Yes, Mulan. My doctor even recently increased the dosage of my anti-depressants.
But just in case they don't work, I will take the ice cream advice too.
Tammy
Depression and That Fading Away Feeling
by Swan 20 Replies latest watchtower medical
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shamus
Your mashed potatoe recipie is just what your body needed; complex carbohydrates! That is common inpersons having depression!
Eat lots of potatoes, then lots of ice cream! Spoil yourself!
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Gadget
I sometimes feel like this too, but its not just when I'm feeling depressed. If I don't have anything to eat for 3-4 hours I start to feel like that. Its like that scene from men in balck where they open that aliens face and theres a little mouse working the remote controls. Thats what I feel like, like its not me doing it I'm just working the remote control but not actually there. If I eat something it stops it again. I was talking about it to a woman at work today(She's diebetic), and she says thats one of the symptons she gets from her blood sugar getting too low and needing to have something to eat.
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Lady Lee
What you are experiencing is normal and is a part of dissociation called derealization. I found the following in a very interesting place
Coping With Trance States: The Aftermath of Leaving
Trance states, derealization, dissociation, spaceyness...what are they? What strategies can we use to cope with them?
Trance states:
By trance states, we mean:
- dissociation,
- depersonalization
- derealization.
In the group we called it spacing out or higher/altered states of consciousness.
All humans have some propensity to have moments of dissociation. However, certain practices (meditation, chanting, learned processes of speaking in tongues, prolonged guided imagery, etc.) appear to have ingrained in many former members a reflexive response to involuntarily enter altered states of consciousness.
Even after leaving the group and ceasing its consciousness-altering practices, this habitual, learned response tends to recur under stress.
For some former members this can be distressing and affect their functioning. When this happens, it tends to impair one's concentration, attention, memory and coping skills.
Many former members coming from prolonged consciousness-altering groups find that the intensity, frequency and duration of the episodes decrease when they deliberately and consistently use the strategies outlined below.
It is important to note that when one is tired, ill, or under stress the feelings of spaceyness, dissociation, depersonalization and derealization may temporally return.
By developing the ability to immediately label these states and attempting the following strategies, one can return to consistent state of mental functioning.
EX-MEMBERS' COPING STRATEGIES
- Maintain a routine.
- Make change slowly: physical, emotional, nutritional, geographical, etc.
- Monitor health, including nutrition, medical checkups. Avoid drugs and alcohol.
- Daily exercise reduces dissociation (spaceyness, anxiety and insomnia).
- Avoid sensory overload. Avoid crowds or large spaces without boundaries (shopping malls, video arcades, etc.).
- Drive consciously without music.
Reality orientation:
- Establish time and place landmarks such as calendars and clocks.
- Make lists of activities in advance. Update lists daily or weekly. Difficult tasks and large projects should be kept on separate lists.
- Before going on errands, review list of planned activities, purchases and projects. Mark items off as you complete them.
- Keep updated on current news. News shows (CNN, Headline News talk radio) are helpful because they repeat, especially if you have memory/concentration difficulties.
Reading:
- Try to read one complete news article daily to increase comprehension.
- Develop reading "stamina" with the aid of a timer. Increasing reading periods progressively.
Sleep interruptions:
- Leave TALK radio/ television, news programs (not music) on all night. (Preferably not Rush, though.)
Don't push yourself. Dissociation is an acquired habit, so it will take time break.
http://www.refocus.org/trance.html reFOCUS: Recovering Former Cultists' Support Network
I also have an article on my web page about dissociation. I thought I had posted it here but can't find it -
Swan
Well I talked with my therapist about this yesterday. I told him about how these feelings come and go and described them to him. Lately they have been getting more frequent to the point where I actually thought that they may be an important symptom, before that I just kind of waited until they passed and then ignored them.
He looked it up in the DSM-IV as depersonalization and read the description. It was bang on with the description of my feelings. He reassured me that it was my past trauma that caused it and not anything worse like schizophrenia. He told me that I am way past the age for becoming schizophrenic. That was reassuring to hear, except for the being way too old part.
So he told me to pay attention to these feelings next time they occur, and what circumstances or thoughts at the time might be triggering them, and then we will use them as as a basis for future discussions. So instead of being nervous about them, now I see them as an important clue to my recovery.
Thank you all for your help.
Tammy
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SandyJo
Swam:
I am really sorry to hear you are having a difficult time right now.
Another option is changing your medications, the first might not work for you. I tried 7 different anti-depressents before they found something to make me stay alive. Theropy is important also, but you need a support group. Somebody who can listen to you at any time. Because you are going to have some really bad days going through theropy. But, the reward should be worth it. I am still in theropy. And my last suicide attempt was 3 weeks ago. <lucky me I am still here> notice the sarcasim.
I am bipolar, along with PPTS, along with anxiety attacks and I anti-social. <don't know why>
Anyway, keep up the good work
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lookingnow25
Swan,
I relate to your feelings entirely! I'm bi-polar, and when in my worst condition the best description I have of my feelings is that I'm living in the third person. I can feel and nearly see this 'fog' around me. I don't really feel anything, I don't really care about anything because it's like it's not even happening to the real me. I live in fear of those third person kind of times. Please shout out anytime you would like to discuss this more.
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Piph
Lots of really interesting information in this thread...I disassociate often too. I'm a daily list-maker and checker...that really does help a lot.
Hugs to you, Swan, and hope you return to yourself soon. :-)
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wednesday
Tammy,
so glad LL replied, i was frantically going through my links to find her home page, i have had those things happen to me all my life. I once could not "feel" my body and was walking crooked, and someone had to point it out to me. I don't have this happening as often now, but know exactly what u are talking about.
weds
((((((((Tammy))))))))
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Satanus
Heh heh. I kind of like it.
S