You might also lose focus or general awareness for a few seconds or minutes. Hypoglycemia, which means low blood sugar, can cause you to lose your sense of awareness for a brief period of time.
In more extreme cases, hypoglycemia can make you pass out. Mild cases can trigger an episode that appears to be spacing out. Migraine headaches usually cause pain. Sometimes the pain is so severe that it can prevent you from paying attention to your surroundings. Occasionally, however, migraines can cause unusual symptoms such as spacing out, even in the absence of pain.
Transient global amnesia is a temporary interruption of short-term memory. This is a rare event that can last for hours at a time. If you experience transient global amnesia , you will not remember events. However, you may appear to behave appropriately and normally to those around you. Some people who have transient global amnesia might get lost or be unable to do complex tasks during the episode.
Extreme fatigue can take a toll on your body and mind. You might space out. While you appear to be awake, your brain struggles to maintain alertness. A sleep condition called narcolepsy can cause you to sleep while you appear to be awake. You might actually dream while doing tasks. Everyone around you would likely interpret your responses as spacing out. Mind-altering drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and even alcohol can have unpredictable effects.
These drugs may cause you to become unaware of your behavior or to forget events. Spacing out can occur when you are mentally or emotionally consumed by something other than the task at hand. For example, you might space out while watching or listening to something you consider a bit boring or during driving. Stress is a common distraction.
It can be overwhelming to the point that it is difficult to pay attention to your tasks and responsibilities, especially if they aren't very important. But extreme stress can cause you to space out even if the task at hand is important. If you have a problem with spacing out, you need to figure out whether you require medical attention or just some rest. Use this information to help you unravel whether your spacing out is serious or whether you just have your head in the clouds.
If you are repeatedly finding yourself spacing out or being accused of spacing out, you need to determine whether you have too many things distracting you or whether you truly can't help it. If there isn't an obvious reason, such as a big project you are working on, then you should mention the problem to your healthcare provider. If you can't recall events that happened or things that you did during an episode of spacing out, you may have had a medical event like those listed above. If you noticed that you misplaced objects during episodes of spacing out, or if you have been told that you behaved in an odd or violent manner that is uncharacteristic for you, then you definitely need further evaluation.
If you found that you lost control of your bowel or bladder, then you certainly need a medical evaluation by your healthcare provider. If you have noticed any injury after spacing out, particularly if you do not remember how it occurred, then your episodes are dangerous for you and could become more so.
It is time to make every attempt to put a stop to them. Everyone spaces out from time to time. Hi K, we are horrified to hear that you were not offered proper support. Trauma has the tendency to leave the best of us feeling that way. But are you aware that a lot of therapies that deal with therapy do not dive into your past, particularly CBT?
We recommend you read our article on therapies that actually work for trauma. Am not allowed to talk back and my opinion is always wrong to people. Please I will really appreciate it if you can help this is my first time saying this and I really wish I could find out what my real issue is because its affecting my whole life in general. Hi MJ, it sounds like a combination of anxiety and depression, made worse by the very real difficulties of being a teenager, meaning you are dealing with wild hormone fluctuations that also affect moods.
In fact when we are teens our brains are still growing! And we not only dealing with peer pressure we are also trying to figure out who we are and form an identity. This aside, anxiety and depression are things you definitely could use support around. Which brings me here, think you can still help? Hello, I think I have a problem of which I think is dissociation.
This happens frequently every day. Feeling distant. It happens so spontaneously. I would like to be able to pinpoint what exactly is going on in my head, since it tends to get in the way of things sometimes. Thank you for taking time to read this, I appreciate it.
You can do therapy with counsellors in other countries over Skype but you have to be 18 or have your parents permission. In the UK there are many charities for young people, you might find their websites useful. Mind UK, they are a great site.
Especially if you are in a religion or culture that is harder on girls than boys. Things do change when we leave home and have a life of our own, and we have to hold on with all of our might and do the best we can to get to adulthood. Hi there, dissociation is also experienced by many teenagers.
Being a teenager is probably one of the hardest parts of life. Not only is your brain still growing, flooding your body with all kinds of hormonal surges and meaning you are tired and have mood swings, you are trying to figure out who you are and dealing with mood swings. If you are a naturally sensitive person, you might deal with this stress by checking out. It does not mean you have a trauma necessarily, it can just mean that right now you are finding life overwhelming and this is your response to stress.
These things can also be conneted to blood pressure or other physical illnesses, best to rule that out! If I zone out in a serious conversation with my boyfriend I can hear him but I never have an immediate answer because I cant think of anything to say or how I feel.
When I zone out I usually get super tired and yawn a lot, feeling like all I want to do is sleep. Other times when I zone out my eyes will lock on something without me focusing but i cant turn away unless I really think about turning.
