Hello doctor,
I am a 19-year-old guy. I have a history of mental issues, specifically depression in my teens and preteens. I also have autism and ADHD. I am not mentioning this because I currently have real issues with them anymore, but just to provide a fuller picture. The previous history related to the current medical complaint indicates that it used to occur more frequently, but it has become less common recently due to the absence of depressive episodes. Generally, I am doing really well and am proud of myself for living a great life. I have almost everything going for me, and not much in life is holding me back. Emphasis on 'almost,' though; otherwise, I would not feel the need to reach out to you. I am writing this in a sort of shock. I have just had a pretty horrible day. Nothing felt right. I felt trapped in my skin, experiencing everything as very rough (I am picturing a desert, barren and unforgiving), and I felt like an island, detached from everyone and unable to swim back. It is shocking because everything was so good up until now, and I do not logically have any reason to react this way. The day felt weird from the get-go, although there was not anything unusual about it. It was just a normal day. I slept for 7 hours, ate breakfast, went to work, but everything was just in a haze of confusion, if you can understand that. It is like I am in a movie, and someone threw a flashbang at me, almost that effect (though milder). The worst thing is that I started the day with this feeling.
I struggled with it so much that I canceled all my plans with friends after work. I just could not bear interacting with people. I still really cannot. Typing is fine, but I cannot communicate with tone anymore. Everything I say sounds so devoid of emotion that I would rather just not talk, to be honest. I genuinely feel like I am trapped in my body right now, and it is incredibly frustrating. I have had this before, but I thought it was a part of my depression that I used to have. I do not always feel fully happy now, but I am not depressed, far from it. I am currently taking acne medications, specifically Isotretinoin, and no other medications. So, my question is: any chance you can tell me what this is? Should I seek professional help for this?