[jamminpianogirl]

I frequently will get lost driving places I've been before. I know the route but will "space out" to the point that I must drive right by my destination, or go straight where I'm supposed to take a turn, or turn onto a wrong road, or something - but I have no recollection of the time period I get lost, so I don't know. All I know is when I come to myself I am in an unfamiliar place. Its getting very convenient as I often add an hour or more to my trips, ending up an hour late and wasting a lot of gas getting lost.

Is this some kind of dissociative disorder, or what? I need to know what it is so I can do something!

[4Grace]

Hi Jamminpianogirl,

Sweetie I'm not sure, Because I myself am not DID. But truly believe someone dear to me, is. He has had similiar instances such as you have described, among others.

I would like to let you know, that someone will be along soon to better help you darlin. So just hang in there.

So here's a.... Little Happy and a Hug

Jesus loves you baby, and so do I !!!

I'll always be...
4erverHIS(myLord)

4Grace

Hi Jammin,

Highway hypnosis is perfectly normal. Everyone does it and it is considered dissociation in it's mildest form.

What should be addressed though is the fact that when you "come to" you are in an unfamiliar place. When that was happening to me, my therapist had me get a kitchen timer and set it to go off every five minutes or so. It helped by keeping me aware so I wouldn't "drift" too far off course or off the side of the road which was happening.

You might want to talk to your T if you have one.

[deliquesce]

yes,

i just wanted to second orange blossom - it doesn't sound like you have a dissociative disorder, if this is the only symptom you are experiencing - time passing you by and being completely unaware of it whilst driving is very common.

it doesn't mean it is not distressing though!

blossom's idea of a kitchen timer is a good one. i hope it helps you .

[3velniai]

it happens to me too, so i bought a gps devise. It tells me where to drive in advance, so i don't get lost even when i dissociate. I also downloaded a nice voice for the thlng, it has something what keeps me present, which helps too.

[deliquesce]

that's really smart thinking, velniai! thank you for sharing that .

[jamminpianogirl]

Ok. I think that is the only 'symptom', at least the only one thats causing a problem. I really don't know much about dissociative disorders so I don't know what other symptoms would be related.

I'm already diagnosed with bipolar II, social anxiety, and ptsd.

I tend to space out like this too when people are talking to me, and I find myself automatically responding, at least they tell me I do but I don't even know what they were talking about! Its nothing elaborate though, I think I just nod and say "yes" and "no" and "mmmhmm" and insignificant responses like that when I'm 'gone' to wherever I go.

The only other thing I can think of that might be related to dissociative disorders is that when my emotions get too overwhelming I will go completely numb emotionally, so that even the most traumatic events have no effect on my feelings at all. Same thing with physical pain too, if I ever get overwhelmed by physical pain I have the ability to stop feeling it - which is weird, I've often wondered if many other people can do that?

Also If I cut myself deep with a knife, I often won't even feel it and the only reason I know I've been cut is because I felt the pressure and there is blood, and I am starting to pass out... lol.

Any other thoughts are appreciated, but I'll try to remember to bring it up at my psychiatrist appointment in a few weeks!

[deliquesce]

to my understanding, dissociating is a common trauma response. so it's possible that you dont have DID, but dissociate anyway.

all of those experiences you described (numbing out, not feeling physical pain etc) i've had too. i dont have DID, but i do have ptsd. the first 6 months of therapy with a new T i met - i dont remember any of it. i sat there and dissociated the whole time. but apparently i got through it ok, because i must have been operating at a level enough to hold conversation for an hour.

so yeah. dont need to worry about DID, i think, although it might help if you learn to manage the dissociating (so that it only happens when you want it to). i find coming into this forum useful, because it helps me manage my dissociative response (sometimes i do it even though i dont want to do it), but like i said - i dont have DID.

[Sannah]

Jammin, yes, like the others have said spacing out in a car in normal. I have recovered from anxiety and I know what you mean when you are in a conversation and you can't listen anymore. I always thought that I was just getting overwhelmed and just couldn't focus. I dissociated once in my life for just a few seconds before something in the environment snapped me out of it. Dissociation has a physical feeling to it. You know that you are doing it! Your urge is to panic and run. The not being able to focus on a conversation was different. There wasn't any physicalness to it (maybe anxiety only). Zoning out in the car is nothing like really dissociating either because this zoning out is pleasant. Dissociating is not pleasant!

This going away to avoid the present sounds like learned behavior from your past. I have no experience with this.

It sure sounds alot like your PTSD. The numbing, spacing out, etc, all PTSD symptoms. Sometimes our brains are working so hard to keep the trauma/memories/reality of our issues at bay, that there is little room for you to carry on normally throughout the day. Hence, the automatic responses and things like that. How could you possibly hear questions when you are working so hard not to "hear" anything? Hope that makes sense.