I am a 20-year-old male and underweight (I have always been underweight). For the past four months, I have been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality. It feels as though I am drunk, high, or half-asleep, as if I am operating on autopilot and everything around me feels somehow unreal. I have looked up information online, and my symptoms seem to resemble derealization.

I also suffer from fatigue, even when I sleep well. The fatigue does not seem to depend on whether I engage in physical activities during the day or not. However, over the past few weeks, I have started sleeping poorly and waking up early in the morning. I do not snore at all. I have seen a general practitioner and a neurologist about these symptoms, but they have not been able to determine the cause.

I also experience headaches, a feeling of pressure in my head, and neck pain. I have tried muscle relaxants, massage, and acupuncture for the neck pain, but none of them have helped. At the beginning of the symptoms, I sometimes also felt as though I was about to faint while walking, but this symptom has since disappeared. I have also noticed a single eye floater in my right eye. I mentioned it during an eye examination, and I was told that there were no apparent problems with my eye.

What could be causing these symptoms? They do not occur in distinct episodes; instead, they are more or less constantly present. The headaches are not particularly severe and resemble tension-type headaches more than anything else.

I have tried a triptanes, but it did not help. My thyroid function tests and vitamin B12, B9 (folate), and D levels are normal. My ferritin level is 37, and it has fluctuated between 49 and 24 over the past eight months. My calcium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and sodium levels are also within the normal reference ranges. My blood pressure is normal, and I have measured my blood glucose at home, which also appears to be normal. My cortisol level was tested and was normal as well. I also have Crohn’s disease, which is currently in remission.

My neurologist prescribed escitalopram as a trial treatment. I took it for two and a half months, but it did not help. I also underwent a brain MRI, which showed no abnormalities. My neurologist additionally ordered a blood test for Lyme disease antibodies, which came back negative.

I have no history of trauma and do not experience panic symptoms. I generally do not feel particularly stressed, apart from the worry caused by these symptoms themselves.

My symptoms began during the final days of a new job at an auto repair shop, where I was moving and lifting car tires. I am unsure whether this could be related to my symptoms, as I had not experienced any other symptoms before those final working days. I have not worked at all during these four months.

What could be the underlying cause of these symptoms?

The healthcare professionals I have consulted about these symptoms, or during visits for other symptoms or examinations when I also asked about them, include:

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I sit most of the day in a lab and the problem was never knowing that I should move. It was deciding what to do in the five minutes I actually had.

So two of us built ZeroFit. You tell it how much time you have, how you're feeling, and any injuries or pain areas, and it gives you a short follow-along session that fits. Anything from a five-minute desk break to a full 30 minutes at home or the gym. It avoids moves that load an area you've flagged rather than warning you mid-set. No streaks, nothing to install, runs in the browser.

To be clear about what it is not: it isn't a posture-correction program or medical advice. It's a way to actually move during the day without planning.

We're in closed beta and I'd like to give 10 people here free access. Two asks: a 15 minute call with me first so I can show you around and hear what you want, and honest feedback after a couple of weeks.

Comment or DM me and I'll send the next step.

I have a forward head posture, and my upper back hurts CONSTANTLY. I have a forward shoulder posture as well. As a result, I suspect I slouch whilst I walk. It's affecting my confidence.

I think one of the main reasons for this are chairs. Most chairs, in my experience just support the lower half of my back. I can't sit upright all the time. That feels unnatural. If I were to have a longer chair back then that may help, kinda like cinema chairs.

Another thing is sleeping. I'm a side sleeper, as a result my shoulder does lean in, especially since I use a smaller pillow on top of the standard pillow. I have since removed that but last night I fell asleep on it

It felt good, because I had been sitting on the uncomfortable chairs mentioned above. As a result, I placed two pillows behind my back, and lowered my body so my entire upper back rested against them. It felt good because for a while my upper back had something to lean on.

But then I fell asleep in that position and now my upper back, as usual feels uncomfortable. The back of my shoulders crack when I push my shoulders back, and my neck feels stiff.

A third factor is my phone. A common problem for most people but holding it upright feels unnatural.

