Derealization

[Leyi-Kathleen]

When I'm highly anxious, I get a really strong sense of detachment from reality. What is this horrific disconnection from my surroundings? What causes it? Often it is my only symptom of anxiety, instead of palpitations, sweating etc. I will just get a horrible stretch of derealization. Is this normal? Is anyone else as disabled by it? Is it such a specific problem for anyone else? The sensation seems to fade from memory so I have no emotional preparation for it when I’m next subjected to it. I attempt to explain the feeling, to counsellors, to friends and I’m met with blankness. I don't want to go out because it will bring on this feeling and people tell me that the only way to get over anxiety is to accept that the panic attack will happen, but I'm too terrified of the derealization to just accept that it will happen. HELP PLEASE, it's such a strange and scary feeling, I don't know how to stop it happening or to live with the possibility that it might happen when I panic.

[dazza]

If your counsellors don't understand it then ditch 'em and find one that does... e.g. a dedicated cognetive therapist.
(Any counsellor who is familiar with anxiety disorder and panic attacks will know of this very common symptom)

It's quite simple, actually:

Brain interprets fear / worries / anxieties as DANGER.
Danger is obviously a high priority so it focuses all efforts on that danger leaving less priority for peripheral senses such as vision, smell, touch, hearing, etc.

The result is a feeling of detachment and is quite normal. Weird, yes! but normal.

[at1988]

I have also had this feeling. I used to get it so often and it scared me so much. It makes you feel like you have no peripheral vision, and like you’re looking through a tunnel. I would always try to describe the feeling to family and friends, and they’d often make the suggestion that I was tired. I know that sleep can help anxiety and panic because if you are over tired, its almost as though all your emotions are magnified many times.
It wasn’t until I joined a group about anxiety and panic that I learned more about the feeling, and how common it was among others.
I used to be shopping in a mall, and this feeling would come about, and I’d walk into people, or clothing racks. I hated it and I didn’t understand why it was happening.
The group taught me that it’s a very common feeling of anxiety. It’s the false alarm in your brain making you believe something is wrong with you. But nothing is.
The only way I could get over it was by telling myself that I’ve had this feeling many times, its just and anxiety symptom, and every time I’ve had the feeling before, its gone away. Its not harmful to you.
You mentioned that the memory fades and so next time you are not prepared. My advice for that is to have a journal and write down the feelings when they happen each time, then you can reflect back on them.
Also try taking comfort in the fact that you have had the feeling before, and every time its gone away. Also accept that it will happen again, and again, but it will always go away again and again.
Don’t be afraid of the feeling. Nothing has ever happened to you all the previous times you’ve experienced it, and nothing will.
Another thing that might help comfort you, is that I have experienced this feeling as well. It has been pretty bad at times. Sometimes I was so out of it I didn’t even know what I was doing.
You are not alone!
J I hope this helps you

[dazza]

&rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo &rsquo ... ?

Your keyboard seems to have tourettes!?

[dazza]

I have my own, personal, secondary theory of derealisation too... if you're interested:

I sufffered big time with "heart attack" anxiety, where each day I was convinced I was going to die of a heart attack.

Where before my anxiety disorder developed, I was completely obvilious & ignorant to death, but having heart attack anxiety slapped me in the face and made me realise that death was real and could actually be just around the corner... for me, my loved ones and everyone else in my life.

This profound slap in the face was a REALISATION, and this realisation kinda put me in a trance.

Just think about it for a minute... one day ignorant to death, the next day having it staring you in the face.
Quite a jump, isn't it?

Anyway... this "trance" I just mentioned is similar if not the same to derealisation. It's a rude awakening, if you like.

[quinn88]

I know exactly what u mean have u been to the doctors? Luckily my doctor knew what I was talking about and didn't look at me like a weirdo,I've suffered from this since a kid and then it just went for about 4years but has recently come back the doctor put me on propanol and Prozac Witch has calmed it down alot,just remember it will pass and it is normal from high anxiety levels and just remember no1 has ever died from this as scary as it seems it is harmless

[Leyi-Kathleen]

Thanks a lot for your replies :-) Feel much less isolated in this now, before it just seemed like no-one ever knew what I was talking about! Definitely helps to know that I'm not the only one. I'll try to remember that it's only a symptom of my anxiety, no matter how scary. My last counsellor did seem to gloss over the derealization a bit, when to me it was the major issue in my anxiety! I've heard CBT is very effective and I am also very tempted to try medication - I just want something to hold down the panic so I can live a normal life: I wish there could some way to ENTIRELY ELIMINATE the possibility of any derealization. Might seem stupid but to me it feels like the worst thing that can happen to me besides my death or the death of a loved one etc. But anyway, thanks again, really appreciate the advice :-)