How it can feel
- The world looks flat, foggy or dreamlike.
- Your body feels distant or not yours.
- Time skips; conversations do not stick.
- A “pre-episode” strange feeling for some people.
Day to day
- Harder to drive, cook or care safely if detachment is severe — follow clinical advice.
- People may think you are drunk or uninterested.
- Shame about “spacing out” when it is a symptom.
Why this can be FND (simply)
Dissociation is a nervous-system response, often protective in origin, that can become intrusive. It is not attention-seeking. It frequently sits near functional seizures and trauma-related load without reducing FND to “only trauma”.
What can help
- Naming the experience with a clinician.
- Grounding skills taught carefully (not forced exposure).
- Therapy approaches where dissociation is significant.
- Sleep, safety planning and reducing constant threat load.
This is information, not a treatment plan. Personal care decisions belong with you and your clinicians.
FAQs
Does dissociation mean I am “crazy”?
No. It is a recognised nervous-system phenomenon. You deserve clear language and support.