Are doom and deja vu common with anxiety?

[layaflowers]

Whenever I am feeling particularly anxious, or sometimes it happens at random -- I get this feeling of deja vu, like I have dreamt the moment before and something bad happened in that moment, which makes me fear something bad is going to happen now. It never does, however, but the fear is still there.

I ve been experiencing this for a few years now, and I have always dismissed it as a symptom of anxiety. But I have been getting it more recently and it s really begun to freak me out.

Is this common with anxiety?

[Ryker]

Hi, Yes.

Déjà vu is very common in everyone - about 60% of everyone.

It's caused by the difference in speed between some different parts of the brain and when the thoughts and ideas are re-assembled for your understanding some the thought is interpreted as a memory rather than a current thought or idea. It probably just feels more common than normal because you're allowing it to become a 'thing'.

Accept that it's normal and when it happens just shrug and say "hmm. that's weird" and let it go, because weird is all it is.

[willgetbetter89]

I find this very interesting. What about flashbacks of dreams?. I must seem to dream a lot through out the night of things that happen the day before. I seem to get spilt second memories of dreams throughout the day maybe 4-5 times.. I find it very scary.. Would this be caused by a racing mind?

[Ryker]

It does provide some fascinating insights into how the brain works.

We know that memory isn't like reality coming back from some immutable recording tape in the mind. Memory is a reconstructive process. We re-make memories from a mishmash of associations and links that exist at the time. Memories can be tweaked and changed by priming the mind with other ideas.

Joke poke loke, what do you call the White of of an egg? Many people will say "yolk". By priming you can change which memory comes out of the pot. When you allow your brain to race and ruminate lots of things get primed and false memories arise.

The short of it is you can't trust memory! Always treat yourself by testing every memory against things you can trust and the more critical you are of your own thoughts the less bizarre they will become over time.

Allow your false memories to set up home and have children unchallenged and the worse they will become.

[willgetbetter89]

Was this implied to my post?

If so, are you saying that the dreams I'm having are false?

I don't quite understand

[Ryker]

You think dreams are reality?

(Wasn't meant as an insult!)

But yes memories are not real. You can remember remembering remembering something that didn't happen in the first place. We do it all the time.

[willgetbetter89]

I'm don't quite understand.

Are you saying that these memories of dreams are a false memory?

[willgetbetter89]

Sorry I posted the same thing twice..

Of course I can determine my dreams from reality..

My concern is that the dream memories are very frequent.

[Ryker]

the sensation of remembering something is real. The fact that things pop into your head is real.

The factual accuracy of those things though is not real. the dream itself wasn't real so any memory of the dream is even less real.

Just don't trust any memory ever. Always test it against other reliable well- used and tested knowledge. If it doesn't pass muster. Discard it quickly

[Ryker]

Sorry I posted the same thing twice..

Of course I can determine my dreams from reality..

My concern is that the dream memories are very frequent.

That's probably because you're allowing yourself to dwell on the false memories and not discarding them. That makes a nest for them. And they breed like rabbits

[willgetbetter89]

Thanks Ryker..

They are not as bad anymore as I was able to not label it. But at one point it became a habit of looking at things and question weather I had dreamt it or not.. So pretty much became intrusive. And since then I have replaced the dream memories with random actual memories of child hood/past experiences.. I see this is called mind pop, but I am not sure weather I am forcing it upon myself. They come so sudden And Are not relevant to what I am doing at the present moment. All I know is that mind pops are a symptom of schizophrenia. Which is my BIGGEST fear/obsession at the moment

[Ryker]

In terms of our history there are many sensory inputs that we've evolved to spot very quickly. A snake, a strange pair of eyes glowing out of the dark, sudden movement etc that it made sense to spot and interrupt our grooming, grazing, arse-scratching that we were up to at the time. It made sense to have an alert pop up and grab our attention.

As the conscious brain has evolved we've grown the ability to have internal triggers - thoughts - to hijack that mechanism. That's all that's going on.

The key is to be aware of what's happening and get better at being critical about your thoughts. Don't allow them to stir up emotion or other thoughts. Understand and examine them by all means but let them go "like a troupe of soldiers marching by". You don't stop them and invite them home for tea. They're what they are, and they're soon gone.

[JohnC]

Somedays i feel like i am living like the movie Groundhog Day. :)

[Ryker]

Somedays i feel like i am living like the movie Groundhog Day. :)

It'll be that déjà vu, all over again.

[Sarahj12]

I experience this too x