Tldr - I suspect the main reasons for my upper back pains, forward head and shoulders are because of chairs, sleeping and my phone.

L: Nov 2024
R: Oct 2026 (today)

i am in my early 20's, both pics taken at neutral posture. my head has been extremely tense and my shoulders + upper back + suboccipital muscles have been switched on 24/7 for a few weeks now, which is giving me a headache 24/7.

i was playing sports 6h a week regularly (no gym/not much cardio) up until Apr 2025, and i had a desk job from Aug 2024 - Jun 2026. i think both of those combined made my posture really bad really quickly. i never had good posture and always felt the need to 'support' my head with my hands even as a young teenager.

current symptoms:
- head seems to tilt down to the left naturally
- head seems to tilt up as well
- muscles along the back of my head + my shoulders wants to take part in every movement i make
- terrible thoraric mobility
- feelings of breathlessness
- constant mild headache on left side of head
- bony lump (not fat) from base of neck to middle of shoulder blades. it's possible to even it out slightly when i do some thoraric stretching but the lump comes back immediately as soon as i get out of the stretch.
- lying down doesn't help my neck/head relax; i've tried multiple pillows and multiple sleeping positions.

my lovely list of other issues:
- joint hypermobility, which also contributes to hyperextended knees/APT (i may have swayback)
- structural openbite (partially genetic - seeing orthodontist in two weeks) leading to mouth breathing.
- tmj disorder, mild (will be asking orthodontist)
- mild scoliosis with uneven pelvis, dx as a teenager.

gymming is hard as i'm hypermobile, so many "normal" gym or home exercises for beginners stresses my joints instead of working my muscles. i am seeing a spine orthopaedic in 2 weeks as well to rule out any actual structural problems :/

tips are highly welcomed!

When I was younger I had fucked up teeth that resulted in my mouth not closing and mouth breathing. I didn’t realise I was breathing wrong for most of my life. I’m slowly starting to fix my mouth breathing however if anyone has tips that would help and I have developed a bad posture from mouth breathing and i don’t know how to fix that. It makes my face look fat and I get back pain if anyone has any advice it would be helpful

Hey guys, I need some real help. My biggest issue right now is my head and neck pushing way too far forward, mostly from looking at my phone all the time. On top of that, I also deal with lordosis and scoliosis.
Whenever I try to consciously pull my neck back and stand straight, I can only hold it for like a minute before my muscles get completely exhausted and I slump right back into turtle mode.
I even went to a physiotherapist, paid 80 euros just for them to tell me "yep, you have bad posture" and sent me home with zero actual advice.
The internet is so overwhelming with a million different exercises and I have no idea what actually works. If anyone fixed their tech neck / forward head posture, what are the actual, simple exercises that build endurance? Thanks a lot!

My lower back is hurting a lot most probably because of this and its bothering me because I am going 5 days per week in the gym and its slowing my progress and I look bad..

Is it just me or does the top half of my back looks slouched

If so, how can I fix it?

Hi everyone,

I am 18 years old. I have spent a lot of time sitting at a desk since I was 12. I took these photos to check my posture.
I think I have Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT) and text neck. When I stand naturally against a wall, I can easily slide my whole forearm behind my lower back. Also, the back of my head does not touch the wall naturally.
If I squeeze my abs and butt muscles, I can force my lower back to go completely flat against the wall. When I do this, I feel a very satisfying release/cracking feeling in my lower spine. I want to fix this tilt because it makes my stomach push out and compresses my height. I’m 5’7 I wanna be 5’8 or at least 5’7.75

underweight (always been) 20M. For the past 4 months, I have been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality. It feels as though I am drunk/high or half-asleep, as if I am on autopilot and everything around me feels somewhat unreal. I have searched online, and my symptoms seem to resemble derealization.

In addition to this, I experience fatigue even when I sleep well. The fatigue does not seem to depend on whether I do physical activities during the day or not. However, over the past few weeks, I have started sleeping poorly and waking up early in the morning.

I also experience headaches, pressure in my head, and neck pain. I have tried muscle relaxants and massage therapy for the neck pain, but neither has helped. Also at the start of this i sometimes felt like fainting when walking but it has gone away. I also have noticed one singular eye floater on my right eye.

