Discussion Do you ever feel dissociated? How do you experience it?

[TrappedSoulhere]

Lately, I've been feeling dissociative much more frequently. It's always as if I'm outside my body (I call it the out-of-body experience). I speak and laugh louder than I intend to. It's gradually becoming an everyday thing. The good thing is I'm laughing instead of crying- which I really wanna do. What do you do to shake it off?

 

[Bruces]

I've had it everyday for years

 

[glittergore]

I used to deal with persistent dissociation between the ages of 14-17. I found out that the reason I was experiencing it was an inability to cope with my thoughts and emotions. They would overwhelm me, which would trigger the disconnect from myself. I was able to improve this by purposefully exposing myself to evocative stimuli and practicing just sitting with my own thoughts and emotions. It's really difficult at first, but gets easier as time goes on.

 

[krsu]

I feel this everydayyyyy, almost feels like an out of body experience or I'm trapped inside a former shell of myself with nothing but an empty feeling inside me and I uncontrollably stare off into blankness, its freaked people out out a few times when i dissociate because i don't respond to words or hands waving in my face

 

[TrappedSoulhere]

I used to deal with persistent dissociation between the ages of 14-17. I found out that the reason I was experiencing it was an inability to cope with my thoughts and emotions. They would overwhelm me, which would trigger the disconnect from myself. I was able to improve this by purposefully exposing myself to evocative stimuli and practicing just sitting with my own thoughts and emotions. It's really difficult at first, but gets easier as time goes on.

I wish I could do that. My thoughts aren't friendly.

 

[Fullof pain]

I used to get dissociative seizures and don't remember a lot about them. They would start with me floating out of my body and then I'd return to my body completely unaware that I'd had a seizure. Except feel really tired afterwards. I was on anti- epileptic meds for years. But I dissociate frequently now but without the seizure.

 

[ghostgirl1995]

I've been stuck dissociated I would say for 3 years now. It's definitely one of my top reasons I want to ctb.

 

[x51391225x]

Had it since I was a kid, I vividly remember for me the first time being in kindergarten. For me, it's comforting in a weird way, I've later realized I used it as a coping mechanism as a kid for trauma. I can actually guide myself into doing it if I really want to.

My disassociation is an out of body, watching myself type. I begin to question reality, if I'm real, etc.

 

[Brokenwithbpd]

I dissociate often but not like I use to. Usually I just don't hear what people say to me half the time

 

[mahakaliSS_MahaDurga]

I feel unreal all the time, and I do not talk. When I meet with people, I mostly stay quiet. I cannot remember anything and I have no interests.

 

[Life_and_Death]

I have depersonalization/derealization. Look at the symptoms in webmd I don't think I'm missing any and its caused me a lot of problems. One of the reasons I want to ctb

 

[Fullof pain]

I have depersonalization/derealization. Look at the symptoms in webmd I don't think I'm missing any and its caused me a lot of problems. One of the reasons I want to ctb

I get that too and it is beyond surreal. To look at your own hands and not even recognise them, to look in the mirror and wonder who the hell is staring back at you. Not to recognise where you are, even in your own home but just to feel fear and a desire to be any where else, to escape.

 

[AnxietyAttack44]

Every day i snap out of it atleast once, and relive my whole pain and trauma all over again wich brings me huge amount of panic, sadness and anxiety. Otherwise i dont think i would survive. I just wish i could leave my body for good once i dissociate. Without coming back.

 

[Philosykos]

The opening scene of American Psycho has always stuck with me. Christian Bale going through his meticulous morning routine, making you think: Wow, here's a person who has his life together, takes care of himself. And then, at the end, there's just this blank stare and his line: 'But I'm just not there.' I feel that so hard. Going through the motions but hardly even aware of it. You just function but don't live. There's nothing that fills that emptiness.

 

[Depressive1995]

I felt dissociation during ketamine infusion, I think I even got an ego death or at least out of body experience, I don't know if it's the same.. Anyway there was a point where I asked myself if I still exist, it was really strange but actually not so frightening. But unfortunately it still has not helped me at all to loose the fear of death.. I still think about if ayahuasca/dmt could help me to overcome survival instinct but I have little hope, I'm afraid it could make the fear even stronger..

 

[NekoNomNom]

I've noticed that I'm starting to feel this more when I drive, which is only scary when I have other people in the car.

 

[Thinking]

For me it feels like the world is fake and I could just swipe my hand through it like a reflection in a puddle.

Recently I've been feeling less dissociated for the first time in a long time, and it is not fun. The world is a horrible, dark, scary place when it feels real.

If you do want to shake the feeling tho, doing things that help you feel present can help. Like taking a cold shower, or taking time to notice sights/smells/sounds around you.

 

[EmbraceOfTheVoid]

I am not sure if I've ever experienced what other people describe as temporary disassociation. I've been trapped in a depersonalized limbo for my entire life and I'm not sure I've ever felt like a real person or experienced the world how others have. I'd describe it as a physical and emotional detachment of varying degrees.

 

[Thinking]

I have depersonalization/derealization. Look at the symptoms in webmd I don't think I'm missing any and its caused me a lot of problems. One of the reasons I want to ctb

I feel that. Like, it already feels like I'm half dead, may aswell finish the job

 

[EmbraceOfTheVoid]

I like this quote from Watchmen that describes it well

The way he looks at things now,
it's like he doesn't...
...remember what they are.

It's like this world, this real world...
...to him,
it's like walking through mist.

And people are just shadows. Shadows in a fog.

 

[Life_and_Death]

I feel that. Like, it already feels like I'm half dead, may aswell finish the job

I wouldn't say I might as well do it anyway, I actually feel so dead at times that I'd swear the job is already done so I see no reason to. I feel like everything around me is fake and nothing is real. Why bother doing anything if it's not real?