What is happening to me?

I know what you mean. I've been experiencing that same symptoms. I eat very healthy, I exercise five days a week, but still feel very disconnected with the rest of the world. I know i'm not depressed; I'm actually a very positive and humble person; always smiling.

A few months ago, I was literally pushed into becoming a much more spiritual person. After all of the dedication and research I have done in this regard, I feel more at peace. Kind of like it is something that I have been waiting for, and that everything is going to be alright. The funny thing is, it almost feels as though i was pushed or suggested into this from an outside source, sort of like it is something that i have to do.

Anyways, I hope things work out for you. Peace.

To the original poster in the thread,
You stated the onset of your symptoms was quite sudden and began with ringing in the ears. Was this accompanied by any feeling of vertigo or other affect on your balance, such as a feeling of your head spinning etc?

I feel the same, always sleepy, headaches, it's a normal side effect to all that crap we're being fed. We drink fluoride filled water. We drink benzene in soft drinks. And then there's food, with hormones in meat, transfats in chocolate, peanut butter, etc. Well, count yourself normal. The elite poison us so that we become zobyfied, easier to control.

Also, some people might die from over exposure to the poisons. Heck, it's population control, what do you expect? Of course you're gonna feel like you're dying.

[edit on 15-2-2007 by Radekus]

High pitched ringing in the ears could be a sign of an acute sharp rise in blood pressure. Stress, alcohol, and caffeine also contribute.

It could also be Tinnitus:
Trends Neurosci. 2004 Nov;27(11):676-82. The neuroscience of tinnitus.Eggermont JJ, Roberts LE.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4. [email protected]

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom sensation (ringing of the ears) experienced when no external sound is present. Most but not all cases are associated with hearing loss induced by noise exposure or aging. Neuroscience research has begun to reveal how tinnitus is generated by the brain when hearing loss occurs, and to suggest new avenues for management and prevention of tinnitus following hearing injuries. Downregulation of intracortical inhibition induced by damage to the cochlea or to auditory projection pathways highlights neural processes that underlie the sensation of phantom sound.

There is a slight possiblity that you had a focalized stroke. This also could be missed by an unqualified individual checking an fMRI/MRI scan (if you've had one). This would explain why you haven't felt the same for the last two years since the ringing ear episode. In some cases this is the preliminary symptom of a stroke. Since your able to still function and you have (I assume) all of your motor/sensate functions it might be a very tiny lesion somewhere in your brain messing with your daily experience. This is all speculation. You really should go see a qualified doctor. If you don't have money for a scan volunteer for an fMRI study at a nearbye university/hospital. The tech won't necessarily notice anything, but you should get a free MRI scan of your brain (ask for it on disk).Then you can take it to a qualified professional.

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Dec;74(12):1644-8. Auditory disturbance as a prodrome of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction.Lee H, Cho YW.
Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Institute for Medical Science, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea. [email protected]

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical and radiological features of patients presenting with an acute auditory syndrome as a prodromal symptom of anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) infarction. METHODS: 16 consecutive cases of AICA infarction diagnosed by brain magnetic resonance imaging completed a standardised audiovestibular questionnaire and underwent a neuro-otological evaluation by an experienced neuro-otologist. RESULTS: Five patients (31%) had an acute auditory syndrome as a prodrome of AICA infarction one to 10 days before onset of other brain stem or cerebellar symptoms. Two types of acute auditory syndrome were found: recurrent transient hearing loss with or without tinnitus (n = 3), and a single episode of prolonged hearing loss with or without tinnitus (n = 2). The episodic symptoms were brief, lasting only minutes. The tinnitus preceding the infarction was identical to the tinnitus experienced at the time of infarction. At the time of infarction, all patients developed hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and ipsilateral hemiataxia. The most commonly affected site was the middle cerebellar peduncle (n = 5). Four of the five patients had incomplete hearing loss and all had absence of vestibular function to caloric stimulation on the affected side. CONCLUSIONS: Acute auditory syndrome may be a warning sign of impending pontocerebellar infarction in the distribution of the AICA. The acute auditory syndrome preceding an AICA infarct may result from ischaemia of the inner ear or the vestibulocochlear nerve.

Sorry if others have already posted similar information. I don't have time to read through all of the pages right now.

Hope you find the answers you are looking for. Please rule out all medical issues before moving on to other areas of interest.
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Originally posted by bizone
I can relate to this.

