[DivideByZero]

Hello,

Recently I have been losing consciousness in bizarre sorts of episodic daydreams. I will think of something that emotionally affected me in the past or something bad that might happen in the future and suddenly i am immersed in it completely and after a few seconds (10-30 usually, very very rarely any more than this) I will "snap out of it" back into this world. In some cases though I am talking out loud after I snap out of it, or doing something embarrassing like holding my arms in an odd position ,like in the position of protecting my face, or in a fighting position that is abnormal for my actual surroundings but normal for the "daydream" that I was in. The same can be said for the talking out loud, I will be saying something that is normal for the "daydream" but abnormal for my surroundings. Like being on a crowded train and finding myself saying "Oh no, no thats just horrible." and finding that I am not in the event that I thought I was in but instead that I am facing a stranger in a train with a puzzled/disturbed look on her face. Has anyone any experience with this sort of thing? What the heck is going on?

Concerned.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by DivideByZero

Hello,

Recently I have been losing consciousness in bizarre sorts of episodic daydreams. I will think of something that emotionally affected me in the past or something bad that might happen in the future and suddenly i am immersed in it completely and after a few seconds (10-30 usually, very very rarely any more than this) I will "snap out of it" back into this world. In some cases though I am talking out loud after I snap out of it, or doing something embarrassing like holding my arms in an odd position ,like in the position of protecting my face, or in a fighting position that is abnormal for my actual surroundings but normal for the "daydream" that I was in. The same can be said for the talking out loud, I will be saying something that is normal for the "daydream" but abnormal for my surroundings. Like being on a crowded train and finding myself saying "Oh no, no thats just horrible." and finding that I am not in the event that I thought I was in but instead that I am facing a stranger in a train with a puzzled/disturbed look on her face. Has anyone any experience with this sort of thing? What the heck is going on?

Concerned.

Sorry cant diagnose you but have some ideas based on my experiences and those I know and work with during my internship.

getting pulled into thoughts from past abuse is called having intrusive thoughts and having flashbacks. a mental health therapist can help you learn how to handle having intrusive thoughts and flashbacks from your past abuse. Another name for this happening is having Post traumatic Stress Syndrome. when I was having intrusive thoughts and flashbacks those felt as real as when they happened. it took working with a therapist to learn about intrusive thoughts and flashbacks and work on the cause which was past abuse. after I did that the flashbacks and intrusive thoughts went away.

Getting pulled into daydreams can mean you have a very good imagination. lots of adults children especially have overactive imaginations such as you describe. having a good imagination ability is a good thing. If it wasn't we wouldn't have all the great technologies, medications and other inventions and discoveries that have brought us to todays world. my niece will sit here and play and then come to me saying heres a cookie when there no actual cookie in her hand but she can tell me what kind of cookie she "baked" how it tasted the works. in school kids learn from the moment they enter kindergarten how to play pretend and use their imaginations.

if this is the case then you have a great imagination/daydreaming ability so now all you need to do is learn how to control it so that it works for you not against you and who knows someday it will be you making the worlds next innovative invention or discovery. a therapist can help you come up with new ways to challenge yourself and control your daydreaming. on your own you can do things too like when you find yourself daydreaming change something like your location, your activity. I find myself daydreaming a lot doing home work with all these college text books. to control the daydreaming I set time limits of how long my homework study sessions are. take a break, get a cup of coffee or something to eat call a friend go see a friend, that way I'm not trying to force study through daydreaming and end up not retaining any of the homework assignment. if I'm watching tv and find myself drifting off obviously the show I'm watching isn't as important as I originally thought and I change the channel or shut the tv off altogether and find another activity.

There is a couple terms "psychotic" and "delusional" that mean out of touch with reality, not being able to tell reality from hallucinations or daydreams. This kind of thing happens with a mental disorder called schizophrenia. if you think this might be whats happening to you a psychiatrist can give you some diagnostic tests.

[pegasus]

PTSD? Flashbacks?

Are you getting stuck in past traumatic events? Or are these made up daydreams?

[DivideByZero]

Thank you both for your time. For the most part these thoughts are from past traumas yes, or from events that I perceive as threatening.

[pachyderm]

Anyway, I like your name...