Lived Experience Forum

[Missy862]

Some thing strange has just started popping up for me. I can start chatting away to my partner, and then I look at him, and its almost like I don't physically recognise him? It stops me for a few seconds where it's almost like my brain is checking that it is him I'm talking to and not someone else (friend of family not stranger) before I'm like well of course its him. It's like some weird disconnect where I do know that's him and what he looks like, but something is my brain is disconnected? I'm not sure if I explained that well, but I just didn't want it to come across that I didn't know him or it didn't "look" like him. It's really quite bizarre

[CheerBear]

Hi @Missy862. I find it can be really unnerving when new symptoms or things I haven't experienced before come up. How are you feeling about this new symptom?

What you described reminds me a little of what I can experience with dissociation. It's like something snaps or clicks and I zone out in the strangest way. Things don't seem or feel real or normal. I have had to work hard at times to check myself back in to reality, It's so hard to describe what it is like. I think I you explained it well (not to say that what you and I experience are the same - also not to say that what you are experiencing is necessarily dissociation) For me it isn't usually that I don't recognise a person in particular but more that things and places and life happening around me don't seem real or recognisable. I have described it as a complete split second disconnect somewhere. It feels really weird and kind of scary.

I find this happens for me mostly when I am under lots of stress or when a sudden trigger hits. I don't always experience it but can go through periods where it happens more frequently. Has anything changed recently that you think might be contributing to what you are going through?

[Missy862]

Yeah I've been under alot of stress... prolonged for a number of years, but the past few months (and weeks) I've had a few extra things pop up for me. Life hey. Thanks for your reply too. I see my psychiatrist next week, but I can be forgetful and alot of the time I just say "I'm fine" and I dont even know why I do that. Maybe if I say it enough it will happen 🥴🤦‍♀️😅

[Tortoiseshell]

Hey @Missy862,

I can identify with walking out of a health professional's office and realising I haven't said something pretty pressing  Sometimes I make a list on my phone to help me.

I can imagine that's a very disconcerting experience in the moment. I'm glad to hear you're often able to reassure yourself when it happens.

I wonder how others navigate any similar experiences of 'disconnection' or when the present doesn't seem real? As you say @CheerBear, checking yourself back in to reality.