I was exposed to a bad PTSD trigger on Saturday and dissociated for a bit and have been in a state of derealization since. Now that my therapist helped me not panic about this feeling, I’ve found myself curious about how other people have experienced this.
For me, everything seems muted. People and their expressed emotions, colors, general vibes in different situations etc. Everything is just wrong and unsettling. It’s like everything just isn’t existing enough to feel tangible. Iam fully aware that my perception is very wrong because I’ve asked people if things seem off at all and they’ve said no. I was very scared for like two days until I was able to book an appointment with my therapist and now I’m not as scared and the derealization doesn’t feel as disconcerting, but it’s still there. Hoping things will be back to normal when I wake up in the morning.
Yes, both things have been a large part of my anxiety disorder. It’s a strange feeling that’s hard to describe.
Everything seems normal objectively, but there’s just this feeling in your own head like you’re unable to click with reality, as if there’s some kind of veil between you and what you’re seeing and hearing. It’s pretty uncomfortable when you’re in a state of heightened stress.
When I’m in that state it also has the effect of making me less self-conscious because nothing feels truly real.