[everything]

A lot of the time I have trouble feeling like I am "in the room". Instead I feel like I"m a floating space above my head and I don't have a good concept of where I am. I still intellectually understand it, but I don't really feel it at all. I have experiences sometimes where I don't feel like I'm in an particular place. I kind of feel like I"m "in nowhere". So after speaking to blossommayflower and justmes and complic8d and I believe one other person (I'm sorry, I remember you but not your screenname) it sounds like I should get check out. I have a therapist and so I'll bring it up to her on Monday.

Any more opinions on this? What are your experiences being diagnosed?

[Claritytoo]

Originally Posted by everything

A lot of the time I have trouble feeling like I am "in the room". Instead I feel like I"m a floating space above my head and I don't have a good concept of where I am. I still intellectually understand it, but I don't really feel it at all. I have experiences sometimes where I don't feel like I'm in an particular place. I kind of feel like I"m "in nowhere". So after speaking to blossommayflower and justmes and complic8d and I believe one other person (I'm sorry, I remember you but not your screenname) it sounds like I should get check out. I have a therapist and so I'll bring it up to her on Monday.

Any more opinions on this? What are your experiences being diagnosed?

It is good you have a t and you are willing to discuss this with her. Feel better.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by everything

A lot of the time I have trouble feeling like I am "in the room". Instead I feel like I"m a floating space above my head and I don't have a good concept of where I am. I still intellectually understand it, but I don't really feel it at all. I have experiences sometimes where I don't feel like I'm in an particular place. I kind of feel like I"m "in nowhere". So after speaking to blossommayflower and justmes and complic8d and I believe one other person (I'm sorry, I remember you but not your screenname) it sounds like I should get check out. I have a therapist and so I'll bring it up to her on Monday.

Any more opinions on this? What are your experiences being diagnosed?

Opinions ....yes Im glad you are bring this up to your therapist because there are many things that can cause having these kinds of feelings.

example when I get these same feelings now sometimes its a sign that I am in my depression phase with either my seasonal depression / PTSD or my bipolar disorder. Sometimes it means my medications for any number of my medical and mental health issues like MS, heart disease and anemia or my depression, bipolar disorders or my PTSD, Anxiety disorders needs tweeking/adjusting or changed. they also check my blood work weight and other vitals to make sure my eating disorders are not affecting my health. and of course dissociative tests to do a check on my depersonalization/derealization disorders. for me its quite a process of mental and physical health questions and tests sometimes because I have so many physical and mental health issues.

this most recent time I felt like this and chalked it up to a dissociative or bipolar issue. luckily I saw my therapist and physician. I had to go through evaluations because of this problem and yesterday we (my wife and I) were told the reason for my feeling like this... I am pregnant. it just amazes me how many things can cause the same symptoms. now that we know what is causing my symptoms medication, plenty of rest and diet adjustments and of course time for my body to adjust to the little life I now carry for the next few months I will be back to my normal self.

for some people the evaluation is a piece of cake for others its a huge time consuming process with a wait for the results time varying from a month or two depending upon what is causing these symptoms. you will do fine.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by everything

A lot of the time I have trouble feeling like I am "in the room". Instead I feel like I"m a floating space above my head and I don't have a good concept of where I am. I still intellectually understand it, but I don't really feel it at all. I have experiences sometimes where I don't feel like I'm in an particular place. I kind of feel like I"m "in nowhere". So after speaking to blossommayflower and justmes and complic8d and I believe one other person (I'm sorry, I remember you but not your screenname) it sounds like I should get check out. I have a therapist and so I'll bring it up to her on Monday.

Any more opinions on this? What are your experiences being diagnosed?

I just took a look at yout profile I see that you have been diagnosed with a phobia, depression and an autistic problem called Asperger's Disorder. each of these problems do sometimes share / show dissociative like symptoms. so again Im glad that you are bringing this up with your therapist. its always good to do rechecks on already existing problems too. the solution for you to feeling better may be just as simple as making an adjustment or change to
your treatments for your phobia, depression and Aspergers disorders.

[shortandcute]

I would say go ahead and get it checked out--I don't see what harm it would do. I really don't know that much about Dissociative disorders, but I can see why it's a concern. Sometimes I have wondered if I mite have some type of dissociative disorder myself. I do agree with amandalouise, also.

[-jimi-]

Since when does Asperger's cause dissociation? Never heard that before.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by jimrat

Since when does Asperger's cause dissociation? Never heard that before.

