Originally Posted by
Free Roll 
Derealization? Anyone else have these symtoms of anxiety? 6 months before I stopped drinking until now 15 months after having stopped, there is no real difference. Still have this foggy, not quite right feeling that never goes away, only decreaases as my anxiety decreases. It's quite frustrating not really knowing what reality truly is and what it feels like. Makes me want to have a drink, to be honest.
Yes!
I have had it most of my life, that unsettled, cloudy feeling. I think, to be honest, it might be a coping mechanizm that I created when a child. I was so anxious and was set off by soooo many things in my environment that I kind of "spaced out" a lot, or just distanced myself from really FEELING what was going on around me, and lived in my imagination. Being an artist, that had its benefits, but is not too great when you need to pay bills or put a pile of student artwork in the right place. Sometimes I get so frustrated because I feel like I "lose" chunks of time here and there--from zoning out. I am still trying to figure out how to deal with this. Physical activity helps, but I would also appreciate some solutions if anyone has them!