Emotional detachment often arises from psychological trauma and is a
component in many anxiety and stress disorders. The person, while physically
present, moves elsewhere in the mind, and in a sense is "not entirely
present", making them sometimes appear preoccupied or distracted. In other
cases, the person may seem fully present but operate merely intellectually
when emotional connection would be appropriate. This may present an extreme
difficulty in giving or receiving empathy and can be related to the spectrum
of narcissistic personality disorder.[1]
Thus, such detachment is often not as outwardly obvious as other psychiatric
symptoms; people with this problem often have emotional systems that are in
overdrive. They have a hard time being a loving family member. They avoid
activities, places, and people associated with any traumatic events they
have experienced. The dissociation can also lead to lack of attention and,
hence, to memory problems and in extreme cases, amnesia.
