Does anyone else feel overwhelmed outdoors?

I have severe anxiety and derealisation that's been getting better lately, but I have a lot of trouble outside when my anxiety is bad. It's like I get this sense that the world is so huge and the sky is so big above me and I start to get dizzy. Even walking my dog down the street makes me uncomfortable. Everything just feels too BIG, I guess. Idk if that makes sense.

[patrica60]

have you tried reading dr.claire weekes books.they really helped me years ago?

[Nora-B in reply to patrica60]

Yes. Just dug mine out again

[Nora-B]

Yes I often get woozy anyway (probably nerves) but I know what you mean. It used to happen to me a lot as a child. Found the sky overpowering and awesome. I could never lie flat on the grass and look at the sky like my friends did as I felt as though I would fall off the world.

[Hidden in reply to Nora-B]

wow, this is exactly how i feel!

[patrica60]

does to me.

[hairyfairy]

I`m usually fine out of doors in my local neighbourhood, but if I have to travel to a strange area, especially where the buildings are tall, I get quite panicky & overwhelmed.

[miarose]

Oh yes, I feel this all the time,unsteady walking.Have to walk beside a wall,so I can cling to it, if I get dizzy, but it is anxiety, at its best..I know, because whenever I have a few drinks, in our local pub.I can walk. even run, home without feeling dizzy, Terrible what anxiety can do to us..xxx

[RyRywifey]

Do you still feel this way??? My derealization made me feel like the sky was too small 😕 And I was petrified to be outside. It felt like I was still inside smh. That has thankfully gone away. I actually welcome how big it is now because of how scary that part of my derealization was.

[Hidden in reply to RyRywifey]

It goes back and forth for me. Sometimes the sky looks like walls and sometimes it just seems overwhelming and huge. Either way it ends up making me sick

[RyRywifey in reply to Hidden]

Yes like walls exactly. And honestly I can relate to the overwhelmingly huge part as well. Derealization is so annoying. It really f's u up. I was literally in tears all day everyday and couldn't sleep at night at all. By far the scariest thing ever

[Shyyy]

Wow. I never thought I’d find people who feel the same way I do. The sun really disturbs me for some reason, while the moon doesn’t.

[lofeoutthere]

are u better? I have this too. Taking my 4 yr old to the park is overwhelming, I can’t concentrate and get irritable.

[Dogdoo]

The ocean does this to me. Or a big lake or pond even.

Creeps me right out, definitely will not go in it.

For some reason, i feel okay ON a boat but can't look over the side into the water.

Just gives me anxiety.

I went snorkeling once many, many years ago when i was still young and dumb.

I looked through my mask for about 3 seconds and I'm pretty sure i ran across the water to get back to the boat.

Gives me anxiety thinking about it to this day.

[Caroline53]

Yes very much so. I think it’s sensory overwhelm. I’ve been this way my whole life and I don’t think it’s anxiety, although anxiety meds do help. Anxiety meds blunt the stimuli. I’m thinking it might be indicative of being on the spectrum. The derealization to me feels intuitively like it’s caused by my brain pulling down the sheer shades and dimming the lights a bit to filter out the stimuli. Disassociate to prevent overwhelm.