"Existential Emptiness"

"It is a vague and nebulous malaise that seems to seep into every fiber of one´s existence..."

"Emptiness is a paradoxical feeling state. It is painfull."

"Emptiness cannot co-exist with the feeling of loneliness. For with loneliness, the individual still, on some level, mantains the belief that there is or was someone "out there" for him or her."

"In this feeling-state, the feelings of inner numbness or void are combined with heightened concern over specific existential issues: death, authenticity and the meaning of life."

"May (1950, p.182) believes that the loss of the sense of self is associated with the related concept of existential anxiety causes the person to seek some strong and distinct feelings in order to shore up the disintegrating sense of self. This quest for strong feelings can involve activity that does harm to both self and others, e.g. vandalism, eating disorders, deliquency, compulsive sexuality, addiction."

Clive Hazell in The Experience of emptiness