Is This Disassociation?

[Jowhar1981]

I'm not sure what's going on with me right now but I'm going through a rough time and it's incredibly hard to concentrate on what people are saying to me. Often I feel like I'm walking away from conversations with no real idea of what's just been said. It's as though I can't make my brain stay present and work properly. Thinking and absorbing things also feels really hard, like I have to try desperately to get my brain to focus. Has anyone experienced this before? Is it a form of disassociation?

 

[Kayle]

Seems like it to me. Outwardly it's easy to appear calm and relaxed but you're beyond the point of overwhelmed you're just... floating. Hang in there.

 

[Forgetful]

@Jowhar1981 It sounds like it to me. I can relate and I hope this reply makes sense. I say that because my brain went on vacation after my first EMDR session last Wednesday and has only popped in for short periods of time since. Now I'm afraid to go back for the next session tomorrow because I don't know what will come up during therapy or what effect it will have on me.

We're starting on lesser traumas and will lead into the bigger ones slowly. I never considered what came up last week trauma

I made a list of grounding techniques on my phone so I can easily access them when needed. However, I didn't remember I had them when I needed them this time. I guess I will have to come up with some kind of plan so I can use them next time.

Do you have a support system that can recognize when your brain checks out? I do now for next time. I had to tell the small support cicle to pay attention to my behavior and crappie I say because this last episode I did things that could've been dangerous and I wasn't even aware of it.

I hope you get relief soon and stay safe

 

[Jowhar1981]

Thanks to everyone for the responses. My PTSD has gone from mild/moderate to severe in a very short period of time because of a situation was I ended up in. My support system is currently extremely limited because I'm working overseas, away from family and friends. And as the PTSD keeps getting worse, the symptoms that I'm having a new in a lot of cases and can be really frightening. The responses here at least make me feel like I'm not going crazy. The fuzziness in my head still hasn't gone back to normal but I'm hoping it will with another day of silence and rest. I'm seriously considering in-patient treatment when I return to the states after Christmas.

 

[Kayle]

It can be very scary. I think about in-patient treatment often. Since my family only knows of very superficial problems in my life, I'm terrified to terrify them. If only I could get to that silence and rest....

 

[Changing4Best]

My mind fades in and out sometimes while I listen to folks. My body is present, but my thoughts are elsewhere.

 

[7Cs]

Yes, it's a symptom of dissociating. I find it hard to read and understand people talking when it happens. It's like everything slows down including my brain. :)

 

[7Cs]

I hope you're feeling better.

 

[Sideways]

It's hard to have PTSD for a long period of time without at least having phases of depression, and while I have DID, I know that sometimes it's the depression causing memory lapses and poor/non-existent concentration, so there could be more than one explanation.

It's a bit like splitting hairs most of the time. The only reason that I raise it is because if you are depressed as well, and that's contributing at all, you may get some relief (not complete relief, but I tend to take what I can get!) from treating the depressive symptoms as well as the ptsd.