Strange

This is nearly impossible to describe, but it's become a problem recently:

Lately I've felt a great distance from myself, as though I'm not entirely here (...my brain is tripping). I don't notice it much until I'm away from home. I live alone apart from my cat. When I'm speaking with someone and I have this feeling, I feel as though I shouldn't be talking to them because I can't focus on anything. Part of me is floating, suspended. When I mention this to someone while I'm having an active conversation, he/she seems startled... so I must be acting normally. From my perspective, nothing is normal. I research psychological medication thoroughly and often (including my own) and I haven't found any link to this strange feeling. I've also received some helpful input on various side effects thanks to this forum. :]

I feel disconnected... as if I'm watching characters on a stage as opposed to my reality. Nothing is tangible. Even now, as I sit alone, the glow of the light above me is overwhelming. The feeling frightened me when it first began, but it no longer makes me anxious. There isn't anything that I can do to fight it off or run from it.

...So, any takes? Is it time for a hospital visit (a more frightening thought than what I'm experiencing)?

Sounds like things are not right. I had something similar where nothing felt real last year whilst very depressed. I think this is one to take to your Dr as they will be able to assess what is going on for you. When do you next see someone

Cracked

I've been like that before. When I get like that even my own actions seem acted out by someone else and I'm trapped inside watching them happen whether I want them to or not. The worst thing that ever happened in one of those states was ending up married.

Wow... I'm glad (and surprised) that I'm not alone.
I'm seeing my therapist in about a week. I saw my GP two days ago and mentioned the issue. My psychiatrist has still gone rogue.
My mom is trying to book me with someone new... possibly because my past experiences with various psychiatrists haven't ended well. I'm waiting, for now. Accepting the feeling has been getting me through the week.

Keep going hon and let us know how you go.

Cracked

It was depression. My subconscious is obviously more clever than I am...
I've been fending it off quite successfully with more caffeine than is healthy.

I get those feelings in the middle of a panic attack. Where you feel like your floating and nothing seems real. It is called depersonalization I think, and it is scary but harmless. Glad your feeling better.

Yeah, I think it is depersonalization. I've felt like that a lot. What I do is just wait it out because nobody else notices anything different. Other than maybe I lose track of what I was saying, or something along those lines. I used to worry about it a lot when it would happen, like, I'd panic, and stop what I was doing. But now I just go about whatever I'm doing, knowing that it'll go away at some point. And yeah, I try to drink caffeine also haha for some reason when that happens. Or, I try to go to sleep.

It sounds like depersonalization to me as well. I have a chronic case of it, & caffeine also helps with it a tad. I'm not exactly sure why there is a connection there. My psychiatrist is gonna put me on a psycho-stimulant to see if there is any significant change. But that's because I'm a chronic case.

I don't think it's necessarily something you have to hospitalize yourself for, unless you feel you're a danger to yourself. But definitely talk to your doctor about it.

- EGD.

I'm betting that the connection is dopamine, but that's just speculation on my part. Diet soda has aspartame (a sugar substitute that produces dopamine) as well as caffeine, which does the same.
It also makes sense that I was severely depressed due to the lack thereof.
Note to all: Dopamine is one of the "happy" chemicals that the brain produces. Most stimulants, like coffee, increase dopamine temporarily.

I could elaborate further on my mad scientist studies, but I don't want to scare anyone away from their medications. No two brains are alike and I'm pretty sure that mine's defective (chemically).