I am scared
-
mallorygodisgood
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:23 pm
Hey guys here lately I have been extremely light handed and experiencing weird sensations. Almost like my arms arent attached to my body or something, or like they are numb. I can feel with them, but it is just this numb sensation. My arms feel SO heavy and I just feel like im out of it...or just spaced out. I am not on any meds or anything...and I have been dealing with this for about a week now. My vision is also vibrates when I look at sraight lines...almost like a guitar string that has been plucked. I have been to the eye doc 4 times...everything is fine. Went to an ENT thinking it might be my ears, nope. Also had an MRI and it came back clean. I am so worried that there is something horribly wrong with me. Does anyone else experience any of this????
Hi, Mallory,
I am not a medical doctor, but if you have been checked and ruled out physical causes please know that there are symptoms with a psychological origin that are similar to what you are describing.
A lot of us on here talk about battling symptoms of depersonalization/derealization where we feel like we are in a dream, etc. Depersonalization symptoms can also include body dismorphism(sp?) (distorted perception of your body) symptoms where you feel that parts of your body are bigger or smaller than others, etc.
After I had been through severe trauma and had a couple of months of severe anxiety, my body protected itself with depersonalization. At its worst, I remember feeling like my head was the size of a balloon. I also had a second or two at times where it didn't seem like my limbs were attached or weren't mine. The key with depersonalization is that you know rationally that that's not the case. For example, you feel numb, but you know that your not really numb. It wasn't fun, but I understood that it was a symptom of severe anxiety, and that my brain was releasing chemicals to make me feel numb and dream like to give itself a break from all of the stress. When I was in this state, I began to focus on comforting myself and giving myself what I needed so my brain wouldn't have to do use this defense mechanism because I wasn't taking care of it, and eventually the severe depersonalization passed.
So, my advice to you is to rule out all physical causes with a good doctor, and it really looks like you have. It looks like you are experiencing depersonalization as a symptom of anxiety.
Secondly, put as much effort into doing this program as possible so that you can learn techniques including exercise, self-talk, and relaxation to calm your anxiety so that your body will not have to rely on this defense mechanism because although it's the body's defense against anxiety, it can cause more anxiety and the cycle just keeps going.
Thirdly, I know this program calls for eliminating sugar(I think that you can still have some sweets in moderation along with exercise), etc., but I highly emphasize that you focus on self-soothing activities. Although it may not apply to you, if you go online and google "grounding techniques" you will find lists of activities to do that can help you deal with depersonalization symptoms. These activities will most likely be found on websites for survivors of sexual assault and abuse, but if that doesn't apply to you, the techniques still help. Survivors often struggle with this symptom of anxiety, so they are experts on knowing what activities help them with this symptom.
Also, you can on your own, make a list of comforting activities for yourself and if at all possible focus on filling your day with those activities. This is the time to make yourself your number one priority, and as time passes, you won't need to do as many as intensely, but self-soothing practices should remain part of your routine to take care of yourself. Activities, depending on your interests, can include warm bubble baths, reading anything you want including gossip magazines, watching television and movies-humor is great, but you may also find that a tear jerker gets you in touch with some emotions that you may need to release, tea, curling up on the couch in your favorite pajamas, listening to guilty pleasure music, taking your pet for a walk, etc. What is harmless that gives you pleasure and just lets you have fun?:)!
You can look at culprits such as too much caffeine in your diet or not getting enough sleep or exercise too.
Hope, I helped you in some way.
Take care,
luvpiggy
I am not a medical doctor, but if you have been checked and ruled out physical causes please know that there are symptoms with a psychological origin that are similar to what you are describing.
A lot of us on here talk about battling symptoms of depersonalization/derealization where we feel like we are in a dream, etc. Depersonalization symptoms can also include body dismorphism(sp?) (distorted perception of your body) symptoms where you feel that parts of your body are bigger or smaller than others, etc.