Asbergers does not *****cause**** disociation

it *****Shares***** some of the same symptoms

example

a person with aspergers will have problems with interactions in social situations.

a person who has dissociative symptoms will also have times when they have problems with interactions in social situations

A person with aspergers will sometimes have problems with feelings ie showing their feelings, not being able to feel feelings, feeling numb at times

a person with dissociative symptoms will also have times when they have problems with feelings ie showing their feelings, not able to feel feelings at times, feeling numb sometimes.

A person with aspergers will sometimes have repetative behaviors

a person who is dissociative will sometimes have repetative behaviors.

a person with aspergers will sometimes be clumsy, stumbling.

a person with dissociative problems will sometimes be clumsy and stumble because they are not fully aware in the present moment.

many mental disorders ****share **** the same dissociative symptoms which is why only a treatment provider can diagnose a person with dissociative disorders

again aspergers does ****not cause**** dissociative disorders

it ****shares**** the same symptoms as a dissociative disorder

[everything]

I"ve found out I pretty much don't have asperger's.

I'm worried about disassociative because I find myself daydreaming too often. Beyond that I look past every object and associate some other thought with it. It's like I'm analyzing literally everything I see or hear, but I'm not always analyzing it, sometimes I'm just associating something with it and running away with a train of thought.

I don't really feel like my vision is appropriate or clear. A lot of times I"m imagining something while trying to do something else. I feel like my vision is a little hazy. Physically. I really see thing's better when I try hard to be "in the room" or away from extra thoughts. I also feel a strong pressure in my forehead when I'm concentrating on "being in the room" (which is how I describe the non-disassociated state where all external senses are strong and I can take those in fully without being bothered by thoughts).

I'm trying to start taking in my stimuli around me. If I don't, I imagine something or I day dream or I hear other thoughts creep up and I follow them and think about them for a really long time. Most of the time I feel like this. I almost always feel like I am thinking about something or contemplating something.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by everything

I"ve found out I pretty much don't have asperger's.

I'm worried about disassociative because I find myself daydreaming too often. Beyond that I look past every object and associate some other thought with it. It's like I'm analyzing literally everything I see or hear, but I'm not always analyzing it, sometimes I'm just associating something with it and running away with a train of thought.

I don't really feel like my vision is appropriate or clear. A lot of times I"m imagining something while trying to do something else. I feel like my vision is a little hazy. Physically. I really see thing's better when I try hard to be "in the room" or away from extra thoughts. I also feel a strong pressure in my forehead when I'm concentrating on "being in the room" (which is how I describe the non-disassociated state where all external senses are strong and I can take those in fully without being bothered by thoughts).

I'm trying to start taking in my stimuli around me. If I don't, I imagine something or I day dream or I hear other thoughts creep up and I follow them and think about them for a really long time. Most of the time I feel like this. I almost always feel like I am thinking about something or contemplating something.

Originally Posted by everything

I'm worried about disassociative

this word is different than the word "dissociative" here where I live and work in NY USA.

here where I am

Disassociative means you have willfully given up being a part of something

example I quite my Monday night bowling league so now I do nor associate with that game.

and

Dissociative is someone who because of a trauma or stress in their life, has dissociation symptoms ie feeling numb, feeling like they cant feel their body, spacey, feeling like the world is not real, feeling like they are not real...

Example

I feel numb this morning, my head feels like I have a hangover but I know its not because of drugs and alcohol, its because of lack of sleep due to stress in my life right now.. the stress of finding a new place to live that takes cats and dogs, and all that came with Hurricane Sandy. it just feels so unreal to me as I see the devastation around me, the city doesnt feel real to me right now.

Im not going to diagnose you but tell you what jumps out at me in your post...

Originally Posted by everything

I look past every object and associate some other thought with it. It's like I'm analyzing literally everything I see or hear, but I'm not always analyzing it, sometimes I'm just associating something with it and running away with a train of thought.

here where I live and work this would not be considered a "dissociative " symptom dissociative disorders are about not connecting, not thinking, shutting down of thoughts and reactions.

here it would be called many things like

normal.. because normal people do think like this, the normal human brain takes in information from a persons senses for example what they see, then interprets that information (your word "analyzing it" then what ever the brain thinks about what the person sees, it sends electrical impulses to the rest of the body that will allow them to make their choises on what to do about what they are seeing.

a person sees a broken window. the brain causes the person to analyze that and makes a thought about whether that broken window is a threat or not, something interesting or any number of billions of billions of thoughts about that window, then the person takes action based on what they know about that window...pass it by, get a closer look, walk around it, put out a sign... what ever action the person may do at that point.

