# Atypical symptoms, need some reassurance



## ninja90 (Dec 29, 2014)

I had very typical dp/dr a few years ago with full blown agoraphobia, I fully recovered medication free with CBT therapy.

Fast forward two years: I go through a few very stressful months and am left with a new kind of dp/dr. I'm fairly certain it must just be my anxiety, but I just need some reassurance and I'm hoping someone can relate.

What truly bothers me is that I do not have that typical "unreal" feeling. Nothing feels unreal, these symptoms feel purely physical and strange..but not dream like as I felt before.

*Symptoms/sensations:*

-Feels like my body, or parts of my body are somewhere else, like I'm looking at my arms and body and know I'm sitting here, but it feels like either my whole body or just my arms are actually across the room, or upside down...or shifted just a few inches away.

-Weird feeling that there is no separation from me and the rest of the world. Sometimes I get confused looking my shadow or shadows moving, its like they disorient me. I also sometimes am looking at the computer screen moving the mouse around and feel confused about the movement of the mouse on the screen. It feels like it is an extension of me.. like I am confused about how it is I'm operating it. This is a very physical sensation, even though I know it isn't real.

-Sometimes I become too focused on the feeling of something touching me, like the ground beneath my feet will feel extra noticeable, or my clothing touching my skin will seem very heavy suddenly. Also if I'm holding something in my hand, I am almost hyper aware of how it feels in my hand.

-Open airy feeling, like the whole world is brand new or that I am brand new ... very hard to describe this one, again a very physical feeling not a metaphor, a true sensation even though I know it isn't real.

-My throat/mouth feel nonexistent, sometimes I have so much lack of feeling that I can't tell if my mouth is open or closed. Sometimes it feels like my jaw is just missing or not there, again I know my jaw isn't actually missing, but it just feels this way.

-Objects or certain things look strange. Not unreal, just off.. sometimes so much that I become nauseated looking at them or holding/touching them. This is really bothersome, I just can't put my finger on how else to describe it.. but things just seem not right.

Really hoping someone can relate to this, thanks for any responses..I'm so sick of feeling so shitty.


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## stuckinside (May 13, 2013)

Hi there,

I used to have very similar symptoms. They can go away, it is nothing but anxiety working on some level to protect you.

I am now completely healed, but was sick 2013-2014, 24x7, with sudden onset and no apparent reason for it the sickness one day just came and totally ruined me for a while. I managed to get better even without pills though. Symptoms you are experiencing might sound crazy to you, but believe me they can fade.

Best of luck!!

D.


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## marduk (Mar 4, 2015)

I also used to have the same symptoms and sometimes do when i get anxious but rarely do nowadays, i could especially relate with the sensation that your mouth and throat feels numb and when i was at my worst and had severe depersonalisation i frequently experienced the sensation like ''i'' was not where i actually was, for example i could sit on the couch but actually feel like i am sitting slightly beside myself hard to explain but i am sure you understand. to summarize, this does sound like depersonalization and derealization and it is most likely triggered by your stress and anxiety, you recovered before and i am confident that you can do it again!


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## Pondererer (May 18, 2016)

I'd say these are quite normal


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## eddy1886 (Oct 11, 2012)

I think you are experiencing more Derealization than Depersonalization this time round...

In my early days with this condition I had much more symptoms of Depersonalization...Over time it developed into more symptoms of Derelization....In fact I mostly suffer Derealization nowadays...

Its upsetting you because its different to what you recognise symptom wise....They are basically the same condition...

You are not psychotic or having Atypical symptoms...Its DP in the form of DR...Its all still acute anxiety based...


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## allison84 (May 4, 2016)

Hi 
Wow that first symptom you say that your arm hands ect were across the room , ive had bizzare feelings were it felt like my face was at the back of my head or that i was going backwards when i was driving or walking forward .
Ive even had a feeling many of times where im in bed but i feel like my body body is beside me or across the room or above me .
Another crazy thing ive had is I'll be in bed and suddenly my hands will feel really enlarged like there blown up same witg my head . And on a few occasions ive sat up in bed and it felt like my bedroom was the size of a football field like a massive flied now thats insane .
Must be dp dr its scary i know but it does go .
When you got well from this in the past did it fade or just go quicky ?


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## ninja90 (Dec 29, 2014)

Oh man..such a relief to see all these responses. I guess I really need to focus on letting the feelings pass. Sometimes it is SO hard because of how disorienting it feels...really nice to know I'm not alone.


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## ninja90 (Dec 29, 2014)

allison84 said:


> Hi
> Wow that first symptom you say that your arm hands ect were across the room , ive had bizzare feelings were it felt like my face was at the back of my head or that i was going backwards when i was driving or walking forward .
> Ive even had a feeling many of times where im in bed but i feel like my body body is beside me or across the room or above me .
> Another crazy thing ive had is I'll be in bed and suddenly my hands will feel really enlarged like there blown up same witg my head . And on a few occasions ive sat up in bed and it felt like my bedroom was the size of a football field like a massive flied now thats insane .
> ...


I've had all those same symptoms! It is such an annoying feeling. In the past, it took me quite some time to get past it and it faded gradually. Since I has been afraid of leaving the house/stopped driving/stopped eating at restaurants or going out with friends.. I had a lot of work to do. It took about a year of CBT and exposure therapy to get myself back to normal health. I refuse to get as bad as I did last time, so I'm hoping my symptoms will fade much quicker this time around!


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## allison84 (May 4, 2016)

Hang in there ninja ☺ 
It is good to know your not alone in these feelings .


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