# My body feels invisible. Input please



## Plur (Jun 29, 2012)

I haven't posted since the summer but I'm desperate for help. My lost lasting most concerning symptom feels like its getting worse and won't go away. My body literally feels numb in the sense I can see it but can't feel it's presence. I can still feel when something touches me but it's very Dulled down and doesnt feel like its really touching "me". I feel see through and like my body's invisible. It's terrifying. Most of my symptoms come and go but this one had persisted since April. My body feels weightless and floaty and like its not connected and like my limbs will feel disconnected or mixed up or my head. It's getting to the point i don't feel like I occupy my body at all. How is this possible to feel a sensation so intense? Since April it varies in degree of severity but hasn't completly gone away. And now I feel like its getting worse. It's hard for me to even walk around. If I could just feel my body and not like a ghost / hologram I could deal with the other symptoms which I have done since jan. but this one no matter what I do wont to away and it's the most disturbing and makes me feel the craziest.

So I guess my question is- is this dp ? What can I do about this feeling? Is there any meds to help (I take klonopin but it doesn't help)? Has anyone else experienced this and how-describe? Did/does it go away? What causes this?

I'm going in for an eeg this month cuz multiple psych doctors have stared at me blankly and referred me to the next dr

Please help!


----------



## gasspanicc (Mar 21, 2012)

Its a state of mind these,feelings, I get them all the time. Just let them pass.


----------



## Plur (Jun 29, 2012)

But it's a constant body feeling. It doesn't pass :/


----------



## LookingUp (Oct 14, 2012)

I understand how frustrated you must feel. I've had DR for about 3 years, at varying degrees. It didn't start to really bother me until about a year and a half ago, but when it did, I felt really crazy and weird. I learned the hard way that stressing and worrying over it only made it worse though. So I had to tell myself that it would not get any better if I worried all the time. You're doing the right thing, seeking help and answers. That's the first step to feeling better. This does sound like DP, which is basically a sense of alienation from one's own body. For me, I have a similar thing called DR, which is when the world visually looks strange and unfamiliar. Kind of hard to explain, but basically, it's like I'm looking at the world as if I'm dreaming, but not. Haha, it's confusing, but anways to anwser your other questions:

*So I guess my question is- is this dp ? *
Yes. When you feel like your thoughts and body are separate, this is likely DP.

*What can I do about this feeling? *
Think of the the possible things that made you feel this way. When did you first notice your DP started? What thoughts and feelings did you have at the time it started? What events happened at the time it started? Are you anxious, worried, scared, and/or stressed about anything? Have you been getting enough sleep and going to be early enough each night? Have you done drugs (you don't have to answer, just a possible reason)? A combination of these things, or any of them alone, could have caused DP, and are often reasons people experience it.

*Is there any meds to help (I take klonopin but it doesn't help)?*
_I don't _know of any meds that help, and I don't recommend meds, mostly because of the fact that DP and DR are caused by anxiety, sleep deprival, stress, or some other thing that can be fixed much more simply than using medication. It doesn't make much sense to take the meds especially if the cause of the DP has not been removed from your lifestyle. For example, if the problem is sleep deprival, but you keep on going to bed late and getting up early, then DP will be persistent because you have not changed your lifestyle so that you get enough sleep. In this case, the medication is serving as a tool to a problem that has a much simpler solution: having a consistent sleep schedule. However, for you, this may not be the cause of your DP, so it may not apply to you.

_*Has anyone else experienced this and how-describe? *_
Yes, a lot of other people have experienced this. On forums and stuff, I hear people mentioning both DP and DR. How to describe DP: a sense of alienation from oneself; a separation of your thoughts from your body; feeling outside of yourself; feeling like your limbs are not attached to your body; seeing yourself do activities and feeling like you are outside of yourself watching,etc.
DR: a sense of alienation of the world around you; feeling like you are in a movie or dream; familiar things look foreign to you (such as your home, or places you used to enjoy); surroundings have poor definition and/or lack emotional depth.

Other common symptoms of these are: feeling emotionally detached from people around you and the world; feeling like you can't experience your surrounding the way you want; the desire for validation of these strange sensations; a distortion in your perception of light; difficulty in explaining symptoms or sensations to loved ones, friends, or professionals.

