Not recognising yourself/people you know

Clandestine

Today I had a bizarre experience, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognise myself at all. I thought someone had taken over my very self and it was a strange sensation. I felt unreal. I came to after a few moments and reminded myself "its me". I often notice things I haven't noticed before about my features when I look in the mirror and wonder "was that always there, and I just didn't notice it?" yet I rarely change my appearance.

A similar event happened only a few days ago, I was home for lunch and my folks had a few family friends over. I went into the room to say hi, but I looked around and struggled to identify them. I knew their names, but the rest of their identities became foreign to me. These are people whom I've known and met plenty of times all throughout my life. Things like this seem to be occurring more frequently in my life.

Anyone else have strange experiences like this?

dodderangler

Your Probably smoking too much weed mate

MadMardegan

Might be worth seeking medical advice

MurdyWurdy

MadMardegan wrote: »

Might be worth seeking medical advice

I agree - you may want to get that checked out.

I don't recognise myself in the mirror at the moment but only because I'm very pregnant and look like a whale or like an alien had taken over my body (which it has I suppose)

Clandestine

dodderangler wrote: »

Your Probably smoking too much weed mate

Never done any drugs

mickdw

Just tell the doctor the story about not recognising the person in the mirror. Doc will then look after the rest.

dodderangler

Clandestine wrote: »

Never done any drugs

It's AH
No need to lie
We're all friends here
Let me give you advice here
It's sat night
Most if not all people online now are either drunk, stoned or looking for argument
Expect some slagging and laugh it off

Bishop_Donal

Do you find yourself asking the same questions over and over?

Ol' Donie

Clandestine wrote: »

Today I had a bizarre experience, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognise myself at all.

You sure it wasn't a window?

galwayrush

Were you the baddie in Face off?

Clandestine

dodderangler wrote: »

It's AH
No need to lie
We're all friends here
Let me give you advice here
It's sat night
Most if not all people online now are either drunk, stoned or looking for argument
Expect some slagging and laugh it off

The only thing I've drunk today is water bud, I rarely touch drink.

donvito99

I'm Spartacus

galwayrush

Clandestine wrote: »

The only thing I've drunk today is water bud, I rarely touch drink.

Hmm, bud is piss water, could be the problem.

Deank

Clandestine wrote: »

Today I had a bizarre experience, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognise myself at all. I thought someone had taken over my very self and it was a strange sensation. I felt unreal. I came to after a few moments and reminded myself "its me". I often notice things I haven't noticed before about my features when I look in the mirror and wonder "was that always there, and I just didn't notice it?" yet I rarely change my appearance.

A similar event happened only a few days ago, I was home for lunch and my folks had a few family friends over. I went into the room to say hi, but I looked around and struggled to identify them. I knew their names, but the rest of their identities became foreign to me. These are people whom I've known and met plenty of times all throughout my life. Things like this seem to be occurring more frequently in my life.

Anyone else have strange experiences like this?

Sounds to me like Alzheimers has set in, don't worry OP you won't remember any of it and it should be relatively painless.

beks101

Kinda get where you're coming from here.

Recently I've had some similar moments, where I've looked in the mirror and seen this woman staring back at me. I'm late twenties, but mentally and emotionally, experience myself as a 20 year old, with a subconscious notion that my physical appearance still reflects that child-like, baby-faced, cutesy look back at the world.

But instead there's this grown up adult staring back at me, who could conceivably be a mother, a wife, a home owner, a boss...tis weird.

Mr. CooL ICE

Guys, this is way too deep. Can we talk about something else, like, umm, I dunno... cats that do silly things?

Fr_Dougal

Clandestine wrote: »

Today I had a bizarre experience, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognise myself at all. I thought someone had taken over my very self and it was a strange sensation. I felt unreal. I came to after a few moments and reminded myself "its me". I often notice things I haven't noticed before about my features when I look in the mirror and wonder "was that always there, and I just didn't notice it?" yet I rarely change my appearance.

A similar event happened only a few days ago, I was home for lunch and my folks had a few family friends over. I went into the room to say hi, but I looked around and struggled to identify them. I knew their names, but the rest of their identities became foreign to me. These are people whom I've known and met plenty of times all throughout my life. Things like this seem to be occurring more frequently in my life.

Anyone else have strange experiences like this?

Any of below sound familiar?

memory loss, especially problems with short-term memory
increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning
depression
changes in personality and mood
periods of mental confusion
difficulty finding the right words

The Queen of England

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Any of below sound familiar?

memory loss, especially problems with short-term memory
increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning
depression
changes in personality and mood
periods of mental confusion
difficulty finding the right words

Sounds very familiar to me. Like a good night out followed by a really bad hangover of a Sunday.

A big fry up usually sorts it out.

frozenfrozen

Do you find yourself asking similar questions over and over?

frozenfrozen

Do you find yourself asking the same questions over and over?

Clandestine

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Any of below sound familiar?

memory loss, especially problems with short-term memory
increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning
depression
changes in personality and mood
periods of mental confusion
difficulty finding the right words

those, they vary in consistency daily.

Or is this a thinly veiled drunk reference?

You should seek professional advice OP

kiffer

Seach for face blindness and visual memory impairment.