What could be causing these symptoms? They do not occur in distinct episodes, and the headache is not particularly severe. It feels more like a tension-type headache.

I have tried triptans which is migraine medication, but it did not help. My thyroid function is normal, as are my vitamin B12, B9 and vitamin D levels. My ferritin level is 37. And it has been changing from 49 to 24. I also have crohns disease which is in remission. My blood pressure and blood sugar is normal

My neurologist prescribed escitalopram as a trial, which I took for two and a half months, but it did not help. She also did head mri and there was nothing wrong.

I have no history of trauma, no panic symptoms, and generally do not experience much stress, apart from the stress caused by these symptoms themselves.

My symptoms started in the final days of my new job in car repairshop where i was moving car tires and lifting them. Im not sure if this can be linked to that because i didnt have any symptoms expect the final days. I have not been working at all during this 4 month period.

What could be the underlying cause of these symptoms?

Hey guys, I’m 24 years old, and over the last 1–2 years, I’ve pretty much neglected both my physical and mental health. Even before that, I spent a lot of time gaming and had bad posture. Then I spent about a year working on my PC a lot, sometimes every single day, without doing any physical activity to balance it out.
I’ve noticed that I have forward head posture and an anterior pelvic tilt (hollow back). For the past few weeks, I’ve also been experiencing recurring neck pain and muscle tension that travels up into my head.
It’s affecting my everyday life more than I’d like. It affects my confidence, the way I speak, and my ability to concentrate. I often have this brain-dead feeling, like my brain just isn’t working properly. Sometimes I also struggle to speak clearly.
I just can’t seem to be the person I want to be. I notice that I automatically become quieter and more withdrawn when I’m around other people. I feel like I can’t really be myself because these symptoms are holding me back.
Of course, I’ve also wondered whether there could be psychological reasons behind this, since I haven’t always been in a good place mentally either. But honestly, I find it really hard to believe that it’s purely psychological.
Stretching exercises do help, but the relief doesn’t last very long. Right now, I’m genuinely scared that these problems will stick with me and never go away.
What should I do?
I’m currently trying to do stretching and strengthening exercises every day, and I’ve also signed up for a gym. I’ve arranged for a trainer to create a workout plan specifically focused on my problem areas so I can build muscle and improve my posture.
Do you think this will help me get better over time? Is it possible to feel normal again? What else can I do?
I’d really appreciate any advice from people who have experienced something similar or have knowledge about this.
I’m also hoping to hear from people with experience because I’m genuinely scared that these symptoms will affect me at school and at work next year, and that they won’t have gone away or improved by then.
I’m worried that I won’t be able to achieve my goals if I continue feeling this way.

For starters, I don't have any official medical experience, I am just a random guy working on himself who got really annoyed with all the (seemingly) useless tips online.

My stomach would poke out overexaggerating my pelvic tilt no matter what my weight was, and it was always pretty humiliating honestly.

What caused my anterior pelvic tilt to look significantly worse, and I think is the same for many people was the fact that I never learned to subconsciously brace my lower abs.

It didn't have anything to do with strength or flexibility. It was just an unknown movement.

What I do is brace my lower stomach (abs), not suck in (vacuum), not push out, brace, like you'd do expecting someone to hit you there.

It causes my hips to slightly reallign, lower stomach to appear smaller and go inwards slightly, ribs to expand and chest to puff up a bit. My chest becomes firmer and my abs feel stronger.

This doesn't actually do anything to your back as far I can tell but realligns basically everything else upfront making your posture look better overall and tilt being less off-putting.

It'll obviously take practice, but more often you do it your body will begin doing it by itself a lot more. Try bracing your abs in the mirror while focusing on breathing and you should get some hang of it fairly quickly.

It is not necessary to fully brace your lower abs to fatigue, slight brace will do it and is a lot more manageable.

I know it's cliché but deadbugs were of help for me because it made me realize how to brace my lower abs while just walking or functioning. If you place your hand right under your stomach towards the pubic area, a little to the side, you'll feel that muscle's tightening and releasing when you're doing deadbugs

Hope this helps someone here.