this kind of thought process can also be any number of mental disorders that do share this symptom like

adhd - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
add - attention deficit disorder
ocd - obsessive compulsive disorder
Bipolar
ptsd

My suggestion hold off from calling yourself and your problem dissociative until after you talk with your treatment providers. they will be able to tell you what your diagnosis is, and why you are diagnosed the way you are. they will be able to differentiate between what is normal, whether you have any of the disorders where this kind of thinking is a symptom vs normal brain activity.

here where I live and work there are many medical and mental problems where a person has vision problems, most people I have encountered did not fit the dissociative type of vision problems because their vision problems were for other reasons than stress/ triggers and trauma. which is the standard for diagnosing a vision problem as a dissociative problem here where I live and work.

sometimes it means the person needs glasses when under some situations and sometimes its a medication problem or part of any number of medical or mental health problems.. my suggestion contact your treatment providers, they can also refer you to an eye doctor who can make a determination as to if there is something medically wrong with your eyes, then after that is done your treatment providers will know whether your eye problems are medical or a symptom of a mental disorder.

Originally Posted by everything

I'm trying to start taking in my stimuli around me. If I don't, I imagine something or I day dream or I hear other thoughts creep up and I follow them and think about them for a really long time. Most of the time I feel like this. I almost always feel like I am thinking about something or contemplating something.

Again here where I live and work this kind of thing would not be called dissociation. here in NY USA this kind of thing is called many things depending upon accompanying symptoms..

Normal brain activity
OCD
ADHD
ADD
mania / bipolar

here where I live and work dissociation is about being shut down, not having any thoughts, not being a participant in things

example seeing something and not thinking any thoughts about it, its just there having no connection to me, I dont take any notice of it at all. not following any train of thought, object or conversation. just numb and not participating at all.

again I cant diagnose you, I am just stating what these things would be called here in NY USA.

my suggestion if having this thought process is bothersome to you contact your treatment providers they can help you so that you dont have such manic / obsessing thoughts.

well,

that is good that you don't have asperger's- good start

let us know about the dissociative- when are you going to find out

[everything]

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

well,

that is good that you don't have asperger's- good start

let us know about the dissociative- when are you going to find out

I see my therapist once a week. We didn't get a chance to talk about it last week. But I did bring it up the first time we talked and I will bring it up next time. But I have to make sure I can articulate my feelings and give examples before I bring it up.

It'll probably take a few weeks after first bringing it up to get a good idea of what's going on.

As of now, she doesn't think I have anything other than social anxiety and depression.

[-jimi-]

AL, that is from a watcher's perspective. Not from the patient's own.

So I don't think it is valid in this situation. Sorry.

[-jimi-]

Everything, I can say I don't really have a clue there. But I hope you will find answers. Have neurological causes been ruled out?

Originally Posted by everything

I see my therapist once a week. We didn't get a chance to talk about it last week. But I did bring it up the first time we talked and I will bring it up next time. But I have to make sure I can articulate my feelings and give examples before I bring it up.

It'll probably take a few weeks after first bringing it up to get a good idea of what's going on.

As of now, she doesn't think I have anything other than social anxiety and depression.

keep us posted will ya?

hugs

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by jimrat

AL, that is from a watcher's perspective. Not from the patient's own.

So I don't think it is valid in this situation. Sorry.

actually those dissociative symptoms I mentioned and the aspergers symptoms I mentioned was from the patients point of view...mine and and my wife's, I have dissociative disorders and my wife has aspergers, as does many of my clients with the crisis center and the hospital where I work.

it is also from a treatment providers perspective because I treat dissociatives and people with all kinds of mental and physical health challenges.

[-jimi-]

OK, but still I have a hard time feeling clumsiness and bad social skills the way they appear in AS remind of dissociation.

But I'm just one person so what do I know?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by jimrat

OK, but still I have a hard time feeling clumsiness and bad social skills the way they appear in AS remind of dissociation.

But I'm just one person so what do I know?

dissociation problems affects many social skills

example

some days when my wife and I are out with friends I will be feeling numb and spacey, not able to take part in the conversation because I am feeling so disconnected from the conversation...

a way to understand this is think about a time when you are with someone and instead of feeling included in the conversation or activity you have felt like a third wheel, everyone else is taking part in the activity but you feel like the outsider, like you dont belong. maybe your friends are talking sports and you dont know anything about that sport so you feel a bit odd listening to this conversation going on around you as if you were not even there.

that is a similar feeling that dissociatives have when their dissociation symptoms are activated while in social situations. when Im having dissociative symptoms when I am in social situations I tend to feel numb and like the odd one out to an extremem where it affects my ability to socialize.

