dissociation anyone?

I have had times of dissociation a lot in the past though not for years, but I realized that while running, particularly running these long distances I have, that I often dissociate. It's not psychosis since I can clearly distinguish reality. But I was going along, my app announced a mileage, and I honestly felt like I had run the whole last mile as if I were in a movie or maybe just stuck inside my head, paying no attention to the rest of my body at all.

What causes that? Stress? Trauma? Medication?

Things have been about as stressful as I can remember in recent times. Maybe it's that? I can at some point recognize the dissociation and when I do, I can make myself snap out of it. But it's been happening more & more lately. I suppose it's something to mention to the pdoc tomorrow, or is it just par for the course with bipolar?

I feel you have been under a lot of stress.
I also dissociate more under stress.

I think you might benefit from mentioning this to your pdoc.

I was just wondering how your day is going today when you'd posted.


WC

It happens to me, too. Last time it happened was at the grocery store. Other times its been at the drs office (regular dr). In fact, that's how I got referred to psych: I told my primary about hallucinating and walking and derealization happening: everything around me felt far away and blurry almost - like I'd try to touch things and couldn't.

I dissociate when stressed, but it gets worse when I'm in the car or listen to music bcuz those two are generally triggers for dissociation because everyone dissociated mildly from driving, music, surfing the web, tv, etc.

I had a few episodes of derealization when I was a child. At the age of 26 I took a nap and when I awoke the derealization was there. That was almost 30 years ago and the derealization has never gone away. Ever. Nothing looks exactly real; it's sort of like watching the entire world through a glass wall. No medication has ever helped. I believe it's some type of neurological oddity.

Have you ever had an EEG to test for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?
It came to mind as a possibility when I read your post.
Just a thought.

WC

This has happened to me a few times in my life. One time at college, I found myself in the cafeteria not knowing what time it was and how I got there, and not remembering the entire day. Another time I was unaware of where I was, what I was doing there, and what I was looking at. I looked down and found keys in my hand wondering what I was doing with them. I then saw in front of me a car that I did not recognize. This lasted several minutes, Then it quickly went away. I was in a Denny’s parking lot in front of my own car. I had just come outside to go home.

Thank you for your suggestion, WC. Many years ago I was referred by a pdoc to a kindly neurologist who ordered an EEG based on my symptom of derealization. Nothing showed up, but the tech told me that EEG's are not entirely reliable unless there's active seizure activity happening during the test. Whatever that meant.

Had an MRI just a few years ago; looked normal. At that time was referred to a neurologist - the meanest, rudest doctor I have ever seen. He barked at me that as long as I'm on Klonopin there's nothing he could do for me because Klonopin obscures EEG results . There was no getting anywhere with him.
My current pdoc agreed with me that there might be something neurological going on...your question reminds me that I need to question her further. Maybe she'll give me a referral. I'm so used to this way of "seeing the world" that I tend to just accept it. But it would sure be nice not to have to live with this weird sensation 24/7.

Sorry to hear others of you have had trouble with this too. I have also done a few things without remembering how I got where I was or what I was doing. Running, the app might announce a certain mile (the app setting gives the mileage, time & split pace every mile), and I'll have not remembered running the last mile at all, but apparently I did. There were a couple of other occasions lately though now I can't remember them, probably thanks to the meds.

please mention this to your pdoc.
How much sleep are you getting?
bizi

This has happened to me too. Before I was diagnosed, my old pdoc prescribed me Celexa. That day, I drove to Wendy's . When I got there, I went into the restaurant and didnt know where I was or how I got there. The billboard that you order from said words but I didn't know what they meant. I dont even remember if I had ordered food but I had gone to a table and sat down and call my pdoc. She answered and said "You weren't supposed to DRIVE!" I still to this day don't know how I got home.

I am honestly unsure if I have experienced dissociation. My pdoc was asking me questions to screen me for this and derealization I think at my last appointment. I think he expected me to say yes to some of the answers, but I just told him things seemed weird, but that I always knew who I was and where I was. I can be very spacey, and daydream in my head a lot or overthink things, so I can drive and be paying attention on some level to the driving while in my head and not realize I took an exit for example. Not sure when it becomes dissociation, because I know I am day dreaming, it's more like I am distracted. I forget things happened or that I met people sometimes, but that seems more like a memory/concentration thing. More like I need to work on being present and mindful and not live in my head so much.

I have PTSD so I have dissociated with trauma. Don't know if I have with bipolar though.

Sleep has been decent lately by bipolar standards: 5.5 hr - 8 hr/night. 8 hours is rare, but usually I manage 6, sometimes 7.

I mentioned it to the doc; he didn't say much about it, but I'm supposed to go see him again next week. We'll see how things go.