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Disorientation, A Lot? But Recently After Therapy

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Cool Cat

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I get weird disorientation. I wake up sometimes and don't know where I am, or at least - I think I am somewhere else.
Once this resulted in me falling out of a bunk bed! other times I have woken up thinking I've been kidnapped and run out, until I realise I'm safe at home.

ANYHOW someone posted an interesting thread about how you 'leave' your session each week. And it occurred to me, last week I got really disorientated leaving therapy. I was at the door and thought I was in a place where you have to flick a switch to open the door. I switched off the lights. I then got even more disorientated and was calling out for my shrink. I could hear him from the top of the stairs coming out but then I got scared/embarrassed and just ran out. And was somewhat grounded, despite slightly dizzy.

SRSLY, what's the deal? And I only remember this because that thread caused me to remember. For all I know this could happen a lot.

To let you know the geography of my shrinks office, it is up a narrow steep slight of stairs.
 
I spent 6 weeks not that long ago completely disoriented. I put it down to an old feeling I would have had during my trauma as an infant/toddler. It was the weirdest feeling. I couldn't get myself out of it, so yes, I can absolutely relate to this bout of disorientation that you had. I think what is most important is that you not shame yourself because of it. It may happen again but this is a process, this healing thing.

Just love yourself no matter what.
 
I think what is most important is that you not shame yourself because of it.
Yeah I think thats very important, I think it was a bit stupid me running out of the office because I was embarrassed that I was disorientated. I could have gotten into an accident or something in that state (there have been many close calls before)

But I dont understand it. Like when I google what causes disorientation I get things like Alzheimer's and Head injury, which as a physically healthy 20 year old I know I do not have.

And why after waking up? Or in therapy?
 
It may be possible that you are 'in between states'. Therapy can definitely make one dissociative which is a switch from normal state to ... well, dissociative. That gets a little disorienting. Because in therapy someone is talking about touchy stuff, it seems to me like I dissociate 'differently' than I would if I was just living life. It throws me off big time.

As far as the sleeping goes, I notice when I am processing a bunch of things my sleep is different. I am more prone to nightmares, less REM sleep etc, so the transition between sleep and waking is different and therefore, dissorientation happens. This is just me, I can't speak for you....
 
@shimmerz that the sudden 'switches' causes it? Maybe. Like suddenly going from connecting on a deep emotional level to walking the streets as a normal person.
 
Yeah, I'm definitely going to say it to him in the next session. It does occur to me though that while I am too proud to admit, I am often in an altered-mental-state leaving therapy, and while I know I can't be hanging around an extra ten minutes, or wasting ten minutes of a session, it is something that needs to be addressed.
 
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