Why do I feel numb instead of sad?

Numbness is one of the commonest first reactions, and it is not a failure to feel. Your mind is protecting you from taking in more than it can hold at once.

The feeling usually arrives later, often at an odd moment weeks in. That is normal too. Neither reaction says anything about how much you care or how strong you are.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.