I (22F) suffer from GAD.

Tonight, I fell asleep at my bf’s (26M) house. He woke me because I had to head home at a certain time. It’s dark, a bit past midnight. I’m very groggy, but manage to get to my car and ready to drive home.

Though, as I’m about to drive home, I can’t find my cell. I rummage through my bag, and find it. But then suddenly, everything that was in my bag is out of it. I get irritated but try to focus on driving home and plan to get everything after.

But as I’m driving, I suddenly feel afraid of the darkness around me. I get home, but feel I can’t exit my car in the darkness, suddenly paranoid of there being someone or something trying to get me. I panic and call my boyfriend. I try to focus on my steering wheel, afraid of the reflections of the mirrors and the glass having faces.

Eventually my boyfriend comes to help me inside. I feel safer when he does this. But as I’m calming down, I can’t help but feel pathetic and absolutely confused. 

I don’t know what cause this. It felt sudden. It felt like I wasn’t real for a moment and I questioned if everything was a dream or nightmare, even.

Has anyone ever experienced this? I’m absolutely terrified. I’ve experienced this before to a lesser degree. I woke up but felt fear and panic immediately when I woke and felt unsafe. This one took longer to begin.

My boyfriend said I maybe had a nightmare that bled into reality a little after I had woken up. Though I’m not sure if that was it.