5 Signs You're Experiencing Dissociation

There are many ways our bodies escape from stress. One way is through dissociation. Dissociation is a defense mechanism where we unconsciously push away conflicting or threatening emotions from our subconscious mind. It’s a form of compartmentalizing your feelings so that you do not have to deal with them. Below are a few different signs that you are or have experienced dissociation.
DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or guidance
We also made a video about the differences between Depersonalization vs Derealization: • Depersonalization vs D...
Writer: Sara Del Villar
Script Editor: Vanessa Tao
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera
Animator: Zyan Méndez (@tomboi.studio)
KZbin Manager: Cindy Cheong
References:
Casarella, J. (2020, September 27). Mental Health: Depersonalization Disorder. WebMD . www.webmd.com/mental-health/d....
Duckworth, M.P., Iezzi, T., Archibald, Y. et al. Dissociation and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Patients With Chronic Pain. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health 5, 129-139 (2000). doi.org/10.1023/A:1012958206465
Ehlers, A., & Steil, R. (1995). Maintenance of intrusive memories in posttraumatic stress disorder: a cognitive approach. Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy, 23(3), 217-249. doi.org/10.1017/S135246580001...
Gluck, S., & Croft, H. (2016, July 1). Dissociation. Everything is Unreal. HealthyPlace. www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-....
MayoClinic Staff. (2017, November 17). Dissociative disorders. Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c....
Morton, K. (2020, December 7). Is It Dissociation? KZbin. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSG09....
Sang, F. Y., Jáuregui-Renaud, K., Green, D. A., Bronstein, A. M., & Gresty, M. A. (2006). Depersonalisation/derealisation symptoms in vestibular disease. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 77(6), 760-766. doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2005.075473
Spiegel, D. (2021, March). Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder - Psychiatric Disorders. Merck Manuals Professional Edition. www.merckmanuals.com/professi....
Vogel, M., Krippl, M., Frenzel, L., Riediger, C., Frommer, J., Lohmann, C., & Illiger, S. (2019). Dissociation and Pain-Catastrophizing: Absorptive Detachment as a Higher-Order Factor in Control of Pain-Related Fearful Anticipations Prior to Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Journal of clinical medicine, 8(5), 697. doi.org/10.3390/jcm8050697

[@drinasun6984]

1.0:50 Memory loss 2. 1:29 Derealization 3. 1:59 Feeling lightheaded 4. 2:30 Not feeling pain 5. 3:08 A loss of self-identity

[@sy.mindie3893]

Thanks

[@mariomaster101official]

Cool

[@kelda2608]

Thanks!

[@rachiemoved9695]

patreon fella fello over here make way🪄

[@Kirbogaming2761]

How five hours ago

[@manasvi4325]

This is one of those things where you go *"Oh, that's what that feeling is."*

[@Psych2go]

Yep..

[@iamrosalindabb7408]

I don't think everyone feels it tho

[@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475]

Life is a cycle of never ending pain and misery and despair.

[@creatorsoulchan]

...i realised this is exactly what im going through ;-;

[@creatorsoulchan]

i push away my feelings to not be vulnerable

[@cainfreak]

sometimes I feel like I’m a child again. I just stare at myself in the mirror, breathe in and realise that “wow. this is real life. I’m really here. I can interact with the things here. wow.” And it absolutely blows my mind every time.

[@somebodythattrulyexists28]

Same. ._. But, why?

[@ogiyonkelesebane9756]

I'm crying all days I'm in so much sorrow this is a painful experience

[@Derahbbg]

Sameeee I thought it was only me :(

[@ollie_cotswolds]

same

[@tasha1357]

This just happened to me a few minutes ago 😞

[@cakecrumb095]

The strangest feeling I get from disassociation is when I suddenly feel like my surroundings are unfamiliar, as if I’ve been dropped into the middle of an unfamiliar place, even though it’s in my own house or something.

[@kookie_2178]

Same , I feel like why am I here 😕, I didn't ask to be here

[@boxfox2945]

Occasional I've had that happen, for a second or two..

[@sofiamahdi3040]

thats how my dissociation often occure, its so strainge its like you are in a diffrent room or space, bur noting has change.

[@goodbyechase]

this is so real

[@real_lampcap]

Right

[@evanclark2333]

I think I’ve had derealization for years and let me say, it is the hardest thing to describe to people. The weirdest feeling ever it’s so hard to deal with but to put a name to it and seeing others have it helps me feel less crazy

[@Biketherapy113]

I hope you're okay Evan. You're not alone friend

[@martinoffl]

Now im doing my level best to overcome from disociation That's im interested in doing the realitistic things what the normal peoples will do but those things or works are completely devoid of logic. And then that caused me a mouth breathing little bit. And then this disorder is associated with the anger and burnout signs Will u pls clarify which episode is this in disociation

[@EmbraceTheStruggle24]

Hope things get better for ya man 🙏 blessings ^_^

[@grammarnazi3876]

Dissociation is awful. You just feel so disconnected from everything. To me, it feels like I'm a spectator in my own life, and a lot of times, I'll sort of temporarily "wake up" from that trance and realise, "dang, I'm really here, aren't I?" before slowly transitioning back into Spectator Mode. It just feels like there's a part of me missing that I can't explain or figure out. I think I'd prefer overwhelming emotions, positive _or_ negative, over this...numbness.

[@Jo.D.Tyler.]

That's why I feel empty

[@keiron.4612]

I feel this most days I go in to my own world but basically even if I wanted to open up to people I feel pretty alone

[@vikramplayz.]

I think i have it anyways.....

[@diamondcookieoftruth898]

I relate to you so much. A part of me is missing and I would prefer negativity over numbness.

[@Psych2go]

Yep.. have you found a strategy that helps you feel present?

[@channel22902]

Me: *Shows all the symptoms.* Me: *It's probably just a phase.*

[@josieandjimmy.1]

@penguins Don’t put random links

[@taliabeth]

i like ur beard

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Speaking from experience, it is just a phase. It's also a symptom and it can also be a very unpleasant phase.

[@keiron.4612]

Or it's all in your head do parents not get it maybe they will when I'm gone

[@Psych2go]

How long have the phase lasted?

[@patriaciasmith3499]

Psilocybin containing mushrooms saved my life. The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit. It has also helped me survive depression.

[@elizabethwilliams6651]

@Micheal Harris I was having this constant, unbearable anxiety because of university stress. Not until I came across dr.sporess, a very intelligent mycologist. He saved my life honestly

[@Barbara-jx4ru]

Tripping is not really bad but find a good mycologist Who will teach you the right things you need to know

[@Jennifer-bw7ku]

@@elizabethwilliams6651 Does dr.sporess ship?

[@elizabethwilliams6651]

@Micheal Harris @dr.sporess

[@elizabethwilliams6651]

He’s on Insta

[@cesarvilla1422]

I’m 24 . Sometimes I still feel like the kid I was when I was freshly 18 . I see everyone at my work or in public that I think and view them as there older then me to only come to find out there around my age. People often are surprised by my age as well because I have a full beard . When I look at my self I feel this sense that my life is going by so fast and I can’t wrap my mind around it . I recently got out of a 4 year relationship and I feel like I lost most of my memories and mind when I try to tract them down . I just simply forgot everything when people talk about a memory and say “ damn that was two years ago remember “ I just don’t remember .

[@oliverwhisker-leon2834]

Right? I’m about to turn 23, and what you said about losing your memories hits home. It’s like my brains deleting my memories as I go, old friends bring up important moments in our relationships and I’ve slowly over the years not been able to remember any of them. I feel like I know them the same, but I can’t directly remember anything. It’s like a mist over my life, I can remember my feelings but not events or situations and I feel like I have barely lived even though time is flying simply because I cannot remember my life. I don’t know why nobody I know has this, I often blame it on smoking way too much weed. However I’ve stopped smoking over 6 months ago and nothing has changed.

[@DiselSun]

@@oliverwhisker-leon2834 Continue with the weed bro, i never smoked nothing, and i got this forgetness symthoms aswell

[@FuckFascistYouTube]

Only sometimes? I'm 32 and have felt 15 this entire time lmao. No joke. The movie I relate to most, by far, is Big. Does anyone *actually* ever feel like an adult? Does anyone *actually* not want to climb trees and ride bikes anymore? I'm sure at a certain point this mentality is bad, but the thought of "growing up" is so pointless to me

[@jesh1640]

hey yall, hope you guys are doing well, and sorry that you guys are going through all this, but do hope things get better for you guys, and things always get better even if it takes some time, and there's always light at the end of the tunnel, keep on treading along for sooner or later you'll over come this. Much love to you all and God bells Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

[@ekay4495]

Woah story sounds very very similar to mine

[@selfish.machines]

i swear this channel knows exactly when to post a video when people need them

[@magiqkat7018]

Honestly, holy crap

[@lunar-dream]

Exactly legit I had something happen last night and I think they knew

[@yutanakamoto7069]

Ikr

[@jaxxonguin8440]

IKR LIKE I WAS DOING RESEARCH ON THIS LAST NIGHT BC I THINK IVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I WAS 9

[@Psych2go]

Because we are ONE.

[@jellyfisheee]

My symptoms: -Not feeling like my surroundings are physically there -Feeling like other people arent there -Keep forgetting who i am and what ive done in my life -Constantly getting lost in thought and forgetting alot of things -Feeling like my words and movements arent coming from me -Feeling dizzy/lightheaded easily -Not caring about/feeling physical pain Ive dealed with these symptoms for over a year now and i hope that my therapist will properly diagnose me.

[@ggnova9851]

So i have had those symptoms for almost two years now and have coped with it as i bettered my anxiety when i began working and allthough i still feel lightheaded/ dizzy, not caring about physical pain, constantly getting lost and forgetting where i am but have learned to cope with these issued by simply ignoring it isn’t helping but it isnt getting worst and i do feel more confident and less anxiety induced when in public

[@ihavenoideawhatimdoingwith4240]

This is... Scarily accurate to what's been going on with me. For a while I looked up DID and BPD (Dissociative Identity Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder) and it hit pretty close to home as well. At the moment, I'm still confused about it all. I try not to think too much on it anymore because a lot of the time I feel like I'm faking it somehow or being confused, and I get depressed. But this, this is pretty damn close. I don't feel pain, I don't feel here, I'm away somewhere and I can never remember anything, unless it was a WHILE back or a few days. I can barely remember shit I did 6 minutes ago by now. It's annoying lol

[@jessicasuzanne___]

Same- literally

[@dissociatedpos]

I have most of these symptoms too. For me it's been around 7 months. It feels nice that there's people to relate to though

[@liam_er]

i’ve had all of those for over two years already (wow it’s been so long lol) and i’ve given up trying to feel real and in the moment again. i miss that lively feel of laughing my heart out with a group of friends and never wanting to leave. now i stop in the middle of laughter to try and remember why i was laughing and why i suddenly don’t want to laugh anymore. it’s so strange and i don’t think i’m ever going to get out. scary in the early couple months of feeling this, it felt like i was stuck in 8th grade when it started. now that it’s been so long and i’ve forgotten all the fun memories from then, idk who i am anymore or who i was it’s all just so confusing. and there people asking me what i want to major in in college? like bitch idk who tf’s body i’m standing in rn

[@michalsmitmajer7535]

Lived with that misery called Dissociation little over 4 years…. It’s truly a terrible experience…. But eventually I broke away, when I started to follow some new true purpose. Persuing and focusing on brighter future (rather than thinking about the past or present) truly set me free from that hell. I came out filled with energy and stronger than ever…. For all those who “live” with dissociation: Please, endure. Good time will come, solve your problems one by one and have patience. Remember, there will always be someone who loves you in this world… even if you don’t see it.

