Hello Everyone... I accidentally stumbled upon this site this morning while I was researching "feelings of unreality" online. For the past 14 years I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and the latest, panic disorder. I'm only 23 by the way... I do believe that in some sense I have anxiety disorder but I've always known that it was triggered by something else. When I was very young anxiety was triggered by my parents divorce and a move to a new city which also spawned a severe eating disorder. However since I was about 16 my "anxiety" has been much different and my so-called panic attacks are nothing like how they are described, which is why I decided to do some research.
I find it extremely interesting that a lot of you have experimented with drugs and now are experiencing these dr/dp symptoms. I too have believed and have been saying for years that the pot I smoked in highschool has had a significant effect on my "panic attacks" "(which i'm learning now aren't panic attacks at all). There was one instance where I smoked way too much weed and there was oil in it as well.. 10 minutes after I smoked it i began to feel as though I weren't really there. Things were flashing around me and I felt like I was dreaming. Its hard to explain but it was by far the scariest experience of my life. I have only smoked weed twice since then and both times the experience was the same--didn't feel like I was really there, felt like I was dreaming. I always thought this was a normal reaction to pot but this seemed to be excessive and multiplied by 100. Anyway nothing really changed after that, I just didn't ever smoke again. 3 years ago my doctor decided to change my medication from Prozac to Celexa to see if it might help a bit better. I believe that this was the beginning of what I am dealing with now. From the moment that pill kicked in thigns were flashing before me.. I felt like I was constantly blinking, I felt as though I were dreaming, nothing seemed familiar, things seemed to be racing all the time, for example cars seemed to be driving very fast, people seemed to be talking fast... it just wasn't right. I went off the pills and I haven't been the same since. My doctor keeps telling me these feelings are a result of the panic attacks but I believe that the panic attacks are a result of these feelings. I feel just like you all are describing: as though Im not really here, as if things are unfamiliar, I don't feel comfortable in my own skin.. I often question life and why we are all here... what is the universe, etc etc. Sometimes I find people look strange and as some of you mentioned, lighting affects my vision COMPLETELY.. especially fluorescent lights.. I can be guaranteed to experience a dr/dp episode under fluorescent lights.
These feelings scare the living daylights out of me... I can't function when I'm feeling this way, all I can do is disappear into my own thoughts and try to figure out what is wrong wtih me. I have been going to the doctor for years asking her if I have a brain tumor or something serious like that. I'm even afraid that I am schizophrenic.
I just wanted to say how incredibly relieved I am to have found this site. I have printed off pages and pages of information to give to my doctor so that she can finally understand what it is thats been causing me so much pain and suffering.... It helps so much just to know that I am not alone.
I know this was a long post but I just had so much to get off my chest.
Thank you for reading..
Lisa
I find it extremely interesting that a lot of you have experimented with drugs and now are experiencing these dr/dp symptoms. I too have believed and have been saying for years that the pot I smoked in highschool has had a significant effect on my "panic attacks" "(which i'm learning now aren't panic attacks at all). There was one instance where I smoked way too much weed and there was oil in it as well.. 10 minutes after I smoked it i began to feel as though I weren't really there. Things were flashing around me and I felt like I was dreaming. Its hard to explain but it was by far the scariest experience of my life. I have only smoked weed twice since then and both times the experience was the same--didn't feel like I was really there, felt like I was dreaming. I always thought this was a normal reaction to pot but this seemed to be excessive and multiplied by 100. Anyway nothing really changed after that, I just didn't ever smoke again. 3 years ago my doctor decided to change my medication from Prozac to Celexa to see if it might help a bit better. I believe that this was the beginning of what I am dealing with now. From the moment that pill kicked in thigns were flashing before me.. I felt like I was constantly blinking, I felt as though I were dreaming, nothing seemed familiar, things seemed to be racing all the time, for example cars seemed to be driving very fast, people seemed to be talking fast... it just wasn't right. I went off the pills and I haven't been the same since. My doctor keeps telling me these feelings are a result of the panic attacks but I believe that the panic attacks are a result of these feelings. I feel just like you all are describing: as though Im not really here, as if things are unfamiliar, I don't feel comfortable in my own skin.. I often question life and why we are all here... what is the universe, etc etc. Sometimes I find people look strange and as some of you mentioned, lighting affects my vision COMPLETELY.. especially fluorescent lights.. I can be guaranteed to experience a dr/dp episode under fluorescent lights.
These feelings scare the living daylights out of me... I can't function when I'm feeling this way, all I can do is disappear into my own thoughts and try to figure out what is wrong wtih me. I have been going to the doctor for years asking her if I have a brain tumor or something serious like that. I'm even afraid that I am schizophrenic.
I just wanted to say how incredibly relieved I am to have found this site. I have printed off pages and pages of information to give to my doctor so that she can finally understand what it is thats been causing me so much pain and suffering.... It helps so much just to know that I am not alone.
I know this was a long post but I just had so much to get off my chest.
Thank you for reading..
Lisa