My mind is always blank though. If you feel this might be related to past trauma and is actually dissociation, do consider seeking support. My names Ann. The sun was shining bright like it was the middle of a summer day but then I walked inside the door of the house I was raised in and all of a sudden the sun just went away and it was pitch black, not a star in sight. Then it was like I was in the future about It seemed to be I had no where left to go. But on to the other zoning out thoughts. I failed high school, my boyfriend left me, and my family hated me.
And I just came back to reality. Hi, I constantly find myself zoning out. It feels like im outside looking in. It only lasts a couple minutes, then i literally have to shake it off and force myself to focus.
Hi Emily, yes sounds like dissociation! As the article discusses, could be past trauma, could just as much be that you are bored with your current life and you are literally trying to escape it…. Hi Ann, dissociation is a classic response to stress and anxiety. I zone out all the time. Thankfully all my friends just accept me like this and tend to find it funny.
I am also an extremely jumpy person. I have been through stuff and think this is a reaction to that. It would be nice to engage better with people. I was driving home today and zoned out. When I came to I was on the wrong side of the street and cars were swerving to miss me.
Nobody got hurt and nobody hit anything, thank goodness. Or are you rather slightly worried. We guess the latter as you are on here reading this article. They are symptoms that deserve to be taken seriously. Hi Sarah, from what we understand you are saying, it seems you were severely neglected by your birth mother before adoption? We are surprised nobody around you is taking this seriously, have your parents and teachers not offered to help you get counselling? Do your best to find some.
Do I have this? I also stress clean. I was fine. I visited her a lot, towards the end, with my dad in the nursing home, made sure her sheets were clean, etc. I cry when a close family friend dies, but then the feeling goes away in a few days. I can spend a whole 8 plus hours on the computer and get two assignments done some days. Finally downloaded two apps to track where I spend my time and to lock my browser down. No gore with no difficulty. Never felt sick or icked out, and his wife was having a difficult time with it.
I run calls on the fire department, nothing crazy, just a broken leg, heart issues, dog bite, closed head trauma no gore. I eat well, and am in good physical condition. I saw my GP the other day, all seemed normal. Is it ADD? Weird PMS? Lack of nutrients? Just a teenager brain? Am I just a shallow person? Probably many teenagers would feel a lot happier if school started at 11! In any case, you sound very self aware, and like you have support, but the one thing that is a red flag to us is that you are no longer at school but studying at home.
You mention family and volunteering at an elementary school, but do you have people your own age to be around? And finally just to say, if you ever do feel totally overwhelmed, then reach out for proper support. Find a help line or speak to a counsellor. Hi, i noticed i have been packed with work and being a junior i know it is normal but my stress is at a all time high!
Four project due in one week…. I notice that i zone out when i speak or after i speak. My vision seems to get foggy or i stare off on something, if feels comfortable and i want to stay that way but i feel like i look weird so i force myself to stop staring into space. Hi Jazzmin, sounds like good old stress. If you have trouble with time management and dealing with stress, most colleges or universities offer free classes on how to manage your workload, or free to low cost counselling.
Worth looking into. It could be all sorts, stress, anxiety, ADHD, autism, a learning disorder, or perhaps just boredom and you need to find friends who actually interest you. I had a traumatic childhood which has sort of haunted me all my life.
So the stress is definitely there. Something can trigger it an suddenly we are snapping at others, stressed. You might want to consider starting with a round of CBT. This is on one hand a sign of teenage angst, we get a lot of similar emails from teens. But you mention a difficult childhood so it could very well be depression and anxiety.
If your school has a counsellor it could be a good start. I tend to zone out alot but what gets me worried is that after I have this really bad studder and I almost never studder.
Do you think it is linked to something else? Kamryn this sounds really tough. And it is true that often parents who have their own issues do project it all onto their children. Do you have anyone at all to talk to in privacy who you can trust? Is there a counsellor at school you would feel okay talking to?
Or an adult you really trust? As for whether you have dissociation, when we are young dissociation is actually a healthy coping mechanism. It just unfortunately means that you are seriously stressed by what is going on around you.
Which again is normal as it sounds tough. The thing to focus on is trying to take good care of yourself until the time you you are old enough to move out. Another good thing to know about is help lines, they are free to call and the people on the other end are happy to listen.
I would like to be somebody that can distinguish like from disklike but I often am not in touch with my feelings enough to know. It can be really tiring. I also find it extremely difficult to wake up in the morning, I think I feel overwhelmed by the day ahead and prefer to play out situations in sort of controlled dream-like state I then get frustrated with myself when I do finally wake up because I have wasted the day and feel horrible and lazy.
