Does anyone else experience the "Functional Freeze"?

[Guest_10343]

Hi everyone,
I’ve been reading through the posts here, and it helps to know I’m not the only one feeling this way. I wanted to see if anyone else relates to a specific feeling I’ve been having lately.

I call it the "functional freeze."

On the outside, I look like I’m coping. I manage to get up, go to work, and maybe even reply to a few texts. But internally, I feel completely paralyzed. The moment I don't have to do something, I just freeze.
I’ll sit on the couch and stare at the wall for an hour, or I'll know I need to make dinner or have a shower, but the physical effort required just feels like trying to run underwater. I’m exhausted, but I haven't actually done anything. It’s so frustrating because people around me think I’m doing fine, but they don't see the massive amount of energy it takes just to appear normal.

Does anyone else get stuck in this freeze state? If you do, how do you usually break out of it, or do you just have to wait for it to pass?

I’m really struggling to push through it this week. Any advice or just knowing others get it would be really comforting.

Thanks for listening.

[Earth Girl]

Hi there,

The "functional freeze" is a good way of putting it. I relate a lot to this except the way people perceive it with me is a bit different. People think I'm just lazy and that it's stupid that I just walk around my house all day, but I think I have ADHD or something because I either can't really do anything (even watching T.V can sometimes be hard) or I feel the need to walk around my house for about 30-60 minutes even if there are things I need to do like brush my teeth or have a shower. I sometimes find it hard to use this site which is annoying because this is one of my only sources for support since my family is a bit crazy and I don't have friends. Even now, I should be getting ready for the day, but I just feel the "freeze." I can only really get ready when I need to like for work and even then, it's hard. 

Usually, the only way I can break out of it is if I need to go to the toilet tbh. After that I can have my shower and then I usually feel the need to be in my towel for a while before I can get dressed. Either that or I have to try super hard to get anything done. I have to really force myself into things. 

There's so many interests that I have that I want to do, but I can't because I'm just trying to get really basic things done at least. I know it's not laziness because I really like walking (when I go out though, it gets annoying feeling like I have to walk around the house all the time) and I even like running even though I'm not good at it, but getting dressed or anything to even get to go outside is hard. 

My parents get annoyed with me for not washing up very often which I can understand, but I don't have the motivation to even get much done for myself. It's hard to look after myself. I'm not depressed; I'm just stuck for some reason. 

Yesterday, I didn't end up having my shower until the evening when I was going to have one in the morning and I decided not to go out after getting dressed because there wasn't much time left to go out and I felt too stuck anyway.

I've had this problem for years and it feels like it may be getting worse rather than better. 

Thanks for asking this. It makes me feel better too knowing I am not the only one. I'm not sure when this problem will end, but it's good to know that other people can relate and know it's not just laziness or something.

Maybe you could give yourself a certain amount of time to sit on the couch before you do something productive so you can have breaks in between things and then try really hard to get things done even though it's going to be hard. I sometimes either do that or I wait for the feeling to pass and try to quickly get things done then before the freeze comes back. I also recommend doing really light stretches like turning your head side to side, twisting your waist side to side, arms in the air, then down and back up again. I did those things just then and it helped a bit. 

[Psychdiaries2]

Hi there, 

Thank you for reaching out to us once again, we are glad to have you!

Yes, the functional freeze is the perfect name for it! It is tiring when you are trying to get through the day and get things done, but on the inside everything feels all scattered. For me, sometimes it gets overwhelming and it's hard to be productive. 

I try to break up the task into smaller chunks which I find helpful and more manageable to complete. Maybe you could try and reward yourself too when you get something done. Honestly, it's an achievement getting anything done when you feel paralysed on the inside. 

You're not alone, I think that a lot of people feel the same way, especially with the demands of work and stress. 

[melodica]

Hello, 

I can really relate to what you shared. I lived in this state for many years. People never knew, but inside I felt numb, and everything took an effort. 

I still struggle with these feelings sometimes. What has helped is not resisting it and allowing myself to be in it. Fighting it seemed to make it worse. I have also found counselling really helpful for going into the reasons I am like this.  

[Shell4]

Hi, I think I have experienced similar. I call it the "far away place". For me it is like I am existing but not really living. My emotions may be switched off somehow. I have been going through a really rough season. And to help me cope my body switches to protect itself. Goes into the "far away place" so it can't feel much because it is too heavy or painful or both.

I have also frozen in the car when faced with an issue that I couldn't face. It was overwhelming painful, emotionally heavy. I completely froze and went to the " far away place" it was like my soul just tuned out from life and I had trouble physically getting out of the car. Maybe like a panic attack.