I went to the doctors for YEARS and YEARS before I finally found help. My overwhelming feeling of being disconnected with the world was really affecting my life. All initial testing said I was healthy... But there was obviously something wrong. Family kept telling me I was fine and that it was all in my head, but whether or not it was psychological didn't stop the fact that it affected the physical part of my life. Dizzyness, fear, sweating, heart racing, etc. I would get these strange thoughts or feelings like maybe I was dreaming, or maybe my entire life is some sort of dream.

Turns out Paxil does the trick for me. No side effects... I have other friends who have similar anxiety disorders (or other chemical imbalances of the brain), and Paxil doesn't do it for everyone. It's amazing what chemical imbalance can do to a person.

About a week after starting my Paxil I slowly came back to Earth and started feeling like a normal person again. I was off of it for a little over a year, but the feelings started coming back... Got a prescription again and I'm good to go.

By what I read here, I would definitely describe your problems with a general doctor (not a head doctor). It's worth trying some medication to see if you feel better. A head doctor will keep working you for more money, and if you have anxiety disorder they might even end up making you feel worse than before.

The sooner you get help the better. Best of luck.

[edit on 15-2-2007 by bizone]

I had a similar story. It took a while to find the right med. But, when they did, for me, it was like I had been wearing a pair of "despair glasses", and somebody took them off.
It can take time, but it's worth it.



As for the ringing in the ears that others have been bringing up, there are so many possible reasons for that. From sinus infections to brain damage. It just isn't worth it to self-diagnose.

Originally posted by Perplexed
I have had ringing in my ears for a long time but it has gotten worse over the last year. I think it's because I'm getting older (38 now). Or it could mean the mothership is getting closer...

Now I have to wear headphones to bed and listen to wind blowing or rain. I downloaded a shareware version of some software that helps ringing in the ears. I have not bought the full version yet but plan to. I just plug into my laptop and I don't hear the ringing as bad.

If I do focus on it it tends to scare the hell out of me as I start thinking all kinds of wird crap about the functions of my brain and what it is made of. I know it sounds strange. I can hear it now during the day if I focus on it but I am usually busy so I don't notice.

The bummer part is you never really hear silence anymore. Pure nothingness in a quiet place would be nice once in a while but I suppose that will be reserved for the big sleep.

They say about 2 million Americans are affected by this but they have no idea how to cure it. Personally I think we are tuned into a frequency or sound wave most can't hear. Or we could just be defective units and need repair or disposal...

I had the ringing in my ears for 20 years, and told myself many, many things that explained what it was. Until I was finally treated for a variety of sinus problems. It is gone now.
My daughter has the same thing. When they put tubes in her ears, to release the building pressure, she said it was gone.

Funkydung,

Hey, you mentioned high pitch sounds. I've heard something like that for a while. I cannot seem to pinpoint where it is coming from. It seems to happen even if the PC monitor, computer, and tv are not on, with my computer off. I'm not sure that my wireless router or high speed modem would produce such a sound. It is a sound that reminds me of the high pitched sound you sometimes hear when a CRT monitor or TV is on.

By the way, my ears do ring. I think this is different.

Forget the Psychiatry nonsense, lets see if there is something really going on.

In may case it perhaps it is something simple, but like I said I can't seem to pinpoint the source.

Troy

I'm currently working on my phd in psychology, so I know quite a bit about you're describing, and it sounds dead-on like depersonalization (as someone mentioned), combined with either depression or bi-polar or possibly schizophrenia.

Believe it or not, this is common with people who tend to think a lot and over-analyze things, which is why it wouldn't surprise me that several people that frequent these boards have it (no offense, i'm not implying that you all are crazy, it's just that there have been studies linking high iq's and deep thinking with mental disorders, and I generally perceive this community as a group that likes to analyze things and not just conform to the norm like sheep). It's actually really common and I get it as often as once every couple of weeks when I don't get enough sleep and I'm driving and just sort of zoning out. It shouldn't last more than a couple of hours or for days at a time. If that's the case, then I would suggest seeing a psychologist because it could be schizophrenia. Also, seeing auras is very common with people with schizophrenia. I don't mean to freak you out or anything, and I could be wrong, but it's a definite possibility. Either way, I definitely reccommend seeing a psychologist if you can afford it, because at the very least it sounds like mild depression

Come on. Auras and mental illness?

Just because someone sees an aura doesn't make them mentally ill.

Besides, the originator of the post said that they were happy and said nothing about being depressed.

Troy

I'm not going to generalize my life and make seem this is how depression is. I was/am depressed a lot lately with this whole PTSD/Anxiety thing when I'm alone or have to much time to think to myself. In my experience you can be very depressed 23 hours a day and then their's that one hour where you're just living life.

