Strange feeling of body being numb

[mindutopia]

This is going to sound quite weird to explain, but does anyone ever get the disconcerting feeling that they can’t feel their own body? Like if I touch my arm, it feels like I’m touching someone else almost. It’s just really unsettling.

It has happened a number of times in the past, but happened again this morning, and it’s been probably 2 hours now, which is longer than it usually lasts. I’ve literally had to just take myself to bed as feel really weird and can’t concentrate on work.

Does anyone get this? What causes it? I have my suspicions what I think it might be.

What do you think it might be?

I have low blood pressure and sometimes feel similarly to a degree, but also have some long term illnesses that affect nerve function so am fairly used to things niggling away and feeling legitimately numb.

If it's happening infrequently what was it you were doing/had been doing before it started, might help to understand if it might be anxiety or some sort of disassociation or something else physical (low bp, low blood sugar, being cold). I'd speak to a GP for proper investigation if it worries you OP.

"Symptoms of dissociative disorder can vary but may include:

feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you
forgetting about certain time periods, events and personal information
feeling uncertain about who you are
having multiple distinct identities
feeling little or no physical pain

Dissociation is a way the mind copes with too much stress."

Thank you both. I think it most likely was a panic attack. It’s happened before, not necessarily in times of extreme stress. But certainly I am generally quite stressed. Lots of family stuff going on, which has been quite traumatic, though not anything specifically like right now. It’s been going on for years.

It’s definitely not low BP (mine tends towards high now). I do have a chronic health condition that might cause all sorts of weird symptoms, but I don’t necessarily think it’s automatically related to that (it’s happened maybe once a year, but for much longer than I’ve been unwell). I don’t fit any of those symptoms of a dissociative disorder. I feel otherwise perfectly like myself, just on rare occasions, can’t feel myself touching myself, which is odd and hard to explain. I feel a bit weird and fizzy.

Anyway, it lasted about 4 hours and I eventually just forced myself to sleep and had a 2 hour nap (which I didn’t have time for today) and I woke up feeling groggy, but otherwise normal again.

This exact thing happens to me when I get a migraine attack. It's one of my symptoms. I start feeling as if my body is not mine. I touch my other hand- and if it feels like I'm touching someone else, I know a migraine episode is coming on.

Strangely all your symptoms sound really similar to mine. But I do also get an insane headache, half my body becomes paralysed basically, and I lose eyesight in one eye. Can't speak or read or write etc. I also experience these about once a year. I wonder if it could be migraine but without the other symptoms

Sorry to triple comment. Mine also last about 4hrs, feel very weird and cannot concentrate at all.

Could it be a migraine? I get the exact same symptoms whenever I have a migraine, sometimes without even having an headache.
I have to lie down in the dark for it to pass.

Hi,

I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder this year. One of the things SOME people get with it (and without it) is 'derealization' or 'depersonalization'.
It's just one thing to consider. FND isn't very well understood, but those who are up to date in this arena are progressing with their research and ideas. However, I'm NOT a doctor, so don't just rely on me!
RiceRicebaby that also sounds kinda like FND. But worth telling a doctor about!

I've had symptoms where I feel like my brain is shutting down and then I feel like I'm very small. That's my most obvious dissociative symptom but most of my symptoms are more to do with movements. www.neurosymptoms.org/en/symptoms/common-associated-symptoms/dissociative-symptoms-feeling-spaced-out/