Social Anxiety Support

opus131 · 10-20-2009, 09:30 AM

Hi there. I was wondering if anybody could help me identify my symptoms. I've been suffering from depression and social anxiety for a long time now and this past year or so i've been a recurring victim of panic attacks. Now besides all the regular symptoms of those conditions i've also been experiencing a gradual "fading out" of the world around me, which i first noticed about five years ago (i'm 31 currently). Sensations have been getting dimmer and dimmer, and my surroundings have simply lost all intensity. Its like my brain is slowly shutting down, or turning off. All my cognitive functions are the same other then the regular impairments due to depression and anxiety, its just that the intensity of my mind has been growing smaller and smaller. I've tried researching for this problem, but all i come out with is derealization or brain fog, which might be what is causing the problem but i'm not sure the symptoms i'm experiencing match those conditions. For instance, most people suffering derealization tend to avoid storng lights (fluorescent lights in particular) because it tends to "aggravate" their symptoms, where as in my case i tend to seek the light because when i am in the dark it feels like my mind is fading completely away, which gives me panic attacks. I was able to get adjusted to those symptoms but lately they have become much worst. This came about after i drank a bit too much coffee. I've always been an heavy coffee drinker and it never affected me but this time i think it might have something to do with it. I cut coffee completely for the past three days but the dimness hasn't been improving, and my panic attacks have been in full swing, which is making things worst. What i'd like to know is if this is really derealization or if its something else. People speak of being derealized as sort of being drunk, or hung over, but i remember getting drunk in my youth and while my mind and my perception would get blurred the intensity was the same as when i was sober. I don't know what to think, and i'm getting scared out of my mind.

shadowmask · 10-20-2009, 09:51 AM

Do you experience any symptoms of depersonalization? Like feeling "outside" of your own body, as if your viewing yourself from third person, or your surroundings taking on a flat, 2-D appearance?

10-20-2009, 09:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
opus131 Status: Permanently Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1	Reality fading away Hi there. I was wondering if anybody could help me identify my symptoms. I've been suffering from depression and social anxiety for a long time now and this past year or so i've been a recurring victim of panic attacks. Now besides all the regular symptoms of those conditions i've also been experiencing a gradual "fading out" of the world around me, which i first noticed about five years ago (i'm 31 currently). Sensations have been getting dimmer and dimmer, and my surroundings have simply lost all intensity. Its like my brain is slowly shutting down, or turning off. All my cognitive functions are the same other then the regular impairments due to depression and anxiety, its just that the intensity of my mind has been growing smaller and smaller. I've tried researching for this problem, but all i come out with is derealization or brain fog, which might be what is causing the problem but i'm not sure the symptoms i'm experiencing match those conditions. For instance, most people suffering derealization tend to avoid storng lights (fluorescent lights in particular) because it tends to "aggravate" their symptoms, where as in my case i tend to seek the light because when i am in the dark it feels like my mind is fading completely away, which gives me panic attacks. I was able to get adjusted to those symptoms but lately they have become much worst. This came about after i drank a bit too much coffee. I've always been an heavy coffee drinker and it never affected me but this time i think it might have something to do with it. I cut coffee completely for the past three days but the dimness hasn't been improving, and my panic attacks have been in full swing, which is making things worst. What i'd like to know is if this is really derealization or if its something else. People speak of being derealized as sort of being drunk, or hung over, but i remember getting drunk in my youth and while my mind and my perception would get blurred the intensity was the same as when i was sober. I don't know what to think, and i'm getting scared out of my mind.

10-20-2009, 09:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
shadowmask Status: Seeing stars Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: TN Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 1,085	Do you experience any symptoms of depersonalization? Like feeling "outside" of your own body, as if your viewing yourself from third person, or your surroundings taking on a flat, 2-D appearance? __________________ Basically, I'm complicated I have a hard time taking the easy way I wouldn't call it schizophrenia But I'll be at least two people today