# Do you find it hard to talk to people face to face?



## xxmdogxx

I feel like that is something setting me back majorly is just not being able to converse naturally. Drives me nuts... anyone else have this problem or maybe everyone? Let me know boys and girls


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## SongBillong

Yeah, you're definitely not alone with this one.

For me, it's like they're at the end of a really blurry video camera with a warped lens (a bit like when you look through door peep-holes). The sound of their voices is muffled too, even though it's right in front of me. Of course, this often makes conversation near-impossible, especially because my own voice sounds like I'm hearing myself through tinny speakers so it doesn't even sound like mine (sounds really high-pitched).

I've tried 'rehearsing' potential conversations in advance but it's obviously very difficult. I've also tried, when on my own, just saying random words out loud ("tree! path! I'm walking!" etc.) so that conversations seemed natural in comparison. Interestingly, this did work a bit. Not sure if it would for you or not but it's worth a try


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## wellsiee

xxmdogxx said:


> I feel like that is something setting me back majorly is just not being able to converse naturally. Drives me nuts... anyone else have this problem or maybe everyone? Let me know boys and girls


I blank out ALOT in mid-sentence while talking to people. like i'll be like "oh yeah, i went to the park today and ..." blank out and totally forget what i'm going to say. super embarassing and it happens all the time.


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## xxmdogxx

SongBillong said:


> Yeah, you're definitely not alone with this one.
> 
> For me, it's like they're at the end of a really blurry video camera with a warped lens (a bit like when you look through door peep-holes). The sound of their voices is muffled too, even though it's right in front of me. Of course, this often makes conversation near-impossible, especially because my own voice sounds like I'm hearing myself through tinny speakers so it doesn't even sound like mine (sounds really high-pitched).
> 
> I've tried 'rehearsing' potential conversations in advance but it's obviously very difficult. I've also tried, when on my own, just saying random words out loud ("tree! path! I'm walking!" etc.) so that conversations seemed natural in comparison. Interestingly, this did work a bit. Not sure if it would for you or not but it's worth a try


yea i talk to myself to try to smooth things out a bit, but yes my senses seem distorted something that I can't ignore. Its somewhat like having to look into a mirror to know im still there.


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## xxmdogxx

wellsiee said:


> I blank out ALOT in mid-sentence while talking to people. like i'll be like "oh yeah, i went to the park today and ..." blank out and totally forget what i'm going to say. super embarassing and it happens all the time.


I kind of know what your saying but in what way do you blank out? in the sense that you don't know what to say or in the sense that your mind is somewhere else? for me my dp just causes me not to know what to say, questioning everything.


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## wellsiee

in the sense where I know exactly what I'm talking about and then when I blank out I totally forget what I'm even talking about. my mind goes completely blank.


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## MisterMister

I have almost the same issue with talking to people (as everyone's experience is different no matter what). My mind is usually blank when it comes to talking to people, nothing comes to mind unless I search for it, and it isn't backed by a feeling, but that doesn't mean we don't have feelings, just that they aren't readily available to our consciousness minds, so that thought helps stop me from fretting too much in the moment it occurs. But, I try to gauge other peoples reactions and just be as aware of what is going on as much as I can. Most of the time if I do my best to understand or take as much interest in the other person, everything seems pretty alright. Which leaves the feeling of strangeness to be the only thing that bothers me, which goes to show not much is wrong at all, just our over-awareness. Hope that makes sense and helps people out a bit! I know how hard it can be feeling so strange in social situations!


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## MissK

I can talk to people face to face naturally unless i stop and think for abit, then my mind wonders and makes me think about how unnatural i feel talking to people.

But if i dont over think it, its ok.


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## Guest

Sometimes I think existential things, which freaks me out during conversation and I just look at the person and wonder about them in an existential sense (Atoms and all that... It scares me) but I try to snap out of it. Sometimes I go totally blank and can't remember what I was going to say, like wellsiee. Really embarassing but there's nothing I can do about it. Sometimes it seems like the light shifts to high contrast around them and I have to squint, rub my eyes, look away, blink and try not to think about it. That's also pretty embaressing because it seems like I don't want to look at them or I have a weird twitch issue.


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## lostlivingsoul

xxmdogxx said:


> I feel like that is something setting me back majorly is just not being able to converse naturally. Drives me nuts... anyone else have this problem or maybe everyone? Let me know boys and girls


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## lostlivingsoul

The human mind is almost too powerful. You can get the conversation ability back. It's just a little exhausting. How to do this is first off know (lie if you have to) that you are gonna flow correctly in the conversation. The key really to getting this back is to look at what you're instincts are saying. Allow your self to just flow. Having this disorder for two and a half years, to me what your talking about is the hardest part for me. I was the class clown always had some comeback or quick thing to say. My main search was to get my conversation back. Even though I feel the uneasiness of dp I can honestly tell you my friend you can get that part back. Ask me what u need chances are good I'll know exactly what your talking about.


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## StayinUp

I have a hard time paying attention to people when they are talking because all of a sudden everything behind them will start looking weird or they'll start blending into the background in a weird 2D type of way. I hate it. Or I'll get after images from their head so it looks like they have some weird aura around them. Then I will start wondering if they are even real or if I'm real, or maybe I'm just dreaming. Dp/dr is for the birds.... lol


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## hiswarrior

@StayinUp, been there! Recently happened to me during an interview for a job.


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## Anonymous12345

Such a relief to know I'm not alone! Lol just thankful to have found this site.


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## bklyn12

yah i have trouble looking people in their eyes while talking


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## Confused1994

My dp is gettint a lot better but when it was at its worse I couldn't talk to anyone that I wasn't close to.
When I was at my boyfriends house, his friend came over to pick him up to go work out. Once his friend was in the same room as me, I could not stop shaking, I went into panic mode because I was scared his friend wouldn't like me or thought I was weird.


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## Anonymous12345

StayinUp said:


> I have a hard time paying attention to people when they are talking because all of a sudden everything behind them will start looking weird or they'll start blending into the background in a weird 2D type of way. I hate it. Or I'll get after images from their head so it looks like they have some weird aura around them. Then I will start wondering if they are even real or if I'm real, or maybe I'm just dreaming. Dp/dr is for the birds.... lol


That's exactly how I've explained it. Also, if the person has a strong pattern or contrast behind them, like a lattice board, I'm screwed lol. I've actually had to ask people to move.


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## GroupHug

I find the detachment gives me some inner focus and relief from anxiety coming from external factors. I'm probably better off with DP in that way.


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## mipmunk40

Yes I find it hard to talk to people face to face too, as when I talk because of I have DP, it is like I question my own voice, like who is that speaking, I don't know who I am, so whose voice is this?


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## Speechless

It's so annoying, especially when you have to keep eye contact wih them. It takes me so fucking long to process what they said so I can respond. Especially during job interviews.


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## Keeks

Hey xxmdogxx,

I feel just like you do! I used to be the most social person I knew, I could talk to just about anyone and feel comfortable. Now, I feel awkward and uncomfortable talking to my best friends, never mind people that I don't know! I see that you posted this months ago, are you still feeling this way? Anything that helped you?


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