# Why do I have these behaviors during trance-like daydreams/flashbacks?



## llkuhljay (Feb 18, 2010)

The best way I can explain this is by example. Say if I naturally get anxious or paranoid when I am around a bunch of friends/fraternity brothers I haven't seen in awhile but they know me well, but I am fine other times around either strangers or a select few friends. I then later obsess and daydream over why I felt the way I did around the group of friends even though I knew them forever.

However, sometimes these deep daydreams put me into a trance where I unconsciously stand up and walk around for a seconds. I then come back and sit down and then snap out of my trance. I then just realized that I got up and walked around for no apparent reason, but I was really unaware during the time that I did it.

I then later left my girlfriend's house wondering why it is such a common thing for me during the time I have emotional flashbacks (not necessarily traumatic) or deep daydreams. My intention was to go to taco bell and eat first. However, I drove all the way back to my apartment just daydreaming on these instances I had all my life. I then get out of my car and realize I forgot to get taco bell.

My question is if this is some kind of anxiety disorder such as dissociation, generalized anxiety disorder, or something else. The only reason I think it is not ocd is because I don't have the same obsessions going in my head over and over again and I don't use the same behaviors to alleviate them. This behavior occurs mostly during these deep trances usually when I am alone thinking about an future event or flashback. I just get so involved in my thoughts. I would appreciate the feedback.

My main concern is why do I sometimes unconsciously stand up and walk around for a second when i have a vivid daydream where I physically feel anxious and then come back to sit down, finally coming back to consciousness? Thanks guys.


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## GojiraMadness (Jan 14, 2010)

This sometimes happens to me as well. It usually happens when I'm thinking about a situation that happened in the passed or will happen in the future. I usually play the scene in my head thinking about different ways I should have or should approach the situation. Most of the time I do this when I'm laying down day dreaming, but I've had times where I found myself randomly walking in circles.

What causes this? No idea... Since we're so deep into thought It may be our body's trying to keep us from going into sleep, by making us subconsciously walk? haha just an idea


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## TenYears (Jan 15, 2010)

I get really into my thoughts sometimes also, forget what I'm doing even sometimes. It can be kind of scary when your driving. I can get really involved thinking about something that's bothering me, and I sort of tune the whole world out, and run on auto-pilot. I have really intense flashbacks sometimes also, although those don't happen very often. Mine can get very real...feeling the same emotions, or seeing a place exactly as it was years ago. I can literally end up missing a turn I was supposed to take, like you were talking about.

I don't know if it's depersonalization or any other kind of disorder...I'm trying to keep away from diagnosing myself with anything else over the internet. I think it probably is fairly common....usually if I get caught up in a trance there's somebody there to smack me & say hey snap out of it. I don't worry much about when I do it, unless it becomes something I spend a lot of time doing.


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## SilentWitness (Dec 27, 2009)

llkuhljay said:


> My question is if this is some kind of anxiety disorder such as dissociation, generalized anxiety disorder, or something else. The only reason I think it is not ocd is because I don't have the same obsessions going in my head over and over again and I don't use the same behaviors to alleviate them. This behavior occurs mostly during these deep trances usually when I am alone thinking about an future event or flashback. I just get so involved in my thoughts. I would appreciate the feedback.
> 
> My main concern is why do I sometimes unconsciously stand up and walk around for a second when i have a vivid daydream where I physically feel anxious and then come back to sit down, finally coming back to consciousness? Thanks guys.


I have recently discovered after having therapy that I have dissociation. I've suffered from it since my teens and never understood what was happening to me, and in my case it is caused by traumatic events from when I was a child.

I'm not saying this is why you have this or even that it is dissociation, but what you describe sounds awfully like it, and talking to your GP may help you decide to see a therapist.

I go into a trance like state where I can still function normally but I'm not aware of my surroundings. My mind switches off and my body goes through the motions, it's a survival technique I've learnt from childhood. The worse part about having this, is that I will meet people, greet them in the usual way etc, but later have no recollection of the meeting or what they look like or what was even said.
This usually happens when I have severe anxiety for a day or two before the meeting. Random meet ups, this doesn't occur.

My therapist says it is triggered by being severely anxious about visiting someone or a situation where your body senses danger, even though in reality this is not true. 
I am learning to make my mind over-ride my body's response to nervous situations. Certain physical stimuli seems to aggravate this too, like being excessively hot. It's hard work and I may never overcome it fully, but at least I now understand what I have and how to lessen the severity or the chances of it happening.


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