The therapist you are working with is the best one to answer this question. They have training that the rest of us don't, and they know your situation better.

That said, it DEFINITELY sounds to me like you are dissociating. As kd said, dissociation can take many forms. Somewhere in this forum is a thread where I posted a list of some types of dissociation.

"Blacking out" or "sort of like sleeping" are both kinds of dissociation. So is tunnel vision in response to anxiety. Feeling tired, having trouble focusing, etc. The interesting thing about dissociation is that it often cannot be detected by people outside yourself. Sometimes it can, like when a person is obviously "spaced out." And also, some people are better at recognizing dissociation in others. My therapist, for instance, is GREAT at it.

Dissociation is really not uncommon and it is a response to stress. Some of us use it more often than others, and some to a larger extent than others. It sounds like you might be one who uses dissociation to cope with a number of different difficult situations.

Sometimes the "descriptions" of dissociating don't quite describe the feeling of the experience, but for a person who understands what dissociation is, it's not that difficult to identify in most situations. That would include people like therapists, and dissociators who have come to understand and recognize their own dissociation. It seems pretty clear to me that this is what's happening to you. Whenever you feel foggy, disconnected from the world, blank, tired (for no good reason), dizzy (out of nowhere), far away, unreal, etc, there is a good chance you are dissociating.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Angela