# Self awareness shock?



## chippy! (Mar 20, 2010)

The main problem with my DP/DR anxiety is that if I'm working or in a busy place I have these self awareness "shocks".
These seem to be the most annoying thing about DP/DR. I'll try to describe it to you to see if you can relate.

Say if your in a place which isn't your confort zone, for me that is when I'm working or out around a lot of people ok. So you don't feel right as usual becasue of your DP/DR (The usual symptoms:bad vision, don't feel sharp, feel dreamy, don't feel steady on feet, blah blah blah ...etc....etc. yer?)
Anyway, what I try to do is forget about it and carry on with everything. So 5 mins may pass and you arn't thinking about DP/DR then suddenly....BAM! This rush of heat comes over you from your chest, you feel like in slow motion and you take a step back! You think to yourself "OMG I'm actually doing this now, I'm here. I'm not dreaming, I'm actually here! It's like a double take. Then when you start talking to people and doing things you feel like 3rd person. As if your behind yourself telling yourself what to say and how to act. It's like your mind is reminding you with these reality check. I just can't ever relax for 5 dam mins! Then you manage to forget about it for another few mins until it hits you again. 
This goes on all day until I get home, which really takes it out of me physically and mentally. It's so tiring. 
Is this the same for you?


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## Daniel C (Jun 24, 2010)

Wow, yes. I actually JUST had one from a headrush from a cigarette







But, yeah, I know what you're saying.

To me it's kind of discomforting. I don't know why.


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## pancake (Nov 26, 2009)

chippy! said:


> The main problem with my DP/DR anxiety is that if I'm working or in a busy place I have these self awareness "shocks".
> These seem to be the most annoying thing about DP/DR. I'll try to describe it to you to see if you can relate.
> 
> Say if your in a place which isn't your confort zone, for me that is when I'm working or out around a lot of people ok. So you don't feel right as usual becasue of your DP/DR (The usual symptoms:bad vision, don't feel sharp, feel dreamy, don't feel steady on feet, blah blah blah ...etc....etc. yer?)
> ...


I guess I am a bit more jaded about it by now rather than anxious but yes. Pretty close to my daily internal screams at the office. Thank goodness for bottling things up inside or I'd be jobless


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## Thunderlordcid (Feb 2, 2010)

chippy! said:


> The main problem with my DP/DR anxiety is that if I'm working or in a busy place I have these self awareness "shocks".
> These seem to be the most annoying thing about DP/DR. I'll try to describe it to you to see if you can relate.
> 
> Say if your in a place which isn't your confort zone, for me that is when I'm working or out around a lot of people ok. So you don't feel right as usual becasue of your DP/DR (The usual symptoms:bad vision, don't feel sharp, feel dreamy, don't feel steady on feet, blah blah blah ...etc....etc. yer?)
> ...


Yes sir, that happens to me on occasion now. One thing you can do is try to actually make yourself "Space out" like that and get yourself comfortable with it, because if you try to prevent it then you're going to be afraid of it every time you go out of the door. That and fighting it or running from it doesn't help, it just doesn't help at all. This technique can also be used for any other trippy ailments that you might have (Leg feels like it's falling through the other, feel like you're falling through the floor, panic.) Anyway, hope you find a way to deal with it man.


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## Brokowski (May 20, 2010)

chippy! said:


> The main problem with my DP/DR anxiety is that if I'm working or in a busy place I have these self awareness "shocks".
> These seem to be the most annoying thing about DP/DR. I'll try to describe it to you to see if you can relate.
> 
> Say if your in a place which isn't your confort zone, for me that is when I'm working or out around a lot of people ok. So you don't feel right as usual becasue of your DP/DR (The usual symptoms:bad vision, don't feel sharp, feel dreamy, don't feel steady on feet, blah blah blah ...etc....etc. yer?)
> ...


I can definitely relate. This happens to me, as odd as this sounds, almost every time I'm in the shower. I usually have to just zone out and fill my head with song lyrics and other meaningless, easy thoughts. Even then, I'll sort of take a step back and start thinking about how weird it is that we have plumbing; this leads to a sort of slippery slope where I just think 'man, you're actually doing this right now, etc'. Another thing that sparks these is being alone for an extended period of time, everything begins to feel very Solipsistic and I take note of everything I'm doing in very eerie fashion. I guess in a sense they're a good thing, our brain's subconscious way of reminding us that we're not completely dissociated.


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## PDubya86 (Jul 17, 2010)

Brokowski said:


> I can definitely relate. This happens to me, as odd as this sounds, almost every time I'm in the shower. I usually have to just zone out and fill my head with song lyrics and other meaningless, easy thoughts. Even then, I'll sort of take a step back and start thinking about how weird it is that we have plumbing; this leads to a sort of slippery slope where I just think 'man, you're actually doing this right now, etc'. Another thing that sparks these is being alone for an extended period of time, everything begins to feel very Solipsistic and I take note of everything I'm doing in very eerie fashion. I guess in a sense they're a good thing, our brain's subconscious way of reminding us that we're not completely dissociated.


I'm so glad you mentioned that shower thing...I'm exactly the same. Maybe its the water on your body, that heightened sense of awareness. Whatever it is, it sucks. It feels like I'm gonna have to bolt out of the shower and just curl up my bed when it hits hard (usually when I'm hungover, like today).

