Alice in Wonderland Syndrome [Archive]

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cjemc

29-11-13, 16:30

AIWS. I had that as a child, could that have been underlying anxiety? It was horrific. And did anyone else here ever have it?

Tessar

29-11-13, 19:21

I did. My father thought it was really funny when I described it & laughed and poked fun. It made me feel even worse not to be taken seriously. I found out a few years ago that one of my brothers had it too.
I just remember how horrible it was. It always happened in the night & made me feel like i was on horrible drugs. Because of that, the idea of sedation or anything that makes you drowsy has scared me ever since.
I dont know how many times it happened but it was 40+ years ago and I still remember how disorientating it was.
How did it affect you calumcco?

cjemc

29-11-13, 20:46

The first thing I remember is going to bed, I would close my eyes and after failing to doze off I would notice that even though my eyes were shut I could tell that the end of the room would look much much further away then where it actually was. I would then open my eyes and guess what? Yes the room looked like it was a mile away and looked smaller and thinner then what it should be, but at the same time my body and hands particularly felt grossly larger then what they were in normal everyday life. I would get up and try and analyse what was going on and then the floor would feel really hard and look far away like I was 7 foot tall and everything from my eyes felt small and like pin pricks yet my hands and own body felt massive thus causing a horrible sensation when I felt or comprehended touching objects in my bedroom as this would then lead my hands to feel large and objects were like they were tiny absolutely tiny.

Tessar

29-11-13, 21:20

Oh jeez, I have to say .... Reading some of that was... Well quite scary. The bits you describe that really rung true were about the end of the room would look much much further away then where it actually was. And about it looking smaller and thinner than it should be. The bit about the floor feeling really hard and looking far away. that was so it.
oddly though i don't remember my hands and body feeling massive.
I just remember it feeling horrible. So disorientating and scary because I couldn't get out if bed to go for help so I just had to hope it would pass.
Did people take you seriously when you said about it?

PanchoGoz

29-11-13, 21:40

Oh my goodness calumco I am very surprised by this as I had this as a child too, and it still affects me as AIWS- phobia. It is a very uncomfortable and had a weird aqueezing feeling which still affects me. I would wake up in the night with it and run screaming to my parents. I'm going to link you to some interesting threads on it, including my own.

cjemc

29-11-13, 21:42

I never mentioned it to anyone so I was never diagnosed! I knew back then it wasn't a normal thing to experience so I guess that was why I never mentioned it for fear of being labelled a looney or attention seeker. I also remember having auditory hallucinations including hearing my Dad's voice shouting and a constant tapping like a drum over and over again and normally sweating and a fever would accompany this AIWS. And my throat felt constricted and tight and even to this day if I hold the edge of a large piece of furniture between my thumb and first finger that feels how my hands perceived what I was feeling when I was in the midst of an AIWS attack.

PanchoGoz

29-11-13, 21:43

cjemc

29-11-13, 21:54

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132581
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62231
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6550&highlight=alice+wonderland+syndrome
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/alice-in-wonderland-syndrome

I think some kids just get it, I don't think it's related to anxiety exactly in adults but could have been something to do with too many sweets etc.

PanchoGoz I cant thank you enough for providing me with those links, they have helped me realise that loads of people have suffered from what I too suffered as a child through to my early teens, it was the most horrific sensation I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. What the hell causes it?

PanchoGoz

29-11-13, 23:17

No one knows really what causes it, as with other child disorders, it seems to be a thing of the growing mind and that's all we know. As children we couldn't describe what was happening and rationalise it. Perhaps one day they will find a cure for it.