Well.....I hate to say this because i'm no doctor, but your episodes sound very similiar to mine. I have partial seizures and partial-complex seizures, both of which I developed only 6 months ago. I'm 20, and I had grand mal seizures around the time I hit puberty, but they were well regulated with medication very shortly after I developed them. So, I was very shocked when I developed these "episodes" 6 months ago and have had a pretty hard time controlling them. Just recently I started taking Lamictal and it seems to work pretty well.
But, your episodes definetely sound like my partial-complex seizures. I can always hear what's going on around me, but it doesn't make a lot of sense, I just feel out of it and confused for a while, and like you I can't respond. I'm very suprised to hear that your neurologist dismissed your episodes so fast. Even if you aren't having seizures, there is obviously something going on in your brain, and your doctor should have better advice than "you'll be fine." Since you've been taken from work to the ER multiple times, obviously you aren't fine. I would really suggest getting a second opinion, there are good neurologists out there, you just have to find the right one.
I really hope this all works out for you, just don't give up and you'll find an answer.