It's important to note that a person can have one, or both, of these conditions; DP and DR. This is common, especially since they are often caused by the same thing (anxiety, stress, etc.).

_*Did/does it go away? *_
Yes it does go away. You must find the cause of DP though, before you can get rid of it.

_*What causes this?*_
Like I said above; stress, anxiety, sleep deprival, and drug use seem to be the most common causes. Identify what you seem to have experienced and/or are still experiencing while your DP is occuring. If it's stress, what's stressing you? How can you bring down your stress levels about it? If anxiety, what are you anxious about? Try to find ways to relieve this anxiety. Rationalize whether you are more worried about something than you should be, and work on ways to become less anxious. Whatever you are experiencing; stress, anxiety, sleep deprival, etc., think of how to solve it in this way.

I hope I helped you out some! I know it's hard and frustrating, but you can do this. I wish the best for you! If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I'd be glad to help.

~LookingUp


----------



## kate_edwin (Aug 9, 2009)

Yes that is one of the definitions of dp, feeling defaced from your body, I've had it for years, my dp is from trauma so the outcome and how long it lasts may be different then yours,

what can you do? Well if it's a symptom of something else, you can treat the something else. Otherwise I'd try things like distraction and mindfulness


----------



## livinginhell333 (Feb 19, 2005)

Plur,

I feel the same way you do, detached from my body and limbs and not in control of my body. I also barely feel when something touches me, it sucks. I feel it and i feel pain but it's dulled down a lot. I also feel very weightless and like i'm floating. This is everyday 24/7 for me and doesn't go away. This is one of the things that bothered me the most when i first got dp, after a while you get used to it, and don't think about it. You are still able to do things even though your mind isn't connected to your body and you don't feel like you are doing them. It will make it worse the more you think about it, and it's completely understandable to think about it, because it is very troublesome.


----------



## missjess (Jun 1, 2012)

I'm the same ;( I actually have been wanting to end my life lately I don't know why I have this feeling of disconnect from my body it's insane

u feel awkward and clumsy when ur walking around and half there half not


----------



## Plur (Jun 29, 2012)

Wow thanks for all the replies. My dp and dr started after a very bad cold turkey withdrawl from Xanax but my body didn't "disappear" until like 5 months into the course of my dp dr (I've been suffering 9 months). I dunno what is causin this protracted wihdrawl which Is what my doctor Said I had or anxiety issues because of the trauma of almost dying with my withdrawl. Whatever it is makes me think I'm losin it or really did die during my wihdrawl.

Im not sure if feeling disconnected from my body and my body literally feels like it isn't there is that the same thing and both dp? It's hard to put into words my body sensation but it's do crazy it's hard for me l believe it's just dp.

And I feel like its a vicious cycle they say control the anxiety and you dp will go away but I can't when I feel like this all the time


----------



## Plur (Jun 29, 2012)

And miss Jess don't end your life I've been feelin the same because of this crazy feeling but I guess we gotta hold on and hope that things can only go up from here


----------



## missjess (Jun 1, 2012)

well I havent yet







I am getting really frustrated though ... I'm looking for a therapist who specializes in dissociation


----------



## Guest (Oct 23, 2012)

missjess said:


> I'm the same ;( I actually have been wanting to end my life lately I don't know why I have this feeling of disconnect from my body it's insane
> 
> u feel awkward and clumsy when ur walking around and half there half not


I get this too, sometimes I end up walking into things and suddenly remember I have a body! it's strange, but eventually it will pass, you just need to avoid focusing on it. Don't think about not focusing on it, distract yourself, do something that really grabs your attention like maths or reflex tests.


----------



## CoffeeGirl9 (Oct 4, 2009)

I feel the same way! Like you could walk right through me. It's very scary and I hate it because it feels out of control. I actually feel dead. The whole top half of my body doesn't feel real. Feels like parts of me are missing. I don't enjoy anything really. I feel totally removed fromy body. Did you find relief??? I hope so!


----------



## ThatBoyGawn (May 26, 2016)




----------



## Mannyj715 (Dec 26, 2017)

do you also find it hard to focus in the present moment? I have the same feeling and find myself STUCK in a daydream like I'm never really here because by body doesn't actually feel there. People don't even feel real its killing me! I freak out every day when the claustrophobia kicks in and the DP/DR gets worse


----------

