Experiencing a feeling of unreality, detachment, or mental fogginess while sober can be a profoundly disorienting sensation. This experience, often described as feeling “high” or “spaced out,” is a common phenomenon with non-substance-related origins. Symptoms typically involve a sense of floating, mild dizziness, or cognitive dulling that makes focusing difficult. While alarming, this feeling is frequently a temporary signal from your body or mind indicating a need for attention.
Psychological and Stress-Related Causes
The most frequent explanation for feeling detached or unreal is a psychological response to overwhelming emotional or mental stress. When the body perceives an extreme threat, whether physical or emotional, it activates a defense mechanism known as dissociation. This protective process is designed to buffer the mind from severe distress by creating a mental distance from the experience.
This detachment manifests primarily as two distinct states: depersonalization and derealization. Depersonalization involves feeling disconnected from your own body or thoughts, often described as watching yourself from a distance. Derealization is the sensation that your surroundings are distorted or unreal, where the world may appear foggy, dreamlike, or two-dimensional.
These states are intimately linked to the body’s fight-or-flight response, which is triggered by anxiety or panic attacks. The massive surge of adrenaline and cortisol floods the system, heightening sensory awareness and cognitive load to an unsustainable degree. The brain attempts to regulate this hyper-arousal by “numbing” or detaching from immediate sensory input. This shift in perception can leave a lingering sense of unreality and mental fog after the initial panic subsides. Chronic stress, even without acute panic, can keep the nervous system in a state of high alert, leading to persistent feelings of detachment.
Physiological and Physical Triggers
Beyond psychological distress, several temporary physical states can disrupt normal cognitive function, mimicking the feeling of being high. One common cause is sleep deprivation, which impairs the brain’s ability to process information clearly. A lack of restorative sleep leads to cognitive dulling and mental fogginess because brain cells have not had sufficient time to clear metabolic waste products.
Dehydration is another frequent culprit, causing a drop in overall blood volume that reduces blood flow to the brain. This reduced cerebral perfusion can result in lightheadedness, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Mild hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, also affects mental clarity because the brain relies almost entirely on glucose for fuel. When blood glucose levels drop, the brain’s neurons cannot operate efficiently, leading to confusion, shakiness, and impaired judgment.
Hyperventilation, often accompanying anxiety or resulting from poor breathing habits, rapidly alters the balance of gases in the blood. Breathing too quickly or deeply causes an excessive loss of carbon dioxide, which constricts the blood vessels supplying the brain. This constriction temporarily reduces oxygen delivery to brain tissue, resulting in tingling sensations, dizziness, and detachment.
Underlying Medical Conditions
When the feeling of unreality is persistent or recurrent, it may signal an underlying medical condition. Certain migraines, specifically those with an aura, can cause sensory disturbances that include detachment. The aura is caused by cortical spreading depression, a slow-moving wave of electrical activity traveling across the brain’s surface. When this wave passes through areas controlling vision or sensation, it can produce visual distortions, vertigo, or a feeling that the environment is strange or dreamlike.
Inner ear disorders are another source of symptoms that feel like being high, as they severely disrupt the body’s sense of spatial orientation. Conditions like Ménière’s disease or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) involve a malfunction in the vestibular system, which controls balance. This malfunction, caused by factors like fluid buildup or dislodged calcium crystals in the inner ear, generates intense vertigo—the illusion that you or the world is spinning. The resulting disorientation and instability can be interpreted as a detached sensation.
Many prescription medications list dizziness, drowsiness, or an altered mental state as common side effects. Drugs used to treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain, or high blood pressure can impact neurotransmitter levels or blood flow, leading to feelings of fogginess or unreality. Consulting the medication information leaflet and discussing side effects with a prescribing physician is necessary to rule out this possibility.
Next Steps and When to Seek Professional Help
If you are experiencing recurrent or persistent feelings of unreality, the first practical step is to begin tracking your symptoms. Note when episodes occur, how long they last, and what you were doing beforehand, as this information is invaluable for a medical professional. For temporary episodes linked to anxiety or stress, practicing grounding techniques can help restore your connection to the present moment. Focusing on five distinct sensory inputs, such as texture or temperature, can effectively interrupt the dissociative state.
Addressing lifestyle factors is productive, including ensuring consistent sleep hygiene, adequate hydration, and eating regular, balanced meals to stabilize blood sugar. However, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention, as they may signal a serious neurological or cardiovascular event. Seek urgent care if the feeling of unreality is sudden and accompanied by severe new symptoms, such as chest pain, slurred speech, one-sided weakness, or loss of consciousness. If the feelings are chronic, highly distressing, or interfere with daily life, consulting a healthcare provider is the appropriate next step for diagnosis and treatment.