Have you ever had a dissociative episode or dissociative disorder?

I'm not talking about amnesia or losing time. I'm talkint about intense fear, so intense you don't think you can breathe. For a few moments, it's not a matter of not knowing who you are, it's not knowing WHAT you are. What is this place called Earth and how did you get here? And yes, who ae you? But mostly, it is the fear, a fear so great that all you can do is lie perfectly still and try to empty your mind and wait for it to go away. This started when I was about five years old.



I have never found anyone who experienced anything remotely similar. I know there must be *someone* out there who understands. If you do, please email me (email link in my profile).



Thanks for listening.Have you ever had a dissociative episode or dissociative disorder?
I'm not sure why you're calling this a dissociative episode, because my understanding is that a dissociative episode is a "psychotic break" where you do not have any recognition of the reality going on around you.



I've had dissociative amnesia (due to emotional trauma and fear) and my therpist uses the term "dissociative episode" to describe what happened to me.



Sorry I can't be more help but the terminology is confusing me.
learning cooperative communication within has been quite useful for my D.I.D our inner voices have been silenced for so long - at times we have forgotten just how to listen -

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Have you ever had a dissociative episode or dissociative disorder?
Yes I have had complete disassociation but fear was not apart of it . Severe panic happened only once later when I was on meds. I think the meds changed the depressive chemicals to cause the fear. Severe psychosis is always accompanied by language disintegration so what is heard can add to the disassociation with reality.
The part about not being able to breathe and intense fear sounds like a panic attack. The only time I really can remember feeling like that was when I had a liver biopsy a few weeks ago. I was totally awake through the whole procedure, and I could feel everything they were doing to me, and I got so scared that my body got all stiff and I couldn't relax no matter how hard I tried, and I couldn't breathe. It was horrible!



The other part of what you describe is not what I normally think of when I think of panic attacks though. I have a friend who has them, and I don't think that she feels exactly like you describe - except for the fear and not being able to breathe part.



I have had moments where I felt totally foreign to myself and all of reality around me felt totally foreign too. Everything seemed alien and unreal and incomprehensible, including myself. This I have usually only experienced when I have gone a long time without any sleep and have been under a lot of stress.



At those times, I sometimes feel like when I'm talking that I am not sure if my words are really getting out there. Like there is some kind of shield between me and the rest of the world, and I'm not sure that I'm really a part of it.



I think some of this may be more philosophical than a sign of any mental disorder. It sounds a bit like a typical existential crisis. But these are nothing to be made light of! They can lead to some severe depression if you do not find the answers you seek.



I think you should go to a psychiatrist just to be sure that there is not a deeper problem, and to get a professional's opinion on it.Have you ever had a dissociative episode or dissociative disorder?
I have had times when my heart races and i feel light headed and a few times when I'm dreaming and i feel fear so intense that i don't know if i will live through it and feel my life is in jeopardy.My sister has had panic attacks and finds it hard to breath.
Hi~ I just sent you a link to ww.webMD.com and even though you have to go under dissociative disorders it sounds more like derealization or depersonalization. Of course, I am not a Dr. and I sure hope you can see a therapist but I have had the same type episodes since I was a child and they are very scary. I hope this will help. Granted, i do dissociate too but I understand the difference. Good luck to you. Feel free to contact me~