Avasa

Sounds like you are disassociating or depersonalising. Best to talk it out with a doc before it gets any worse.
Are you very stressed out or taking any medications atm? That could be a factor.
Dont stress about it too much, it can happen to anyone. Just go have a chat with your GP as soon as you can.

Havermeyer

Should have gone to Specsavers.

Linda Martin trending on twitter. I wonder why?

Ooops wrong thrtead, sorry !

Legs.Eleven

beks101 wrote: »

Kinda get where you're coming from here.

Recently I've had some similar moments, where I've looked in the mirror and seen this woman staring back at me. I'm late twenties, but mentally and emotionally, experience myself as a 20 year old, with a subconscious notion that my physical appearance still reflects that child-like, baby-faced, cutesy look back at the world.

But instead there's this grown up adult staring back at me, who could conceivably be a mother, a wife, a home owner, a boss...tis weird.

Me too! In the past few years, I've developed this more womanly head on me and I'm caught off guard when I catch a glimpse of myself sometimes. Like yourself, I expect a cutsey 20 year old to be looking out at me because that's how I'd feel mentally to some degree. It's not an unpleasant experience but the realisation that I'm a 33 year old woman comes as a surprise. Like the idea that people probably take me more seriously than they did as a result. God knows what it'll feel like when I'm 80. Jaysus.

Burky126

Do you often sing or whistle just for fun?

Ol' Donie

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Ooops wrong thrtead, sorry !

Good post, all the same. :-)

IM0

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

You should seek professional advice OP

no just ask AH, what could possibly go wrong

SEANoftheDEAD

Fr_Dougal

Clandestine wrote: »

those, they vary in consistency daily.

Or is this a thinly veiled drunk reference?

Copy and paste the symptoms into google.

Clandestine

Avasa wrote: »

Are you very stressed out or taking any medications atm? That could be a factor.
Dont stress about it too much, it can happen to anyone. Just go have a chat with your GP as soon as you can.

I am rarely stressed and am on no meds. I've seen a psychiatrist because of suspicions I had schizoid PD but the symptoms come and go. Its strange, I feel and think so many different ways during the day, its almost like I'm a different person at times.

Solair

Get that checked out OP.

It's an actual problem which can have underlying causes.

Don't stress about it, but do get it checked out and investigated.

You should probably look at getting an appointment with a neurologist, to just check things over.

pharmaton

Are you young OP? Is it just a case of you realising that Mammy and Daddy are just Jim and Jayne and you're starting to understand that they are and were people first before they were the figures of parenthood and stuff? Just your perception of the world changing as you are growing to fit it.

endacl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat

BillyMitchel

Clandestine wrote: »

Today I had a bizarre experience, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognise myself at all. I thought someone had taken over my very self and it was a strange sensation. I felt unreal. I came to after a few moments and reminded myself "its me". I often notice things I haven't noticed before about my features when I look in the mirror and wonder "was that always there, and I just didn't notice it?" yet I rarely change my appearance.

A similar event happened only a few days ago, I was home for lunch and my folks had a few family friends over. I went into the room to say hi, but I looked around and struggled to identify them. I knew their names, but the rest of their identities became foreign to me. These are people whom I've known and met plenty of times all throughout my life. Things like this seem to be occurring more frequently in my life.

Anyone else have strange experiences like this?

Nope I still see the same sexy focker looking back.

OP does your new self make you horny?

Avasa

The level of ignorance on here from some people is actually really upsetting.

Clandestine the docs get it wrong all the time (at least mine do!) but you must persist to get the right treatment despite how long it takes and how annoying it is to have to talk to unhelpful people! It could be schizoid, or another similar condition. Either way they are there to get you the right diagnosis and treatment, which you deserve! Try to get all your doctor notes together for reference and persist with the GP and psychiatrist till you get the proper treatment. I presume you have had other medical testing to rule out physical problems?

The Barefoot Pizza Thief

Clandestine wrote: »

Its strange, I feel and think so many different ways during the day, its almost like I'm a different person at times.

So does everybody mate. Seriously, get checked out or whatever but I think you are overestimating normality tbh. We all think so many different ways and have a ton of crap in our heads, that's just the human condition.

As I say, see someone if you want but everyone will tell you when they have a few drinks or whatever that they think some mad crap at times or feel like different people at times. If people's thoughts were something they couldn't hide and you were sit on a packed bus, you'd be quite shocked at how fcuked up "normal people" are.

Don't think or worry about it so much, try and put your attention on things you are interested in as much as possible and sure if you find that hard from time to time, so be it, tomorrow is another day, don't fret over it anyway. We're all have a unique way of being. Look at Woody Allen, guy made a living out of turning his neurotic thoughts into film.

All the best with it all anyway

Rosy Posy

Prosopagnosia? Go to your gp.

http://www.faceblind.org/facetests/

Gokei

Avasa wrote: »

The level of ignorance on here from some people is actually really upsetting

avasa, as I mentioned in the feedback thread, if the op had of posed in personal issues or one of the health forums, there would have been no tongue in cheek answers.

he posted in ah, so replies are based on the presumption that the op enjoys typical ah replies.

loveisdivine

Sounds like depersonalisation/derealisation. I get it sometimes because of migraines and persistent aura.
You should see the doctor to find out the cause.

Remmy

Have you thought about sun life over 50? You get a free parker pen when you sign up

LizT

No medical advice on boards, please go and see your doctor.