I am 21 by the way. Hi Becca, are you still living with your parents? What seems the real problem here is not identity but anxiety. Anxiety causes a lot of negative overthinking. And you are definitely very negative with your thinking.
Good luck. In my most recent relationship, a few times now where we have had a disagreement normally over something quite small I then somehow find myself thinking how did it get to here? I had a great childhood but I did have an emorinally abusive relationship previously, could this be why? Choosing abusive relationships is a sign of low self-worth. Good luck! I start to avoid eating and generally only eat what requires almost no thought or preparation aka unhealthy processed snacks, frozen dinners, ordering delivery etc.
My memory goes out the window and it becomes very difficult to remember what my priorities, goals or even daily tasks are, I have a hard time remembering the names of things e.
Overall, I just ended up wasting hours, days, weeks on end doing nothing while being zoned out. I thought that was normal. I was terrified of meeting new people despite wanting to connect with others so badly.
Also, one of the most painful things was that I felt largely rejected by my old group of friends out of a group of about 30, only stayed in touch. Lacking a core group of friends both in my personal life and work life has had serious impacts on my career progression. However, putting myself in situations that allow me to experience connection i.
Sorry for the long incredibly long comment but I just needed to get this off my chest. Thank you so much for writing this article! We are glad it helped! EMDR is mostly recommended if you have one distinct trauma, over several traumas. But always worth a try. Otherwise CBT is worth a go, it really helps stabilise the thinking patterns that trigger a stress response.
I was searching the web for something I could relate to…and I finally found this article. You say you get nervous driving. I notice this especially when I see video or hear audio of the conversion that was taking place. The process is similar to re-watching a film and noticing loads of information you missed before.
I also realise it takes a lot of mental energy for me to actively take in what people are saying sometimes and so I zone out to regain my focus. First, get a physical checkup with your doctor, as things like low iron or thyroid issues can also cause similar symptoms. Best to rule those things out. If your physical health ends up being fine, then do consider some counselling. We are in the UK, where the first line of treatment, unlike America, is not medication.
Therapy itself might be more than enough. Hello, I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective bipolar. I am noticing that i space out i feel like i leave my body. Now life is great but I seem to just be floating around in and out. Hi Kate, childhood trauma often causes dissociation, and abuse is often a causal factor of BPD. Are you with a good therapist you can talk to about this? The more you work at processing trauma, the more you will feel safer to exist in your body instead of trying to float away.
Hi Ruby, being bullied and feeling really lonely are traumas in and of themselves. As can hormone shifts as a teenager, when the brain is also still growing. So try not to beat yourself up over all this. Being a teen is super hard, and high school can be an awful time in life. Focus on one day at at time, at doing the best you can and not judging yourself otherwise, and on treating yourself gently.
Often these sort of symptoms can pass once we become independent and leave home and can make our own choices. But in the meantime, seek support. Could you talk to the school counsellor? Or would your parents help you find counselling? I found this article when I was searching around today. It seems very similar to me. While at work I often feel foggy and I say phrases mindlessly without thinking.
Some days are worse. It makes me feel good and happy and numb and I stay like this for up to 5 minutes sometimes. The first time I remember I was doing this I was about 8 and we just got home from school. Everyone else hopped out of the car but I was sitting there just in a state trance basically. I wanted to stay like this but someone was like come on you have to get out. I have now done it many many times when I get home and sit in the car but also other places a lot as well. I try not to do in the presence of other people too much because I know it looks weird.
I can not answer questions truthfully usually. I think of things I should have done differently later and usually understand a situation minutes after it has ended. I am very jumpy. I feel like this probably what I am dealing with, what do you think? How do you feel about this job? Do you find it scary, or just boring? It sounds like you are developing your own coping mechanisms for what could be depression or anxiety.
You say this started as young as 8, did something happen that stressed you then? Why not seek some support around this. Are you a student? Your school will likely have a counsellor on staff, if you are at college or university ask about free or low cost counselling. I think I have bpd or dissociatio disorder.
I will always start to feel hazy and zone out without knowing or finding it hard to fully retain the present information and remember what i was going to say and just stumble over my words.
I will get a headache and extreme fatigue and cant fully say a sentence or process info correctly and in order. After that happens ill feel tired with a headache for the rest of the day. Also my depression mood can last 2 weeks and then the next 2 weeks ill be positive and happy and motivated and bubbly. If something bad happens like a disagreement, failed plan, arguments, it will ruin the rest of my week or however long that mood lasts.
Ill suddenly feel unmotivated and want to isolate my self. There are also times where under a lot of stress i will enter a childish like state and be super giggly and sensitive and just wanting love and some one to play with.