[@Chlo255]

I have this every once in a while, sometimes for a few hours and sometimes for a few days. I remember dissociating, kind of like having an out-of-body experience, as a child when I was living with my abusive parent, and so I know that's why it's happening. It's a weird feeling but it doesn't worry me like it used to! Everybody hang in there ♥️

[@coolperson6544]

Same, i swear i have the same feeling

[@AlienX281]

So Dissociation is more like an on and off thing? Not 24/7 like depression/anxiety

[@dsNightly]

I haven't thought about this since I was a kid, but I remember this happening to me a few times. It would start out of the blue and I could feel it coming on. I don't remember being scared of the feeling, necessarily. I felt numb, also that the sounds and sights around me seemed distant. This feeling would last for hours. I only remember it happening during the day while at school and I have memories of it seemingly happening when it was loud with commotion around me, like during lunch or recess. I haven't thought about this in years, probably the last time it happened was middle school. I never felt the need to tell anyone about it, at least in detail - maybe I said I felt "weird". I had an abusive stepmom, after my mom dying when I was very young, I felt that has affected me emotionally and may have been why I experienced this and it's good to know I wasn't the only one who experienced this

[@earthboundisawsome]

My way of describing it is it feels like playing a video game in 3rd person. Your character is you. You controll them. You press the buttons. You know your skills and stats. You can see your hp and mp. You know when your hurt and take damage; or when you're tired and have a debuff. But you stop feeling it. Sometimes you wonder if maybe even there's someone else in there that does.

[@pokipineapple5377]

That's always what I've thought of it as!

[@earthboundisawsome]

@@pokipineapple5377 glad to know someone out there understands

[@yaboivoid1670]

That’s exactly how it feels

[@AUTHENTICXO]

I recently used a video game analogy to describe the problem I’ve been having to my therapist. It’s like I get in my head and suddenly these experiences aren’t mine, they’re someone else’s. I’m just watching. I told her it makes me feel like a fraud. Like I’m not really enjoying life with these ppl.

[@earthboundisawsome]

@@AUTHENTICXO i feel you there. I think i used RPGs throughout my life as a way of not feeling so bad about the fraud side. It's like... Taking a choose your own adventure structure and applying it to yourself i guess? At least, that helps me feel a little more invested in my choices and surroundings.

[@evangeleneconnolly3615]

I never realized I was dissociating my whole childhood untill I looked back and realized I couldn't feel anything during some of the bad memories and I completely blocked out others. What hurts the most for me is the depersonalization - it was fueled by the fact my main guardian always told me "You never experienced anything painful. You were only a witness" and it created such a strong disconnect between what I felt and what I thought and who I was. A truly awful way to cope with an even worse environment

[@steffirmts3056]

I feel you

[@ramsesclviii2584]

yup being a witness sucks and to being led to believe that it'd help. being helpless brought me a lot of regret with choices i couldnt make and things i wish i couldnt just disassociate but face them and learn to do so.

[@jadesefue5323]

oh wow, i completely freaking empathize

[@jessicasuzanne___]

Same..

[@murty4529]

how is this even happening to me I haven't even gone through much

[@alcmeros2o669]

I’d like to point out that you can derealize without having dissociation. I derealize every once in a while, and it’s best to just do something that grounds you such as paying deep attention to each of your senses

[@xsomeoneh8245]

I feel like full distraction only helps to not think about the symptoms of Derealization rather than actually decreasing the feeling but that is only me maybe

[@auntienyannyan]

derealization is a specific form of dissociation. dissociation or disassociation is the umbrella for any mind-body connect.

[@xsomeoneh8245]

@@auntienyannyan I think I have both Derealization and Depersonalization but mostly Derealization

[@mikeschneider7090]

I didn't even know that dissociation existed but after after watching this video and realizing that I've been dealing with all those symptoms/signs for years I know that I've probably been dealing with dissociation for a long time. I especially feel like I'm just a spectator. Had this feeling for years and always thought it was normal...

[@danielmilke625]

I feel there reasons why that need to be Rectified it’s not normal I have the same feelings there’s things we should be doing but we choose to Disassociate

[@userm180]

in what ways did it affect your life?

[@cookiesdll]

Are you the legendary Mike Schneider fingerboarder?

[@Pntngbrn]

Yes, the feeling for me was not being a real person. I had it for a long time

[@Tambrose0405]

Check out dissociative identity disorder

[@himal_pillay]

Dissociation can be one of the worst things. But, from my experience, I believe it worked as a coping mechanism when things at home were too tough to deal with. Now that I'm older, I found the space to really heal and reconnect with my emotions and deal with the hurt that can come along with it. I suppose what I really want to say is that we have to find a space in our life where we can finally believe and feel that it's "safe to feel" and be vulnerable.

[@psych2goeducation804]

Sounds like you found your safe space!

[@himal_pillay]

@@psych2goeducation804 yeah 😊

[@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475]

Evolution is suicide because eventually you realize that life is stupid and pointless.

[@himal_pillay]

@@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475 I hear your pain. Sending love your way ❤️

[@jarofpixies]

❤️

[@scratchgotcrazybeats44]

You will feel like you're in a movie, there is a filter between you and the world. It's like being high/drunk - without the fun part. Everything's on auto-pilot. All of the the decisions are pre-determined. When you wash your hands it feels like you are touching your hands for the first time. Ironically, you will probably enjoy it the first few times it hits because it's an escape or maybe it's just me but it stays with you day after day and then when you actually want to experience the world, you can't. There is nothing you can do that's gonna connect you to the world. You're gonna wake up in the morning thinking it's gone, but after a couple of minutes you realize it's still there and you go about your day. You will probably talk about it with your friends and they do not know what to say. You are here but not present.

[@TheMainEngy]

"It's like being high/drunk - without the fun part" is the truest shit and is what I'm struggling with right now. Thank you for this.

[@theemofemboycatgirlw3214]

Excuse me but what is the fun part of being high for me it definitely wasn't when I took a bunch of coke and dissappeared for 3 days and only surviving by the skin of my teeth or what about my friend who nearly died because he was high on meth and thought he was invincible so he ran out onto the duel carriageway got run over by a car doing 70 only survived because he was lucky being high isn't always fun so don't say it is

[@TheMainEngy]

@@theemofemboycatgirlw3214 Dude, by fun, most likely he means alcohol and weed; getting crossfaded in other words.. In your case though, you happened to run into coke and meth, which if you ask anybody, those are 100% not fun together, especially the meth. I don't think I ever heard or seen someone try to defend meth to be used in "medicinal" or "responsible" amounts, like cannabis and alcohol, feel me?

[@owolol9723]

Pre determined actions hehe useful in that one Rick and morty episode

[@shadowgirl765]

Maybe that's why I drink.... Feeling drunk all the time anyway, may as well have fun with it.

[@sabaideebee]

I remember at a very young age, I had this haunting feeling like I was a passenger in my body, peering through the windows of my eyes, feeling like I was subconsciously acting out the will of some entites. In middle school I used to forget the class I needed to go to halfway walking to it, or sometimes the specific building I was in or where I was exactly, it was pretty scary trying to recollect where I was or what I was doing, but still, I'm hesitant in saying I have any condition.

[@mohammzahamza3148]

Bro someone put it into words it's like you are watching a video in vr like you don't have any real control over your own action

[@genesimmons90]

I was starting to question whether I was really actually dissociating because people keep saying "it's like living in 3rd person" which it never was like to me. Like... It rather felt like a.... 2nd first-person perspective... Hearing someone else say this for the first time is a bit calming.. This is all still very scary to me. I don't know how to work with this.

[@jesh1640]

sorry that you guys are going through this but, many have broken away from it or have gotten it under control to a certain degree, but I hope you guys break away from it as well, much love to you all, hang in there and God bless ! Matthew 11:28-30“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

[@FuckFascistYouTube]

Feeling like a passenger in your own body, at least for me, is 100% the result of accepting that we have no free will. I'd actually argue that's how we *should* feel

[@axolotl593]

I would do that too

[@starry4471]

Well, I’m relieved to know that I’m not a victim of dissociation, at least according to this list of symptoms. Thank you for being informative, and for those who are dealing with this, stay strong and reach out!

[@kyliejo2881]

must be nice

[@starry4471]

@@kyliejo2881 We're all fighting our own battles. While I don't dissociate, I have inattentive ADD. Mental illness is not a competition, and we should all be supportive of each other.

[@hadenlee2881]

@@kyliejo2881 tf

[@kyliejo2881]

@@starry4471 i was jk

[@jenynz5334]

This channel scratches the surface of psychology. It's not in depth. My dissociation is different due to my complicated issues, but I still have it. Best of luck to you in finding what you're dealing with.

[@potatofairy4512]

Is this why nothing feels real anymore. I'm just drifting through life at this point. I feel so out of it all the time. I forget things all the time throughout the day to the point where I will get home from somewhere and be like "wait where was I?".

[@psych2goeducation804]

Yes, sounds a lot like dissocation. When did you first experience this?

[@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475]

No the reason why nothing feels real is because life is a meaningless joke.

[@ryn.999]

ive been like this for years. oh my its crazy how long its taken for me to realize

[@69trashlord69]

I know exactly what you mean, a lot of times I'll have to ask the fiance what I was doing and if I was talking or saying anything because I'll be holding a conversation or I'll be in the middle of a task and then suddenly my mind's just gone and then when I come back I don't remember anything prior to it because I wasn't really actually there if that makes sense.

