Posted by katekite on August 11, 2002, at 20:53:29
In reply to Re: Feeling weird » Dave1, posted by Dinah on August 11, 2002, at 13:54:55
Dissociation is a pretty common reaction to severe stress (even to normal stresses if you are depressed). When dissociated, people tend to not experience negative emotions as deeply: maybe it has a protective effect in that sense.
There are strategies to deal with it. If you are very good at dissociating (if it is happening a lot), it is better to work at not experiencing it. (At least this is what my therapist says...) If it feels good and comes easily and often it can become too easy of a reflex, almost a habit, and get in the way of experiencing good things as well as bad. It can get in the way of connecting with others and feeling emotions deeply.
One strategy to get out of it is to really immerse yourself in a physical or auditory sensation. For example, listening to really loud music, or focussing on the crunching of chewing something like celery or carrots, something jarring and noisy. Physical activity with focussing hard on your feet hitting the ground can also help, or any physical game that requires full attention.
Medications will make it better or worse for different people. There's no class of medications that always make it better or worse.
If its not frightening and isn't happening very often (less than daily) it's not necessarily anything to fight and will probably just go away on its own when depression or anxiety gets better.
It's not even close to crazy -- don't worry about that. But it definitely can make you feel weird.
Kate
poster:katekite
thread:116065
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020807/msgs/116104.html