[rabbitsrabbits3660]

For the past several years I have has progressively worsening issues with not recognizing parts of my body. It started with issues with proprioception (the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body). So issues of accidentally injuring myself somewhat frequently because I would not really sense where my tongue is and bite down, or accidentally setting heavy things down on my toes because I forgot they were there and things like that.
The next phase was where I sometimes wouldn't visually recognize my own body parts. For instance. if my partner and I are sharing a blanket (so I can't see which foot is connected to my leg) I will sometimes accidentally grab his foot, thinking it is mine.
Until the most recent incident this week, I wasn't particularly concerned, it just seemed like an inconvenient but minor perception flaw. For background on the next bit, it helps to know I am a 911 dispatcher and deal with people having medical emergencies constantly, and frequently dream about my job. Not sure if this is relevant, but just for context, I have BPII and GAD.
So I was taking a nap, when apparently I aspirated slightly on my saliva, and started coughing very badly and having some difficulty breathing. This woke me, at least partially. When I have dreams about 911 calls I always remind myself when I wake up or have a lucid moment that I'm not at work, so this isn't really happening, someone else is at the center taking the real calls. So as I was coughing badly, I recognized someone was having a medical issue, but didn't recognize that it was me. So I just kept telling myself that I'm just dreaming and someone else would deal with that medical emergency. This went on for several minutes, or at least what felt like several minutes, while my coughing continued to worsen, until my half asleep brain could recognize that the coughing was me, and that the coughing was real. Afterwards, I became scared of how I just wasn't processing my bodies senses as my own; how I knew someone was coughing, but somehow couldn't connect that to the pain in my throat and chest.

So after that sort of worrying incident, I went online to see if there was a psychological or neurological explanation of my worsening ability to recognize my own body and sensory inputs. I have read about dissociation, but haven't found anything that really lines up with what I'm experiencing.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? Is this possibly a type of dissociation, or does this phenomena have a different name?

[Skeezyks]

Hello rabbits: I'm sorry I cannot offer anything substantive with regard to your concern. However I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[Travelinglady]

Hello, rabbits, and welcome to Psych Central! I've experienced dissociation to the point where I couldn't feel my body when I was lying in bed. It's like it didn't exist.

I'm not sure what's happening with you, but it could be an extreme form of dissociation, I think. It's worth mentioning to your doctor to see what's happening for sure. Perhaps all your experiences hearing about people in trouble have affected your perception. I doubt it's an actual physiological (neurological) problem, though.

Again, welcome!

[rabbitsrabbits3660]

Thanks for the welcomes and input! I've been wondering if it's a sensory processing disorder maybe. Just through googling some things sounded related, but nothing quite discribed my experience. It just feels better to have a name for it, y'know. Trying to find some answers.

[*Laurie*]

Sounds like depersonalization. Depersonalization Community