[@imamcrstan]

like literally this morning i said something to my friend and 30 seconds later i thought she said what i had and legit didn’t remember what i said at all like it was scary asf not to remember what i said seconds before

[@beamily1829]

Dissociation memory loss actually isn't always super obvious. It's not always a sudden "jump" (although sometimes it is). But there can also be a "transition period" when you aren't really even aware enough to realize you can't remember. As an example, I might be playing guitar, then realize that I'm playing guitar, then realize I don't know how long I've been playing guitar, then realize the last thing I remember is being in the kitchen making lunch and that can't remember the last three hours. So there's still a gap in memory, but the realization might come gradually rather than in a jarring transition. And sometimes the realization doesn't come at all. Like, I'll be going about my day, turn around to make my bed, or put the groceries away, or do laundry, and it's already done. So there's a gap, but I would never have realized without something moving in the environment or something. And sometimes you notice a jarring transition, but you're so dissociated that you don't even register that its jarring or scary. You have like no thoughts or emotions about it. You're just zoned out

[@Catlily5]

True, I didn't even know I lost time until other people told me. Plus, I blocked out abuse for years until it started coming back to me.

[@ohb9894]

The gap's something I experience too! Like oh I'm doing this... Okay huh for how long? Is he doing this okay let me finish that.

[@Ellie-bx9vx]

For some reason this happens to me with like people ? Like I’ll remember someone by my side but the they’re somehow in front of me now ? Ah it’s so annoying

[@fatman9644]

Often times I drive to an appointment, to a friend or somewhere else just to realise that I cant remember how I got there. However, if I try hard enough and think of the general way I must have taken, I can recollect part of the memory.

[@arsonthearsonist2928]

Sometimes I'm at the door, putting on my shoes to go out and just realize what I'm doing, then I realize that I can't remember what I did that morning

[@DaddyDumptruckDeluxe]

I’ve been dealing with this for the past 8 years of my life. I just turned 30 and i have thrown 8 of the quite seriously the most precious years of my life away in such an overwhelming state of depression, loss of personal identity, and just general consideration for self. Mentally dormant. Every ounce of passion, enthusiasm, imagination, curiosity, and most of all ambition, extinguished. I had hit my maximum as to the negative feelings I was capable of dealing with and just split off from the real world, my problems were no longer *my problems.* I adopted a hauntingly nihilistic mindset that dominates every sense of worry or abandon I feel even to this day. It protects me from any pain, guilt, and damage, and it’s fucking killing me. All I have now is shame and a steadfast sense of humor helping me along this fast-forwarding of my life. I have no idea how to get out. I’m dying quickly and I can’t stop.

[@ttophatt]

Disassociation for me is very stressful and just plain annoying sometimes. Some people are able to pull themselves out of it, but for others, like me, it’s not that easy. Most of the time I’m conscious if the fact that I’m disassociating but I just can’t bring myself back. It’s very annoying and distressing, and can be hard to deal with sometimes. Especially if it’s happening for a long period of time, it can get tiring.

[@seeexy]

umm yeah i felt that.. it was rly hard to "calm" or ground my self down if happens for a longer period

[@janeevangeline1524]

This made me realize so much about myself and the fact I've been complaining about feeling like I'm in a dream since I was 9. The change was abrupt too. I could remember how I felt before feeling this way, and never being able to experience reality in the same way ever since. Sometimes when I look at my reflection or focus on my thoughts too much, I start to become too aware of my existence. Almost like "waking up", or being too conscious, and then it feels like I'm not inside of my body at all. It's a weird-ass feeling!

[@peachduck24]

Yes I remember when I was younger it felt like I was in a grey “bubble” like nothing was real around me in that bubble but outside it life was normal. I would look in the mirror and actually see myself and think “I’m actually real?” Lmfao

[@dissociatedpos]

Yeahh that's a good way of describing it.

[@DannyCat08]

i feel in the same way, when i was travelling with my family, i fell asleep (or that was what thought) and wake up in the table of a restaurant, i just forgot how i got there, and my parents say that i walked up to the table, at the time i thought i was a sleepwalker, and after that, i feel anxious and dizzy or if i was in a dream and a weird one. please, forgive me if my english is bad, i dont speak english at all :'v

[@r3dsunl1ght15]

I kinda just like do stuff and then sometimes think about myself and I’m like “woah! I’m here! I’m living! I can think and do stuff!”

[@jacobreynolds3917]

Thank you. I was always terrified by this because it happened whenever I was in tense situations, such as sports games or other things. I always felt like I was vulnerable and sad because nobody else knew what was going on.

[@markedwards2833]

Tips for Dpdr 1. Maintaining a good diet and sleep schedule makes the biggest difference for this 2. rubbing your fingers together and thinking about the feeling. 3. if you are sad, then you should cry. if you have dpdr it’s normally easy to turn off your emotions in almost any bad situation but if you try to experience them it will help you feel more real. 4. when dissociating, think to yourself, “I’m going to do this now.” what ever you thought about doing, then do it. it can be as simple as moving your hand to a different position, but you made that decision. you thought it out.

[@mimi077]

hi, thanks for these tips

[@stonerdude3849]

These are actually pretty good tips so thank you very much

[@Sofijaaa_mwa]

thank you

[@bob15479]

#4 feels good

[@galenburgess6890]

Especially for number 3 teaching myself to cry really helped ground me a lot and each time things would feel and get better almost instantly and naturally. That being said it's been a while since I've made myself do it again but I recognize how helpful and regulating it can be

[@ffic4life]

I’ve often wondered about whether I dissociate during arguments with my mom, or during stressful situations. Because while I’m physically present and responding at intervals, my mind is either blank or just distant and thinking about other things. But now after learning more about it I know that no, I’m not dissociating. I’m merely compartmentalizing to get through the situation. Which is similar but not the same thing. Thank you for this, it was very helpful

[@emerald4812]

I’m no expert, but I have dealt with trauma. Dissociation is a very wide spectrum, and can include so many symptoms. This does sound like a type of dissociation to me. You might feel disconnected from your emotions, which is a way your brain protects you from them. Feeling like you’re not really present in the moment can also be a big sign of dissociation. While I cannot diagnose you, you are very much describing dissociation.

[@ffic4life]

@@emerald4812 well I’m not fully disconnected from my emotions, I willfully decide to not respond to them. Like I register something getting said upset me but unless it’s truly egregious I don’t react, even though I may have a response. I just emotionally remove myself I guess

[@Fractimago]

I haven’t been diagnosed with anything dissociative, and I’m honestly not sure I’ll bring up my symptoms with my therapist yet as it all feels very surreal and almost as if I were imagining everything. Whenever I experience symptoms like this, it’s like you said, where you feel like your mind goes blank. I’m still doing things and saying things, but my mind almost feels like it’s been disconnected from what I’m currently saying or doing. This happens most often during conversations. I still see myself as it should be, but sometimes when I look at myself, I see something as being ‘wrong’ or not really myself, yet I still feel like me. It’s really hard and confusing to explain XD For the longest time I thought I was completely emotionally numb, it made me really depressed, but then someone pointed out times that I had been obviously happy, and I remembered being happy, but afterwords felt almost foreign. Having a blast playing a card game in my memory turns into simply me playing a card game. No emotions attached. Besides other symptoms that may or may not be related, I did have a few crazy dreams that I always for some reason remember. I almost never have dreams, but there’s a few in my life that stand out considerably.

[@xsomeoneh8245]

@@emerald4812 Have you ever watched the news while having strong Dissociation or Derealization? If yes then how did you feel?

[@seeexy]

ohh ty i understand now it's called compartmentalizing

[@nyodst]

I recently had a panic attack a few weeks ago. I was already feeling pretty stressed out around that time but through a move from my mind to calm myself down, I started feeling anxious about being anxious, which made me spiral into some of the symptoms in the video. It was like I was being pushed out of my own body, like I was losing control and my reality was going blurier and blurier. There were times when I calmed myself down a bit but this went on for 2 days at least. Most of my trauma is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, prolonged bullying in primary school by students and teachers alike, and getting run over by a car 2 years ago being the 2 that come to mind. However, like my parents, I'm naturaly anxious. The fact that my anxiety can invite itself at any time and amplify my stress to this degree is frightning. It's such a fucked up loop to find yourself in. It was scary but it served as reminder to take care myself and my mental health, something that I neglected a bit too much with college and all that. Anyway, thank you for posting this. Knowing It's a real thing and somthing that others have to deal with as well makes me feels a bit better about myself. And to anyone dealing with dissociation, I believe in y'all.

[@jenynz5334]

Dissociation is a way our minds try to escape perceived danger and pain. It's a defense mechanism. I do it when I need to, but I know I really need to fix the things truly causing my stress. It seems to live in the body, but I hear some things help even with that.

[@SuperWiiBros08]

I guess I've had a lot of dissociation, I've been avoiding discord and twitter dms and anything related to socializing cuz it only causes me depression because of my loneliness, but also I'm aware that I don't spend too much time working on content or drawing or learning new things and I really wish I was more dedicated but I just don't have the motivation to do so

[@carrieon2912]

You can do it, I promise. Even if you pick up a pencil and doodle an eyeball on the corner of a receipt, you’re still drawing! You’re still allowing yourself to express yourself. It doesn’t have to be a big thing where you sit down with 135 coloured pencils and an Inking pen and spend 72 hours drawing. It can just be a sketch you doodle absentmindedly while on your phone. Allow yourself little moments. You’re not failing if you have these little moments, you’re actually winning! Be kind to yourself, you got this, ☺️❤️

[@yippeeyip4764]

Hope you feel better soon bro. sending love

[@ThePress00]

Somewhag relatable, except i post full colored, large complex drawings very often, and i barely get 10 likes. So when i see a comment, i don't read it until days later, for some reason.

[@carrieon2912]

@@ThePress00 if you link your art, I will like it :) 👍

[@sami404.]

I'm 3 months late btw Listen to an artist called adam duff on KZbin he's my favorite every time I struggle with motivation, and remember one thing you don't look around for motivation you make it yourself :) Don't force yourself to do things tho.

[@isleep5914]

i have struggled since i was little with dissociation. i did not know what it was for the longest time. ever since i was molested as a child, i have experienced borderline personality disorder and dissociation . Sometimes i feel confused as to where I am and get severe dizzy spells. It doesn't hurt to think about what had happened to me. Instead, I moved to alcoholism as a self harm mechanism to feel more at peace with my mind. I hardly remember much of what happened. but there are very specific details i remember to this day, even though i was only five years old when it started. I almost died at my school about a month ago from alcohol poisoning. I was found seizing in the bathroom and was wheeled by ambulance to the nearest ER. to everyone who is struggling with this, you are not alone, okay? sometimes it is scary waking up at night from a staring trance at the wall. Losing hours of sleep... not realizing ive been in another world... staring into nothingness for hours and hours at night time is one way my mind would dissociate. I sometimes think about how I really am in real life, that this is not a game, and that i really am a real person around other real people. Sometimes it is scary, i know. but you can do this. if anyone wants to reach out to me, let me know and i will give you my information in the replies. much love and blessings

[@JP-em8rj]

Going through these comments is really taking a huge weight off my chest, I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing these things, knowing I'm not alone really does ease a lot of anxiety.

