[hammerklavier]

Maybe this is just under the general category of brain fog, but either due to medications, negative symptoms, or both, I feel like when I am in new settings I can't practically or aesthetically appreciate them enough. The aesthetics of it is probably a product of anhedonic apathy, but I'll be in a less familiar place and feel that while looking around, I just can't "know" the place. The images around me slip out of my memory the moment they enter it, and my visual and spatial sense feels like its buried under lead. There is nothing wrong with my eyes. I have a feeling that it is something I tend to experience, but that it gets worsened with a certain dosage of antipsychotics. I take risperidone 3 milligrams. However, last year when I was off meds, I had a similar problem where I felt like I couldn't be assured that my surroundings were tangibly there. Off the meds it feeds into a mild existential paranoia, and on the meds it just feels like I can't "breath in" enough info about my surroundings. I live in a location with a lot of trees and for aesthetic purposes, when walking in the park I often move my gaze up the trunks to the tops, hoping that I can get a feeling for the depth and substance of the world around me. Maybe its a bit of an OCD thing.

[SkitsDoubt]

Briefly, while on Risperidone, I experienced symptoms similar to those you so articulately describe. The sensations were more than disconcerting to me, and in their duration I felt very near a full-blown panic attack. My mental fog/disconnection seemed to happen only indoors.

From your description, it seems you are navigating well. Apparently, it is a manifestation of illness, since you also "enjoyed" the experience non-medicated.

Your docs should be alerted, certainly. Also, if there's someone you trust to share this experience while it's happening, it tends to be comforting if not solidifying in my experience. Thanks so much for sharing. Just the "connection" of knowing others experience identical odd symptoms has been grounding for me.

[hammerklavier]

Interesting that it only happened for you indoors. I wonder if we have experienced the same thing. If I think about it the wrong way and obsess, I can easily drive myself into panic attack mode...

[neodoering]

I have a similar problem with my vision. Over the last few years, two or three times a year, my vision suddenly goes blurry, and blinking or rubbing my eyes doesn't correct the problem. I stopped driving because of this. It isn't frequent, as I said, but can you imagine being in 5 lanes of traffic going 70mph, and suddenly your vision is wiped out?

Because it is so infrequent, I have not told my doctor about it. But over the last few month it has occurred both indoors and on a hiking trail, for about a full minute. My first thought isn't so much, "meds," because I've switched meds several times in the last few years, but instead I think, "brain tumor," one of which just killed my father.

Hard to tell if this has something to do with my eyeglasses, or my SZA, or a tumor. I go to see my doctor in a few months, and this time I'll share this experience with him. I hope he's heard it before and will know what to do.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by neodoering

I have a similar problem with my vision. Over the last few years, two or three times a year, my vision suddenly goes blurry, and blinking or rubbing my eyes doesn't correct the problem. I stopped driving because of this. It isn't frequent, as I said, but can you imagine being in 5 lanes of traffic going 70mph, and suddenly your vision is wiped out?

Because it is so infrequent, I have not told my doctor about it. But over the last few month it has occurred both indoors and on a hiking trail, for about a full minute. My first thought isn't so much, "meds," because I've switched meds several times in the last few years, but instead I think, "brain tumor," one of which just killed my father.

Hard to tell if this has something to do with my eyeglasses, or my SZA, or a tumor. I go to see my doctor in a few months, and this time I'll share this experience with him. I hope he's heard it before and will know what to do.

I have something like this, they called it ocular migraines---painless but temporary vision blurring in just part of the visual field, I can still see but there are like blind spots.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by hammerklavier

Maybe this is just under the general category of brain fog, but either due to medications, negative symptoms, or both, I feel like when I am in new settings I can't practically or aesthetically appreciate them enough. The aesthetics of it is probably a product of anhedonic apathy, but I'll be in a less familiar place and feel that while looking around, I just can't "know" the place. The images around me slip out of my memory the moment they enter it, and my visual and spatial sense feels like its buried under lead. There is nothing wrong with my eyes. I have a feeling that it is something I tend to experience, but that it gets worsened with a certain dosage of antipsychotics. I take risperidone 3 milligrams. However, last year when I was off meds, I had a similar problem where I felt like I couldn't be assured that my surroundings were tangibly there. Off the meds it feeds into a mild existential paranoia, and on the meds it just feels like I can't "breath in" enough info about my surroundings. I live in a location with a lot of trees and for aesthetic purposes, when walking in the park I often move my gaze up the trunks to the tops, hoping that I can get a feeling for the depth and substance of the world around me. Maybe its a bit of an OCD thing.

I have something very similar to this and I call it 'derealization.'