"1000 Yard Stare"

[Deleted member 27340]

The concept of the thousand yard stare was introduced to me by a friend, and I got curios. I read a little bit and figured out that I've had people describe the same thing about me. I think it's common for PTSD in general (is it?), even though what I found online was only pictures of soldiers who just got out of a long peiod of combat. I added "PTSD" into the search and found an old, but locked, thread on here.

I'm just wondering if you get something that may be similar to this? Because I think that based on descriptions from people that I've done it quite a few times and do while dissociating when it's bad.

I'll stare at a single spot and completely fixate on that and even though I may be able to think "I'm staring at that single spot why am I doing that" if it's early in I can't do anything about it and I won't respond to stimuli.

It's happened that everything I'm looking at turns gray-ish and looks flatter than usual, as if everything around me got closer, more 2D like a tunnel and turned into stone. Wherever I'm focusing will be blurry and just a merge of all the colours that are there, it's mostly my peripheral vision that turns into stone. I know I did that and then later on someone gave me a discription that seems similar to the 1000 yard stare description, so I'm just wondering if that's what it's called sometimes? I know it's dissociation, but the 100 yard stare term is new to me.

 

[RockChick]

This is what happens when you 'space out' and dissociate, I reckon it's extremely common yeah. You busy looking down a tunnel in your own mind so your body sorta goes into 'Stand By' mode.

I always reckoned it was a brilliant name for it, really simple description of what's happening. Does seem a bit under-discussed, though. Maybe there's a sciencey name for it among non Vet PTSD sufferers.

 

[Ellabella44]

I've seen it on a guy I knew from high school who came back from being in war service. I had to say no when he asked me out. That look shocked me and scared me. Not that I was afraid of him, but because I'd seen same look on my own face. I guess I should have taken that as a reason to go into therapy instead of suppressing. Now it's there alot of the time. I hate that anyone has it. I recognize that someone who has it is seeing stuff they can't not see.

 

[Deleted member 27340]

I always reckoned it was a brilliant name for it, really simple description of what's happening. Does seem a bit under-discussed, though. Maybe there's a sciencey name for it among non Vet PTSD sufferers.

Yeah, it was how simple and specific the term was that made me wonder if it's a very specific thing that differs from the dissociation I can relate to. I've never heard about a sciency name for it, but I'm pretty sure it's just exactly what happens when dissociation, only that the term is made based off of what it appears like to someone watching the person dissociating.

but because I'd seen same look on my own face. I guess I should have taken that as a reason to go into therapy instead of suppressing. Now it's there alot of the time.

Not suppressing is really hard, though. I guess it takes a while to be ready for therapy enough to acknowledge that it's necessary. I don't think I've ever seen it on someone else's face, except pictures. Not anyone else than my mother, at least. She'd get that kinda stare because of being bipolar, I think. Not sure why, but she's looked like what I found on pictures before.

 

[AnnaLost]

This was something I trained in as a child. Not kidding. We'd do "drills" staring for hours at a single point, the end goal? To feel as though you'd left your body and could "operate" freely, without reaction to anything. Started doing those drills when I was 4. Now it takes nothing to flip me into that state, or rather, it takes effort to not exist in that state.

 

[Friday]

It's generally what disassociation (or medical grade shock) looks like to other people.

Also, babies & small children do it when they're sleepy sleepy tired. :)

 

[shimmerz]

I have a friend who used to do this (as did I). I hadn't actually noticed it in other people until I was taught what it was. I went 45 years without knowing that I did it.

Anyway, when I used to see my friend do it, I would notice not only the 1000 mile (as I call it) stare, where his eyes were transfixed on (something? nothing?) but I would notice a vacancy in them. They were dead looking. And if I pulled him out of it? He would be angry.... his mood was very different when coming out of the state.

 

[Gadgie]

Yea! I can relate to the 1000 yard stare, it's normally associated with combat stress, but is also linked to witnessing severe trauma or horrific sights!

I sometimes drift into one, and as previously mentioned, if someone tries to get your attention, to bring you out if it, it can give you a helluva fright, and react accordingly!

 

[Lucycat]

Yes I also use the stare. I find it helps me escape difficult situations.

 

[Ronin]

What do you mean, thousand yard stare.

I'm watching beloved departed & measuring how long't take me to get to them & drag them back. ;)

 

[Neverthesame]

"The lights are on, but nobody is home." is another expression that applies to the same thing.

Personally, I prefer "thousand yard stare".

Edit: missed a comma. I don't know why I can't remember grade shool grammar. Sigh.

 

[anew]

I have always known this expression to relate to motorcyclist, when travelling at speed or in poor visibility conditions you fixate on a point ahead which is the edge of your safety zone.

But it does also seem to relate to dissociation when you focus or fixate on some point in your past.
I know I'm not always aware when it happens but other people can sometimes see it and point it out.