[@wingeroni135]

This explains why I consistently forget the details of virtually every argument I've ever had almost immediately after it concludes, especially with my mom. Thanks for uploading this.

[@sp00kyd4ddy6]

Not necessarily I wouldn't ever use this videos as a means to determine a problem you have but if you do relate to videos like these it may be best to seek out someone who has the skills and knowledge to help you

[@leocantaim]

I feel this man. Every time we’d have to go back to an argument or argue over specific details my mind just goes completely blank. Really sucks

[@veroxx8260]

Omg me too! I’ve had to take multiple takes to try to remember what exactly I was arguing about with my mom, even some points I was going to make, so I would have to write things down so I know for sure I could remember it later on

[@ryanbaumez]

I think your adrenaline builds up and you just black out during the argument, doubt that you have “disassociation” issues frm that example specifically..

[@valterbda1]

@@veroxx8260 A couple weeks we had a argument (me and mom) and was exactly like you, we argued a bit face to face but forgot so many things i wanted to say, a couple hours after went on pc and had to write everything i had to say and send her a message. It sucks :(

[@Womenempowerment_]

Dissociation helps a lot with forgetting traumatizing things that happened to you. I forget stuff for years until someone brings it up then there goes all of the memories coming back. I zone out so much I try to stop but I can’t. I don’t feel pain at all I just let it bottle up and turn into anger. Wow I have a lot of issues.

[@Heyitschy03]

same

[@christophergarcia9155]

Disassociation, depersonalization, derealization.... I promise you all who are going through it it goes away ❤️ I never thought that it would have but only a few months after and it's already almost gone

[@epicmage82]

I've had this since I was a child. It happened a good amount growing up, but I fear it's gotten way worse years later. I experience it everyday. This does a good job explaining it, but its way more disturbing than explained. It seems like I blinked, and now I'm 40. Honestly I'm not all that present when anyone is around. Anyone. Including my roommates, and family. Everything stresses me out all the time. Down to the concept of life, and it's expectations. I stress over, and wonder how lo g I can keep it together. To quote the show Rick and Morty, Existance is pain.

[@isnyk3s]

Down, to the concept of life... I felt this :(

[@RetroPlus]

I've had this feeling for years after going through months of terrible pain. It doesn't hit you right away, it came after about a year for me. It's your brain's way of handling trauma that's too much to cope with. To me it feels like your old life is over, and you're living a kind of hazy afterlife now. Watching yourself exist despite not feeling alive, it's a feeling I've sadly become extremely familiar with. Hopefully one day there will be a treatment or maybe even a cure. I remain hopeful

[@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475]

No don't remain hopeful because fallowing you're dreams will be a fruitless endever.

[@fluffle4456]

Being hopeful is the most hopeless thing.

[@jk7074]

I realy adore that you are still hopeful. Well yes, there aren't any explicit medications for dissociation, but there definitely are ways to cope, ease the symptoms and in time, get rid of it entirely. Perhaps seek profesional, cognitive behavioral or dialectal behavioral therapies. Both might not work, but that isnt a reason to blane yourself for it. They are also fully confidential and discrete, and definitely worth the shot. There are also plenty of articles on the internet that can provide you with coping techniques and certain life hacks to self-help. I know that it might be difficult to do because shool/work and other responsibilities might get in your way, geting enough sleep, avoiding stress triggers or things like going for walks and simply trying to get yourself comfortable by some selfcare might help alleviate the condition. Maybe some tricks like snifing levander when you feel like dissociating and other things that help you ground yourself might help. I know it will take time, but try reaching out for help and find ways you can help yourself. I wish you to do well.

[@jk7074]

@@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475 man, you are broken

[@thesmic1224]

@@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475 You get nowhere with that attitude. You set your own limits you can change them.

[@kogi1051]

Now reading all these comments, they’ve made me realise I may have had it for longer than I remember, just not as strong. My main peak was a few months ago, where I believe I had bad (undiagnosed) depression and oncoming anxiety (bad anxiety came after). I was also insanely stressed out by so many things and I just started to really notice the feeling of how everything just felt so strange and unreal, like everything in my life was a lie. Sometimes it scared me, sometimes it fascinated me and sometimes it just plain annoyed me. It fascinated me because I think possibly when I was a bit younger and before that, during that, and even sometimes now, I had the ability to just walk into a room inside my house and create a slow realisation of how it looked and practically alienate it in such a way where it felt unreal, in such a way that I could make what felt so normal, almost feel new again. I don’t really know if I experience this as much anymore, as if it’s constant or anything. Sometimes I don’t notice it, or it’s really mild, but I’m able to almost “summon” up the feeling by just thinking about it. In some ways it scares the shit out of me, and in others I’m so genuinely thankful because it can be almost like a protection in dangerous or stressful situations. A few days ago actually, I was in horse riding and the horse I was on suddenly took off and I had to control her but I felt the dissociation so strongly there that I had to remind myself it was reality, resulting in the reason why I was so calm during it. Other times it’s helped me when I’ve had a genuine fear of going into school and every day I’d walk in, so fucking nervous, anxious and scared, and I’d just tell myself “this isn’t real, this isn’t real, it’s ok, this isn’t real” and I’d practically numb myself to feel safe. I also remember one night when I was in the bathroom, while everyone else was asleep, I was crying and almost screaming at myself in the mirror because I was so confused and worried and I believe I felt the depersonalisation at its strongest there too. Honestly some scary shit. There’s so many mixed emotions I have on this, that just take too long to explain, but to anyone else out there struggling with this, I just only hope it gets easier for you.

[@katherinemackay9880]

Those mirror times you feel nothing and everything at the same time

[@ddawg3514]

ive been thinking my disso started earlier than i thought too, the major event just made what was there so much more intensified

[@kirbyluvr2142]

the depersonalization one hits so hard💀 I’ve been able to see myself from a 3rd person perspective and i always found it weird- now i know😭

[@xsomeoneh8245]

It is ok

[@Poison_Jam]

My wife suffers from the 'dream' part almost every day thanks to 19 years of abuse by her parents. We take it one day at a time together. Never give up, people.

[@benjaminsalas2478]

I usually have to ride it out to calm myself down. Or try to distract myself. Although sometimes I cant really do much abt it.

[@Star-lo9cf]

I hope your wife recovers one day! Has her dissociation ever made her confused and not want to be with you? I’m curious about a lot of things and you’re a super trooper for being with her

[@psychodelic1457]

Why not ?

[@sarahritch453]

Thank you for loving her

[@jawaela]

@@psychodelic1457 edge lord

[@Ena48145]

Truly the worst feeling you can ever imagine. Unless you are going through it or have gone through it, you can NEVER understand. I have been suffering from this off and on for the last two years and the last 6 months it has progressively gotten so much worse. The last month it has been the most brutal time of my life.. waking up every morning dizzy and lightheaded to the point of not wanting to even shower and feeling like nothing around me was real. I noticed when I drank it nearly completely went away, so I started self medicating. It started with drinking wine at 8pm until I was able to go to sleep.. then 5pm.. then mid day.. then when I woke up.. and it became so bad that I would wake up 5-10 times in the middle of the night from the anxiety and pour wine just to get back to sleep.. I finally broke. I had enough. I couldn't work anymore.. I had to be tipsy/drunk just to work from home where I didn't even interact with anyone because the dissociation was _that_ bad. I couldn't function otherwise. I honestly thought I had a brain tumor because I have never heard anyone else talk about this before and I thought I was dying until I looked it up and found out about dissociation. Wow. I have never felt less alone but scared.. stories of people being cured after 5 years.. 5 years?? I cannot go another FIVE DAYS like this. I then decided to contact a doctor and she prescribed me Lexapro for my severe social anxiety/depression/panic attacks and while I know a pill doesn't solve everything, I am two and a half weeks into it but it's also been the most emotionally excruciating time of my life (if you take this, please beware your dissociation may be magnified tenfold as your brain adjusts) and today was the first time in over two years that I woke up aware. I felt like me. I waited for it to pass as it always does until I tailspin into dissociation about 30-60 minutes later, but it never passed. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER I WENT AN ENTIRE DAY WITHOUT DISSOCIATING. I know tomorrow will be different but I am so thankful for today. Please do not be afraid to seek help. I don't even have a primary care doctor and was prescribed through urgent care - that's how done I was. You CAN get help and you CAN get better. This truly is the worst feeling anyone can ever imagine and I would not wish it on a soul. My dissociation would last from the moment I wake up until I somehow go to sleep. I now have hope. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but at least there is hope. I'm editing this comment because it came up on my feed again and I forgot I had ever even watched this video, let alone commented on it. I wanted to give an update. LEXAPRO SAVED MY LIFE. I was off of it for a couple of months while in between doctors and I was back at square one. My medication completely healed every single symptom mentioned in the video that I had been suffering for years. There IS hope. Please talk to your doctor. You can be okay again, or for once ❤

[@lovelyisalovelyword6705]

I just wanted to say I’m so, so proud of you, and I’m so glad you’ve gained some hope. You’re going to get through this, and I wish you all the best. Keep going

[@ogiyonkelesebane9756]

Ever since I was a child I grew up with this rubbish

[@maryannmaciulewicz3315]

I'm so happy that you finally had a day free of dissociation!!! I know it's such a relief! Hold onto the hope you have and enjoy every moment.

[@s.tiaira9081]

I’ve dealt with this for most of my childhood probably 15 years. After I realized what it was I don’t experience it as much anymore and I also go to therapy. I’m not sure what is the cause of yours but I feel like this is some thing I’ll probably have to deal with forever to some degree. Now I notice when I’m dissociating and have found different tools to cope.

[@Tanaconasaperson]

I'm so extremely happy for you, keep up the good self care, you've got this 🥰❤❤

[@alexiswebb3702]

Thank you for this video. Dissociation has become prevalent in my life. I mainly deal with de-personalization and derealization. It's so weird. It feels like I'm playing a third person or 1st person game as I sit and watch myself do thing, not really aware of why

[@vk76157]

I still remembered when I was struggling with PTSD & Anxiety. Didn’t even noticed that I was there but not really there half of the time. Just knew that I was losing my memory, felt like my body was more in control of what it wanted to do rather than me actually being able to do it (so essentially it felt like someone was controlling my body) Most of the time, I was getting flashbacks and nightmares of the accident tho. I was aware of what was going on but the only thing I genuinely remembered at that time was eating, showering, doing a few chores, grocery & sleeping. Everything felt like a blur and I was panicking half of the time because my memory and concentration was fading in and out. It was only around the end of January that I actually was able to remember everything that had occurred. It felt like my mind was trying to block out what happened (suffered an accident that resulted in minor head injury)

[@miriamkotorova2553]

As someone with depersonalization/derealization disorder, I appreciate this so much. When I was trying to figure out what was "wrong" with me, I could have really used something that explains it as well as this video. For all of my fellow dissociated folks, stay strong, it won't last forever (or so I'm told lol). Edit: Oh wow, didn't expect to get so many responses. Sorry for my late replies.