After I had been through severe trauma and had a couple of months of severe anxiety, my body protected itself with depersonalization. At its worst, I remember feeling like my head was the size of a balloon. I also had a second or two at times where it didn't seem like my limbs were attached or weren't mine. The key with depersonalization is that you know rationally that that's not the case. For example, you feel numb, but you know that your not really numb. It wasn't fun, but I understood that it was a symptom of severe anxiety, and that my brain was releasing chemicals to make me feel numb and dream like to give itself a break from all of the stress. When I was in this state, I began to focus on comforting myself and giving myself what I needed so my brain wouldn't have to do use this defense mechanism because I wasn't taking care of it, and eventually the severe depersonalization passed.
So, my advice to you is to rule out all physical causes with a good doctor, and it really looks like you have. It looks like you are experiencing depersonalization as a symptom of anxiety.
Secondly, put as much effort into doing this program as possible so that you can learn techniques including exercise, self-talk, and relaxation to calm your anxiety so that your body will not have to rely on this defense mechanism because although it's the body's defense against anxiety, it can cause more anxiety and the cycle just keeps going.
Thirdly, I know this program calls for eliminating sugar(I think that you can still have some sweets in moderation along with exercise), etc., but I highly emphasize that you focus on self-soothing activities. Although it may not apply to you, if you go online and google "grounding techniques" you will find lists of activities to do that can help you deal with depersonalization symptoms. These activities will most likely be found on websites for survivors of sexual assault and abuse, but if that doesn't apply to you, the techniques still help. Survivors often struggle with this symptom of anxiety, so they are experts on knowing what activities help them with this symptom.
Also, you can on your own, make a list of comforting activities for yourself and if at all possible focus on filling your day with those activities. This is the time to make yourself your number one priority, and as time passes, you won't need to do as many as intensely, but self-soothing practices should remain part of your routine to take care of yourself. Activities, depending on your interests, can include warm bubble baths, reading anything you want including gossip magazines, watching television and movies-humor is great, but you may also find that a tear jerker gets you in touch with some emotions that you may need to release, tea, curling up on the couch in your favorite pajamas, listening to guilty pleasure music, taking your pet for a walk, etc. What is harmless that gives you pleasure and just lets you have fun?:)!
You can look at culprits such as too much caffeine in your diet or not getting enough sleep or exercise too.
Hope, I helped you in some way.
Take care,
luvpiggy
"Life is not about comfort. It is about living." Dr. Howard Liebgold
-
Guest
Thank you for your response. I am definitley seeing doctors, I have been referred to a neurologist so we will see where that goes. Psychological problems scare me...my biggest fear is going crazy or schizo...and that word just freaks me out! I really hope there is nothing wrong with me. I had an MRI and all was clear, im just really scared about the entire situation. I think that what I am dealing with is derealization, because sometimes I feel almost dreamlike. I know I am real and everything else is, but I just feel weird. Thank you for your response!
-
Guest
I understand about the psychological origins scaring you, and my mother has schizophrenia, so I was so terrified when that happened to me that it was a sign that I was going to have psychosis. At the time when it happened to me, I didn't have access to people who understood it, and they wrongly acted like it was some type of sign of psychosis. Actually, reading Lucinda's from "Panic to Power" helped me know that it was just "bewilderment" and a symptom of anxiety. Anxiety is not mental illness, but our body's reaction to stress. Just as someone gets a migraine with stress, some people get anxiety, depersonalization, etc.
Depersonalization and derealization are a body's coping skill for dealing with stress. We all do it at some point, and the more stress we have in our lives, the more we will utilize this coping mechanism if we don't have other more useful and comforting ways to deal with stress. It is clearly stress related and has nothing to do with psychosis. Actually, it protects you from psychosis, and so it is a sign that you are not going "crazy" if that makes you feel any better.
