Staring Spells

Post Reply New Topic

I recently have started having these spells where I would be at work, typing on my computer, reading a book, eta. then out of nowhere, my vision becomes unfocused then I become frozen staring at a point, my thoughts all stop, my emotions disappear, and my body feels paralyzed. I stand there feeling seperate from my body(Like i am looking through a window) for 5-10 seconds before I break free and shake my head to clear the fogginess. After that I endure a 20-40 minute period of fatigue and sleepiness after that I am fine.
Does anyone else have this happen to them? And how often?
(PS: I am aware of each spell, that's how I know about them)

Last edited by Pangea1430 on 26 Mar 2025, 12:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Detached

Dissociated

I am not a doctor or a professional actor, but, "absence seizure"

I know that too. I interpret it as a kind of shutdown. In the last months, close to autistic burnout, it has happened quite frequently.

I don't know, but I will talk to my doctor next time and get answers. Like I said, my awareness is still intact during these events.

I do that sometimes. Mine is a stress/overstimulation based thing. I just check out for a bit, still aware of my environment, but somehow still separate from it. That said, depersonalization/derealization are things I deal with now and then.

This happened to me a lot in my early twenties. Like others have said, it is probably derealization/depersonalization or something like that.

I've had those. i usually engage in the with curiosity because I find them quite nice. I took as mental breaks from everything around me and let the fantasy take me wherever.

I have spells where I black out and stare.

possible seizures, get it checked out!

I've experienced this my entire life. As a toddler, little kid, I do seem to recall a lack of thinking. Specifically, I remember adults waving their hands in front of my face to get my attention. As an adult, I've learned how to function through them.
My therapist used to catch me falling into a staring spell in the middle of talking. I can reach for my drink and take a sip off of it while this is happening. I've been accused of daydreaming, spacing off or not paying attention when it does happen, which is far from the truth.
What happens to me is as a kid it was just like you described everything goes out of focus and my thinking becomes more relaxed. As an adult, I don't lose focus anymore, but my eyes lock onto whatever it is that I am looking at and I struggle to change what I am looking at. My thinking does not change now either, as I said, it happens to me while in the middle of a conversation and most people can't see it.
The anxiety medication I take causes these spells to happen much more frequently, so maybe this is something you could look into. Being tired or lack of visual stimulation are my main two triggers.