[@bekindfellowhuman]

hey fellow dpdr mate !! :3 i'm just glad that i'm always able to "come back to reality" in less than a minute by deviating my thoughts :) but dissociation comes in different forms and shapes afterall so not everyone's able to do that **sigh** though I also believe that it won't last forever !! sometimes it may just automatically go away as you go on with your life but if not, you'll atleast learn to control it better and better through therapy ! I just view it as a part of my life rather than a threat so ig it comes down to how you perceive things :]

[@miriamkotorova2553]

@nekobarp 🏳️‍🌈 Hi there! First and foremost, not everyone can get an official diagnosis, so no hate towards self-diagnosing here. I started talking to my parents about it when I was 14 or 15, and later got a psychologist then a psychiatrist and here we are. My understanding is that derealisation is like a fever when you are sick. It's not the fever you have a problem with, its just your body showing you that something else is going on. Derealisation is often connected to depressive disorders or obsessive-compulsive ones (like I have) and therefore it is treated with those medications. SSRIs are a big help for some people, for me eeeh, they don't hurt I guess. It become a disorder when the derealisation and depersonalisation are constant or keep repeating. Stress is definitely one of major triggers for it, but not the only one. Hope that helped a bit :)

[@Phant0mK16]

I've been experiencing dissociation for 2 years and a half... I'm at the point that I'm getting used to it but it still bothers me from time to time. I miss feeling normal again

[@Phant0mK16]

@Irreverent Patches Wow, over 10 years! Thankfully you've mastered it and it no longer controls you! Stuff like this gives me hope! Thanks!

[@walterrising4276]

Your kind always do, unfortunately

[@kfranklin926]

It’s like watching everything through a window. I can see the family doing things, having fun, eating, talking, but I’m not really part of it. It’s a strange and awful feeling to be doing something, but also feel like you’re just watching yourself go through the motions. I lived in this state almost continually for a month last year because every time I wasn’t dissociating I was having a panic attack or extreme anxiety. Being present in my body was too terrifying and my brain did it what it could to help me. I ended up sleeping as much as I could just to escape.

[@minteabee]

oh my gosh, that's what I've been going through for months now. that feeling of constantly dissociating, my brain blocking absolutely everything, not feeling anything, not being actually there, and on the moments I'm not dissociating, I'm having extreme panic attacks/depressive episodes or extreme anxiety, I have them at least weekly to almost daily. I've just been trying to stay productive as much as I can but I'm doing literally everything like a zombie. It makes me lose my mind sometimes. I keep thinking what's the point in everything I do? But I do it anyways just because I know laying in bed isn't gonna help me either, I've been dealing with severe mental illness for 7 years now so I kinda got used to it? I feel like this has caused my dissociation to finally develop, because especially the last few years have been traumatizing. It has been like this for me for 7 months straight now.. and I wonder so many times how I'm still here.

[@everything_movies602]

You summed up derealization perfectly.. for years I had this and I did not know what it was called and I think once you understand what things are with mental health issues it does help to know that there's a name for it and that there's other people out there and that there are treatments for it I think understanding what's going on is over half the battle because once you know then you can go from there and work on healing and maintaining your mental health

[@wot7541]

Once I snapped out out of nowhere and “realised” that this body is me. This huge blob of meat is me and I control it. I was so terrified that I ended up crying, but soon after, the numbness returned.

[@rafaatrash]

i’ve been dissociated for almost 3 years now. i woke up with it one day and it still hasn’t gone away. everything feels like a dream and my emotions are so dull. i wish everyone experiencing this the best and you’re not alone 💝

[@blhu_oce]

16 years for me. I remember reading something about a decade ago explaining that if you have it for more than 2 years, chances are you wont get rid of it bc its so deeply rooted in who you are. I got it around 10-11 and im 27 now, the most ive had are those few seconds of clarity before im back to spectator mode, which i get a lot but its more of a tease really.

[@rafaatrash]

@@blhu_oce what have you tried doing to fix it? i tried getting on anti depressants but that made things worse, i tried changing my diet since that could apparently help according to some people. i’m trying to book a chiropractor to see if that would help since a lot of people have found that working. best of luck to you my friend. life is lame in spectator mode

[@walterrising4276]

One day you'll become trans

[@ggrrm]

@@blhu_oce damn teally

[@ggrrm]

@@blhu_oce is there anything that can help it

[@kerrahinrichs1891]

To everyone experiencing dissociation right now, I want to give you hope that you CAN get better. I dealt with a lot of trauma ages 15-18, and I ended up dissociating as a coping mechanism. I felt like I was in autopilot and couldn’t feel anything even if I tried. Then, I went to college and escaped my traumatic experience. However, this only triggered my worst episode of dissociation. I had no idea who I was or how to act in this new world where I was safe, and I felt more alone and depressed than ever before. I tried for so long to escape the dissociation, but felt like the effort was futile, and I feared I would always be like that. However, with therapy and a lot of self-work, I was finally able to get better. It took about a year of work, but I now feel present in life, and it is the best feeling ever. I of course have my bad days where I suddenly feel disconnected again, but I have the coping skills to deal with these days. Please please please get help if you are experiencing this. It’s not hopeless despite how trapping it feels. My tips are to attend therapy, meditate, self reflect, spend time looking at yourself in a mirror and repeating “I am real, I am alive.” And most if all, don’t panic when the dissociation surges. Fear is what feeds dissociation (at least it was for me). So when you get that feeling of disconnection, acknowledge it and and just let it pass. It could take the whole day, but I have found that not panicking is the best way to fight it. Lastly, remember to love yourself. You are not less of a person or a sociopath for being this way, you are just as worthy of love as anyone else. Thank you if you read this long comment; I hope it helps someone ❤️

[@supernatsu252]

Thank you so much for this! I’ve been experiencing the worst episodes of dissociation and having anxiety attacks from it too it honestly makes it worst when the anxiety hits, I feel better and calm reading your comment

[@zaxoc8906]

Fr made me cry with this shit thank u

[@bri33626]

this helped so much. thank you

[@Chancey388]

Challenge accepted! I am going to get rid of this within a year.

[@SatorruGojo]

Idk what I have at this point I feel like I'm on auto pilot waking up doing the same thing every day hardly any emotions my self consciousness has dropped so much blurred vision legit thought I had a brain tumor and had a ct scan and a lot of other shit I've been depressed on and off but 2021 it was legit the worse its ever been start of 2022 is when I became a actual robot I can't remember simple things if anyone knows wtf is wrong with me or if it's brain fog or something to do with depression that would help so much I also spend most my days looking at a screen and have a lot of anxiety if anyone actually reads this I appreciate you so much.

[@ecmonkey13]

I talked to a couple of therapists about this. I explained it to them as my body being in social settings but my mind was watching in 3rd person. My body was in autopilot and lifeless. Fortunately I’m doing a lot better with my new meds. 😊

[@shellbell9169]

I’m glad you’re feeling better! I’m currently on Zoloft and don’t think it helps with anything beyond anxiety. If you don’t mind me asking, what meds do you feel have helped you?

[@ecmonkey13]

@@shellbell9169 Lexapro was helping for a couple of years(anxiety and depression). Recently changed my meds to Prozac and something else(can’t remember off top my head).

[@yasme9680]

@@ecmonkey13 why you did feel life in your body? Because I feel the same I feel it’s dead

[@ecmonkey13]

@@yasme9680 I daydream a lot. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons I feel out of body easily

[@yasme9680]

@@ecmonkey13 what do mean out of body? I just feel my hand and are not connected to me every day and all the day

[@kira6260]

i think my derealization started when i was in 8th grade. i went through a very traumatic event in 8th grade and i went through a month-long depressive episode afterwards. after that episode i remember going completely numb, i couldnt feel any emotions and i wasnt aware of anything happening in my life at the time. four years later and i feel a bit better. i can experience emotions sometimes but not every time. i find myself not being able to genuinely laugh or experience in-the-moment happiness. i can allow myself to feel sadness or anger and even happiness when i look back on memories, but i never feel these emotions in the moment. it feels like i’ve lost my true self and i’ve become this empty husk of a person. because of this i’ve become super self conscious about my social life and how i interact with others and i feel as if i’m the definition of the word boring. i used to be super friendly and talkative before the event that started this and it was always easy for me to make friends but now i struggle with the few friends i have. sometimes it feels like i’m not even here mentally anymore and i just live through life spaced out. i realize this but i have no access to therapy. any tips?? i want to feel like myself again :)

[@miidnxght7583]

First, I’d just like to say that I really appreciate you starting off with “I think”. I’ve always thought it was a problem that I didn’t know when my derealization started. Overall, I’m in a somewhat similar situation. Started very young, adopted a “fake it till you make it” mentality, I’m known as the friend who forgets constantly, and now I’m a junior in college. All in a flash. I’m an artist and whenever I draw I practically “nope out” of reality. I don’t really remember most of the drawing session when I’m done. I’ve constantly been aware of this problem of feeling numb, but I have no idea how to fix it. Similarly, my social life has been effected immensely. I stutter and scramble my words as my brain tries to think of the right words; but, it’s as if my brain has shutdown (in what I consider a stressful situation) and can’t remember what words are. I would love some advice too!!! Regardless, I am genuinely happy this video has stumbled on my feed. I got to read not only your experience with dissociation but many others! And these stories have told me that I’m truly not alone. Regardless of what or when the outcome may be, I hope for a colorful future for us both :)

[@kira6260]

@@miidnxght7583 This is so sweet!! I'm severely thankful for you taking this time to let me know that I'm not alone, and I'm happy that this video has helped you realize this as well :) Best of luck to you and I hope your journey brings much fortune and happiness your way!

[@kayladugger7042]

I was just talking to my therapist a couple sessions ago about how I can feel detached at times. It took me a long time to figure out how to describe it. For me, it's about my identity in the world, but not in the sense that I'm hyper focused on what people think of me. It's a feeling of "What's the point? Why am I here?" It's a pretty depressing state when it happens--I try to just pull in to more immediate things, like what I'm doing in the moment.

[@Elise.Celeste.]

