This out-of-body experience is, for me, something I can experience at the onset of a panic attack and is also referred to as derealization. In the moment I experience this, it feels as though I am no longer part of my body. It’s as if I become more of an observer of my body, and it feels like I have little control or influence over my actions. I might perform physical actions, like grabbing things or walking, but it feels more like I’m watching someone else do it through a camera than actually doing it myself.
In that moment, a kind of panic arises within me. That panic only makes it worse, and I end up in a sort of infinite loop. My thoughts intensify the panic, and the panic, in turn, worsens my thoughts. The feeling of “I’ll never get out of this” might just be the worst part of it all.
The trick is to try to feel
You want it to stop, but you can’t achieve that by thinking about it. The key to (gradually) getting out of it is by trying to feel more instead. Focus your attention on your body. In the early stages, which might feel endless, the sensations you experience while focusing on your body can be unpleasant and might even make you feel more anxious. Still, it’s important to shift your attention away from thinking and toward feeling. Trust that it will be okay. No matter what you think or how hard that voice in your head makes it for you, eventually, you will feel good and normal again. It’s also normal for those panicky thoughts to pop up again, just when you thought they were gone. This is part of the process, and it will pass on its own!