Hi

I have experienced these exact same symptoms a couple of years ago and it was a truely horrible experience. I know exactly what you are describing, the feeling that you are not real and that you are not sure what is going to happen next - sometimes a bit of paranoia, panic attacks. I thought I was going crazy, but the worst thing was I couldn't describe what was actually wrong with me.

It just felt very.. strange and scary. Like nothing was real.

Turns out i was experiencing something called 'derealisation' and panic attacks due to stress related causes in my life. I went to a psychologist to help me understand and get over it, and with a LOT of support from family and friends, I got over it. They offered me drugs, but i said no. Thought it would make things worse.

A lot of people were worried about me, it was a horrible time and until this day i still don't know exactly what it was.

Fundamentally these odd episodes often last a while and can seem scary - but are usually anxiety related. Mine came from a fear of insanity, that i might go crazy. But with help you will get over it, I've never heard anyone apart from me who has suffered from this - hence the long post.

Anyway it only lasted a few months, just before my exams but i pulled through and to say I exceeded expectations would be an understatement.

I don't see it ever happening again because although I do feel a tad depressed every now and then, the psychologist helped me understand and prevent the symptoms of anxiety(you should look these up, acute anxiety can be a LOT more serious and psychologically damaging than given credit for).

Sorry for the long post, but i saw yours and couldn't help replying. I hope I've helped you in some way.

sorry, also, they thought i was anaemic because of the tired and oppressed woozy feeling i had in my head, it definately felt more physical than psychological, they were talking about a brain scan aswell, but looking back was most likely psychological. The thinking am i dreaming this whole thing up, leads to panicking, leading to shortened breathing, worsening the woozy feeling caused by lack of oxygen to the brain and increased adrenaline pumping throught the blood,

See your doctor

you know i thought i might be loosing my mind too and i was on my own with these symptoms, i am glad you got over yours, and i hope i can get over this too without medication because i hear these drugs can make you worse and to be honest if it got any worse i think i would committ myself, but i will seak help from a psychologist, thanx

Hearing your own voice is probably one of the most wonderful things that could happen to you. It may not feel that great, and may be scary to realize that it is happening, but I assure you that this is quite normal. Some people call this "intuition", or your "inner voice".

Physical discomfort is one way in which intuition tells us that we are doing something that is not bringing us closer to our ideal.

Man, the questions that you are asking yourself are beautiful!

Am I real? - in a world full of material obsession, this is a good question to ask. Are you your body? are you a soul? is this all just an illusion? Great questions! Philosophers have asked these questions since man began to think out loud!

Am I dying? - Yes, we are all dying. It is a fact! We are approaching our death every instant of our life. For many people life is one big protest against death. Instead of accepting the fact that we all pass away, some people prefer to deny this, and continue to postpone doing the things they love NOW. If we are dying, doesn't that mean that we need to hurry before our dreams slip away?

Is this the wrong job? - If you are not satisfied with your job, perhaps your intuition is calling you to do something else. Perhaps you have a dream that is calling you, just like Malcolm X did.

Many people would call this a spiritual awakening, and would celebrate such a thing.
There is an interesting book that may reach you... It is called "The Alchemist" By Paolo Coehlo. You should check it out...


Best wishes!
Daniel

What do you dream of when you have those vivid dreams?

What would be your dream in life? (become a rock star, write a book, have a family, travel, etc..???)

there pretty frightning, a have a reacurring dream that i am in my house and when i look in the mirror i see somebody elses face and i wake up with a horrible sensation running through me,
i also dream that i am dying or get shot and it feels so real

I had those same kinds of dreams. I was diagnosed with panic disorder about 6 months ago. I was dreaming that I was staring down the barrel of a gun or I was lying in a hospital bed hearing the nurses saying that I was dying. Every night was a different, horrible dream. I was put on an antidepressant (effexor) and see a social worker once a week. She has taught me that if I have a bad dream, to rewrite it in the morning. To use key points of the dream (EX: gun or hospital) but make them funny and lighthearted. I did this and saw improvements in my dreams almost immediately.
Also, you need to remember that everyone is going to have bad dreams every now and again, so don't beat yourself up if you do.
Be sure to get a full physical to make sure that there is nothing wrong with you physically. This will put your mind at ease and let you work on your anxiety/depression without the nagging thought "Is there something wrong with me?".
Getting over anxiety/depression is extremely challenging, and is not something that a pill can just take away. It takes effort on your part as well as support from friends/family. Don't be ashamed to let people know what you are going through. Something like 1 out of 4 people in America have an anxiety disorder. More than likely you will find out your friends and family have also dealt with something similar. Please know you are not alone and it won't last forever. Seek out all your resources, ask doctors for support groups, use the internet to educate yourself! Things will get better!