I feel this deeply, it almost feels like a never ending treadmill going through the daily motions of life. I'm not doing too well myself but some good advice I could offer anyone would be truly doing what makes you happy, find what you wouldn't mind doing over and over without much thought. For example, I love astrology I feel I could research for hours and not only that it helps me dig deeper into myself and why I feel the emotions I feel and why I got here. I'm a 7 in numerology so I find myself asking similar questions of why I'm here or whats the point of it all? But when you look outside of yourself you see what truly matters most to you, mine being my connections with my friends and family and how even when I'm at my lowest it feels good to lend a helping hand. It circles back to what you love doing, put some value in the things you do and I promise you'll feel better. Hope this helps anyone going through the tough times, I'm here as you are and you're not alone. 🥰

[@akashicskies3732]

I feel that. Mine can sometimes be an issue with being perceived or being in public cause it’s just such a foreign feeling to be perceived and in public especially when in these states. It’s like acting human is weird. It feels like it’s a weird game and I’m the only one who feels like it’s a game and I’m just pressing buttons to get through this task in hopes that I’ll make it thru this day to hopefully come back to a day when i feel more connected. Even trying to speak up in these settings and hint at my experience feels like screaming in a sleep paralysis. People may look but nothing seems to register.

[@Elise.Celeste.]

@@akashicskies3732 i really appreciate your thoughts on this, I feel exactly the same way and youd be surprised its more common than you think . I feel that people can perceive us and realize that we're knocking on the windows to our soul begging to be seen, but maybe no one truly has the courage to ask if one is okay? Either of us being shot down, or the fear ooking like we're analyzing someone or in general the overall feeling of being "seen". It can get too much when you become so self aware of your thoughts actions and emotions that we begin to compartmentalize everything in order to cope, and its so sad because we should be as kids free to do and say as we think without the fear of being. That's what we should all tap into the state and frequency of love. When you're able to tap back into the now you realize life isn't all that bad and its all in the matter of choice. Will you choose to let that thought control not only the way you see yourself but others also? Thats not very freeing to the soul and every one of us is doing ourselves a disservice when we chose fear over love. I hope this helps in some way.

[@akashicskies3732]

@@Elise.Celeste. thank you, i appreciate yours as well. oh ya I’ve been down that avenue.. being in public, the grad classroom, dating sphere? and work spaces seem to inhibit the childlike play aspect of things for me especially when there are consequences. Some can handle more than others. I eventually accumulate tough emotions and then i think there’s a breakdown in my emotional capacity and i end up dormant for a while. I’ve tried to find the space and still am working on it. I realize it’s all inside too.. but incongruence with inside and out is another skill to master and isn’t always solid.

[@Ammut6]

@@Elise.Celeste. play the same video game until one of us surpases the other? Done! ❤

[@LunaBeth97]

I've been aware of dissociation for a while now and have dissociated several times in my past. However, I realised very recently that I dissociate quite frequently as a coping mechanism after my mental health got a lot worse. It's always interesting to me how I can have a lot of knowledge about psychology but overlook what's happening in my own mental health.

[@TheMainEngy]

I feel that. I'm pretty good at taking other people's psychological situations and giving them good mental advice but when it comes to me.. It's extremely difficult to listen to myself.

[@ryn.999]

haha samee. im a psych major looking to become a psychiatrist or therapist but im really good at trying to avoid myself

[@lunawolfheart336]

Yup I'm the same way

[@DussyBestroyer69]

It hurts. Everyone always tells me shit like "don't self diagnose" and I'm literally mid telling them how I have every symptom of a mental illness and all they wanna do is tell me I'm crazy for wanting to stop feeling like I'm crazy.

[@veronicaa4715]

I've found I dissociate when I am dealing with heavy/combating emotions. I have recently been going to see a counselor and she pointed it out to me. One moment we were reflecting on a heavy topic, and then the next thing I knew I had mentally checked out of the conversation. I had to force myself back into reality and get back into the conversation because my mind wanted to shut down or wander so bad. My memory of my childhood is kind of nonexistent to me, I don't remember much, just fragments of some events. Mentally I have lived in my own fantasies and that is how I've always coped in the real world.

[@inkyoggy]

Here's a poem I once wrote about dissociation, anxiety and depression. Hope this can help someone. ☺️ It's called JUST LIKE RAIN. 🌧️ rain on my window drops running down my soul so discouraged my face but a frown i look in the mirror see someone unknown then sit back and mindlessly scroll through my phone inside me there's nothing not even a noise no feeling, no thought there's just empty void life seems repetitive the days come and go while i look at others and see a glamorous show ..... the drops of the night are now pounding the pane the monotonous rhythm is driving me insane my mind is racing i think of all i could've been but then i realize that truly i'm empty within ..... the heavenly tears are now falling faster the water is rising and forming disaster i struggle my lungs search for relief but alas it's too late i've drowned in my own grief

[@taabishkhanself-improvemen7331]

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending...” ―C. S. Lewis Love from a small KZbinr💙

[@ogiyonkelesebane9756]

I'm crying now

[@karlacuevas3700]

Thank you

[@asmrmooncat]

I get this and the memory loss is a bitch . I wont even realize I forgot those things till people ask or bring it up and im left saying "I dont remember".

[@sparklefluff]

Same, it sucks

[@Psych2go]

How long have you been experiencing this?

[@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475]

The only thing you need to remember is that evolution is suicide because eventually you realize that life is stupid and pointless.

[@alexandradiaz1010]

@@idreamindarknessandsleepto1475 that is one way to look at it. Life is not half bad though....

[@asmrmooncat]

@@Psych2go 2 years now

[@mattw9925]

I recently starting going to therapy due to curiosity and was told that I might have a dissociative disorder. Every thing that has been mentioned in the video I have experienced. I do not do self harm nor have I thought of it. But I think if you are experiencing these symptoms you should look into “grounding”. They haven’t had much success with me but it feels somewhat helpful👌🏻

[@_anaaaaa]

I’m 18 & had it since September 2021. I really want to go to therapy but i’m so stubborn to ask my father for help. I apologized if this is personal to ask but what are the techniques your therapist does to keep you from dissociating or trying to help you with?

[@mattw9925]

@@_anaaaaa as I said above grounding is a good thing to look into. Supposed to keep you more aware of your surroundings. There are different techniques for different senses. For me I do stuff with my hands because I have a good sense of touch. There’s also things such as trying to find your triggers for dissociating. I’m still experimenting but I think mine might be due to caffeine or food

[@amari1226]

this is so helpful. i’ve been doing some research about what i’m feeling and this explains it perfectly. i used to hear that your brain is always thinking even if you don’t know it but my brain has been feeling empty and muffled for monthes.

[@theoneandonlynutzley1946]

(TW) For me I've always had this specific description for what dissociating feels like that tends to make a lot of my friends freak out when I tell them about it. For me it's like everything loses just how vivid it is, like if everything lost shimmer and color. And your hearing is somehow muffled. Everything looks unfamiliar, and you feel unsafe. Everyone looks like they wanna hurt you. So you try to stay away from people. You look down and look up expecting everyone to be gone, to be in an empty room with nobody because you can't even tell that people are there. They don't feel real and neither do you. Every thought you have leaves your head to make way for another, so you forget most everything that has happened for the maybe hours you dissociate for. You feel physically uncomfortable and understimulated. You stare at the same thing for a long time because you don't even know what's happening. Eventually you begin to panic because nothing feels real and every second lasts a lifetime, or doesn't happen at all. It's entirely terrifying for me...

[@ramsesclviii2584]

yes its muffled and everything you see is through a veil or something like that. i have definitely stared for hours. you lose sense of time. i hear things sometimes. i have warped visions and feel that its unsafe to be around people and if i could just be alone. thanks for bringin this out. this definitely made sense. thank you

[@sickdirtbag]

Yeah reading all these comments of people experiences with the disorder is freaking me out because I experience the same thing. It’s overwhelming

[@dissociatedpos]

I can sort of understand this although for me it isn't as serious. Nothing is muffled or blurry, but I do sometimes stare and think of nothing, and it kinda feels like I was meant to be by myself, like people shouldn't be there Edit: And ofc it starts to scare me too because nothing feels real

[@lizzv840]

This is the most accurate depiction of disassociating I’ve seen. I always feel like I’m shrunk back in my own head and everything is in slow motion or no motion at all. I stare blankly and can’t speak.

[@chunkystickers]

YEAH THIS

[@Kenziix3]

I have a lot of memory loss, and sometimes I get yelled at just for forgetting something that apparently was just told. I have trauma from when I was younger due to family problems, and at first I never realized that I had been through trauma. But when I started therapy and learned more about why I have memory loss and how it was caused I was kind of shocked..

[@stabbamonroll]

I feel you there. Good job survivin

[@SillyBillyStunts]

Don't let those idiots holler at you for forgetting stuff. They'd kill themselves in your shoes. Don't take sh!t from mentally weak people.

[@kashtv9187]

Keep going you got this

[@leocantaim]

Hope things are going well, you’re very strong for enduring all of that.

[@zawnenikwe]

Yes! I can relate. It kinda sucks feeling different but it’s such a relief to finally get some answers & realize you’re not alone and you’re not weird for reacting the way you are. One thing I’ve been trying to be, is more patient with my mind, because though I find dissociation as a nuisance, my brain is just doing it’s best to protect me. Cheers to surviving & pursuing therapy! ❤️

[@Heckules]

Just a note that dissociative feelings can also be a symptom of impaired Propioception, the sense of where our body parts are, & Kinesthesia, the perception of our body's movement, can cause spacial awareness impairment, numbness, and the feeling of not being in your body. This is usually associated with Dysautonomia, a dysfunction in parts of our autonomic nervous system, which can impair the regulation of hunger, sleep, and general internal signals like fight/flight, touch, pain, and emotions. Sometimes that can also disrupt blood flow, causing chronic pain and increased drowsiness when active. The two experiences are similar and can be really strange. Best I can describe is that emotional responses are stuck on the buffer screen, you feel tired and not tired at the same time, same with hungry or not, the separation between your body and the world is blurry, like you lost your skin and just dither out, if you sit very still you lose track of where your body is, sometimes fight/flight turns on physically for no reason like an anxiety attack but instead ur emotion is bored, or the emotion is mysterious, so you can't tell the difference between excited and confused. Time moves really slowly but also it feels like it was yesterday 1 hour ago and your memory is timelined in cursive. It's pretty wacky, your body just stops collaborating with you on being 😳

[@letsdoit5246]

This may be the comment to convince me I dissociate. I know I have severe depression, severe anxiety, severe ptsd, high functioning autism, Borderline Personality Disorder, OCD, obstructive sleep apnoea, and I cant remember much about the last few months, my memory is so, so, so bad yet what I manage to remember is usually accurate. I'm only just remembering the terror and pain and suffering I was going through just months ago when my body started to have chronic pains from my motorcycle wreck. Time feels like ETERNITY yet I feel like I've only been alive for a few seconds. I took anti depressants for the first time after months of suffering, doing pee pee dances in the shower because my back hurt so bad and I needed to RUSH to my bed. Hours. And hours. And hours of crying, crying so hard my chest and lungs hurt. I have never had an anxiety attack before in my life until the chronic pain started, I went from a normal human to a cripple in a matter of a couple years as my body degraded from the damage of the motorcycle wreck. I was having bad panic attacks once a week, then 3 times a week, and then THREE TIMES A DAY. Horrible attacks that left me to collapse out of my chair and leave spit on my bedroom floor. I was.. to say the least, abused as a child by my brother who was on the wrong medicine. He is much more autistic than me, and is a respectable fellow now but he caused a lot of trauama, and my whole life I've had trauama and unstableness, extremely depressed and unable to brush my teeth unable to get out of bed unable to get out of my chair and pee even if it got to the point where itd leak out. I'd be sitting at my desk spamming my online friend's dms for 10+ hours a day out of pure agony, suffering, terror, fear. Life. Is. Hell. Dissociation I believe is how I wrecked in the first place. I cannot cope, I block every bit of emotion ever since the constant panic attacks. I stopped being able to take my medicines to help with inflammation and depression recently, and I've been on the decline ever since.

