[251turnaround]

For the past month, I've been having some dissociative symptoms. Spacing out, feeling unreal, and my memory is completely shot. Anxiety is up, paranoia is back, and I have a feeling this might be getting worse.

I'm not on an effective medication regimen. 75mg of Seroquel doesn't seem to be enough to quell the 'weird' stuff that's been happening. It helps bring me back to reality, but it's not enough.

I'm normally an atheist and a skeptic, and a couple nights ago I had a spirit seance. It actually worked. I felt and saw a spirit in my room and it took hold of me and forbade me from telling others about its intentions. It was a bad spirit. I tried to get rid of it with sage and it was still there, in my room. Maybe it was because of the salt I put down by the door and windows and trapped it in there. It didn't help that when I was summoning it, one of my candles randomly extinguished in my circle. I heard talking outside my window and a train blaring in the distance nonstop.

I know it sounds ridiculous, and I realize it now, but it was so real. I had an inkling that it was a bit whacky but I dismissed that notion based on the feelings I had. The presence being in my room.

I don't even know if I'm manic or not. I'm not euphoric, I'm not dysphoric, my energy is normal; I'm not having my usual mania signs.

I would really like to know what the heck is going on. I'm scared for my future. I can't remember anything beyond bits and pieces for the past month. I'm telling friends things and they tell me things like "You've already told us this." and it freaks me out. It's like being gaslit but I'm actually lit. It's extremely disconcerting.

251turnaround, I can't be sure what's going on with you, but you should definitely let your psychiatrist or at least therapist know.

I have had weird stuff, like dissociative symptoms, happen to me in the past. I eventually got past them. I'm not sure how much my mood states were related or if my medications played any part in easing them. Rather I do think grounding techniques helped me. That I'm sure of.

If you are in a mood episode, perhaps some medication adjustment could help to some degree. Again, do talk to your psychiatrist about your experience. If you do have hypomania or mania at work and question the efficacy of 75 mg of Seroquel, that could be possible. I need doses of 500 mg and above of Seroquel XR to curb my mania, though I know many people find relief on a lot less or need even more. Or maybe if medication can help, another category could do the trick. I've had weird stuff that my anticonvulsant moodstabilizer Tegretol helped best.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by 251turnaround

For the past month, I've been having some dissociative symptoms. Spacing out, feeling unreal, and my memory is completely shot. Anxiety is up, paranoia is back, and I have a feeling this might be getting worse.

I'm not on an effective medication regimen. 75mg of Seroquel doesn't seem to be enough to quell the 'weird' stuff that's been happening. It helps bring me back to reality, but it's not enough.

I'm normally an atheist and a skeptic, and a couple nights ago I had a spirit seance. It actually worked. I felt and saw a spirit in my room and it took hold of me and forbade me from telling others about its intentions. It was a bad spirit. I tried to get rid of it with sage and it was still there, in my room. Maybe it was because of the salt I put down by the door and windows and trapped it in there. It didn't help that when I was summoning it, one of my candles randomly extinguished in my circle. I heard talking outside my window and a train blaring in the distance nonstop.

I know it sounds ridiculous, and I realize it now, but it was so real. I had an inkling that it was a bit whacky but I dismissed that notion based on the feelings I had. The presence being in my room.

I don't even know if I'm manic or not. I'm not euphoric, I'm not dysphoric, my energy is normal; I'm not having my usual mania signs.

I would really like to know what the heck is going on. I'm scared for my future. I can't remember anything beyond bits and pieces for the past month. I'm telling friends things and they tell me things like "You've already told us this." and it freaks me out. It's like being gaslit but I'm actually lit. It's extremely disconcerting.

I cant tell you what is going on with you but can tell you what my treatment providers and I do when I get like this.

first we look at my symptoms to see which problem belongs to which disorder...

example

Dissociation in me does include feeling spaced out and unreal.

dissociation in me does not include anxiety, instead I have the dissociative symptom of going numb (having no feelings emotionally)

Dissociation in me does not include spirits and ghosts taking hold of me... the DID criteria wording "possession" is a cultural word (example native american and such) that describes the switching process that alters and those they reside with in do and shows ownership... example in my native american culture when a person with DID switches into one of their alternate personalities its said that Rainy was in possession. possession as in the same meaning as if someone got busted for having illegal drugs its said they are under arrest for possession of drugs.

we also look at the fact that dissociation disorders also carry the diagnostic criteria that a persons problems can not be because of any cultural / religious practices (example vision quests, ceremonies, seances, dance under the red moon and other things like that)

that means any time I feel that ghosts or spirits are taking over my body that is related to my psychosis (having delusions and hallucinations)

