As the UK inflation rate rises to 10.1%, one writer considers why her anxiety over the cost of living crisis has been replaced by a sense of emptiness.

I can’t remember the last time my Twitter feed wasn’t dominated by the cost of living crisis. From soaring inflation rates to energy price caps and frustration over a lack of government support, it’s no longer abnormal for me to be confronted by these kinds of conversations twice or three times a day on social media.

And that’s not the only time I’m forced to think about the financial situation we’re facing. Every time I check my bank account, take a trip to the supermarket or look at my gas and electricity bills, I see the reality unfolding in front of me. 

It’s become a frequent topic of conversation among my friends and family, too – at a time when everything feels so unbelievably bad, ranting about everything that’s going on often feels the only way to cope.  

At first, I, like many people, felt incredibly anxious about the prospect of rising prices and no support. But as time has gone on and the sheer lack of control I feel over the situation has only become more prominent (thanks in part to the fact that no one in power seems interested in doing anything about it), I’ve found myself becoming more emotionally detached from the whole situation. 

In short, I know things are bad, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen this winter – but despite this, I feel completely emotionally numb.

I was confronted by just how numb I’d become when I read the news this morning that the inflation rate in the UK reached 10.1% in July. Logically, I know this will likely have a massive impact on the price of my weekly supermarket shop – and I should be worrying about how on earth I’m going to afford it going forward. But instead of any worry or concern, I feel kind of flat – as if my body’s resigned itself to not caring for the time being.  

I am, of course, aware that some people have no choice but to take action at the moment. While the news of today’s inflation increase will mean that I need to be extra careful with the money I have, I understand that for some it will mean visiting food banks or sacrificing heating. The situation we’re facing right now is horrific – but it’s important to acknowledge that it’s going to affect us all very differently. 

It’s also worth noting that I’m not feeling flat in other areas of my life. If anything, my emotional detachment towards the cost of living crisis feels very targeted – other areas of the news, such as the fight for abortion rights in the US, still summon within me the kind of anger and frustration I’m used to.

So what is it about this particular crisis that’s causing this emotional numbness? And should I be worried about it? According to Dr Rina Bajaj, a chartered counselling psychologist, this feeling of emotional detachment could be to do with the amount of stress and overwhelm we’re all feeling at the moment.

“Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed or stressed, one of our coping mechanisms can be to emotionally detach,” she explains. “This is a survival mechanism – our brain’s job is to keep us surviving and therefore it responds to threats, including things that feel emotionally threatening.” 

While a financial crisis may not be as threatening as, say, a tiger or natural disaster, Dr Bajaj explains that our brains can’t tell the difference between a physical or emotional threat and, as such, it tries to protect us from triggers that evoke a negative emotional response.

However, this kind of response is designed to be more of a short-term thing. “While this response may be useful to manage emotions in the short-term, avoidance of the problem isn’t a good long-term strategy,” Dr Bajaj adds.

With this in mind, while it may feel like I’m emotionally numb to the ongoing crisis, chances are it’s just a sign that my brain has decided it’s had enough stress for the moment. Indeed, as integrative therapist Abby Rawlinson previously told Stylist, feeling emotionally numb isn’t the same as feeling nothing – in fact, it’s a symptom of emotional overwhelm – and to overcome it, we need to try and ‘work through’ our background emotions. 

This isn’t exactly easy – especially while the crisis that’s causing us so much stress is still ongoing – but it’s definitely worth a try if you’re also feeling a bit numb at the moment.

Whether you prefer exercising, talking with a friend or experimenting with different forms of cathartic release, finding some time to work on your emotions could be beneficial in the long-run – even if facing reality feels pretty tough right now.  

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with their mental health, you can find support and resources on the mental health charity Mind’s website and NHS Every Mind Matters or access the NHS’s list of mental health helplines and services.

If you are struggling with your mental health, you can also ask your GP for a referral to NHS Talking Therapies, or you can self-refer.

For confidential support, you can also call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or email [email protected]. In a crisis, call 999.

Images: Getty

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