But we would say that these symptoms do not sound like BPD or necessarily dissociative disorder, it all just sounds like someone processing trauma. Trauma is a very complicated experience, it can cause anxiety, dissociation, fatigue, illness, headaches, muscle tension, mood swings, lack of motivation. You need to seek support. If you are at school, your school will likely have free to low cost counselling available.
Or if they ask me something I am not sure of but I know that I have to answer I get stressed and want to zone out. Does it fall under dissociation or is it something completely different or unrelated? Thank you. Did you recently go to an eye sight specialist? Otherwise it could be stress, but do rule those other things out to be safe. And at this point in time i just feel so clouded in my head all the time and my eyelids feel heavy even though i have a good amount of sleep and eat good foods.
Hi April, the teenage brain is still growing, and hormones are all over the place. Both can lead to foggy brain. Leading to a lot of fatigue. If you are concerned we would visit a medical doctor for a checkup to rule out anything else.
I have been experiencing different levels of dissociation for quite a while now. And once someone tries to snap me out of it so to speak, by touching me, it turns into a massive panic attack. Is this situation dissociation? Anxiety attacks flood the body with chemicals that make the mind foggy and yes can involve dissociation but dissociation is a side effect not the main issue.
You should directly discuss these issues with him or her. If you are self diagnosed, and not officially diagnosed, please do see a professional. It started about 3 months ago. Is this to do with PTSD or another problem? I get this when I smoke weed. I used to get bullied pretty badly and usually it was when I was stoned.
Do you think this reaction from weed is based on how I felt when I used to smoke? Is there anything I can do about that? Is there any way I can smoke weed again without getting disassociated?
Hi there, not our area of expertise, sorry. My biggest issue is that I know what is causing me to disassociate at least, what triggers it the most often and the most severely. Hi Jess, dissociation would be triggered by things around you, sure, but that is not the cause. Which would be deeper. Best to get help and explore the root.
Separating yourself from things is not a long term life tactic. So while you might not be able to avoid situations that trigger you at the moment, you could definitely, say, go talk to a counsellor. Almost all schools provide them for free or for low cost. Best of luck. I just thought someone maybe interested in my experience of living with my husbands dissociation. My husband suffers from dissociation caused by trauma in his childhood.
He will often answer a question with whatever is in his head — It is too frustrating to pursue the question further as he also has anxiety. He once almost gave his bank account details to a woman collecting for a charity before he suddenly realised.
Unfortunately I think he now has an alter — his 6 year old self. Sounds tough, thanks for sharing. Have you had proper support for yourself during this time? Something to think about looking into. Thank you for your kind reply. In March I received 50 minutes of counselling support once a week for 6 weeks. Thank you for understanding. And 6 weeks is almost nothing, oh dear. Best, HT. Hi, i recently have been having problems with my bf bc i tend to get lost in my thoughts and sometimes ignore him when he speaks to me.
I didnt realize I would do this as often as i do until we moved in together but I really dont try to like at times I respond in my head and completely forget to verbalize it. Whenever he tries to confront me about anything I feel like a complete idiot bc idk what to say and that has been leading to a cycle of me crying and going to sleep whenever we fight.
And like a couple minutes later ill suddenly know how to respond, but its too late. I really love my boyfriend and i know hes tried to improve himself for me and i just want to do the same but lately Ive just felt like such an airhead bc i know he is frustrated with me and i dont know how to fix this since we have talked about it multiple times.
Hi Emily, sounds like a communication issue. On one hand, it could be that the way he communicates with you is triggering something from the past. For example, if we use attack language you did this, you did that the other person inevitably backs off.
So first things first, sounds like you could both use with doing some research in how to communicate better. My girlfriend has what I do believe is dissociation.
She zones out and just look at one place for a couple of minutes. Then when she snaps out of the fit or zone out she becomes confused and such. I try my best to support her and be there for her. So my question is: What should I do? It brakes me to see her not doing well. Hi there. Sharing with peers can also give you ideas — ask how they cope, or how they come back to the here-and-now when zoning out too much.
There are people out there going through the exact same struggle as you, so why not start developing your support community? Chat Now ». Zoning out happens to everyone at times, but it can also get out of hand.
What does dissociation feel like? Who experiences this? There are things you can try, however, if dissociation starts to disable you. Examples of these techniques would be to focus on your tactile and sensory input like: Focus on the sensation of holding an ice cube , or Smell peppermint oil Do physical activity like going for a run or even just lifting something heavy in your room Try structured mental activity like sudoku, crosswords, or counting down from in intervals of 3 Just take note of the world around you, counting all the green things you can see , which can bring you back down to Earth.
Written By: Anisha Makhija June 01,
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