My question is kind of weird but basically, when I look in a mirror or at a photograph of myself, I feel completely detached from my own image. Its like the same way I feel when I walk past a stranger in the street. Sometimes it gets so bad that it actually creeps me out looking in the mirror, because I feel like there is a stranger looking at me or something !! I’m not crazy or anything, I do know its not a stranger but it just feels weird so I was wondering if anybody else gets this or has any insight into what might cause it ?
i am aware of that sensation, although it's diminished significantly as I've got older....i do still get it from time to time.
It depends entirely on the degree you're feeling this. I think aslong as you are fully aware that you are you then that's perfectly normal. I too sometimes get this, I got it more when I was younger so perhaps we're just not totally used to being what we are yet. Cpuld be related to your esteem and self image too, how you happen to be feeling at the time However if you start thinking it actually is a different person, that's the time to worry
I used to feel like this when I smoked weed. I'd look, see something vacant in the eyes, and get really scared. I get like this too when I'm drunk. In general, though, I think I feel like this when I'b sober too... if you really THINK the person you see is a stranger, than it will feel like that. It's all about what you think you'll see. To be honest I just looked at myself now and creeped myself out because it looked like a stranger, too =/
you havn't found yourself yet, this happens to me too sometimes. It helps to be around people more I think Listen to the song "eyes of a stranger" by queensryche
do you reconize yourself when you talk? or think? how do you even know that you wrote what you wrote?
I don't know about this exactly... But when I look at other people, I don't feel human. Maybe everyone feels like this and they just don't know it, and that's part of being human.
It took me years to finally figure out what it was. I deal with it every day. It's depersonalization disorder. look it up. It can be terrifying, I know. here's a little test you can take. If it starts affecting your day to day life you should probably seek out some help. http://www.strangerinthemirror.com/questionnaire.html
^that might be pretty accurate. for a couple of years i had the same thing, where i knew that it was my own image but didn't feel like it. i also had a feeling of being numb, and everything sort of felt really distant and dreamlike. it's thought that the root cause of this is anxiety.
oops I hadn’t realised anyone replied to this post ! Those are all pretty interesting answers. Flare88 that test you posted the link for was interesting, I never heard of depersonalization disorder before. I just took the test and it said “Your score of 55 falls in the range of Severe Depersonalization (25-75)” I don’t know if it means anything but I will look into it I guess, so thanks ! This thing is really annoying and creeps me out to an uncomfortable level.