[@luv_tia1134]

I’ve only experienced depersonalization 2 or 3 times in my life and not knowing what it was at the time made it so much scarier. The last time was a couple years ago when I looked in the mirror and all of a sudden didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I was an alien who inhabited this body this identity. It’s scary to look at the mirror and see this persons whole life but not recognize it as your own but something you’ve experienced. I felt like I was wearing an costume. I look down at my hands and didn’t feel like they were mine. When I looked in the mirror I knew this person was Tia and I am her but I don’t feel like her.

[@vitalevaturia1169]

What helped me dealing with dissociative symptoms was practicing mindfulness to become more aware of when I was in the state of dissociation, accepting the feeling of numbness and also feeling sad about being in the state of feeling numb. Feeling sad about lacking emotions and recognising what dissociation does to my life helped me get back to my emotions. However I also find it important to try to find out why one is dissociating to find a convincing reason to fight it. I'm very thankful that I had a good therapist supporting me during this journey.

[@maefaemusic]

I loved that they finally brought up dissociation, but I wish they touched more on the fact that derealization/depersonalization can turn into a disorder where someone is stuck experiencing dissociative symptoms every single day.

[@ramsesclviii2584]

agree

[@stagdragon3978]

as someone with ADD. This is just what my life has been anyways. It would be the perfect place for my subconsciousness to hide my struggles as a person. You... might want to get checked for ADHD inatentive though if you feel like this is constant.

[@blackqweenmars]

I have ADHD and I use diassociation as a form of entertainment.

[@missfeisty]

@@blackqweenmars it is funny you brought that up because sometimes disassociation is like a break from my adhd and my mind can just exist. I know it is not a good thing to have happen but I try to paint it in a positive light so I don't start making myself feel bad for it happening.

[@seancamacho4273]

I’ve had it. It was the worst and shaped pretty much all of my teenage years. Mostly from tough abuse from pops because of drug use. It’s better now and went away when I stopped focusing on it. Honestly what made it go away was running. I just ran everyday. No matter what. A mile or two turned into 3 and then 5 and up. I started looking better and feeling better. Then I fell off and stopped running lol. It’ll get better my loves. Just keep on pushin.

[@emerald4812]

I experience dissociation as a result of trauma. The first thing I usually notice is that my body feels weird. My hands feel larger or smaller and when I look in the mirror I feel like I’m looking at someone else. You lose your sense of who you are, what you like, etc. And then time might feel like it’s going fast but slow at the same time. Some things may feel like they take forever but then you’re suddenly somewhere else. It’s confusing at best, but we can deal with this. If you’re feeling like me just know you’re not alone, you’re not crazy and there is help. Often times working through whatever causes you to have these feelings will help lessen them

[@sanfran91]

I've had this a few weeks ago. I was chatting with someone in a public space and suddenly nothing felt real anymore. I felt like I was going crazy, talking to myself instead of the person I was with. I actually had to remember interactions of other people with this other person to convince myself they were really there and I wasn't losing my mind. I've disassociated before but never for this long or intensely, it was scary.

[@ramsesclviii2584]

people think you are crazy or you think you are crazy and somehow things go along but you dont know how. memory loss and hallucination. its crazy how a conversation goes you are there but you arent and how did everything make sense. its very surreal.

[@Mel0nMel]

I have this but like the who day sometimes, I'd day 70% of the day

[@tomghosty_]

This is the most calming Channel

[@Psych2go]

Yep. Thank you! We aim to please.

[@tomghosty_]

@@Psych2go This Helps Me through alot of Tough Times and I had Burnout and when I watched your Video I thought it will A Change of Pace for me in life thank you so much Your Help. 💙❤

[@philipenogueira]

thanks for making this video, it WILL help a lot of people. i am 32 and for 5 - 6 years i felt 3 of those 5 symptoms. specially after leaving the career i had for over 12 years, i still constantly feel distant and like a shell of my former self. Just started seeing a Psychoanalyst and boy o boy, anyone who has the resources to do so should also do it. been rediscovering myself and understanding how and why i am the way i am. anyway... thanks again for making such an important video.

[@TheStanimal77]

I've been experiencing EVERY symptom on that list for the last few years since being caught up in a horrific murder trial 6 years ago! The other week I was stood in my kitchen making a coffee, next thing I knew I had an insanely hot flush and sweats and everything went white. Next thing I was fully dressed, had a shower and washed dishes AND HAD ZERO RECOLLECTION OF DOING SO! My son had to tell me what I had done for the last half hour even! This video has made me realise that I'm not very well. Thank you 😘

[@akimyoung8507]

I can’t lie it’s somewhat of a relief to see this many people are struggling with this thing as well❤️

[@nuhvaa4280]

It can certainly be comforting to know that you’re not alone with this. I know it’s a hard journey, but we will make it. I believe in you and I hope that you’re doing well ❤️

[@akimyoung8507]

@@nuhvaa4280 i certainly take the days a second at a time. I can’t describe how I’m doing really, it’s just not amazing I can say lol. Thank you for your kind words and I do hope that you are doing well and making it on your end as well❤️

[@sarahbasto6520]

Except the narrator's voice, who always seems to be depressed, weak and dying. Pitiful voice.

[@sam8404]

@@sarahbasto6520 I think you're just projecting.

[@bugout76]

@@sam8404 i agree on that one

[@zhenren9703]

When it starts in early childhood and it's all you know, it is normalized. Then somehow you make it to middle age and finally start to understand whats happening. Thanks mom for the great life. 👍

[@anomaly863]

I’m glad I watched this. I remember not feeling pain when my parents told they were getting divorced, emotional I mean. My anxiety is the type I don’t take medication for but can feel like a mountain is sitting on me. A lot of times I feel like I’m a burden to people because my emotions are always super complicated and messy, or I’m just overthinking, always one of the two extremes. I’m a lot better now, I’m not engaging self harm anymore and keep track of any intrusive thoughts. The way of life I guess, thought I’d share.

[@queenaliababwa]

I think this is a problem of mine that I've started noticing because it's getting worse. For a long time I felt like I couldn't connect with my surroundings or other people, like I would just watch myself walk down the hallways at school or to work. I often forget if I clocked in or how I walked a certain distance. Now I've begun to have experiences where suddenly my body stops and I just stare, I don't blink, don't move, but I'm aware that I'm not moving and all of the sounds are blurry. It just kinda feels like I'm floating in space.

[@lemonlizard1]

I'm sorry to hear that

[@boxfox2945]

Yelp, as a kid I did that a lot. Not as much or as long now n' days.

[@moldy_tshirt]

Dissociation is one of the worst feelings, personally. It's so scary and uncomfortable to deal with. I've noticed whenever it happens that I can barely recognize my face and people around me, which is why I try, if I can, to avoid mirrors when I'm dissociated. In some ways, it's like my face is trying to morph into something else or how I perceive myself. A very weird feeling :^T

[@2s4in28]

I personally prefer it over being sad

[@moldy_tshirt]

@@2s4in28 Oh absolutely, it's way easier when compared to a major depressive episode, or just being at the point of not leaving my bed from sadness. I can at least get some things done when I'm dissociated. In the end, they both suck lol >:^O

[@gabrielaromero23]

I try to avoid mirrors too , it’s terrifying when your face is morphing into someone else

[@inviisibless5798]

its not scary, its scary when it ''wears off'' and every regret flows in at once.

[@TheLevygames]

Can you cet rid of this bullshit 3 years deep in this absolute shit hole of a Brain

[@diamondcookieoftruth898]

I needed this. I dissociate. My therapist says there is an unconscious part of me and I feel so dissociated and scared and confused. I feel like know one feels this way.

[@psych2goeducation804]

Did the therapist work with you to dig deeper into the subconscious part?

[@diamondcookieoftruth898]

@@psych2goeducation804 a bit yeah

[@diamondcookieoftruth898]

@@psych2goeducation804 I just feel alone. I don't know if anyone is scared of unconsciousness.

[@samdraven8536]

@@diamondcookieoftruth898 i feel you.

[@diamondcookieoftruth898]

@@samdraven8536 wait really? I'm not alone? Are you afraid of unconsciousness?

[@technich3712]

I felt like I was dealing with this. But these symptoms farther then what I feel. Thank you for clearing things up. I don't wanna be that person that says they suffer or are inconvenienced by something they don't have so they can relate.

[@Hello-to8mv]

It's scary how accurate this is for me

[@YelsewNesnej]

My heart goes out to all those who have shared their experiences with this in the comments. I love you all.

[@mynameischair]

Have been with dissociation all my life and the biggest thing that helped is learning to accept it and work with it. To be kind and understanding to myself. I don't punish myself, I immediately note down what's happening and pay attention to patterns. It's ok for me to dissociate, if my mind needs that escape then go for it but I let it know I am safe, we are safe and that it's ok to come back. Keeping a journal and using dissociation prompts helped drastically as well. One is taking 5 min to note down everything you did or what happened that day, everything that happened outwardly only. Do that 3 times a day and note the time. That helps with heavy dissociation and connect with reality again. Fighting against dissociation will put you in a constant battlefield mode that you will lose, be kind and understanding to yourself as that is the most powerful thing you can do to help yourself.

