please help can't stop obsessing that ive lost touch with reality

[Lucia_1989]

Please can someone help me I feel so detached from my surroundings and myself everything feels so unreal. I keep convincing myself ive gone mad. Im so frightened this is my biggest fear. Feel as though I'm not really here anymore its horrible. I keep obsessing about losing the plot and being carted off somewhere. Im so scared this is whats going to happen. Ive googled schizophrenia e.t.c and convinced myself ive got it. I feel unreal 24/7 having a hard time believing that this is anxiety im so scared its something else. Feel so low at the minute. Can anyone please offer any advice or reassure me feel so low at the minute

[SLA]

Hi Lucia,

The deeper you go into the spiral of your thoughts, and your anxiety, you do "feel" like you are disconnected.

But you are not.

Imagine you were walking down a well. Soon you'd be in darkness, and you wouldn't be able to feel reality.

Its the same with thoughts. You've become so convinced you are going crazy, you've gone deep into the well.

But its all just an illusion created by your mind.

You're not going crazy. I had these fears myself.

[poppadr3w]

First of all, people who are "crazy," as in an alternate reality of some sort in their minds are just that - in an alternate reality in their minds. They may be somewhere totally different in their minds than where they truly are. That's how you know you aren't "crazy," since you're still grounded in reality. Look around your room - is it your room? Or is it the Bronx Zoo? If you answered your room, I think you're good.

Secondly, Googling symptoms is almost the worst idea that any of us could have. I was there and I went through WebMD after a panic attack and decided that I have some weird issue where there's excess water in the lining of the brain and that I was going to die. I had pain in my toe at one point. I came to the "conclusion" that it was some sort of nerve disorder. Just leave the real diagnoses to the doctors. If you know searching your symptoms will leave you anxious, don't even try it. Still not happy after seeing a doctor? Get a second or even third opinion.

Thirdly, what you MAY (I am not a medical professional) be experiencing is a touch of derealization. I have had the feelings where it kind of feels like I am just floating along, detached from reality. It's like I am not within my own skin and am just observing the universe as life moves along. It's nerve-racking in a way because it's uncomfortable, but you're not alone; many people have this sensation. If you go on Reddit the sub /r/dpdr (depersonalization / derealization) has some people on there. Maybe going over there could help clarify the feelings that you're having and give some insight as to what may help.

[Lucia_1989]

Thankyou both so much for replying to me. Yes I have read up about derealisation/depersonalisation and that seems to be what I have as I dont feel real and my surroundings dont feel real e.t.c but keep panicking that these feelings will get so bad and I will be the exception that decends into madness. I keep having strange thoughts going around in my head 24/7 like am I really real? What if I dont exist? What if im slipping into phycosis? Its so scary. I feel so detached numb and empty. Really wish I could convince myself its just anxiety im so scared its something more. Sorry I feel so silly typing this was just looking for some reassurance that I havnt got phycosis or anything so I can try and move on with my life

[poppadr3w]

Thankyou both so much for replying to me. Yes I have read up about derealisation/depersonalisation and that seems to be what I have as I dont feel real and my surroundings dont feel real e.t.c but keep panicking that these feelings will get so bad and I will be the exception that decends into madness. I keep having strange thoughts going around in my head 24/7 like am I really real? What if I dont exist? What if im slipping into phycosis? Its so scary. I feel so detached numb and empty. Really wish I could convince myself its just anxiety im so scared its something more. Sorry I feel so silly typing this was just looking for some reassurance that I havnt got phycosis or anything so I can try and move on with my life

No worries. I find that such a sensation is more common than people report, maybe for the sake of thinking they'll seem insane. But you, I, and many others have felt this way before.

I remember reading a theory about it. Someone had stated that these sensations of derealization and/or depersonalization resonate within our minds due to us suppressing anxiety. So the anxiety then manifests in this way rather than the stereotypical anxious feelings. But then we feel off - the way in which you feel, so we get even more anxious and it snowballs and we feel both ways at times.

I've heard that meditation has been beneficial for this issue. Have you tried that?