Not sure if this goes here...

Hello. I have never been to the DID part of the forums.... I have a question. I have been having weird things happen to me for about the past 10 months and I thought perhaps it was Depersonalization or Derealization related...

For the longest time, I have been living vicariously through my daydreams. I find myself lost in daydreams for several hours a day. Fantasies and alternate realities of myself. I am a completely different person in them, or I have done something extraordinary. They are my escape... Sometimes they just pop up into my mind and I will just sit there, staring off into space, forgetting about the real world and focusing on this fantasy. It is like a story, a movie, or a fantastic novel I write in my mind. They last for a long time, weeks even, usually continuing until I feel satisfied enough with the story to begin a new one. I become attached to the people I make up, which are more like characters. Each with their own back stories and appearances.

I believe this may be a problem because sometimes I will slip into a daydream without actually meaning to. I will forget what I am doing and just "zone out". This hasn't really effected my life... because I rarely leave the house, or interact with real people.

Lately I have been having problems.... sometimes I forget which world is real and which is fake. The fantasy world and my memories from it sometimes fade into the real world. Sometimes I will have memories of an experience that didn't happen, and I will feel like it had. Sometimes I feel as if the characters are real, and I become very confused. A family member may mention something, such as, "You could use a haircut". But I will be confused, because in my fantasy I have short hair, or perhaps no hair... It will take me a while to remember... And sometimes I even let it slip out, by asking what they mean, or asking if they remember an event that took place between us, only it had been in my mind.

I have been scared to mention this to anyone. I am worried. Is this a real problem? Or... am I just overreacting?

in general ...if you were here in NY USA no this would not be depersonalization or derealization. here we go by the DSM criteria for those disorders and the criteria states the sense of reality remains intact. what that means is that you retain the ability to know which is real and which isnt. example feeling like you are not connected/ feeling numb, spacy but knowing the world around you is real is depersonalization. feeling the world around you feels unreal, foggy, warped but knowing the reality is the world around you is real, you know whats real you just feel it isnt at times. is derealization.

in general....theres more to dissociative disorders than just daydreaming you live in another time or other reality. even normal people sometimes daydream their life is different than it really is and can sometimes forget which is real and which isnt.

in general....there is elements/symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia disorders and borderline and other personality disorders in this same grouping where a person has trouble with their self identity/ telling whats real and what isnt/believing their daydreams are real/ losing touch with reality/ believing they are different people then they really are, with those disorders these symptoms are called delusions /delusional thinking and psychosis.

mind you we cant tell you what this problem is in you, only your treatment providers can tell you what this is in you.

I see by your profile you have agoraphobia, advoidant personality disorder, and social phobia...daydreaming, and all you posted is consistent with those problems..

in general people who are afraid to interact with others, avoid social situations, afraid to leave their homes do sometimes daydream elaborate daydreams about who they are, and what their life is like and can sometimes forget which is real their daydreams or the world in which they are avoiding..

my suggestion contact a mental health treatment provider ie your physician, therapist or a psychiatrist and they can diagnose the problem and if needed get you the treatment that will help you remain back in touch with reality.they can help you have a more fulfilling real life so that you wont have to daydream yourself into make believe lives for yourself.

I'm not sure my friend. I'm sorry I can't help you with this. If you contact Amanda Louise they might be able to help with that one

(((slomomo))) that definitely sounds problematic and like it interferes with your life. It sounds kinda fun too. sometimes I dont think the labels for what is going on are all that important. What is important, is you get a caring, competent professional who can help you. But I think this would be the severe side of derealization. This world has become so unreal that you have created others.