Agoraphobia & Social Anxiety Support Group
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to their home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place."
I am new to this group, but not new to social anxiety. I am a 23 year old college student, and have had social anxiety for several years.
What I am struggling with most, and what is most frustrating to me, is the feeling I get when I am around people, or even just in a public place. I get this foggy-headed feeling, almost like I am in a dream. It feels like I cannot focus my eyes or something, and everything just looks weird. I also have a very hard time thinking clearly or concentrating when I am in this mode. My whole head just feels clouded, and I do not feel 100% present or alive.
I told this to my therapist last year, and was amazed that there was a name for this - derealization. Looking back, I had this all throughout high school, but never knew what it was. I understand it's the brain's way of shutting down and coping when it is overwhelmed by too much anxiety.
As relieved as I am to know there's a name for this feeling, I am incredibly frustrated because nothing I do seems to make it go away. I have tried various grounding techniques, and maybe I gave up too soon, but nothing works. Pretty soon, I will be starting college again for a new semester, and I am terrified because I get this derealization any time I am in class. This makes it difficult to focus and pay attention to anything the professor is saying, and I worry my grades will suffer because of it.
I am currently not on any medications, and as much as I dislike the thought of being on meds, I am thinking of trying something. But I don't know if any medication can even help this go away. Can anyone relate to these feeling of derealization? Has anyone found anything that helped? I am open to any suggestions...I am so desperate to feel more present and grounded.
Thanks so much for reading this.
What I am struggling with most, and what is most frustrating to me, is the feeling I get when I am around people, or even just in a public place. I get this foggy-headed feeling, almost like I am in a dream. It feels like I cannot focus my eyes or something, and everything just looks weird. I also have a very hard time thinking clearly or concentrating when I am in this mode. My whole head just feels clouded, and I do not feel 100% present or alive.
I told this to my therapist last year, and was amazed that there was a name for this - derealization. Looking back, I had this all throughout high school, but never knew what it was. I understand it's the brain's way of shutting down and coping when it is overwhelmed by too much anxiety.
As relieved as I am to know there's a name for this feeling, I am incredibly frustrated because nothing I do seems to make it go away. I have tried various grounding techniques, and maybe I gave up too soon, but nothing works. Pretty soon, I will be starting college again for a new semester, and I am terrified because I get this derealization any time I am in class. This makes it difficult to focus and pay attention to anything the professor is saying, and I worry my grades will suffer because of it.
I am currently not on any medications, and as much as I dislike the thought of being on meds, I am thinking of trying something. But I don't know if any medication can even help this go away. Can anyone relate to these feeling of derealization? Has anyone found anything that helped? I am open to any suggestions...I am so desperate to feel more present and grounded.
Thanks so much for reading this.
I agree with looney1 and that mindfulness meditation can help in your classes. I experienced similar symptoms when in college, although mine were not as severe as your, but if I used mindfulness meditation and got my mind ready for the class my anxiety was manageable enough to pay attention to what the professor was saying so my grades did not suffer. There are a lot of tools for ways to do this online and if you are more prepared hopefully it will be enough to get you through the school part.