I know there are a few members here who have, at some point, experienced (or are still experiencing) depersonalization. What it means is that your thoughts and/or feelings seem like it belongs to someone else, or that what you're experiencing feels like you're viewing/experiencing it through someone else instead of being there yourself. To the person experiencing depersonalization, it's scary, confusing, maybe even a little frustrating. I often experience it myself. Especially when saying something out loud. For that moment, I'm not sure if I've actually said it out loud or if I was just thinking it in my mind. Once the other person responds, it jerks me back to reality, and I feel a little bit disorientated and/or confused for a split second, before returning to normal thoughts and feelings. I don't know what causes it, but I have to mention that I, along with various other members, suffer from bipolar disorder. I'm not 100% sure of all the symptoms of either side of the coin (depression/mania) but I think that depersonalization is prevalent in both, perhaps one more than the other? I just know it's not pleasant, and I'm sure many others can relate. I have no idea if it's prevalent in other mental illnesses, or only in bipolar disorder though.
I get this for real. I mean I often tell things about my life like I’m reading someone a story or recounting a history lesson. For me I think I’ve detached myself over the years because of what I’ve gone through... though I do have bipolar type 2 disorder as well. The scary part is when the story and the emotions meet. I don’t know how to handle that... I’m struggling with it as anyone can tell with my thread...
When I get overwhelmed, I tend to feel like this. It's almost dreamlike because of how disorientated and fuzzy it comes across. If there's too much sensory information going on, my brain sometimes makes the sounds all blur into one like white noise. Words don't make a lot of sense when I'm in this state, everyone sounds drunk because their words seem to slur together. This is why if someone talks to me at this stage, it won't fully register. I'll be aware that they are speaking to me, but it just comes across as vaguely comprehensible sounds. My mind goes blank and I feel like I'm floating. I can't seem to speak, almost as if I'm temporarily forgotten how to. That's why if I start to feel off in a situation where I'm likely to be overwhelmed, I will go somewhere calmer if I can. But if I can't, then I do have methods of bring myself back to feeling normal again. I'll focus on an object, for instance a wall, and I'll think about that wall for a bit. Then I think about the things surrounding the wall, and the things next to those items. I'll keep doing this until everything in the room is accounted for (including people). Personally, I'm not really sure when this first started to happen. I have vague memories from as young as six years old of similar feelings. The clearest memory from when I was young of this happening was at ten, but as I've mentioned I do have earlier vague memories of such events before then. So it's not too weird for me, because I'm rather used to it at this point. I know how to deal in such situations, and how to prevent myself from getting overwhelmed if possible. What items to bring to calm myself down, possible exit strategies if needed, and so on.
I think it is commonly associated with anxiety. It is very unsettling and can end up just feeding the anxiety. I think you just have to live with it and it will pass eventually
Yeah, I have experienced this before. It is really unsettling. I was freaked out the first time that it happened to me. I have just learned to live with it now, but it is super annoying.
