9. Paranoia and dissociation

Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms. (DSM-5)

He sits there. His body is slightly shaking. I can see the muscles in his arms cramping. Some seconds ago he was talking to his friends via voice chat. Everything was fine. They were talking about childhood memories. At least that‘s what I can remember.

His breathing gets heavier. His friends notice he‘s not talking anymore. They ask if he‘s fine. He can‘t answer. He can’t hear them. I think he‘s not aware of his ability to speak. Right now he‘s somewhere else.

I can see his empty gaze. I know he doesn‘t know what‘s going on. I am cold. I can feel the tension in my body. What happened? Where am I? My desk, my computer. I hear my best friends voice. He sounds annoyed and asks if I‘m still there. ’Yes’. He asks me to answer. I don‘t know what he asked.