unreality sensation

[cloudyskies]

I have been having this sensation that what is happening right now is not really happening and I'm not really sitting here typing this. This is so frightening, it's scaring me into thinking that I'm developing psychosis and going insane. Does anybody know what this could be? It is also giving me thoughts that nothing is real. Just wondering if this could be anxiety or not.

Any replies would be grateful. Thank you

[hyperlogic]

It sounds like some sort of depersonalisation. I have a similar feeling that is apparent most of the time. Keep reading on here - theres something mentioned in the "symptoms" page.
B

[Robbs]

hi, this is very common with anxiety, its called depersonalization a derealisation look at the list on the left side of the page and click on symptoms its on there and you can read about it, try not to let it bother or scare you, ignore it and it will go away.

[cloudyskies]

so this whole 'this isn't happening right now' is just depersonalization? i find the more i focus on it the more the sensation occurs. i feel like i'm out of touch with reality or something. it's so scary.

[Robbs]

yep thats exactly what it is, do worry you are not going mad in the slightest (keep this in mind if you think your going mad or worried about psychosis then its not happening as when people go mad they are not aware of it and think they're normal)

and as with every symptom of anxiety if you focus on it it gets worse and amplified, you just have to learn to accept them and ignore them and they eventually go away.

[cloudyskies]

thanks so much for your quick reply. i'll try my hardest to keep my mind off it, but i never have experienced such an intense sensation before. it's very confusing and scary, and not to mention the thoughts that come along with it, they are so horrible too.

[PoppyC]

Hi
I used to get depersonalisation and derealisation a lot and it was quite extreme. I thought I was becoming psychotic at times and that I was going mad. The atmosphere seemed to change and everything felt strange and for me everthing seemed to look gloomy and had a brown tinged colour. It was like the feeling of waking from a nightmare when things seem a bit strange.
My counsellor at the time told me it is often a common symptom of anxiety and the brain makes us feel the way wle do due to an over tired mind caused by the anxiety. I think personally it was one of the most horrible scary uncomfortable parts of anxiety
I read up a lot on it all and for me that really helped as it took away a lot of the scariness as I didn't know what was happening to me to begin with. Eventually it passed and I rarely get it now thankfully! sometimes I get the odd few moments and it always seems to happen at a certain time of the day (late afternoon/early evening) - not sure why that is?
It does get better and you wont always be feeling as you do and it is very common for people with anxiety to get it.
Hugs

[cloudyskies]

thanks poppyC! the thing is with this sensation, things don't look strange to me it's just this feeling of nothing being real or this isn't happening that is really driving me nuts. i hope i'm okay.

[PoppyC]

Hi again
I got all the feelings of things appearing strange and unreal. I felt like I was watching the world go by as though I was detached from it.That is what depersonalisation and derealisation make us feel like. It made me feel like I was 'apart' from everything that was going on around me.
There is a lot of info on this site about it plus on the net.
You won't always feel as you do. It is a very common symptom of anxiety and a tired mind caused by the anxiety.
Hugs to you because I know when you have it, it can be very scary and you think you are losing your mind, but honestly it is very common with anxiety to experience this, and it will eventually disappear when your anxiety eases.
I found distraction really helped when I was going through it plus plenty of rest and sleep.

[cloudyskies]

i also have this sensation that i'm not inside myself, almost like i don't exist or something. so so scary. i also feel as though i cannot mentally feel anything. like i see everything, know what everything is but i cannot feel it mentally, if that makes any sense. all i know is that it's confusing the life out of me.

[PoppyC]

Hi again
I copied and pasted the following for you, which helped me a lot during my bad days. Hope it is of some help for you.

Depersonalisation occurs with anxiety because you are so used to watching yourself, questioning your illness, day in, day out, that you start to feel detached from the outside world. Your mind has become tired and less resilient through watching and worrying about your symptoms. It has been bombarded with worrying thoughts and becomes fatigued. When our limbs tire, they ache. When our mind tires, we feel these strange feelings of detachment from the world around us, experiencing an almost dreamlike state, convincing ourselves that we are going mad or losing it. You are not; your mind is just so very tired and just craves a rest from all this

[cloudyskies]

thank you poppy! thanks for being so understanding. i will try and concentrate on other things, it's going to be hard but i will definitely try my hardest!

[guitarpants]

I've experienced this, and like the others have said, ignore it, stop thinking about it and it will go away. I think the most important thing to do with anxiety is to not over-analyze anything. It's okay to notice it, but just tell yourself it'll pass and you'll be fine. "This too shall pass".

[lc2613]

the first time i experienced it i felt as though i had shrunk to a foot tall and every footstep i took i got smaller had really strange experiences since they really scare me. have read that it is a bodys way of seperating from the mind so we can concentrate on the actual point of danger not that that helps but at least i know im not going insane and it is just yet another way of our body dealing with anxiety, as if there isn't enough already lol. x

[adhiggins]

very glad I found this, I am getting this alot atm, I have severe panic attacks mainly a night, but I get this de-personalization alot at any time of the day, its very severe and sometimes I get weird thoughts like when Im eating, it feels sortof 'wrong' like my mind wont acknowledge I have a physical body and I panic at the thought of eating something since it temporarily doesnt make sense, I thought I was going insane, which then brings on panic attacks more

[lc2613]

i have found that a few times example i will be changing my sons nappy but i feel like a robot i can see myself doing it but i dont feel as if i am in the body doing it but can see what is happening then i start to panik because the feeling is so sureal, the only advice i have had is to try and ignore it but the fear of it is so intense.