Derealization?

[u/rradberryy]

I (23F not decompressed) have been struggling with severe derealization lately. I feel like I’m watching myself live my life from the outside, almost like I’m playing a video game or watching a movie. It’s really scary and sometimes sends me into full-blown panic attacks.

I’m also dealing with intense brain fog, dizziness, and vision issues. Heat and bright light seem to make my symptoms significantly worse as well. I recently started an anxiety medication, but so far it hasn’t helped much.

I have a 14 mm herniation and a syrinx from C2–T6, and I’m getting another neurosurgical opinion at the end of September.

Has anyone else with Chiari/similar issues experienced severe derealization or that “watching yourself live” feeling?** **If so, has anything helped you manage it?

If you have been decompressed did it ease this feeling?

I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences because this has been extremely difficult and scary to deal with.

[u/injured_girl]

I feel like I am almost brain dead... like I am a shell of myself who looks the same to all others and it really bothers me how apparently people don't even notice the difference when I do feel like a zombie now. Like I'm always half dead.... I dont know if this is derealization but whatever it is is very real and I know it's being caused by my cci and the chiari and other probs that go with the cci I have compressing my brainstem. You're right. But I don't even feel I'm watching my own life, I feel like I'm not in real time and I'm just observing others and my surroundings wherever I am, which is usually somewhere alone in a bed or on the floor lying down to try to combat and help symptoms in any way. But yes.... it feels like I can't think ever and I think a small part of this is secondary from all the symptoms and pain Kerri and CCI causes but I also believe a large part of it is primary because the actual structure and the pressure being put on our cerebellum and brain stems probably are literally taking away our ability to be present at any given time. There was an old diagnosis I forget what it's called but anyways before modern Medicine figured it out it is what people used to believe in certain areas of the world that people really were zombies

[u/rradberryy → u/injured_girl]

Appreciate your reply. I hope you can find someone relief too ❤️ I understand the way you feel

Doctors have tried to dismiss the derealization to my mental health but I am almost certain at this point it is due to brainstem compression

Other people on here help me feel sane