Finally figured out what my worst problem is
Its not the social anxiety after all, its the derealization. I've always had SA, it never got any better or any worse, I just used to be able to over come it before I started feeling derealized about 3 years ago. My problem is the derealization symptoms that are caused by the anxiety...when I am anxious I feel derealized and when I am derealized I am not strong enough to fight back the anxiety. Its a vicious cycle I got into somehow. For those of you who don't know what derealization is:
What is derealization?
Unlike depersonalization which effects the perception of oneself, derealization is a change in an individual's experience of their environment, where the world around him/her feels unreal and unfamiliar.
Again, derealization, like depersonalization, is caused by a change in the way senses percieve our surroundings due to sensitized, anxious, nerve signals reaching the brain. Derealization is completely harmless but can be very disturbing. The more you give derealization credibility, the longer it stays with you. As anxiety levels are reduced, derealization disappears... FACT.
Sufferers describe derealization as:
spaciness like in a dream
like looking through a veil
a sensory fog, spaced-out
in a goldfish bowl
behind glass
withdrawn
flat
dream-like
Its like torture. It makes me feel confused, I can't think straight, I can't handle talking to people or working on any tasks. It is totally crippling.
I just need to work out a strategy to fight this thing.
What is derealization?
Unlike depersonalization which effects the perception of oneself, derealization is a change in an individual's experience of their environment, where the world around him/her feels unreal and unfamiliar.
Again, derealization, like depersonalization, is caused by a change in the way senses percieve our surroundings due to sensitized, anxious, nerve signals reaching the brain. Derealization is completely harmless but can be very disturbing. The more you give derealization credibility, the longer it stays with you. As anxiety levels are reduced, derealization disappears... FACT.
Sufferers describe derealization as:
spaciness like in a dream
like looking through a veil
a sensory fog, spaced-out
in a goldfish bowl
behind glass
withdrawn
flat
dream-like
Its like torture. It makes me feel confused, I can't think straight, I can't handle talking to people or working on any tasks. It is totally crippling.
I just need to work out a strategy to fight this thing.