At the moment I'm really aware of my arms and hands. I start looking at them move and think, shit, i'm doing that, and it starts to feel weird as hell. They almost feel foreign to my body when it gets bad. Like they're made out of paper or something.

I'm pretty much on top of this DP now, but I cant seem to shake this weird feeling!


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## Brokowski (May 20, 2010)

PDubya86 said:


> I'm so glad you mentioned that shower thing...I'm exactly the same. Maybe its the water on your body, that heightened sense of awareness. Whatever it is, it sucks. It feels like I'm gonna have to bolt out of the shower and just curl up my bed when it hits hard (usually when I'm hungover, like today).
> 
> At the moment I'm really aware of my arms and hands. I start looking at them move and think, shit, i'm doing that, and it starts to feel weird as hell. They almost feel foreign to my body when it gets bad. Like they're made out of paper or something.
> 
> I'm pretty much on top of this DP now, but I cant seem to shake this weird feeling!


I think the big thing with the shower is it's easy to feel alone in one. You figure you're in an enclosed space within another enclosed space, more often than not you have no contact with anyone else (unless it's a sexy shower of course) and nothing to keep your mind occupied. Since washing oneself becomes almost instinctual you tend to set yourself on autopilot and your mind wanders. One thing I do on occasion is put my phone on the sink and let it play some music; it's a decent enough distraction most of the time.


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## a4u (Aug 23, 2010)

Brokowski said:


> I can definitely relate. This happens to me, as odd as this sounds, almost every time I'm in the shower. I usually have to just zone out and fill my head with song lyrics and other meaningless, easy thoughts. Even then, I'll sort of take a step back and start thinking about how weird it is that we have plumbing; this leads to a sort of slippery slope where I just think 'man, you're actually doing this right now, etc'. Another thing that sparks these is being alone for an extended period of time, everything begins to feel very Solipsistic and I take note of everything I'm doing in very eerie fashion. I guess in a sense they're a good thing, our brain's subconscious way of reminding us that we're not completely dissociated.


Hey, I get this all the time too! For me it's usually thinking about what I'm thinking, not just thinking about what I'm doing. I've also noticed that it's much worse whenever I've felt anxious for a bit (usually in the evening) and I start to doubt that these things could be due to anxiety. 
I was just wondering if any of you have got panic attacks due to these 'shocks' ? I certainly have, and it makes me freak out thinking that I'm going insane and it makes me wonder if I'm really here, really real (DR/DP).

So does this sound like any of you?


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## Brokowski (May 20, 2010)

a4u said:


> Hey, I get this all the time too! For me it's usually thinking about what I'm thinking, not just thinking about what I'm doing. I've also noticed that it's much worse whenever I've felt anxious for a bit (usually in the evening) and I start to doubt that these things could be due to anxiety.
> I was just wondering if any of you have got panic attacks due to these 'shocks' ? I certainly have, and it makes me freak out thinking that I'm going insane and it makes me wonder if I'm really here, really real (DR/DP).
> 
> So does this sound like any of you?


Oh yeah, without a doubt. I've gotten them before while in a public place and more often than not I have to go outside and smoke a cigarette or two while I try to calm myself down. It's a vicious cycle because more often than not, feelings of unreality come with anxiety attacks. I've had my whole day go down the drain due to the combination of these 'shocks' and anxiety attacks.


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## ClintEmery (Aug 16, 2010)

I used to do that all the time, I remember walking on flat ground and feeling like the floor was uneven when in fact it was as flat as could be! I remember suddendly reminding myself that I might not be real etc etc... everything under the sun i've felt or thought probably even weirder thoughts than most of you believe it or not. Good news is im recovered and you can be too as soon as you start listening instead of thinking. I can remember feeling derealized and sometimes feeling normal and then sord of missing DR and thinking it was too good to be true that I was feeling normal so id "shock" myself into it again over and over. Hard to explain i know..... You guys ever seen the discovery channel where the people make their hands bleed right in the middle of their palms just by thinking about it really hard? You're no different. Everyone on here is very SMART, very detailed and deeply emotional which is NOT a bad thing. The thing you all have to learn is how to tame it and be functional and able to use it in a good way just like i have.


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## Relaxation (Aug 23, 2010)

chippy! said:


> The main problem with my DP/DR anxiety is that if I'm working or in a busy place I have these self awareness "shocks".
> These seem to be the most annoying thing about DP/DR. I'll try to describe it to you to see if you can relate.
> 
> Say if your in a place which isn't your confort zone, for me that is when I'm working or out around a lot of people ok. So you don't feel right as usual becasue of your DP/DR (The usual symptoms:bad vision, don't feel sharp, feel dreamy, don't feel steady on feet, blah blah blah ...etc....etc. yer?)
> ...


omg this is EXACTLY the same as me, ive tried explaining it too people loads, its one of the reasons my DP got so bad i felt it was going to happen when i was doing things and id freak out, it mostly happens when your really enjoying something your doing then it just triggers and ruins it then you cant consentrate on anything and end up talking to people like a weirdo with long pauses while you've forgot what it was you was talking about because your minds racing.


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