Anyone else experience this?

[Illumination]

I did not know the name of it into now after doing some research, those anyone else experience derealization, and could it be related to Autism, or something else? -- I do not experience it commonly, but rather "randomly" sometimes days, weeks, or months apart.

I haven't found anything specific that triggers it as when it happens I'm simply going about my day, nothing worrying, or out of the normal, it just triggers and I feel like this world, or even myself are simply "not real" for only a few seconds and than it fades away.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

Could you elaborate more, because im actually trying to know if I am affected to this aswell but its realy hard to tell because thinking that I am piloting a robot from my brain is actually how I feel on a regular basis.

You said it the most important part of it is that it feels like a sudden change I guess, The way we feel disconnected from ourselves may sound like it but its not exactly the same as derealization I guess.

 

[Illumination]

Could you elaborate more, because im actually trying to know if I am affected to this aswell but its realy hard to tell because thinking that I am piloting a robot from my brain is actually how I feel on a regular basis.

You said it the most important part of it is that it feels like a sudden change I guess, The way we feel disconnected from ourselves may sound like it but its not exactly the same as derealization I guess.

Sorry, I may of worded it confusingly Ill explain in further detail. -- It happens randomly throughout the day, commonly weeks apart. -- I do not notice too much abnormality before it happens, in which it happens suddenly. -- It feels for a few seconds like I am playing/observing a game or simulation, and that everything is simply "not real". As suddenly as it happens, just as suddenly it disappears within only a couple seconds.

-- I should note that I don't feel "disconnected" from myself, just that it all feels fake and unreal.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

Don't worry its just that I am curious about this topic you didnt word anything wrong or too shortly.
I guess its hard for people suffering from this to explain it clearly in general , all the time I do research about it I read the same thing as you said, but I just can't relate to it I guess.

The real question from me is , does this feeling trigger any physical reaction? Anything? I mean people panicking or anxious have some manifestations that they can explain , but this derealizaiton things seems to be very hard to describe !

 

[Illumination]

Don't worry its just that I am curious about this topic you didnt word anything wrong or too shortly.
I guess its hard for people suffering from this to explain it clearly in general , all the time I do research about it I read the same thing as you said, but I just can't relate to it I guess.

The real question from me is , does this feeling trigger any physical reaction? Anything? I mean people panicking or anxious have some manifestations that they can explain , but this derealizaiton things seems to be very hard to describe !

I haven't noticed any physical reaction from it, I've only noticed a mild state of confusion for a minute afterwards.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

Very intersting topic mate, I hope someone else here contribute to this !

Its different from feeling like you are remotly controling your body? ( I mean like you would be in a machine )

 

[Illumination]

Very intersting topic mate, I hope someone else here contribute to this !

Its different from feeling like you are remotly controling your body? ( I mean like you would be in a machine )

No, it doesn't feel like I'm controlling a robot, it feels normal in terms of controlling myself, it just feels "fake" or "not real".

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Sort of the opposite of capgrass syndrome.

Which I experienced once.

The idea that people you know have been replaced by fakes.

I refused a lift with my uncle once as it might not have been my 'real' uncle.
He might have been replaced.

I was very young and it was more an example of thinking thoughts Into real things.
Which sounds even stranger but it isn't.
An overactive imagination, as parents would say at the time.

 

[SusanLR]

It is a type of dissociative experience.
From what two psychologists have told me, it is quite common in ASD.
Not to be confused with dissociative disorder such as multiple personalities,
but it is the brain's natural way of protecting itself from over stimuli.

There are two types. Derealization is when things around you, the world itself, suddenly seems
surreal, detached, unreal. You know where you are, yet it can feel as if you don't.
The first time I felt it I did feel very afraid that my mind was going out of control somehow
and it threw me into a panic attack. Thankfully I was in a hospital at the time and the nurse
knew what it was and told me it was not a psychotic break or anything like losing awareness of where
I was. A shot of Ativan settled me down, but, I do get these sudden sensations at times.
Usually, but not always it is when I am anxious or having sensory overload.
I don't like the feeling, but, it does only last a few seconds or minutes and if I sit down and
relax a bit, it leaves.

The second word is depersonalization.
This is when you feel detached from yourself. The operating like a robot as described type sensation.
I'm not familiar with this one personally, but, have had others describe it like they look at their hand
for example and it doesn't feel like it is even a part of their body.
The old saying of you were beside yourself with fear. Or any strong emotion, is where this comes from.

