time and memories jumbled up: dont feel safe

[Arienette]

My sense of time is really distorted and changing. I keep getting days and times mixed up. When I remember my days or weeks everything feels jumbled and chaotic, I feel confused. Mornings and nights are getting mixed up too and its making getting by a bit difficult because I have college to go to and appointments.

I keep getting confused too because I think things have happened and keep finding out that they haven't, which is quite unsettling.

Anyone know an effective way of managing this? I wear a watch with the date and time and day on which helps but it's not solving it.


I have a diary and write lists. When I look over my diary so much of what I have written feels strange or like it wasn't me. I'm forgetting most stuff if I look over my diary and read from yesterday for example it feel like, if I have that memory, it was weeks ago, or something and stuff that was weeks ago feels like today- it's all jumbled up in my head and its making me uncomfortable because I don't want another "incident" to happen but I don't feel secure at the moment.


X

[Emmelberry]

diary is great! you should try sticking to it. i found this was a huge issue with dissociation so you could try grounding exercises. i had a friend who had dissociation so they had a code they used when writing to themselves, it was sorta just a form of short hand. they would write notes on their hand to help depersonalisation but it can also help you relate to the notes better.

cognitive exercises can be a great help but you have to stick with them as they can take a while to work, i got much more into the habit when i got some on my phone. word finding and attention was what i focused on more since i could only find games which tested short term memory (seconds) which wasn't my issue.

memory problems are a common issue with other mental illnesses, especially severe depression. so it will get better as treatment improves things. also as side effects of medication. either way talk to your pdoc/therapist.

[Arienette]

Thanks for your reply.

I completely overlooked grounding exercises. Sometimes I list everything around me and count to 100 or 200 then back again: but last time that didn't work because my voice kept taking over in my head and she was counting wrong and it became more of an internal battle.


I'm going to make a note of what ha helped before r.e. grounding though, and make a bank of it all or something.


It might help maybe because I feel pretty chaotic lately.

[Emmelberry]

I find simple things like focusing on the feeling of my breathing, any sensations I can feel and eating or drinking something really great for grounding. You can do those easily wherever. But that's just me. Having someone talk to me (even just speaking at me) can help when other things won't. I find trying to ground using visual and auditory stimuli tricky. Try different techniques to see what works best!