Is it normal to space out completely?

7 Comments

Quite often I seem to space out completely and then snap back and wonder what I was just doing. It happens most often when I'm driving and when I'm in a crowded space.

I snap out of it and I have NO recollection of anything I was just doing. I start asking people questions to help me piece it together. I worry that I did something embarrassing or bad or that I didn't do things like stop at a stop sign.

When it happens when I drive I always wonder how did I get here? I don't remember a whole chunk of the trip!

I wonder am I spacing out OR am I simply randomly losing very recent memories?

Spacing out 31
Losing memory 16
Other (comment) 2
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Comments ( 7 )
  • bob9812
    11 years ago

    Happens when I drive... I'll just snap back into it and not remember how I got to where I am... might be from low blood sugar or lack of sleep or somethings always on your mind

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  • mas0n342
    11 years ago

    im emo, so yeah, i space out for hours at a time.

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  • DADNSCAL
    11 years ago

    It's called derealization, and you should consult a mental health professional. This could be the result of a traumatic experience. Good luck.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      This is not derealization, although they are both types of dissociation.
      Derealization is where everything seems unreal like you are in a dream or simulation. People experiencing derealization don't necessarilly have black outs.
      What the op is decribing as time loss sounds more like a black out because they cannot recall what just happened.
      Spacing out is not a medical term but I would decribe it as not paying attention or daydreaming. Someone spaceing out wouldnt necessarilly lose time either.
      I have had derealization and "spacing out" a lot in my life but I have never blacked out.

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      • DADNSCAL
        11 years ago

        It's not a blackout, because he said he was driving. If it were a blackout, or vertigo, he wouldn't be able to function.

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          People can often function in a black out. It is not the same as losing conciousness.
          When someone has a black out they lose time and do not remember what happened. This is most common in people with dissociative identity disorder (formerly called multiple personality disorder).
          However people with other conditions or intoxcated with substances can have blackouts too.
          Also vertigo is not the same as a blackout nor does it usually cause one. Vertigo is when someone is overly dizzy.

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  • college
    11 years ago

    I space out myself, but only in class lol. However, because this happens when you drive, I would suggest speaking with a health professional about what you're experiencing. You just don't want to end up in an accident where you hurt someone else or yourself. Also, there could be a serious medical abnormality causing this, so I would get it checked out.

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