# Numb arms/detached. Outside body. Have you had this?



## huntress

This is getting a little too hard to handle.

My arms have felt like they are not part of my body, for a while now. Two weeks straight. My breaths are shallow. Is this part of DP? My anxiety has been very bad lately, but I feel that it is because of DP. I am scared and sad and want to hide.

Does anyone else feel like their limbs are not there own??? Does it ever stop?

And has anyone experienced dry throat/mouth no matter how much water you drink?

Thanks. :/

-H


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## flipwilson

Pretty typical for dissociation. Although I think those symptoms tend to veer toward the more severe end of the spectrum. I've never felt totally detached from my limbs, but I've had moments where my hands feel like they are floating or the sensation like they aren't mine. The shallow breathing I've also had, which is likely the anxiety your feeling in regards to your symptoms. There is always the chance and hope that it will stop, but in the mean time you have to do your best to accept the sensation. The one 'trick' my therapist gave me which has worked about 75% of the time is to be very nonchalant about it all. When your arms feel that way say out loud, "wow my arms feel detached right now, hmmm that is strange." And then go about your day. You will hopefully find the symptom to be less and less distressing the less you give a shit. Trust me I know that is way harder than just saying it, but it's all we have until they figure this horrid mess out. peace.


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## codeblue213

My whole body feels "foreign" to me right now. I try to ignore it and take 3 Klonopin a day. Just keeping busy on the computer all night to sidetrack my mind. What you're feeling is very common with DP, unfortunately.


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## berdecamer

Hi. I have had at times very bad detachment and feelings like I'm outside my body. It sounds like you are experiencing some pretty intense symptoms. The best thing you can do is try your best to relax and also reduce, as best as you can, any stressors going on in your life right now. The thing you want to do is to reduce the intensity of the symptoms. A sudden disappearance of the symptoms is very rare. You mind (brain) needs to rest. In most cases your mind is using DP/DR as a defense mechanism to protect it from a stress (crisis) it can't effectively cope with right now. Have you gone to see a doctor or better yet a psychiatrist about this. Fortunately, today DP/DR is becoming more widely recognized by the mental health field, and if you could speak to someone that is knowledgeable on the subject that would be help. A psychiatrist or M.D. could prescribe some medications that might help. Meds, as you may know, help some people with their DP/DR but not others, and overall the research in this area is still lacking but coming along. Psychotherapy and getting out there and living life (rather than withdrawing) is the most helpful treatment. I myself am on an anti-depressant (effexxor), anti-anxiety (buspar) and an anti-psychotic (risperidone). They have helped me some. Of course, you may not need all that. I have had a lot of depression and anxiety off and on through the years as well as having a borderline personality disorder. If you want to read a good book on the subject of DP/DR, I recommend _Feeling Unreal_ by Daphne Simeon. The author is one of the foremost doctors in the field of DP/DR. It is a very informative and helpful book. And, take comfort in knowing that you are certainly not alone, and also in the fact, as I said, that the mental health field (over the last 10-15 years) has been working on DP/DR. 
In my case really intense DP/DR has lasted 2-4 weeks, but usually, after no more than a month the intensity is significantly less (mild to moderate). And then, if things go well it may become negligible and hopefully fade away altogether. But it is best to realize that DP/DR can hang on for months and even years. Hopefully, that won't be the case with you. Eating well, exercise, and 8 hrs of sleep are important. I hope this has been some help. Take care of yourself, and all the best to you.


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## huntress

thank you all for your responses!

It has gotten slightly better ( though I did end up in the er two days ago because it got so bad I swore it was something else). I struggle with terrible anxiety and recently got off klonopin which I was on for 5 years, so even months later my anxiety is at it's worse ( hence the DP).

The arm thing is the worst though. When you phyically go numb and your vision is screwing with your perception, you are not a happy camper.

I am trying to accept it and push though it.

Thank you again.

-E


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## elcapitan

I've felt like my arms, my legs, everything is not my own, and I sort of watch myself operate this body into action, 24/7 for over a year now.
I feel like a klutz trying get around making sure to watch what my body does and not step/walk into things.


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## S O L A R I S

"And has anyone experienced dry throat/mouth no matter how much water you drink?"

Yes!!! I do have that symptom, I even posted a thread about it a while back. It literally is constant dryness of the mouth to the point of annoyance. Especially at work, I keep running to the bathroom. I am trying BIOTENE, its a mouth wash which is supposed to help dry mouth, Ill let you know how it goes. But the thirst and dryness really is constant, its like Im not thirsty, but my mouth is thirsty. its wierd to explain.

I know exactly what you are talking about.


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## Mr confused

i'm just observing what my body do :-(


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## Gadgirl

Yup I have that, My arms hands basically my whole body feels numb or weightless, I had alot of major stress 2 weeks ago to the point were I couldnt even feel my teeth properly. Im not as bad as i was then that was like level 10 but im back down to what seems to be my steady 7. Though 2x this week I have woke up fully in my body it lasted for about 10 minutes


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## Cpeters

My head is so disconnected that I have to just lay in the bed close my eyes, just thinking and talking to people makes my head even more out of it, my legs and arms are numb including my feet and my lips and my eye balls and my hands I can't feel anything, my legs and arms are really weak constantly and my legs feel weightless and my arms feel weightless, they feel really disconnect from, the more I move around the more my legs and arms get disconnected from me, my hands feel cut off from my wrist, my fingers are really stiff my hands are weak, it's just feels like my legs and arms are missing like literally I am losing connection to them, my arms and legs feel awkward and retarded when I use them, they feel floaty and weightless and feels like there not wanting to work, and my entire scalp on my head is numb 24/7 I can't feel my head at All


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## Cpeters

Anyone there


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