Spacing Out When Overloaded.

[Drakanav]

Does anyone else space out when overloaded? Like, you start staring at the ground/wall, your vision blurs and have to force yourself to regain awareness. Everything shuts off, and your not able to move. But, there's something calming about it. It happens at family gatherings or church, but sometimes also happens at home.

Is this a way the brain is trying to get away from everything, rather than running off somewhere to hide?

 

[Dubz]

Yes I do this as well. Exactly as you describe it. I have to force myself out of it when it happens.

 

[BraidedPony]

Yup! You bet. I try to get ahead of it and lay down where it is quiet or just play Candy Crush. The zone out thing is going to happen so I’ve made friends with it.

 

[Fino]

Yep! I've never thought of stopping it though. I find something with as little stimulation as possible and stare, such as a white wall. First time I went to a psychiatric hospital, I stared at a wall without moving for three hours!

 

[BraidedPony]

That would work unless the wall was a high gloss! I hate glaring whites. A soft matte blue, now that would be nice.

 

[MeghanWithAnH]

Oh definitely. I've never been unable to move, but my coordination gets ridiculously terrible and my ability to interact goes way down, as does my ability to cope with problems. It might be relaxing if it happened when I could afford to be that way, but it always seems to happen when there's too much to do and I need to be at my best to deal with everything. I used to just try to push through it because I didn't know what it was, but now I try to recognize it and find a way to take a break if possible. This week has been terrible for that, though.

 

[SusanLR]

Yes, and it makes me panic when it happens.
Everything suddenly looks, sounds surreal. Coordination goes. Can't talk easily or think.
It's called depersonalization and/or derealization. And it IS your brain's way of trying to prevent you
from going into burn out.
If I can lay down and relax, it will go away.
Out in public, the best I can do is find a place to sit down away from people and noise
and just stare at something until it passes.

First time it happened to me I was in a psych unit trying to get used to MAO inhibitor.
I went into a panic attack thinking I was going crazy. Don't like how it feels, but, now I know
it will happen from time to time when anxious or in sensory overload.

 

[Progster]

I sometimes get the depersonalisation and derealisation, and I shut down, by this I mean I stop interacting or talking and need some quiet time alone to reset. I'm not sure what you mean by the blurred vision... sometimes I'm staring at something but I'm not taking it in and my vision becomes blurred though lack of focus, like staring into space.

 

[Gracey]

Don’t know if it’s similar or not,
I can stare off into nothing.

my vision isn’t blurred as such,
I’m not focused on anything and so suspect eye muscles have relaxed.
Hence, lack of detail.

 

[SusanLR]

Body chemistry changes from anxiety can definitely effect the eyes.
Blood vessels constrict, the optic nerve reacts to adrenaline, histamine and norepinephrine.
It can also upset a feeling of balance.
Pupils dialate or even go into a spasm of alternating open big to close small, causing blurring of vision
and flashes of light.
It can also create visual snow phenomena.

 

[Suzanne]

No, I do not think I have ever spaced out. I have just gone into panic mode, when I feel I cannot get out of a situation, where there are people at close proximity. I felt that my face and body is on fire and a sense of overwhelming out of control and body movements feel stilted. It would be lovely to space out, but it just does not happen.

Think it is related to social anxiety.

 

[Nauti]

It sounds like a form if dissociation.

 

[onlything]

I always have to wonder after spacing out if it was due to ptsd connected dissociation, the overload or both. Doesn't help with the grounding and makes you even more disoriented.

 

[Ken S.]

Been that way for over a week now since my last mega overload. Haven't been able to snap out of zombie mode. I can still force myself to do things but it is extremely difficult and movement is like being neck deep in water.

 

[Iamnotarabot]

ou start staring at the ground/wall, your vision blurs and have to force yourself to regain awareness

Yes it happens , problem is for me that many times it happens when I try to study so I cant realy study well...

And sometimes it happens in situations in which I can still do things , like I am walking or doing simple tasks,or even playing video games it like a robot mode where I can see what i am doing but on a lesser degree without focus, or no focus at all.

 

[Tom]

Definitely experience something like it. I imagine that is a common thing for people on the spectrum. I tend to fall back upon acting when it happens. I can't think normally so I pretend to act normally like an actor does playing a role. 'Whats my motivation here?'

 

[JDShredds]

Yes. Regularly, my entire life.

I remember one time at a family gathering years ago trying to will myself to get involved again (I had been heavily involved for about 2 hours). Alas, it was impossible. No amount of will could overcome it. I went into a lockdown of mutism, staring at the floor and everything fogging cognitively. It stayed that way until I just decided I had to leave. I was drained for a loooong time after that.

 

[tlc]

Happens at work quite often, when I get a new project that is way over my head. Or when we start getting really busy and the boss wants us to go on 10 hour days.

 

[the_tortoise]

Happens to me, too. I imagine it as my brain shutting things down one by one to conserve rapidly depleting resources and prevent total system failure...kind of like low battery mode or a safety valve on something pressurized.

 

[BraidedPony]

And if the battery is drained completely, then it takes a long time to recharge. Requires a lot of down time and sweet snacks!