Feel like it’s impossible to be in my own head?

[Phil10]

I get these anxiety waves where it feels I can’t cope I feel separated detached from myself like everything is too much or that my head will some how explode? My head warps into universe thoughts and it seems hard to imagine me. Like it seems life is much greater like I can think but not inside my head? It’s hard to describe is this a feeling of depersonalisation? Is this normal with anxiety? Why do I feel this way?

 

[Beautiful Disaster]

It definitely sounds like depersonalization which is super common with anxiety. Since depersonalization leaves you feeling outside of yourself, why not try grounding, which would be the opposite? Like, take a few deep belly breaths and as you do it, notice in detail all of the sounds you hear around you. Really focus on it. What are all of the sounds that you hear? Then do the same for smell. What smells can you smell? And you do this through all 5 of your senses while continuing to deeply breath. And see if that helps bring you back to yourself and the present moment. And keep in mind that what you are experiencing is so so common.

Hope this helps

 

[smilingsoul]

I totally got that, several times. It could be terrifying until I found out what was going on. Beautiful is right, grounding is one of the best counters to this symptom. My method is to see 5 things, hear 4 things, touch 3 things, smell 2 things, and taste 1. Learning how to cope with it is a deeply personal challenge, and while I'm sure you'd rather decline the opportunity, it is a battle worth fighting and reclaiming your faith in yourself. That was what I found most upsetting; that I was so frightened by my own mind. When you're not experiencing an attack, it is worth your time to learn meditation, because that discipline eventually helps you direct your focus outward which keeps the spiralling from continuing. There are definitely things you can to to help yourself, and to reach out and find help from others.

 

[Phil10]

Is it normal to feel this way every day? For past while I’ve felt anxiety every day feel like I’m crazy or can’t cope? It seems my only way to cope is to try distraction?

 

[smilingsoul]

Untreated anxiety, sure. Are you seeing a doctor?

 

[Phil10]

Untreated anxiety, sure. Are you seeing a doctor?

Not right now but I do take beta blockers for the anxiety

 

[smilingsoul]

I'm not familiar with those (except I heard that violinists use them to settle hand tremors to play better). If they ease the shakes but don't help with the anxiety circuits in your brain it might be a case of treating the symptoms and not the cause.