Just know that, and if there is no physical cause, this symptom is actually a sign that you aren't getting psychosis. I wish I would have known that because I think years of thinking that I had some weird mental illness and that I was going to go crazy because I depersonalized hampered my self-esteem and hurt my recovery. I know you are busy searching for a physical reason, and I think you should do what's standard to rule that out, but even if the neurologist doesn't find something, just know that this is a physical condition. Your autonomic nervous system reacts to stress by producing adrenaline and other stress hormones, and these hormones respond to stress and can cause depersonalization. The more I learned that it wasn't a sign of mental illness and the more I realized it was just my body's reaction to stress and that that was normal, I really made great strides in recovery, and can honestly say that I barely depersonalize now, and it's wonderful:). I'm sorry I used the term psychological, but I was just trying to assure you that you probably didn't have some rare physical disorder. I was wrong to use that term, because depersonalization is your body's physical response to stress. When you don't have other coping skills in place, it will use the dp/dr, and you can eliminate your body's need for using it when you learn the coping skills from this program:).
Take care,
luvpiggy
Depersonalization and derealization are a body's coping skill for dealing with stress. We all do it at some point, and the more stress we have in our lives, the more we will utilize this coping mechanism if we don't have other more useful and comforting ways to deal with stress. It is clearly stress related and has nothing to do with psychosis. Actually, it protects you from psychosis, and so it is a sign that you are not going "crazy" if that makes you feel any better.
Just know that, and if there is no physical cause, this symptom is actually a sign that you aren't getting psychosis. I wish I would have known that because I think years of thinking that I had some weird mental illness and that I was going to go crazy because I depersonalized hampered my self-esteem and hurt my recovery. I know you are busy searching for a physical reason, and I think you should do what's standard to rule that out, but even if the neurologist doesn't find something, just know that this is a physical condition. Your autonomic nervous system reacts to stress by producing adrenaline and other stress hormones, and these hormones respond to stress and can cause depersonalization. The more I learned that it wasn't a sign of mental illness and the more I realized it was just my body's reaction to stress and that that was normal, I really made great strides in recovery, and can honestly say that I barely depersonalize now, and it's wonderful:). I'm sorry I used the term psychological, but I was just trying to assure you that you probably didn't have some rare physical disorder. I was wrong to use that term, because depersonalization is your body's physical response to stress. When you don't have other coping skills in place, it will use the dp/dr, and you can eliminate your body's need for using it when you learn the coping skills from this program:).
Take care,
luvpiggy
-
Guest
That is okay, I completely understand. MY therapist says that someone who has schizo wouldnt be worried about it at all, in fact they dont even know it when it is happening, so the fact that I am aware that something isnt right is a good thing. I am sorry about your mother, I couldnt imagine having that happen, and I can totally understand your fears. I also heard someone on this site say once that her sister had that and she would def not be posting looking for help, she thinks everyone else has problems and not her. So I try to think of stuff like that when I am upset!
-
Guest
-
NinjaFrodo
- Posts: 1263
- Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:00 am
MALLORY, GIRL I SO KNO WHAT UR TALKING ABOUT I DO THE EXACT SAME THING BEN TO THE DOCTERS AND ALL BUT NOTHING AND IT STILL SCARES ME I HAVE DEPERSONALIZATION ALL THE TIME AND IT FREAKS ME OUT BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL GO AWAY JUST KEEP UR HEAD UP AND DONT LET IT ITS HARD I KNO IM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH IT BUT WE CAN STICK TOGETHER IM HERE IF YA NEED ME AND IM ALWAYS UP FOR SOME ANSWERS U GET.....GOOD LUCK HUN U WILL BE FINE
Here is the link to the Letting Go thread which is designated for venting
http://forum.stresscenter.com/viewtopic ... 52&t=25087
You can follow me on Twitter, same username or check out my blog
http://ninjafrodo.blogspot.com/
http://forum.stresscenter.com/viewtopic ... 52&t=25087
You can follow me on Twitter, same username or check out my blog
http://ninjafrodo.blogspot.com/