What Is This Symptom...

[halflifeguy]

Does anyone know what this might be called, or at least an approximate clinical description...
The sensation of being trapped inside, with suggestive level of control, of actions. The sense of a barrier between motivation and actions. Actions are constantly being regulated; allowed, modified, or blocked.

Is there a name for this? Is it a persistent/chronic dissociation, or something different?

 

[Kayle]

It sounds the same way depression speaks to me. It's an argument to get anything done and there's always a reason not to do something, because what's the point?

 

[UnKnown-Self]

Is there a name for this?

I'm not being sarcastic when I say the name is, you need to make an appointment with a professional and get an evaluation.

There are too many variables.

If you're not sure a visit to a therapist is necessary, the question you might want to ask yourself is, "Is this interfering with the quality of my life?"

Does it affect your ability to perform your job at a satisfactory level?

Does it affect your relationships?

Only you know the answers and can decide how to proceed.

All the best, Alice

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

It could be a form of dissociation, but I think you'd really have to go into a lot of specific details or examples with a knowledgeable professional who could better help narrow it down. It may not fall into one neat and tidy category, but there may be strategies for working to change your experience.

 

[halflifeguy]

I'm not being sarcastic when I say the name is, you need to make an appointment with a profe...

LOL!

Alice,

I never thought it was sarcasm, but it is great advice. True, it's a question for a T and I'll drop it on my T this week.

 

[halflifeguy]

Well, I dropped it on my T and got a "deer in the headlights" look!

 

[Chava]

Hard to say "what" it is exactly for you, but I know I've had feelings of being trapped and immobilized. I could move but it was a sort of dread, like I was fighting against the reality of feeling deeply immobilized. For me it turns out that particular sensation is usually connected to an early body memory. It could be dissociative, body memory, or something else. I'm not so good with terms. But I relate to feeling like I can't do anything because I'm really powerless, even if I know I'm not.

 

[barefoot]

Hard to say...I sometimes go into a kind of freeze freeze when I get overwhelmed/high anxiety/when I get stuck in rumination...and the freeze is in my brain but is also a physical freeze. So I don't know whether that's my fight/flight/freeze response being triggered? Or if it's connected to dissociation - I often get the freeze before I start to dissociate, but not only then...

Not sure if this is the same sort of thing that you're talking about though...

Sorry to hear your therapist didn't have any answers!

 

[Bodykeepsthescore]

Hello. I'm new to the forum this is actually my first post - I joined because for the last 2 years after a very emotional and to me traumatic event I've been suffering some horrible things that have lead to me losing my home, car, job and health.

I've been diagnosed with a dissociative disorder and PTSD but I've struggle to deal & agree to the diagnosis because it's so physically and cognitively disabling, anyways I seen your post and you explain how I feel 95% of the time chronically - it's feels as if there's no more connection between A & B and to get from A & B is a mentally painful and physically draining challenge - kind of like there's no connection between thinking something and dong it because you feel stuck sort of detached away from getting up & doing it. I cognitively feel like this all the time feels like I'm being pushed inwards away from things and I'm trying to think outwards but it's painful.

I think, we'll I'm guessing it's some form of dissociation or somatic symptom, I chronically feel stuck away as you describe and it's scary and upsetting & hard to deal with, but sometimes I have moments where my mind fully opens up and I feel free and I can think open and connect to things, ideas, places, be more aware and connected but then it feels like my brain and nervous system shut down again leaving me feeling as above.

I hope this helps - I've joined this forum in hope of receiving some recovery tips. Life is hard i'd love to be able to take on any help to help me recover. All the best
Mark.

 

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

Great name @Bodykeepsthescore

Welcome. I think your name sums it up pretty good. It's not so much the mind, it's the body that remembers. So when you can't "outthink" it.

That's where I had a difficult time. It felt like a weakness. But it wasn't my mind I had to convince, it was my body.

So I have to trick my body. Deep breathing exercises. To get my body to relax first before I could reach my mind

 

[Bodykeepsthescore]

Thank you, I took the name from Bessel van der kolks book a book I've been reading through bits at a time.

Relaxation is key for me, deep breathing and lying on my back with calmness is one of the only ways I can get my nervous system to calm to a state that allows me to think stronger, clear and more rational and intelligent.
I have a problem of a super hyperaroused/sensitive nervous system so as soon as I start to process or do anything my nervous system goes in to overdrive I become over whelmed with nerve pain, body sensations, everything speeds up, my cognition shuts down and I can't function as I've been all my life.
I get severe bodily and nerve pains and my breathing alteres.
It's a strange illness so much is happening to me it's hard to explain.
All I know is my nervous system is what feels stuck in sympathetic mode I barley go in to parasympathetic mode.

I can be ok at home 80% but as soon as I walk in to somewhere where I have to concentrate or do something where I need to concentrate and process say it be a conversation my brain shuts down, if I go out to shopping with help from my partner within 5 minutes in a cognitive mess experiencing all sorts of pains, memory and awareness problems, dis fragmentation of thoughts, body pains, weakness, sweating, cold, to complete shut down.
Pretty horrible to be stuck like this.

I've been told I'm suffering some form of ptsd with dissociation disorder but I'm still under investigation

Do these symptoms seem too much?

I've also had a change in perception as though my brain has broke in two and I can no longer think like I have all my life

 

[Myanxietyhasanxiety]

Do these symptoms seem too much?

No. I relate to every single thing your saying. I have noticed the more self aware I became the more prominent the symptoms seemed to get. I have noticed that has eased down some over time. I think it's impossible to compare as well because PTSD is such a personal experience. But I don't think what your experiencing is too much. I can relate to alot of what you are feeling. I remember thinking the exact same thing.

Great book! I also like the PTSD sourcebook too