The Anxiety Fog: Why You Feel Like You’re Living in a Dream (And Why You Aren’t Going Crazy)

"Am I Going Crazy?"

If you feel like you are walking through a dream, or like there is a thick pane of glass between you and the rest of the world, your first instinct is likely panic. You might be checking your eyes in the mirror, wondering why your reflection looks like a stranger. You might be wondering, "My brain is breaking."

First, take a deep breath.

You are not going crazy. You are not losing touch with reality. You are experiencing a very common biological protection mechanism called Derealization and Depersonalization.

Here is the truth: Your brain is not broken—it is working exactly as it was designed to.

Why This Happens: Your Brain’s "Circuit Breaker"

To understand why this happens, think of your nervous system like the electrical wiring in a house. Under normal circumstances, the current flows smoothly, powering the lights (your thoughts), the appliances (your movements), and the heating (your emotions).

However, anxiety, panic, and prolonged stress act like a massive power surge. They send a spike of high-voltage adrenaline rushing through your system.

If that surge hits your house, what happens? The circuit breaker trips.

The breaker shuts down the flow of electricity to specific rooms to prevent the whole house from burning down. The lights go out. The appliances stop. It feels scary and dark, but the breaker didn't trip because the system is broken; it tripped to protect the house.

Derealization is your brain’s circuit breaker.

When your stress levels hit a peak that your mind perceives as "too much," your brain instinctively tries to distance you from the intensity of the experience. It slightly detaches your conscious awareness from your sensory input. It "dims the lights" on reality to give you a break from the overwhelming stimulation.

• You aren't losing your mind. You are simply experiencing a biological protection mechanism.
• You aren't going psychotic. Psychosis involves believing things that aren't true. With derealization, you know something feels off. The very fact that you are asking, "Is this real?" proves that you are still grounded in reality.

This "fog" is simply a sign that your nervous system is currently overheated. Once you lower the voltage—by reducing the adrenaline and stress—the breaker will flip back on, and the world will look sharp, bright, and real again.

Depersonalization vs. Derealization: What’s the Difference?

While these two sensations often happen together, distinguishing between them can help you articulate what you are feeling to your doctor or loved ones.

Depersonalization (Internal Detachment) This is the feeling of being detached from yourself.

• You might look at your hands or feet and feel like they don’t belong to you.
• You might look in the mirror and feel like you are looking at a stranger, even though you know it’s you.
• Your own voice might sound hollow or distant when you speak.

Derealization (External Detachment) This is the feeling of being detached from your environment.

• The world may look two-dimensional, "flat," or cartoonish.
• Objects might seem sharper, brighter, or fuzzier than usual.
• Time may feel distorted—like hours are passing in minutes, or minutes are dragging into hours.
• Walking into a supermarket or a large open space might trigger a sudden feeling of being "spaced out."

Key Takeaway: Whether you feel one or both, the root cause is the same: Adrenal fatigue and a sensitized nervous system.

The Vicious Cycle (Why It Won’t Go Away)

If the "circuit breaker" is designed to protect you, why does the feeling stick around for days, weeks, or even months?

The answer lies in how you react to it. Because the sensation of the "fog" is terrifying, you likely develop a habit of "checking."

You constantly scan your body and mind to see if the feeling is still there. You might stare at a tree to see if it looks "real," or pause to check if your thoughts feel "normal."

Here is the trap:

1. The Trigger: You feel a moment of "fogginess."
2. The Reaction: You panic and think, "Oh no, it’s happening again. Am I going crazy?"
3. The Adrenaline Dump: That fear releases a fresh shot of adrenaline into your system.
4. The Result: The adrenaline keeps your nervous system overheated, which keeps the circuit breaker tripped.

By fighting the fog, you are unknowingly adding more fuel to the fire. You cannot "think" your way out of a problem that is caused by "over-thinking."

Your Action Plan: How to Lift the Fog

To bring the circuit breaker back online, you must stop adding voltage to the system. Here is how to handle the fog the next time it descends:

1. The "So What?" Technique When the feeling hits you in the grocery store or at work, do not fight it. Do not try to force your vision to clear. Instead, slump your shoulders and adopt an attitude of utter indifference.

• Internal Dialogue: "Okay, I feel floaty right now. The world looks a little like a dream. So what? It’s just adrenaline. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous. I’m going to keep pushing my cart and buying my groceries anyway."
• By refusing to be impressed by the symptom, you cut off the fuel supply (fear).

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method If you feel like you are floating away, use your physical senses to anchor yourself in the present moment. This forces your brain to switch from "internal worry" to "external sensing."

• Acknowledge 5 things you can see (The blue rug, the crack in the wall...).
• Acknowledge 4 things you can physically feel (The fabric of your chair, your feet on the floor...).
• Acknowledge 3 things you can hear (Traffic outside, the hum of the fridge...).
• Acknowledge 2 things you can smell.
• Acknowledge 1 thing you can taste.

The Path to Permanent Clarity

Derealization is not the disease; it is a symptom of an underlying condition: anxiety and stress overload. You can use grounding techniques to manage the moment, but to stop the fog from coming back, you need to heal the nervous system.

You need to learn how to turn off the adrenaline pump.

In Session 3 of the Attacking Anxiety & Depression Program, we dive deep into the specific personality traits and "internal dialogue" that keep your nerves on edge. We teach you how to desensitize your reaction to stress so that your "circuit breaker" doesn't need to trip in the first place.

You don’t have to live your life in a dream state.