Clumsyness gosh I cant tell you how many times I have been mentally spaced out, and feeling numb to the point where I dont notice whats around me and end up tripping over something or walking smack into a wall or furniture, just yesterday I was dissociated and didnt notice this street sign and walked smack into it, I was so dissociated/disconnected from what was around me that I didnt notice a tree limb had been snapped so that part of it was laying on the side walk and I tripped over it.

tonight I was dissociated/ disconnected that I knocked over the water pticher, dropped a plate...

some people who have aspergers have the same type of clumsiness where they dont always pick up their feet to step over things in their path, knock things over, drop things, walk into wallls because they are distracted by other things that they see....many aspergers repetative motions includes things where objects get knocked over accidentally, or their motions propell them in such a way that they cant always keep their balance while walking when agitated... there are lots of things that comes with aspergers that are categorized as being clumsy behaviors, mannerisms, actions.

my wife when under stress or when shes really mad will get up to walk out of the room and end up walking into a wall or tripping over her own feet, or drop things she is trying to carry...

heres some websites to help you understand aspergers..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
http://www.aspergers.com/aspcrit.html
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/me...rgers-syndrome

there is also an aspergers forum board here at psych central where members that have this might help you to understand aspergers better. heres where you will find it

http://forums.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=81

[everything]

Amanda: based on how your response it sounds like I don't have dissociative disorder. I'm just very bothered by how often I "leave the room" in my head and move off into some fantasy or a million different brainstorms about what this or that might mean.

Maybe there is no name for what I do and no clear way to fight it. I'm getting discouraged because I don't really understand what I'm going through or how to battle it. All I know is I don't want to be this way. I want to be able to go outside and actually hear what's going on instead of hearing all the random thoughts and tangents my brain runs into.

[-jimi-]

I understand the search for a name for it. Have you looked into ADD? All ADD cases don't present the exact same way.

[everything]

Originally Posted by jimrat

I understand the search for a name for it. Have you looked into ADD? All ADD cases don't present the exact same way.

I've thought about it, I guess I don't fit the stereotypical symptoms of it. I always did well in school and can read quite a bit. I guess I can look into it more. I kind of have trouble staying focused, I blamed that more on instant gratification culture than anything.

[StrangeOutOfContext]

It took me 3 years to get a proper dx, for some that's forever, for some that's fast. What really matters is that you're talking about it, questioning, searching. I really hope you find an answer sooner. Good luck to you, love.

[-jimi-]

Sometimes, because we're humans, and not school book examples, we can have traits from several different diagnoses. I know some of my traits have never been discussed because it's like they don't ask me anymore, they have me in the nice boxes and they never check if there is something else there. Which there is. My docs have no idea I'm a genderqueer, they have zero idea how weak my internal identity is. They don't want to know either. Because the boxes is what it is all about.

[junkDNA]

i have ego states that have too solid of boundaries... i dissociate when i get stresed and uncomfortable... i feel a void sucking thru my chest

[everything]

I definitely have traits from several different things. So it's been a long time reading about this and that and ruling certain things out. Taken more than a couple conversations.

I also have a very weak identify. I feel like I have morals and some weak traits, but not an "identity". Having an "identity" feels like superimposing stereotypes onto me and then it becomes self-fulfilling prophecy and I'm a hipster.... Maybe I do have an identity and I don't realize it. I don't identify with my name or my family. The closest thing to an identify I have is morals and where I grew up.

That's kind of why I feel like I'm dissociative, but I don't seem to fit the other descriptions of it. Or the description for anything, really.

[-jimi-]

I have some standards for what I like and dislike, what I would and wouldn't do. But they are nowhere near the foundation most people have. Just as an example, I think I've had about seven different religious/philosophical beliefs. They all felt right at the time and I was sure I was never going to change. My taste in music has changed dramatically over the years. My interests have changed with some that almost always been there. Even my morals have changed, and changed a lot. The time between changes where I have been stripped down to the bare essential me, have been incredibly painfully numb and empty.

I even remember being nine years old. I thought that as an eight year old, I had been the same "me" I was now, but as a six and seven year old, I had been something else that I actually hated. So this has been there from at least eight years of age.

Also, I include things in my identity that people normally don't. So while I don't include most things, I include the "wrong" things. One of those things is age. I feel sick when I think about my physical age. Age cannot be part of someone's identity more than for when you actually are that age, most people wouldn't say age is an identity thing at all. I don't care what age other people are, I mix with all ages. But for me, I know I'm "not" my physical age. How silly. Like someone can actually escape aging....