[@Saintkilss]

I’m so glad I watched this video, it made me feel a lot better and not alone. I’ve been struggling with this for awhile and it seems it gets worse everyday. Everything looks like a video game and nothing is real. I feel like I’m the only one here and nothing excised outside of my room. That my spirt lives in its own reality and you live yours. I’m not real, and your not real. But when we’re together it’s one reality. But at the end of the day we’re all nothing, just sharing one thought. I feel trapped and stuck in this world and I feel trapped in my body. Idk if I want to live or die. Because It used to be a sometime thing, but now I live my life like this all the time and I hate it. It’s so confusing and frustrating. I’m 18 and I started sleeping in the same bed as my dad again because I get so scared at night that reality will rip itself away from me and everything around me will start falling apart (literally) that the floor and walls will disappear around me, and I’ll go back where I came from. We’re we all come from. Idk what it is but it’s beyond our comprehension, we can’t fathom it. Idk.. I hope after watching this video I can find professional help to bring me back into this world

[@dopeahsaurus]

ive literally been feeling like im not in my body randomly throughout the day. I never thought of it much but now it makes so much more sense.

[@omi2507]

I went through The same thing it gets better trust me I thought I was going crazy and was sick mentally but it’s just anxiety or stress I still go through the fact that life feels weird and not really real however I’m not getting this thing where I go out of my body and watching over myself

[@omi2507]

So it just heals overtime hope your okay because I remember when I was going through it, it was so scary idk how I people could actually deal with it

[@phoebepharis8164]

I look at my father one day and I realize, "he's may dad, this is wierd." It confuses me as to why I feel like this sometimes. Thank you for making this video.

[@Shy_SlowGuy]

Yeah like someone that you've known all your life is now a stranger

[@Chancey388]

Hahahaha everyone does that bro. Dads are weird 😂

[@zhuzhuu3059]

Yessss exactly!!! I would look at my mom and wouldn’t ever recognize her I felt like if she’ was a stranger to me

[@weeniehutjr9977]

that’s not dissociating

[@TheAlien_in_your_backyard]

This happened to me a lot when I was younger. Today I had a panic attacked and it happened again. But when I was younger I used to wake up every day and felt everything was fake, my life, my mother, my sister, I felt out of place and that I didn’t belong in this world, like I was just put into this weird family that I felt so distant from and didn’t even know. Now I’m better because I decided to leave my abusive mother who caused all this damage to me, now I’m getting better, I hope I am.

[@that_kid_nobody_notices]

Ill have moments where its almost like ive "gained sentience" and ill be hyper aware of my surroundings suddenly, sometimes I'll forget what was going on, even with mundane things like walking through my house. It happens a lot when looking in mirrors. I just, won't recognize myself. Like, I know it's me. But it doesn't LOOK right. Like my face shape looks off, my eyes look off, my complexion. I think those are the worst moments. Especially when they trigger a dysphoric episode.

[@marsssuperstar]

Same idk what to do about it lol

[@eduardoreis8443]

crazyness

[@69trashlord69]

Same, especially with the lack of identity for me and I can't handle mirrors or reflections well for the same reason you said. I know what I'm looking at is supposed to be me but it just doesn't look right it doesn't feel like it's really me or something I don't know how to explain it and then I'm just immediately drowned in this sick sick feeling where I'm literally retching at my own reflection.

[@osheridan]

@@eduardoreis8443 No, it's dissociation. Just because *you* have such a privileged life doesn't mean everyone does. Don't bother replying. I don't care what you have to say. It doesn't matter

[@eduardoreis8443]

@@osheridan sorry buddy I was stressed and said something rude, have a good day

[@alangonzalez9001]

I had dissociation after a slightly traumatic experience with marijuana. I use traumatic lightly because I try to see everything as a lesson or learning experience. I believe thinking it in that aspect and working out has helped me a ton I feel awesome after 6 months with derealization. I feel real again when I walk out into the sun. Everything seems so familiar to me again. I love life and everyone who helped me through tough times thank you

[@stay_curious]

Such a clear description, thank you

[@she_sings_delightful_things]

This is SPOT ON. I experienced these about a year before finally having to walk away from an emotionally abusive 9 year relationship with a guy I loved so, so much. My therapist at the time had repeatedly mentioned dissociation and to be honest, I pretty much blew it off because I was hyperfocused on other troubling matters at the time. I didn't realize how telling it was. I would be at a friend's get together or out at dinner with my family or my ex and all of a sudden it was as if my soul had literally walked out of my body to observe in a meloncholy sort of way. Everything around me slowed it's motion, conversations became muffled and it's as if I was looking at everyone from the eyes of say, a fly on the wall. Absolutely surreal. And just as quickly as it came, it went. Whilst completely sober, I would forget how I got home. I'd forget who I had spoke to on the phone throughout the day. It was crazy. My therapist said it's because my stress levels were so high that my thoughts would be constantly running consciously, but mostly in the background, so much so that I was not "present" in many of those moments. Scary to think about while driving. It also correlates to off the chart cortisol levels in my body around that time. I'm a very sensitive person, not just emotionally but physically as well. I don't tolerate pain well at all, but during these moments of dissociation I could endure much more. Like she mentioned in the video, I had all of these unexplained bruises on my body that I couldn't account for. One time a coworker came up and pointed out my bruised shin. He commented on how he thought it would have been bigger. I asked him what he was talking about so he explained that apparently the last shift I had worked I ended up falling....I had completely forgotten. Something like that would have normally made me feel queasy but I had no reaction other than wondering why I couldn't remember hurting myself so badly. Scary stuff, man.

[@bumpyapex]

I have the same thing now, I don't know go to prevent it yet

[@liam_er]

i’ve been in a depersonalization state for over two years. the last time i felt present in the moment was probably in my 8th grade year. i’m almost a junior now. it’s been scary not remembering random things because i don’t have the feeling of panic or urgency because of the reassurance that it’s “not my body, the real life people can take care of that, i’m safe out here” type thing. it sounds like nonsense but i’m at the point where i’ve given up trying to feel real again.

[@merfiron9250]

That lack of urgency hits so close to home. To me, it feels like I'm playing a video game and I'm just controlling this character. Everyone around me is an NPC, pixels on a screen, shapes and colors, characters reciting lines already written for them. And whenever anything distressing happens, it feels like a cutscene. Like I'm watching a pre-recorded video of the next plot point that's going to advance the story. And of course you can't interact with cutscenes, nor can you really change anything even when you are given minimal control over your character. Those emotional scenes are up to the characters in the story, not me, the player. What do you expect me to do? Press E to help the guy that just fell? I didn't even realize that was an option. Where was the button prompt for that? For me, I don't know when the last time I ever felt real was. I'm always at least a little depersonalized/derealized, and it's scary to think what it'd feel like to be totally grounded. I don't think I even believe it's possible.

[@jiyoonchoi6638]

I feel you

[@walterrising4276]

So did your parents accept that you're trans?

[@vegetable_shredder9306]

Been dealing with depersonalization for at least 5 years now, it's pretty awful - i feel like time goes back so quickly now compared to before but meditating seems to alleviate it a tad

[@puffthestuff7445]

The first few years of depersonalization/ derealization suck and all you can ever think about is why it won’t go back to normal or the way it was. Eventually you learn to live in your new reality and it won’t bother you as much. Takes years and years though. Mines not gone and it’s been 12 years.

[@jasonbalmaceda6579]

Marijuana helped me with disassociation. Makes me grateful when I take everything in 1 thing at a time

[@swagosaurus7877]

This literally makes so much sense now

[@geraldking9385]

Has anyone felt this way and end up playing games that simulate real life wanting to go and experience it again, like the games become your memory or happy memories.

[@wimyx6382]

Yeah, I really enjoyed World of Warcraft a lot more than real life honestly.

[@sc3961]

I play games, and have played thousands upon thousands of hours of them my whole life, 24 y/o right now, played since I was 7ish, buuuut... I'd "disagree" with you and, instead, throw a similar case - I feel the thing you describe, but with dreams. My imagination, too, is insanely vivid. That's why I play D&D with my friends, and why I watch hundreds of hours of it on KZbin... But even when I, myself play it, it's not as... Lively? Colorful? Pungent, memorable, imaginative... ? None of those. Might be because of my general level of angst and misanthropy, buuut... Yeah. Real life is a piece of shit compared to what plethora of amazing and disgusting smells, colorful and vivid and tragic images, strong emotions - pure confidence and happiness and even anger or longing and sadness (I'm a very passive person), I can feel, or understand, when I read books or listen to awesome D&D narrations, or when I dream... But it's never like any of that in my perception of reality. I see myself, in real life, as just being a member of it who drifts along, floats among many others in an unstoppable current, and even that requires, of me, some (even low) levels of energy that I barely have. Everything is difficult and tiring, while also being extremely black and white, dull. But my moral compass is OK I guess and I firmly believe in "it gets better", so I'll just wait and keep wafting along until it does, i guess.

[@tigerraerae3082]

Whenever I present a project or dance at a dance competition/ recital I COMPLETELY blank out. I never remember a thing that goes on but I remember the events after. If I am not disconnected from myself while doing one of those activities I mess up and hesitate. I’m glad when I do blank out because it makes me better at whatever I’m doing, I’m not in my head overthinking things. This might be different than what the video was talking about but I just thought I’d share it

[@AshleyAurora]

SAME 1000% i see it as a superpower sometimes..but it’d be nice to remember the times when i’m up on stage :(

[@taylorshortt7232]

My scariest moment is talking away and then realizing I’m not even knowing what I’m saying but I’m saying exactly what I need to say

[@smart_idiot8204]

These videos always find me at the times I'm experiencing them.

[@spooky4988]

It’s actually scary, I stop and look around and think “wow, this is earth. This is where i’ve made memories.” and it baffles me, I can’t comprehend im on a planet with other people. I also forget my childhood, things that happened and things that had happened yesterday, it’s terrifying. Yesterday night I was crying/having a mental breakdown and suddenly I just stopped, I had a straight face on and started thinking about philosophical things and how i’m actually real. I’m not sure why I do that, it happens quite often where i’ll just respond in a monotone voice or don’t show any emotion during things. I’ll even put myself through pain so I can realize I have a body and i’m alive. I have to touch things to confirm it’s real and there. Stepping out of my room is like stepping into another world, I forget that it’s there.

[@kaelidatuin3905]

i’ve been experiencing dissociation for 7 years and it’s terrifying. sometimes i dissociate randomly and it makes me feel scared, alone, and confused. like i’m not in control and it’s awful. but i’m glad there’s attention being brought to dissociation and i know i’m not alone

[@SamNatal]

Wow. A video that finally understands what I feel. No one else around me does

[@taabishkhanself-improvemen7331]

*“You’ll watch an entire Netflix series even when the first episodes are slow just because someone told you that ‘it gets better’, but what if you looked at your goals like that and watched your life get better instead?”* Love from a small channel💙

[@arcticflame8574]

I once experienced viewing myself move, walk the hallway of our school and talk to my classmates casually. But it isnt ME me. I am well aware of my surroundings that time but it felt like i am not the one doing stuff. Its just like im watching a movie of myself from my own perspective.