Dissociation in me does not include the symptom of paranoia, Paranoia is whats called a psychosis symptom in me.

in my dissociation problems I do have a special kind of memory problem. we look at what I am actually having problems remembering. and whether there is a trigger involved with this. here where I am dissociation doesnt just happen out of the blue, its a natural response to a trigger, something triggers it to happen. if theres no triggers involved and the things I am not remembering does not fit the kind for dissociative memory problem (other wise known as dissociative amnesia) then we concider this not a dissociative symptom in me

my medications are known for causing me to feel spaced out, unreal, have memory problems and sometimes psychotic symptoms.

put it all together...

the feeling spaced out and unreal goes with either meds or dissociation in me and the anxiety, paranoia and spirits are part of my bipolar disorder psychosis symptoms or medications.

once thats figured out we make changes to my meds to see if that solves the problem, using grounding / breathing / relaxation tools for the dissociation and anxiety

my suggestion if this continues to bother you contact your treatment provider, they can help you figure out which problems belong to which and get you treated for it so that you no longer have these problems.

[MickeyCheeky]

I'm so sorry, 251turnaround I agree with BirdDancer. Talk to your psychiatrist about this and see how it goes from there. Hopefully he/she will be able to help you. I'm so sorry you're going through this, please don't give up. It must be really hard for you. Stay safe and take care of yourself. Is there anything we can do to help you? Please let us know. Remember that we're here for you if you need it. Feel free to vent here as much as you want. We'll listen to what you have to say and won't judge you. I'm here for you as well if you need it. Feel free to PM me anytime. Let me know if I can do something to help you. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Sending many hugs to you

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by 251turnaround

For the past month, I've been having some dissociative symptoms. Spacing out, feeling unreal, and my memory is completely shot. Anxiety is up, paranoia is back, and I have a feeling this might be getting worse.

I'm not on an effective medication regimen. 75mg of Seroquel doesn't seem to be enough to quell the 'weird' stuff that's been happening. It helps bring me back to reality, but it's not enough.

I'm normally an atheist and a skeptic, and a couple nights ago I had a spirit seance. It actually worked. I felt and saw a spirit in my room and it took hold of me and forbade me from telling others about its intentions. It was a bad spirit. I tried to get rid of it with sage and it was still there, in my room. Maybe it was because of the salt I put down by the door and windows and trapped it in there. It didn't help that when I was summoning it, one of my candles randomly extinguished in my circle. I heard talking outside my window and a train blaring in the distance nonstop.

I know it sounds ridiculous, and I realize it now, but it was so real. I had an inkling that it was a bit whacky but I dismissed that notion based on the feelings I had. The presence being in my room.

I don't even know if I'm manic or not. I'm not euphoric, I'm not dysphoric, my energy is normal; I'm not having my usual mania signs.

I would really like to know what the heck is going on. I'm scared for my future. I can't remember anything beyond bits and pieces for the past month. I'm telling friends things and they tell me things like "You've already told us this." and it freaks me out. It's like being gaslit but I'm actually lit. It's extremely disconcerting.

Hi!

Dabbling in the "paranormal" is most often not helpful to people with mental illness. It often exacerbates symptoms. I have known of many people involved in these types of activities and they'd found them confusing/disturbing and problematic. It does more damage than good.

Please practice good self-care and stay safe. Stay away from activities you find confusing, triggering and less than helpful.

Please do tell your pdoc about your recent experience.

Please do take care of yourself.


WC

[251turnaround]

Originally Posted by MickeyCheeky

I'm so sorry, 251turnaround I agree with BirdDancer. Talk to your psychiatrist about this and see how it goes from there. Hopefully he/she will be able to help you. I'm so sorry you're going through this, please don't give up. It must be really hard for you. Stay safe and take care of yourself. Is there anything we can do to help you? Please let us know. Remember that we're here for you if you need it. Feel free to vent here as much as you want. We'll listen to what you have to say and won't judge you. I'm here for you as well if you need it. Feel free to PM me anytime. Let me know if I can do something to help you. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Sending many hugs to you

I already called my pdoc and am trying to set up an offer. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

Hi!

Dabbling in the "paranormal" is most often not helpful to people with mental illness. It often exacerbates symptoms. I have known of many people involved in these types of activities and they'd found them confusing/disturbing and problematic. It does more damage than good.

Please practice good self-care and stay safe. Stay away from activities you find confusing, triggering and less than helpful.

Please do tell your pdoc about your recent experience.

Please do take care of yourself.


WC

I realize now that it was bad for my mental health. I feel like I just sort of 'snapped out' of something. I'm now realizing how ridiculous this whole thing was.