Ever since I was small I had these nightmares that I shrank to the size of like a cricket and everything was so big and I was going to get squished and trampled and I don't know why but that started manifesting as this weird delusion when I was awake too. Every time I focused too much on how big something was in comparison to me or how small I'd start feeling like I was shrinking, my brain is always fully convinced, and everything seems so much bigger. This triggers anxiety and idk what this is
(shrinking anon) like it hadn’t happened in a while and last night I was looking at my fiancé’s hand and thinking wow his hand is so much bigger than mine and that triggered it and I started panicking and feeling like the room was growing and I was shrinking and he was so HUGE. It fades if I focus on something else like a TV or book or something like that. Idk if I should mention this to my psychiatrist or not since it doesn’t really happen anymore but it’s so distressing when it does.
Hey Anon,
It’s always a good idea to let our psychiatrist know what we’re experiencing. Although it may not seem like a big important thing to mention, the fact that you said that it’s distressing is enough to warrant letting them know. If anything, it’ll give your psychiatrist a fuller picture of what you’re going through and how to help. It doesn’t seem like you have anything to lose from sharing. Letting your fiancee know (if he doesn’t already) might also be helpful because he can know in advance what is happening and what you need from him at that moment.
What you experienced is a phenomenon called macropsia ie. technical term for objects in the visual field appearing larger than normal causing the person to feel smaller. It could be due to a whole range of reasons, which is why I highly recommend that you let your treatment team know. It’s not uncommon and they can provide you with the best insight on what it is and how to deal with it. I can imagine that it’s really scary and anxiety-inducing when it happens; sharing your experience the people entrusted with your care is the first step to regaining control and overcoming this.
- Tea