[tom2123]

Has anyone ever had the feeling that you could stop what you’re doing and just stare and not move at all? Almost like “you’re not supposed to do anything”? That is how I would describe this odd feeling I keep getting. Almost as if Im supposed to “play dead” or something.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by tom2123

Has anyone ever had the feeling that you could stop what you’re doing and just stare and not move at all? Almost like “you’re not supposed to do anything”? That is how I would describe this odd feeling I keep getting. Almost as if Im supposed to “play dead” or something.

I get this way because of psychosis problems with my meds and my bipolar disorder. here is a link that might help https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/catatonia

sometimes I also get something like dissociative trance where because of being triggered I will become numb, unfeeling, and not thinking. my treatment providers call it OSDD (specifier 4) in me

[TrailRunner14]

That does happen to me sometimes. I have experienced it many times.

It feels almost like I've gone "off line" if that makes sense.

I'm there and I know what's going on, but I can't really snap myself out of it.

It doesn't last for very long when it happens, and then I'm "back".

I'm not sure what to attribute it to, except I think it happens for me when I am overwhelmed by a situation or I'm overloaded with stress.

[tom2123]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

I get this way because of psychosis problems with my meds and my bipolar disorder. here is a link that might help https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/catatonia

sometimes I also get something like dissociative trance where because of being triggered I will become numb, unfeeling, and not thinking. my treatment providers call it OSDD (specifier 4) in me

Hi Amanda, thank you. So when you experience this, can you actually not move? Or is it just the thought/feeling that you should not move or do anything?

[Amyjay]

i get into a dissociative trance sometimes, I don't know if it is the same kind of thing you are talking about or not. Sometimes i lose all connection with my body and can't "activate" it. It happens in therapy sometimes. I trance out and can't move. It takes enormous effort to get back into my body and move it. It usually happens when certain traumas are talked are talked about in therapy or accessed at home.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by tom2123

Hi Amanda, thank you. So when you experience this, can you actually not move? Or is it just the thought/feeling that you should not move or do anything?

I can not move, its like being paralyzed, it is not my choice, it is not something I can think about and choose to move or not.

where I can choose to move or not move my doctors call that normal in me. like I can choose to eat my peas on my plate or not eat my peas on my plate. I can choose to be quiet and pretend to be invisible or I can choose not to be quiet, not pretend to be invisible. its normal for me to be able to make chooses good or bad and normal for me to know whether I should or can act on my deciding what to do.

yes. when our therapist is trying to get us to talk about something very intense and its really hard, we go into trances like that. hard to talk, move, blink, anything. it can take a while to come out of it.

[tom2123]

Originally Posted by amandalouise

I can not move, its like being paralyzed, it is not my choice, it is not something I can think about and choose to move or not.

where I can choose to move or not move my doctors call that normal in me. like I can choose to eat my peas on my plate or not eat my peas on my plate. I can choose to be quiet and pretend to be invisible or I can choose not to be quiet, not pretend to be invisible. its normal for me to be able to make chooses good or bad and normal for me to know whether I should or can act on my deciding what to do.

Hmm, that is different from what I experience. For me it’s more of a thought/feeling that I shouldn’t be moving or doing anything. Very hard to explain.

[just2b]

for me i will think and see my hand moving but it just doest connect and its there on my lap. frustrating to say the least. happens often but hardest when in t.

[dlantern]

It does irk us, I would make sure someone inside isn't trying to tell you something of the past to make a discovery. Probably is trying to figure out how to share it all . For example at one time in your life two people staring at someone for a reason two alters doing the same, is trying to share possibly.

[Kiya]

Originally Posted by tom2123

Hmm, that is different from what I experience. For me it’s more of a thought/feeling that I shouldn’t be moving or doing anything. Very hard to explain.

Hi- I do get that. I get the stiff, frozen one too but only when triggered. The other... it’s like I’m doing something and things stop. I stop. I stare at the wall. Nothing moves, I’m in whatever position I was in, and I think ‘hmmm. I stopped. I wonder if I should move. I wonder if I can move. What was I doing? Do I know or even care? I could just stay like this...’. But the thoughts are slow, like time stopped. I still have a vague idea of what is going on, but I may or may not get back on track. It feels mentally painful to push through it when I must be somewhere.
I explained this to my psych nurse and she listed mild catatonia as a new dx for me. Said I’m already on the meds that help it (Valium)... or that med could also be causing it (like my dr thinks). She told me to track it. I might as well be tracking Pluto... something I can’t see.

[Kiya]

I listed about 8... that link was super helpful

At least three out of twelve symptoms must be present for a diagnosis of catatonia. These symptoms include:

Stupor (oblivious inability to move or respond to stimuli), catalepsy (rigid body posture)
Mutism (little to no verbal communication)
Waxy flexibility (body remains in whatever position it is placed by another)
Negativism (lack of verbal response)
Posturing (holding a posture or position that goes against gravity)
Mannerisms (extreme or odd movements and mannerisms)
Stereotypy (frequent repetitive movements for no reason)
Agitation (for no reason), grimacing (distorted facial expressions)
Echolalia (repeating others’ words)
Echopraxia (repeating others’ movements).
Other common symptoms include rigidity and automatic obedience. When catatonia is associated with schizophrenia, stupor may continue for long periods of time as compared to schizophrenia associated with other psychiatric conditions, where there are likely to be long remissions.

[Xyz.megan]

Originally Posted by tom2123

Has anyone ever had the feeling that you could stop what you’re doing and just stare and not move at all? Almost like “you’re not supposed to do anything”? That is how I would describe this odd feeling I keep getting. Almost as if Im supposed to “play dead” or something.

I experience catatonia sometimes, usually it happens when my personality is changing from calm to violent and aggressive. It can be really awkward if it happens in public.

[Kiya]

I saw a neurologist today... not particularly helpful. Was mildly intrigued about my psych nurse mentioning catatonia. Will do MRI ("it's been two years, see if anything' changed") and some other standard things, "depending on what your insurance will cover". :/

Psych nurse today was concerned I might go catatonic while driving. Does that happen. I think I zone out sometimes, but then another alter either yells at me or simply takes over....