[YMIHere]

I was wondering if you all might share what dissociating is like for you.

When I think of dissociating I've always thought about childhood trauma and just getting this out of body experience to get away from the reality of it. I've seen in some readings where they say, "Have you ever driven home and not realized how you got there?" I mean I'm pretty sure EVERYONE has done that at some point or another. That hardly seems like something you could call a symptom of a mental disorder in that instance..

I definitely do the driving thing. I'm trying to think of other possible instances. But I figured if you all gave me some descriptions it might click. I'm listening to the "Walking On Eggshells..." book and they give all sorts of descriptions of BPD symptoms in ways that I wouldn't have myself considered them symptomatic, you know?

Thanks.

[battlesymphony]

I usually think to myself 'I don't exist' when I'm dissociating. I feel very disconnected from my body and feel like I'm just floating around inside my head. I end up dissociating mostly after I've intensely noticed something about myself.

[BlueAura]

I've never been able to dissociate. My T told me that I am too guarded and too vigilant to do it. Sometimes I wish I could.

[childofchaos831]

The driving scenario is dissociation, but so is floating above your body looking down or completely losing time and not remembering at all. It's actually a spectrum, so the driving one is pretty normal. The more serious it gets, the more it is actually a symptom of something. For me, I lose time or just kinda stare off into space mostly. I also have a dissociative disorder tho, so my dissociation is a little more severe than some.

[YMIHere]

Originally Posted by battlesymphony

I usually think to myself 'I don't exist' when I'm dissociating. I feel very disconnected from my body and feel like I'm just floating around inside my head. I end up dissociating mostly after I've intensely noticed something about myself.

Can't recall experiencing anything even remotely close to this. I mean, I can be VERY in my head, but it's never quiet enough for me to feel disconnected I think.

Originally Posted by childofchaos831

The driving scenario is dissociation, but so is floating above your body looking down or completely losing time and not remembering at all. It's actually a spectrum, so the driving one is pretty normal. The more serious it gets, the more it is actually a symptom of something. For me, I lose time or just kinda stare off into space mostly. I also have a dissociative disorder tho, so my dissociation is a little more severe than some.

I knew I could never be on the level of DID. Not the floating thing. Losing time maybe, but I just wanted to see if anyone said anything that I could say, "YES!" but not really. Except the car thing. I mean, I "zone out" standing on line sometimes. I know this because when I snap back it's usually because someone thinks I'm staring at them but if anyone says anything to me (that would usually be someone I know) I tell them I wasn't looking AT them, I was looking THROUGH them.

[childofchaos831]

Ya the zoning out is something I do quite a bit.

[Fromtheworst]

I think I feel like during or after a really stressful situations. It scares me though and usually turns into a panic attack. I had one really bad one and was standing at work. All of a sudden. I just felt dizzy and my coworker was standing next to me and I said I didn't feel right but it sounded like muffled and loud. Like when you talk with your hands over your ears. I'm not positive if that's it for sure. But usually when I am in a high stress situation and I let myself think about it all that is how I feel.. and sometimes like I'm in a bubble and my body is on the outside. But I'm never looking at myself im still looking out from my body..

Now if that isn't confusing... I'm in the midst of a panic attack. Just trying to distract myself and calm down. Lol but basically sums it up

[HALLIEBETH87]

I didn't realize I dissociate til I was in ip last year with my first psychosis. I talked to my inpatient therapist a lot as I was getting better and she explained that my disconnected dead inside and dreamlike feeling was in fact me disconnecting. She said I've probably been doing it since the trauma as a child which is true because I started self harming to deal with feeling so dead and disconnected.

[reb569]

When I dissociate I feel disconnected from my surroundings, but generally don't lose time. I actually used to use it as a coping mechanism, and called in zoning in or zoning out. Zoning in when working on a project that required a lot of focus, and zoning out to relax myself. I never really thought of that as dissociation until the last year or so after a crisis situation has cause my dissociation to change. It's more automatic now and doesn't work to relax me any more. I can snap out of it when someone talks to me though, although I often feel a little disconnected still afterwards. On a scale, mine is on the lower end of the spectrum.

[YMIHere]

Originally Posted by Fromtheworst

I think I feel like during or after a really stressful situations. It scares me though and usually turns into a panic attack. I had one really bad one and was standing at work. All of a sudden. I just felt dizzy and my coworker was standing next to me and I said I didn't feel right but it sounded like muffled and loud. Like when you talk with your hands over your ears. I'm not positive if that's it for sure. But usually when I am in a high stress situation and I let myself think about it all that is how I feel.. and sometimes like I'm in a bubble and my body is on the outside. But I'm never looking at myself im still looking out from my body..

Now if that isn't confusing... I'm in the midst of a panic attack. Just trying to distract myself and calm down. Lol but basically sums it up

Funny I had this the other night but to be honest I think I was about to pass out or something for some reason. I don't recall feeling any sort of way that should have taken me there mentally, but I was in my nieces bedroom and made my way over to the bed hoping I wouldn't fall. The lack of hearing thing is what lead me to believe that it wasn't simply dizziness - I was about to be gone...I think. Laying down worked.

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

I didn't realize I dissociate til I was in ip last year with my first psychosis. I talked to my inpatient therapist a lot as I was getting better and she explained that my disconnected dead inside and dreamlike feeling was in fact me disconnecting. She said I've probably been doing it since the trauma as a child which is true because I started self harming to deal with feeling so dead and disconnected.

And this is what I thought anyone who dissociates is doing. Related only to trauma. I wouldn't have associated my "autopilot" or "spacing out" as dissociating but apparently they qualify in a way.

Originally Posted by reb569

When I dissociate I feel disconnected from my surroundings, but generally don't lose time. I actually used to use it as a coping mechanism, and called in zoning in or zoning out. Zoning in when working on a project that required a lot of focus, and zoning out to relax myself. I never really thought of that as dissociation until the last year or so after a crisis situation has cause my dissociation to change. It's more automatic now and doesn't work to relax me any more. I can snap out of it when someone talks to me though, although I often feel a little disconnected still afterwards. On a scale, mine is on the lower end of the spectrum.

This just sounds like my ADHD hyperfocus and then "coming down." Generally if I'm hyperfocused it's because I'm really interested in whatever I'm doing. THAT I like. UNLESS it's a distraction from something I NEED to do because I can lose a lot of time.

Thank you everyone for the input.