Feelings of Unreality?

[crazychick10793]

I really don't know how to describe it. Sometimes things just don't feel "real" to me. Like the world isn't real. like I'm not real. Sometimes I will walk around all day feeling like this. Does anyone else feel like this? What can I do to feel real again?

[Amaranth]

I get this a lot! Sometimes I really like it, it can make me feel safer. Sometimes I don't though and have to try to bring myself back. It can be difficult and sometimes I don't manage it, but I start by small grounding things like playing with something textured or sensory and using scented oils etc, then doing mindfulness type exercises - talking myself through where I am, what i'm doing and wearing, what I can see and hear etc. Sometimes doing something quite energetic like exercising or heavy duty gardening can help me too.
Unfortunately sometimes I just have to wait it out though.

[sherlock holmes]

I've felt like this before when I've been really anxious or depressed. The psychiatrist called it depersonalisation/derealisazation and as far as I know it can be a symptom of stress or anxiety or part of something like depression, dissociation etc.

As much as it feels strange and awful it's not anything to panic over. It will end by itself, but when it's happening it can help to ground yourself and a way of doing this can be by practicing mindfulness which is where you use all of your attention on one thing only. So the aim is to be fully present in the moment. You can do it by counting in your head, or brushing your teeth, or noticing colours of cars on the road- literally ANYTHING can be done mindfully and the goal is to let your other thoughts float away and you just pay attention to one thing. It's worked well for me.