I also take a form of Paxil, as does a poster above and it really helped me along. It's not a mental illness it's just a chemical imbalance which Paxil helps fix, some people take it for a bit and then just stop, some need it for much much longer. It does not change who you are, or what you believe, it takes you back to that same person you were long before you had any problems.

In my own experiences, I couldnt drive with my windows down because I thought something would get in the car in hit me, I couldn't be out in public for to long because I got nervous of everyone around me, and I didn't want to leave my home because it was the only place I felt comfortable. Now before that I couldn't stay home because it was boring, their were never enough people around for me to talk to, and if I didn't have my windows down on my car, it was a cold Wisconsin day.

In the end DazedDave will find out exactly what is going on with him, but until then, isn't it fair to say everyone should be able to pose an opinion of what they believe is/ isn't wrong with him, so he has many angles to research from, without being scolded for helping?

[edit on 16-2-2007 by BehindTheLight]

Originally posted by cybertroy
Funkydung,

Hey, you mentioned high pitch sounds. I've heard something like that for a while. I cannot seem to pinpoint where it is coming from. It seems to happen even if the PC monitor, computer, and tv are not on, with my computer off. I'm not sure that my wireless router or high speed modem would produce such a sound. It is a sound that reminds me of the high pitched sound you sometimes hear when a CRT monitor or TV is on.

By the way, my ears do ring. I think this is different.

Forget the Psychiatry nonsense, lets see if there is something really going on.

In may case it perhaps it is something simple, but like I said I can't seem to pinpoint the source.

Troy

hey troy yeah i can hear it now. very high pitched. almost to the point of a mild hurting. i can hear it at night when i lay down in bed. if im doing something or busy i dont really notice but i do hear it when i think about it. i have thought that "they" may be doing something to us. might start a thread on it and see if any more out there are experiencing this.

ok heres the thread i started. i want to see what this is. its worrying me a bit. www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 17-2-2007 by Funkydung]

I haven't heard it really recently.

The other day the tv was on and there was a high pitched noise that was there, but it may have just been in the broadcast, so I don't know if it was the same thing. It was piercing when the people would speak. It was annoying and my ears got kind of muffled, and my ears and head kind of hurt. Mom didn't hear it.

Troy

Do you want to end up sitting in your basement, with a foil hat, making flying saucers out of your own excrement, while the police search the neighborhood for you? No?

Then get to a doctor.

LOL Horrificus.......funny stuff. Weird mental picture though lol

I would like to thank everyone for the concern and advice.

I have seen every doctor you can imagine. I have seen countless ear doctors who have told me there is absolutely nothing wrong with my hearing.

I have seen psychologists and ultimately, they do not think I'm depressed. I do not suffer from any anxiety disorders (my girlfriend does, however, so I know what to look for).

I've had MRIs before. I didn't mention this before, but I did have a bunch of strange neurological problems that prompted a battery of tests. It was mostly stuff like numbness, weakness in one arm, that kind of thing. An initial MRI showed what the doctor described as an "inflammation" in my brain. He said it was large and very strange. A few months later, subscequent MRIs showed that it had completely disappeared with no explination. Doctors still don't know what it could be, and it has been years since. MRIs continue to come out clean.

What could it be? I'm not scared, not anxious, but pretty confused.

Dave, have you ruled out labyrinthitis? I was diagnosed with this last year after suffering similar symptoms.
Its an infection of the inner ear and nerves around it. This affects your balance and with it your perception, causes ringing sounds in the ears, induces vertigo, nausea, anxiety etc. It can be very strange and frightening, it messes with your senses and therefore alters your interpretation of reality. For me it did lead to a feeling of detachment from reality as you describe.

The infection can either be bacterial or viral. A bacterial infection is easy to diagnose and treat, due to discharge/pain from inflamation etc. A viral infection is not so, and (in my case anyway) could only be treated symptomatically (anti-nausea pills). The (viral) infection can last up to 6-8 weeks, but symptoms can persist for much longer, sometimes even permanently, depending on damage sustained within the inner ear/vestibule/nerves. I still suffer with it a year on, especially when tired or run down.
The thing with it is, it can be missed by doctors if the infection has already passed, and you are suffering symptoms due to physical damage casued by a viral infection, rather the the actual current presence of a viral infection.

Check it out mate. Can't say its that for sure, or anything like, but your symptoms do sound something like labyrinthitis or damage casued by labyrinthitis.

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