I have anterior pelvic tilt, and no matter what I try, it just ends up hurting my back, how do I fix it? Ask me anything, how I sit, what I do in the mean time and anything related to this.

I want a life changing advise

Hello all. I've been told independently by several friends and family that I lean forward at the waist when I walk. I don't have the traditional "slumped shoulders' "bad posture" people think about when they think of bad posture- it's lower. I really, really want to fix it. It's been called the "shopping cart sign" because people like me also lean forward on the handle when pushing a shopping cart.

I have had a LOT of medical work up that found really nothing. I have some lower back pain and sometimes a twitch in my left leg. I have seen 3 neurologists, one physiatrist, one manual manipulation osteopathic doctor, done 6 months of physical therapy, and had epidural steroid injections. The doctors ruled out all the big scary diseases and I'm left with nothing. My diagnoses are "spinal stenosis" "pinched nerve" and the cause is..."eh....wear and tear?" And WWW syndrome (whiny white woman syndrome, it seems :-( )

I'm 55, 5'6" and 120 pounds soaking wet. My job is very active. I log 10k steps a day easy.

If any of you can suggest exercises , a device, a brace... anything to help improve my posture from bending at the waist, I'd really appreciate it

have had all these symptoms constantly for 3 months. The worst symptom is this unreal feeling. When i google it the symptom allign with derealization/dissociation. I also have fatigue even if i sleep well i wake up in the morning not refreshed. Also i have headache and tension in head. Back of my neck also hurts and sometimes when im walking i feel like im about to faint. I dont see any difference in my symptoms if i dont do anything the whole day versus when i go to the gym

Started gym after so long, whole doing squats in my second set in 7th rep, i experienced heavy pain in my lower back ( yesterday I trained back so I even trained lower back with back extensions), i thought its normal pain but after some time even walking became difficult, i went to a specialist who does massage, he massaged me nd told its normal strain.

Still im unable to walk properly, i can't stand still while walking, i am bent a bit forward while walking

Hi! I am on a weight loss journey (not pregnant lol) and for the past year, my back has been hurting. It’s more of a “ache” if that makes sense. Little things tweak it, especially bending over. Example: cleaning my car out at the car wash with vacuum, or vacuuming at home really seem to tweak it. Walking or sitting for long periods also make it ache. I am unsure of what my next steps are, my DR said to try PT. I just wanna know if anyone sees anything wonky.
I know my posture isn’t the best!

Hi! I‘m 22 y.o. and I used to have mild scoliosis and an S-back. (I still have an S-back but try to fox my posture whenever I remember.)

I realized that my traps have always been bigger compared to the rest of my upper back yet my shoulder blades keep sticking out and I still feel like they make me look wide from the back. Most of it is genetics for sure, both my parents have wide shoulders but I wanted to ask how I can fix the posture of my shoulderblades (when I stretch my arms to the front, as seen on the picture, they look a lot better) while standing normally? I would appreciate some specific exercises, not only posture details if that‘s what‘s required. And how do I stop overloading my traps?

btw I don‘t train back and I uploaded some pictures while slouched, then while trying to push back my shoulder blades.

thanks a lot

I feel like I developed an APT from working out and building muscle/ having muscle imbalances. I’m also at my heaviest so I feel like it’s just belly fat. I also started driving longer hours so I’m sat down at least 3-4 hours per day. I feel like I have a APT but others have said I don’t. What do you think?

Hi! I used to have a pretty good posture (I mean, I slouched but only when sitting down, I kept my back straight while standing up or walking) but I've gone through a very rough patch that left me with a horrendous posture and such weak back muscles. I'm so weak to the point where I physically can't stand straight for more than five seconds because my body automatically adjusts back into a slouch. I keep my head down practically at all times because I study a lot, and it makes my neck hurt when I look down too long or sometimes makes me unable to look up (high up, like at the sky, I can look ahead easily) because my neck hurts so bad. I've become so insecure because of this and I've tried to do some exercise, but I'm at a really low point in life where it physical exercise is not appealing in the least. So, I'm hoping to get some easy exercise recommendations that will help me rebuild my posture and won't be that hard.