What is wrong with me ?

Hey Adam, I can relate to not the not recognising yourself. I went through a faze where I didnt feel/look myself and i would obsess over it so everytime I looked in the mirror it was the first thing I thought of. I also sometimes could look at something so random and get anxious and then sit and wonder why I got anxious but theres never an answer. It's an awful feeling but i'm trying to learn to let these thoughts pass

This is probably part of Depersonalization symptom that many anxiety sufferers experience. I struggled with depersonalization a bit when I first had anxiety, I didn't recognize myself and I felt very disconnected to my body. It went away with just ignoring it and time passing.

i definitely understand what you are going through. im an 18 year old girl who struggles massively with health and generalized anxiety disorder aswell as every other anxiety disorder out there. every day i experience being trapped in my mind, things dont feel real.. this gets worse especially at public places with a lot of people.. its like im floating and im in a dream. i feel as if im going psycho which makes these symptoms worse. im currently looking for someone.. anyone to talk to that struggles the same. i feel lost... i feel empty . i feel as if there is something wrong with me health wise causing all of this . i hope you get through this . i hope we all do

I am horrible at remembering faces and names. In fact, I use different names when I go places. If I go to a car show and talk to somebody I may tell them my name is "Joe". At work the call me "Mark". This way if somebody comes up to me out in public and says "hey Joe how are you? Long time no see" I know this person is a car guy or gal and can B.S. a conversation on that subject. If they call me "Mark" then I can say something like "nice to get some time off when it's nice out" or something related to work.

Jumbled up words and numbers. I am in my mid 40's but was diagnosed with dyslexia in 6th grade. Not much of a concern. I am just a slow reader and spell badly. However when stressed out words become jumbled up. The letters get mixed up, its not a "i see backwards thing" that is a myth. I may try to read something but cant. I just close my eyes for a bit, chill, then I am fine and can read again. Perhaps my anxiety was worse than I thought back then. Perhaps its just my oddball brain. I was not diagnosed with anxiety until my late 30's. Being high anxiety just felt normal to me. Did not know anything different.

Anxiety shuts down the part of the brain that thinks and turns on the part that reacts. My best friend who I grew up with mom passed away. At the funeral was a picture of the two of them together. I asked who is that not realizing it was my best friend. Somebody told me who it was and I did not believe them. Looked back at the photo and yup, definitely was my best friend in the photo lol. Shutting down the part that thinks also can mean that you forget things 5 minutes after being told.

Frankly people in the past that have no importance to me I don't care or even try to remember. However I remember important people from my past very well to the smallest detail. Freaks them out how much detail I remember even after not seeing them for 20 years.

You would think this would hold me back. But I was a perfectionist and absolutely graduated at the top of my class and excelled in the workforce. The trick was finding a job that allowed me to work without much interaction with other people.

Take care and try to enjoy the up upcoming holidays!