Depression Forum - anxiety attack and dissociation problem

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Q: anxiety attack and dissociation problem

asked by: Rocket111 on February 23rd, 2008

New User

Hi,

I am unsure if what I am feeling now can be described as depression, but here is how I feel exactly.
One night I had an anxiety attack and it felt like my mind was racing and was really unable to think clearly, like the thoughts were in the back of my mind. After I slept and woke in the morning, this had gone and I was back to normal. But that night again I had another anxiety attack and the same thing returned. The morning after it didn't go away.
Ever since that day (for about 2/3 weeks now) I feel as though I am becoming more and more crazy. All my thoughts are jumbled in my head and I feel as though I don't know who I am anymore. I feel extremely spaced out, or a dissociative feeling. I used to have this dissociation problem but it eventually went away. I feel so dissociated it feels as though I'm looking at the world through a hazy cloud or a thick fog, as though my eyes are unable to focus on what's happening. I feel as though I don't know who I am or even the people who are closest to me, even and especially family. When I am talking, I sometimes have the feeling that my voice isn't connected to me and I am far off away 'watching' me speak. I have lost all my interests in what I used to love doing, and I find that the days pass by as though nothing is going on, if you can understand what I mean. On top of this I get these uncontrollable helpless moods where I feel as though this problem will never go away and I will never be normal again and I will become mentally ill. I sometimes have suicidial thoughts, thinking there is no escape other then death, and I wonder often what people would think if I did kill myself.
I get creepy ideas (ideas that are always in the back of my head.. I am unable to focus on anything) such as me being in a 'matrix' world.. an unreal one, or the idea that this world is all a dream or that people are not real and I am simply in a 'video game world'...
Even as I'm writing this message I feel extremely weird, as though it isn't my hands writing on the keyboard.
I don't know... people reading this must think I'm crazy, but it would be great to get some help and perhaps some advice on how to escape these feelings and get back to my 'normal self', which I feel I have lost forever.
Thanks

Replies(7)

Rocket111

replied on February 25th, 2008

New User

Please any help would be really great.

bakin_april

replied on February 25th, 2008

Experienced User

People here are a very understanding bunch.
This isn't an instant help, but you should probably be seen by a professional. They can help you get things straightened out and give you some relief.

Seraph

replied on February 25th, 2008

Experienced User

How old are you?

I know how overwhelming these situations can be. Depression and Anxiety, is a natural occorance and most people will experience it at some stage of their lives. This is usually due to environmental effects such as stress, eating habits and/or sleeping habits.

Depression and anxiety is the way that your brain communicates to you that something is wrong. Much like the "Fight or flight" response that you get when in danger. When it becomes a problem, is when these symptoms occur frequently over a long period and to the extent that it disrupts your daily life. This happens when the chemicals in your brain, responsible for depression & anxiety, is out of balance and causes you to feel unnecissarily depressed/anxious for the situation or even when there is no reason for you to feel that way.

The first step would be to identify any undew stress in your life. Would you say that there has been any major changes in your life as of late? Are you stressed in any way? What is bothering you the most and making you feel as tho you can't get past it?

Even with normal depression and anxiety, it's a good idea to make a visit to your local GP and ask for an assesment of your situation. They will then either prescribe mild sedatives to get you over the rough patch or refer you to a psychologist/psychiatrist to evaluate your situation further and see what you need to get over this situation.

Don't feel shy about your situation when talking to your doctor. Be as open and as honest as possible. The more you tell him, the better he can help you. It is nothing to be ashamed of and if it is a chemical inbalance, it can be managed with the right medication.

I hope this has been of some help Smile

Feel free to pm me if you feel that it is getting too much for you. I have...and still am...gone through this my self and I know how difficult it is to cope with.

Keep Well

em_sandra

replied on March 30th, 2009

New User

Dissociation and Anxiety

I have this same problem. It used to be worse when I was younger, especially the dissociation. It's like you described, like you're not familiar with yourself, your body, etc, like an outsider looking in. It usually comes with a feeling of anxiety, like an attack.

This "condition" is listed in the DSMIV (or whatever the latest one is) that psych doctors used to diagnose problems. I'm pretty sure it is, or was, in the anxiety section of the manual. At any rate, I don't know what it is or what causes it, but it's awful.

I've been on antidepressants off and on for the past ten years, and they seem to have helped this problem, along with regular anxiety attacks, but it still happens, albeit very seldom. So, it's possible that this could help.

Another thing that would almost definetly help is yoga or tai chi. I've been doing yoga for several months now, and also did tai chi when I was younger, and found that both these things make me feel better, overall. Part of the philosophy with them is that your mind, body and spirit need to work together in order for you to be stable, and yoga/tai chi help to achieve this. I don't know how, but it doesn't matter. It works.

garjon

replied on July 1st, 2009

New User

can't believe no one responded with what this actually is. It's called depersonalization/derealization. It is a dissociative disorder. I have had this for 5 months and know exactly how you feel. I hope it goes away for both our sakes.

wozen

replied on October 22nd, 2009

New User

me too guys i was normal a month ago and now it seems my brain has turned to mush everyday since would like to talk to you

braincures4all

replied on October 27th, 2009

New User

Wow, I have been searching my whole life to find this many people who are suffering from Depersonalization and or derealization as a part of severe anxiety I think but also can involve depression very badly. I was terrorized by having this happened when I was only 15 yrs old and noone could tell me what was happening to me or why and for over 30 years I have been just living with it constantly never going away and also having other severe symptoms called dysthmia and anhedonia which take away all your emotions good and bad and you feel absolutely nothing. You are like a robot who has no feelings at all. The depersonalization most of you are referring to was not diagnosed for me until I found out on my own doing research, but it is the experience of living in a glass world separate from others and from all that is around you. You are there, but you aren't there. It is like you are disconnected from your own self and if you have derealization you feel like the outside world is different or not real either. It is like you can touch something but it is not actually there. I can explain this is much better detail because I have lived with all of these disorders for all my life since 15 and I am 45 now. This is the most frightening way to exist because you are really not alive and cannot connect to people or the world around you. When I was going through this for years NOONE knew anything about it and now it is becoming very common because of stress, but mainly because of how we treat our bodies, our lack of nutrition, we are full of toxins and we don't sleep enough or manage stress well and these add up to severe problems like what we all have. I also have severe chronic insomnia so I am not thinking straight since I have been up all night and it is now 7:30 am. I will post more because I know we can all help each other and I think I have found some miraculous ways to be cured from all of this without even using drugs. More later God bless you all for the suffering you have endured.
JW in Tucson

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