What is this? Dizziness/Depersonalization/something else?

[allen1989]

Okay so I’ve been struggling with anxiety/panic disorder for the past 8 months now and just can’t seem to shake off this horrible symptom. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when your drunk,not off balance, just the feeling of disorientation, dizziness in head, feeling out of it. Makes me feel really strange and really anxious! Feel like I’m walking through a thick fog and disconnected from my body. It gets worse when I’m out in social situations/shops!! I’ve had loads of blood tests, ECGs, brain scan, ears checked etc. Trying CBT and it has helped a lot but I’m still getting this symptom and it really makes me panic!!!

[Graceski]

It is depersonalisation by the sound of it which is very common with anxiety disorders. Continue with your CBT and hopefully in time as your anxiety levels continue to lower it will fade.

[jray23]

I have similar feelings since February 5 of this year (and a long history of health anxiety), and after getting all the tests done (and I mean all of them) I've been diagnosed by arguably the top dizziness expert with a sort of chronic painless "vestibular migraine" (although admittedly it's a 'wastebasket' diagnosis). I've also been diagnosed by an eye doctor specialist with a slight vertical misalignment of my eyes (through tests).



Neither are remotely serious (and therefore should NOT become a further source of worry/anxiety, trust me!) and both can produce the symptoms that you describe and that I have (and definitely exacerbate in crowds and shops due to sensory overload on an already faulty or distressed system). So there are things beyond anxiety that can cause them - however - from my own personal experience, I'd say you're better off just continuing to work on your anxiety, as that will still affect how you feel more than anything.



Besides the things I mentioned being much more rare, there's not really a whole lot of proven things that help with them anyhow, it's mostly a blind dart-throw at a target type of treatment, but improving your anxiety level WILL still reduce those symptoms even if there actually is a physical cause (there probably isn't).



Ceasing to "check-in" with your symptoms is the biggest thing, followed closely by responding to your symptoms with a mindset of "so what, so I feel off, whatever" and just go about your day as best as you can - a sort of "acceptance". If you want to try some dart throws (ask your doctor first!), you can try taking magnesium or CBD oil (it will at least help with anxiety, and has anecdotal evidence of helping if it's from a migraine mechanism)



At least go about it that way for quite some time, and see what happens. If it doesn't improve with a lot of focus on the anxiety aspect, then perhaps explore these other possibilities.

[Notgoingcrazy]

I also have something just like this! I feel floaty...not really dizzy (although that is a side effect of the medication). It seems worse around groups of people, at the store, my job, etc.....perhaps sensory overload or even a bit of social anxiety? I've had tests done years ago and now, I feel I want to get more tests done to "be sure!" Although it actually makes me feel worse when I keep my anxiety alive by over testing. I actually pushed my doctor to order an MRI for me. Now, I'm freaking out about it! I've had them before, so it's not a claustrophobic thing for me. My family doesn't think I need it, but I feel I can't let it rest until I do. I wonder if I'm doing more harm by getting so many tests. Sigh.

[jray23]

I can't comment about medication side effects, and people's description of "dizziness" or "vertigo" always varies based on how they interpret the words and their specific symptoms/problems, but the one description that seems to be always a constant in all of the stories I've read, whether on anxiety forums or vestibular forums, is the stores, crowds, office etc making it worse. Which seems rather odd at first glance but it really isn't odd at all when it's explained.

It can be caused by both the sensory overload and/or anxiety. And it's kind of a chicken or the egg - in one person it could be the anxiety coming first and setting off symptoms, in the other person it could be the symptoms coming on stronger first and setting off the anxiety.

The overload aspect comes in from crowds (many visual cues, aka people, moving in all kinds of directions plus noise from all directions - an overtaxed balance system gets even more confused) and the lighting. Flourescent lights look steady to the naked eye, but they actually flicker at a very fast rate until they start to burn out and then our naked eye can see it. But the eye/brain system does still pick up on that high-speed flicker subconsciously and that confuses the absolute hell out of an overtaxed balance system. Usually these lights are found in offices too.

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---------- Post added at 17:52 ---------- Previous post was at 17:44 ----------

An MRI can't hurt. If it's not costly out of poxket for you, get it done. Normally I am against reassurance seeking but despite my experience and improvement over my health anxiety I couldn't go without getting it done either. I tried to wait it out at least, two months before deciding to get it, but I felt much more relaxed after getting a clean MRI.

For what it's worth, to either of you posting, if your symptoms are too difficult to manage in the store/office setting from the lighting, and not simply from anxiety, there is an easy possible solution. They are called FL-41 lenses, they filter out that light. I have used them for months now and have had success at malls, airports, my office, and even at a casino. They are designed for people with migraines and light sensitivity (which, possibly me). I used a brand called TheraSpecs which are somewhat expensive but they give you a money back trial to see if it works first. There sre other cheaper ones too. Look for "FL-41". If thre issue is anxiety though, I do not know if they will help.

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