[Ryask]

I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else? When i am about to come down, or go into a depression i get these strange visual cues that tell me it's going to happen. I'll try to explain what i mean a bit.You know when the sun goes behind the cloud just for a moment like cloud passes and the world just darkens for a moment, while the cloud passes? That was the one two times ago. The world just darkened for a moment, like the sun went behind a cloud....only of course there was no cloud...or sun for that matter, it's just the world darkened and i know right away i was heading down.The very last time i went down something else happend, i was in my bed, just laying down because i was tired and i was looking at my curtains in my bedroom, then all of a sudden i started to notice, that the curtain...looked like black bars, the shadows you know how curtains are corrigated...in is shadow and out is whatever color your curtain is...well not only did the shadows look like bars, but the sun must have been setting, because a brilliant orange like fire was alternating with the black bars...i mean i know it was just normal curtains..but the black bars with the fire flickering between them...i just knew...i could feel it right away...that i was coming down.I mean it scared me so much that i tried to tear the curtains down off the window..but my husband stopped me and covered them with a sheet so i couldnt see them anymore...I tried to ask vaguely in a doc John chat...and it seems to not be a hallucination? I don't know what it is..or anyone has any idea what it is..or..whatever..but it's kinda....freaking me out a bit..i mean..is it a hallucination?...or..just i dunno...anything...any help with this...would be greatly appreciated..because i am at a loss and it's bugging me alot.

[Gus1234U]

i woudn't call it an hallucination, Ryask, but more like a brain blip,,, the brain does strange things,, and you might be experiencing some minor little electrical event, not a seizure, but like that,, where the brain is not producing the chemicals it needs, and that is reflected in the visual centers. still, i hope you mention it to a doc, if you have one, it could be something else,,, best wishes~ Gus

[krisakira]

When you get into a deep depression, your body shuts down some. Your senses become weaker. For me, I notice everything sounding at a lower volume when I get depressed. It also happens when I dissociate. The strange visuals about your curtains can also be from this. Not only do your senses get dulled some, other parts of your brain get dulled too, like the part that processes the senses. Let me show you a picture. This is a PET scan of someone's brain when they are depressed, compared to someone who does not have depression

[Skully]

Originally Posted by krisakira

When you get into a deep depression, your body shuts down some. Your senses become weaker. For me, I notice everything sounding at a lower volume when I get depressed. It also happens when I dissociate. The strange visuals about your curtains can also be from this. Not only do your senses get dulled some, other parts of your brain get dulled too, like the part that processes the senses. Let me show you a picture. This is a PET scan of someone's brain when they are depressed, compared to someone who does not have depression

Wow, thank you for posting this...very interesting!

[BNLsMOM]

That PET scan is pretty cool.

I know that my perceptions of the world are different depending on my mood. I often don't realize it until I am already in the episode. I wonder if you are aware of your perceptions changing and your brain tried to make sense of it and that is why you are experiencing these things.

[Ryask]

@ Gus i have an appointment on Feb/11 so i'll bring it up with her.

@ Krisakira Thanks alot Kris that was really good information, I never really thought of it like a chemical reaction type thing.I mean that sounds like it could happen right.

@ BNLsMOM That could be the case, i suppose the brain is a powerful thing, and anything could be possible.

I plan to do a bit more research, although I'm sure my pdoc will maybe have some additional information.I think i'll offer some of your suggestions when i see her, and i suppose till then all i can do is just try not to think about it too much. Thanks guys for your reply's i appreciate that alot.

Tina

I wonder (total guess here) if it might be something like an aura before a migraine. ??? They are similar in preceeding a change affecting the brain and are also visual disturbances. Those I've had happen in a variety of ways and sometimes not at all (yeah, know one is coming, and sometimes with not much warning, but not had noticeable visuals preceeding).

[Ryask]

Never heard of an auras what is it?

Auras are visual things that sometimes preceed a migraine. Mine have been like... general weirdness or halos/rainbows around lights. One time, in the outside corner of my vision there was rapidly flashing black and white (like a strobe). That one was really weird, and since I'd not had that one before, didn't recognize it as signalling an oncoming migraine. As you can imagine, it was pretty freaky and I didn't know what to make of it! Some people apparently have a pixelation kind of effect in their vision. (Once a migraine hits, it's pretty well universal to have a complete aversion to light. Even very minor light -- like a candle flame--is intolerable. But that's different.)

They may very well be unrelated, but hey, it's the brain. Pretty complex circuitry in there(!)

I hope you're able to get it figured out, Ryask.

[Ryask]

well i don't get migraines but..i suppose visual disturbances might be related somehow..haha . Thanks for the input maybe i'll look into that research wise.