Sometimes these two sensations can just happen.

 

[Suzanne]

When I have to go out on my own, even if it is just a few minutes away, I get that out of the world sensation and discussed it in shame, with the only female, I can be myself around and such relief to find that she gets it too!

Shame seems make up who I am! But with a mental action called: tapping, I am learning to lesson the shame.

I said: it is so demoralising to go out on my own, which is a NORMAL thing to do, as a woman of my age and yet, feel like a child in a big wide world and very frightened and her response was: there is nothing to be ashamed of. I get that feeling sometimes and depending on what is going on in our heads, is what manefests outside.

Another lady, who I felt comfortable with was the one to help me to feel less shame with having social phobia!

Anyway, so sorry for veering away from the actual topic.

 

[SusanLR]

But with a mental action called: tapping

I am interested in this.
I have heard of the 'tapping' method for overcoming anxiety, OCD, and other stresses.
The video I watched on You Tube showed a woman tapping on her forhead, cheeks and down to her neck area. It said you should learn this only from an experienced practiontioner.
I know of none here to go see.
You mentioned mental tapping.
Is there a method for this using thoughts or your mind?

 

[Ezra]

I experience it frequently. Only away from home. Things like lack of sleep, low electrolytes, low blood sugar and dehydration can trigger it and/or make it worse.

 

[Bella Pines]

oh yeah, never heard the term but totally get that. Different forms, firstly not being present, then "waking up" somewhere else. Sort of trance. Then looking around like I'm on a movie set, it doesn't last but I feel like I'm not really here, or that I'm observing. The best I can describe it is that the world feels like a movie set and not ... real. Then thirdly, hyper real. I will touch tree trunks in fascination like I can't quite believe how detailed they are. De-realization, good term.

 

[Progster]

I've experienced something similar when I've come out of the cinema, everything seems strange and new and has to be learned again. Then, when I go out at night and enter a supermarket with bright lights, the same thing happens, it feels strange and not real.
Then, when I'm tired and have low blood pressure, if I stand up too quickly, I feel dizzy and can temporarily lose awareness and vision, but without losing consciousness. I see things, but it takes a while for my brain to understand what I'm seeing. So I'm in my home, I know I'm at home, but I don't recognise the surroundings, the objects are new and unfamiliar. This has nothing to do with ASD though, it is due to low blood pressure (I think).

 

[Suzanne]

ou mentioned mental tapping.
Is there a method for this using thoughts or your mind?

I think I have been a bit misleading here. What I meant was that I was briefly taught about tappinig, somehow I am able to fix my brain on the issue that is concerning me and it is working.

As an example: I explained that I love my granny and happen to look like her, but my brain has fixated on the fact that "mother" also looks like gran and thus, I see that I look like the most awful person in the world to me! So, I was told to use tapping and say: I look like my gran, who I love and amazingly, the other day, out of no where, my brain said: I look like gran! Never has this happened before!

The trouble is, there are so many damn issues I have to get past, that it is all so very much overwhelming.

The natural dr is also trying to help me with social phobia and due to my knowledge of psychology, I ascertained that the reason I have social phobia, is a deep gnoring shame of where I come from and she agreed with me ( so nice to have a professional agree with me lol). So, going through the tapping process, I had to repeat: I feel ashamed of who I am, but I love and respect myself. Very hard to say, but it got a bit better.

Speaking with her this saturday too and eager to share what has been going on.

Oh and to introduce the tapping, she related she was on a plane and this lady was sitting next to her and was clearly distressed, so asked why and she said she was petrified of flying and that two days before the event, she is a wreck, so she agreed to do the tapping and how it works is: on a ration of 1 to 10 and 10 feeling the worst, after the tapping, the rate should go down and it did for her, but the brain must be at a 2 or 1 in order for the person to get over their fear. So, each stage after the tapping, although she was feeling better, they both concluded in the end, it was not fear of flying; it was fear of leaving her family behind and after this, she had no issues with flying.

She attempted this with me by getting me to try and imagine I had to walk out of the door. Amazingly, I was able to imagine it and it was a 10 and after repeating: I feel shame, but I love and respect myself, it actually did deminish and eventually, I felt I could walk out of the door without too much mental anguish and now, 3 TIMES, I have managed to walk to our post box, despite people being there!

But, having dealt with this for years, she said that it is not going to be an overnight sensation.