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PREFACE: I am slightly autistic- I have Asperger's syndrome. I wonder if that contributes to these issues.

I have been obsessed and over-stressed by this math competition I have to take very soon. I am not very good at it; on top of that, I believe it is causing me very high stress to the point of disassociation and delusion.

Yesterday, just before bed, I worked for a very long time on practicing for the competition. I barely understood what I was doing, and spent a lot of my energy. That was a bad idea, since I created an extreme amount of stress. I suddenly became aware that I was deathly tired. I became convinced I would die- I was going to die in my sleep. I also became convinced I was in dreamland. Again.

My mind, when under high stress, tends to turn the most random noises into the scariest noises- scary voices, sounds, etc. I also have the tendency to become paranoid over the dumbest things- for instance, last week, I heard one of those emergency tests on the radio (they accidentally made a mistake and said, CIVIL DANGER WARNING). I must of missed them saying it was a test, because I then became convinced North Korea was sending a nuclear bomb. I then became convinced that I was in a dream and my family was not real.

Later that day, I couldn't find my brother and I began to doubt his existence.

All year, I was paranoid about going outside before 3:00- I thought I was going to be caught by police and accused of escaping school. I am actually homeschooled, so I get school done quicker. I am also 2 grade levels ahead. I tested 97% percentile on the California Achievement Test.

I am still worried about going outside - I'm afraid the police will not like me flying my drone around. Note: I do go outside, and I always become anxious.

At night time, if I had a bad day, I can turn shadows in my room into the scariest things inside my mind. That's not the worst of it. One night, I was convinced that there was a black-clothed ghost with a white face hiding in the corner of the room with an axe- for me. I did not hallucinate it, I just feared it. I went and got a glass of water, and the fear did seem to subside.

When I was younger, I was often paranoid about a chimpanzee that was going to kill me. I was scared of going to the zoo for years. I still am, a bit.

When I am under stress, I doubt reality and often fill in areas of my day that I forgot in my mind with dreams. This leads to me getting my dream-memories mixed up with real life. My dreams are extremely realistic.

Is there a scientific explanation for this, and is there a scientific name for this?

[Skeezyks]

I just finished replying to your introductory post. I'm sorry you're dealing with all of these difficult experiences. I don't recall you mentioning if you are being seen by any mental health professionals. I presume perhaps you are since you mentioned you have ADHD & Asperger's. Your questions really are, I believe, ones that should be answered by a mental health professional... a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a therapist.

You asked if there is a scientific explanation or name for what you are experiencing. I'm not sure there really is anything specific. Perhaps other members, here on PC, will have some thoughts they can offer with regard to this. We here on PC can't diagnose you, of course. A mental health diagnosis would be the closest thing to a scientific explanation or name I imagine you could come to. From what you wrote, it just sounds to me as though you are perhaps struggling under a boatload of anxiety. But that's just my personal opinion. I think seeing a mental health professional (if you're not already doing so) would really be the way to go if it's possible for you to do so.