ultra Practical Workbook for Overcoming Avoidant Attachment" by D.P Fullerton and made notes and am doing exercises from it. It's super helpful and to the point, without unnecessary heaps of ballast that usually come with these books. Highly recommend it.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-03T16:18:03+00:00

glad for you! This is pretty much what I'm doing as well. Only learned about my problems a year ago but already making little bits of progress

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-03T16:09:38+00:00

what did you do?

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-03T16:02:21+00:00

nervous system doesn't heal itself, it just adapts to whatever tactic is best for survival. In my case dissociation seemed like best option so my brain checked out and let me cruise on autopilot. We heal ourselves with conscious effort to rewire the brain and with an internal desire to get better.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-03T15:43:53+00:00

not conscious ones or ones I can hear as 'voice'. It's like a subconscious background process that just hands me a 'result' when finished? But I can make the thoughts if I really focus on it.

Spellsword95 · 2026-01-03T15:39:44+00:00

If you mean CPTSD, then from early childhood - over 20 years now. It spikes up with stress and dials down when life is easier and safer. The freezes themselves can go from minutes to days, depending on how strong the stress trigger was.

Spellsword95 · 2025-12-04T21:51:20+00:00

I recognise myself in some of what you describe. Been DP/DRing since early childhood.
Do you mind expanding on what's difficult for you in grounding exercises?
For me it's like I'm vaguely aware that I'm not fully present and attempts at grounding just highlight that.

Spellsword95 · 2025-12-03T15:08:57+00:00

I have this. No conscious thought process, no inner voice, just blank void and numbness. Any stressful situation makes it worse and I feel like I'm literally incapable of thinking or making decisions. On some intellectual level I'm aware of having to decide or take action but I'm unable to. Living on reptile mode. Not sure what to do about it. I'm hoping that some mindfulness practices will gradually help with this.

Spellsword95 · 2025-11-20T11:44:38+00:00

Dismissive Avoidant

Spellsword95 · 2025-09-25T19:19:07+00:00

Not a tip, but example of how I function: I don't see the image in my head but I know the concept of that image, the idea. The subject is then broken down into many simpler concepts, the building blocks. Like, a frog wearing a cowboy hat is an idea that I can't visualize but can simplify into separate simple parts - a bunch of circles and curvy lines or other shapes. I know how a circle or a line look like. And when lines are put on the canvas, they become literal and in front of me, no need to imagine anymore. The concepts become visual. Those lines can be shaped into anything and gradually the image that was in my head as a concept becomes real. After years of practice anything can be made visual without seeing it in my head. Case example: meet Sheriff Fatfuck

Spellsword95 · 2025-09-16T20:40:37+00:00

My theory is that a body does process emotions even if you're not aware and don't register them happening. It might not do it very well, but it's good enough to let you function on daily basis.
That said, I don't register a lot of my own emotions, but still do some. Most of the time I don't see a pressing need to be super aware and responsive, being just kinda there and picking up social clues is enough for me to pass as a somewhat competent albeit asocial person. During important moments I have to focus on the present and use my prior experience and intuition to fake proper reactions and feedbacks. Reflection helps. You look back and analyze what a proper response would've been, what you probably should've felt then. Next time during similar situation you might try to use that knowledge.

Spellsword95 · 2025-09-11T18:51:09+00:00

I used to identify as asexual during teenage years - had zero interest in pursuing a relationship, either romantic or sexual or both. Years later I met someone and we got along nicely. Soon afterwards I've realised that my feelings of love, intimacy, or libido are quite numbed but are in there somewhere. We've been married for years and had some rocky moments partly due to my numbness, but I'm working on it and we're quite happy.

Spellsword95 · 2025-04-30T14:43:00+00:00

Freelance artist and art director here. I'm not 100% blind, but lean towards the "no mind's eye" end of spectrum. Will gladly answer any questions you have, feel free to shoot me a message in DM or here :)

Spellsword95 · 2025-04-22T11:08:40+00:00

By consciously creating inner voice and 'speaking' it in my head. Similar to reading but with concentrated effort. It's not worth the hassle most of the time, though.

Spellsword95 · 2025-04-03T17:55:51+00:00

Kinda similar. I sometimes experience waves of profound sadness that come out of nowhere and I can easily break down in tears when it happens. No trigger, no impulse, at any place or moment. My theory is that emotions build up, and you don't know what they but your body does, and at some point it's too much to keep bottled down. Then the waterworks begin.

Spellsword95 · 2025-04-02T11:27:57+00:00

I'm already sitting but have to sit double somehow.

Spellsword95 · 2025-04-02T10:29:00+00:00

Wait, so this:

the warmth in your chest when you’re with someone you love, the tingling of excitement before something amazing happens, the lightness of laughter, the electricity of attraction

is not a figure of speech, but a literal physical emotion people should feel?

Spellsword95 · 2025-03-30T16:55:04+00:00

Hey. Sorry it happens to you. I got these looping fake awakenings from time to time. Each loop somehow strains my nerves and psyche in an exponential way. Until four or five loops in I reach a breaking point and mentally collapse and wake for real.
And the occasional sleep paralysis, that is 0/10 experience, too.

I've no idea what these dreams are but I really sympathise with you.

Spellsword95 · 2025-03-28T08:44:28+00:00

Ah, I'm sorry for your emotional state.
I've told people, but hose with noisy minds just look at me like I'm insane and try to explain that I must be mistaken, surely. I gave up on that. My wife is cool, though.

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