Curious. What is dissociation like for you?

I had at least a couple instances of this in the past. When I went to college, one day I went through my full day of classes. Next that I know I found myself in the cafeteria wondering how I got there. I did not remember any part of the day in my classes. Another was outside a restaurant. I remember walking out of this restaurant. I then found myself next to a car with keys in my hand. I did not recognize the car. I did not understand I had keys in my hand. I did not know where I was. I did not understand what I was doing there. The car turned out to be my car. At one time I was listening to a person at a table. I became sort of removed from what was happening. The person talking to me became part of the background with me not understanding what he was saying.

Is this is what dissociation is like?

I dissociate sometimes but I never black out like that. Sorry you are experiencing that. Sounds scary.

That's what it was like for me. At the worse point I lost 3 1/2 months. My daughter loved it, she said we went shopping a lot and I kept her home from school a lot so we could go to parks and museums. It was terrifying.

I feel foggy and disconnected from the world

My t thinks my head fog may be derealization, which is moderate dissociation. Dissociation is yet another spectrum; there are a few different disconnects that are considered dissociation. I looked up derealization and it sounds maybe right or maybe not. I do see my surroundings as foggy and surreal but I know that is just how I see them. Some days I probably shouldn't drive because I do feel disconnected, but I still know it is real and react to things. I don't get depersonalization, but one of my kids does. He has to touch things saying they are real, seeing them and feeling them to know this is his experience. That's how he explains it to me, but I don't quite get it.

I know what head fog is all about. There are periods of time that I go through this. Sometimes its like being on autopilot.

For me, I'll get so deep in my head that I am disconnected from everything else: my surroundings, what I am doing, what somebody is saying to me (if it occurs at a time where people are talking to me). Sometimes I will feel like I am having a conversation with someone that I know and visually see it, but it isn't really happening, and then I'll snap back. It can occur for several minutes or sometimes a little longer. It is especially upsetting when it occurs where I am talking to someone I lost and be so deep into the conversation, but it could be a neutral experience too. Sometimes I'll get panic attacks or something similar after that. It varies in severity, but sometimes it gets pretty bad.

Sorry you're going through that. That's really terrible. (((Hugs)))

Yes, exactly like autopilot. That is why I posted over in the fear thread that I have a fear this will be exposed and I won't be allowed to drive. The fog and surreal view is persistent but the disconnect that makes it feel like autopilot usually doesn't last too long. But it happens a lot. Stress, being physically tired, drinking and opioids trigger it, but mostly it is out of the blue. I have been sober for almost 3 months and have not touched opioids in 7 months. My doctor has a note to never let me have them again.

I think it is stress that can cause this fog in the brain with me.

This is such a great description - almost exactly what disassociation feels like for me. Sometimes others will have to physically ground me to get me to snap back. It can be very scary.

My T and I always thought my losing time was due to my extreme lack of sleep.. But once I started to sleep ok it still happened... I just lose time. Its gone and I have no idea what has gone on.

I will say almost every time it happens I get a hell of a headache when I come back from the foggy veil.

Sucks !

I think I deal with depersonalization/derealization during more severe episodes. Have never brought it up with pdoc. Maybe someday...But I'll get where I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. Almost like a movie. The world and people in it doesn't feel real. Other times I'll feel like I'm floating above myself, which is super scary because it always seems to happen to me while I'm driving.