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et_al at my-deja.com et_al at my-deja.com
Sat Feb 24 00:21:27 EST 2001


On 21 Feb 2001 04:50:50 -0000, matt_tomblin at hotmail.com ("Matt
Tomblin") wrote:

>About 5 years ago now I started getting rather bizzare spaced out feelings, 
>everything I looked at seemed almost 2D  

Sounds like derealisation, which basically means a feeling of
unreality in which the external environment is experienced as being
strange and unreal.  It is on of the effects commonly produced by
hallucinogenic drugs, and is also common in depression and the
anxiety disorders.

>and I had difficulty consentrating. 

This is also common in those with anxiety and depression.
 
>Coupled with this sensation
>was a tightness band which went across the right hand side of my head from 
>around the right of my eye to covering the temple area.  This, I noticed, 
>seemed to increase in tightness
>as moments of concentration seemed most intense.  Initially the doctor 
>thought it was just stress of exams and that it would go away once I had 
>finished said exams.  

It probably is stress, however, it may now be from the stress caused
by your symptoms.

>However, it
>quite plainly didn't.  I have been to 3 neurologists with no luck and have 
>been prescribed anti depressant drugs.  

Before involving neurologists, your doctor should have given you a
full workup, including the full battery of blood tests, particularly
for thyroid and liver function. If this wasn't done, insist on
having them done now.

>They, of course, are not helping the  dizzyness/vagueness and
>trouble remembering things, but rather just make me feel less depressed 
>about the a situation that seems to have no solution.  So, the anti 
>depressant drugs are not curing whatever it is that I have.  

Antidepressants are not cures, only treatments. However, they can
treat both anxiety disorders and depression. Assuming that you have
one or the other, or even both, it may be that your antidepressant
isn't the right one for you, or you are on too low a dose.

>It really is quite difficult to describe exactly what it 
>is that I have suffice to say that it feels almost like if I were to shake 
>my head it would all go away.  The intensity
>of the sensation varies, normally being worse in the mornings making 
>consentrating at work somewhat of a chore.  Does anyone have anything 
>similar to this at all, or know of anyone with the same symptoms?  
>To list the symptoms again they are:
>
>1.  Muzzyness, spacedness, difficulty thinking straight or wanting to think 
>hard.
>2.  Strange tight/pressure band experienced around the the right of the 
>right eye stretching to cover the temple region.
>3.  Difficulty listening to people and consentrating on what they are 
>saying.
>4.  Mild depression, due to continual dwelling on what the heck is wrong 
>with my head.
>5.  Dizzyness, ranges in intensity.
>6.  Motivation problems, difficulty caring.
>
>cheers
>
>Matt
>
Matt, have the tests I mentioned earlier if you haven't had them
already, and if they all check out okay, go see a psychiatrist. 

In addition to medications, you should also consider Cognitive
Behaviour Therapy. See www.cognitivetherapy.com for info on this.

Good luck

Ian






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