derealization disorder

[idontknow444]

i’m currently suffering from derealization disorder. basically my whole life feels like it isn’t real and i am starting to think i’m going insane. it’s very scary and their is no medication for it, most people just learn to live with it or eventually grow out of it. i feel like i’m living in hell and there is no way out. i miss my old life, i miss feeling alive, i miss feeling real. this is by far the worst sensation i’ve experienced and it never ends. if anyone had experienced this before please let me know how i can help get rid of it. i’ll do anything.

[Billsfriend]

It's generally a result of anxiety. While it's true that there is no medication for it, it usually responds well to treatment for the underlying depression and anxiety.

Have you seen a Psychiatrist?

You are not stuck with this, the situation is not hopeless that idea is brought to you by none other than, you guessed it: anxiety and depression.

Keep us posted!

[Billsfriend in reply to Billsfriend]

Please forgive my unfortunate choice of words, as in " have you seen a...", That just sounds terrible, even judgemental. Hopefully you can see that was not my intention.

[zperry4]

Yeah no I have this a lot and it’s horrible, but definitely has anxiety, possibly panic as an underlying cause. I’m still struggling a lot with it, but I do find that staying hydrated, doing breathing exercises, and getting regular contact with people helps. Dr Claire weeks talks about this a lot and says that I can come from being too inwardly focused on highly negative things, not focusing on other people and the world. Let me know if that helps.

[BetaTogetha]

I think it could be helpful to go to a park or coffee shop. And just observe, without any distractions. Turn your phone off for 10 mins. Sit still and look at a tree. Are there any birds? What are they doing? Are there any bugs? What do the plants look like, is the wind blowing or is it raining or how is the sun being absorbed by some plants while others are in the shade. It could help to start a nature journal. Write down your observations for 10 mins. Then next week come back and do the same. You will see that the world you are in is very alive and always changing. In the winter it may seem very gloomy but in just about 3 weeks there should be some of the first spring bulbs starting to pop out of the ground. And the trees will start to peak their little leaves out of the buds. And more bugs will begin buzzing, and different birds.

Even if you’re at a coffee shop you will notice little bits of nature, crows are very intelligent animals and they like to congregate near the areas where humans collect food. Because that means food for them too

Also if nothing else, at least read this beautiful short essay by Aldo Leopold, “Thinking Like a Mountain” This essay always helps me to see that every part of this earth has its own connection with another and each has its own beautiful experience.

uky.edu/OtherOrgs/AppalFor/...

[Jeff1943]

Yes, I experienced derealisation in the 1970s but back then it didn't have a fancy name. I called it "feeling your not here" and "like watching everything on a television". It was just one of several symptoms of anxiety disorder that I was experiencing and I was more worried about the other symptoms so I rather 'neglected' the derealisation. And because I didn't pay too much attention to it, it just went. The only time I get a flash of it is in supermarkets with ultra-bright fluorescent lighting.

I am going to tell you what derealisation (DR) is and how to recover from it.

Quite simply, it's a symptom of anxiety disorder. There are dozens of such symptoms and this is the one you've ended up with. It's the result of your mind trying to be helpful but of course is far from helpful: your mind senses your anxiety and knows there's a cause for it, so it is trying to distance you from the cause of your anxiety. But of course it isn't helpful, quite the contrary.

As with all symptoms of anxiety, it's best to concentrate on overcoming the cause of the symptoms. The symptoms are not real illnesses they are copycat sensations produced by over sensitised nerves. They are fake and can do you no long term harm.

When you pass through a period of too much stress and worry and overwork (or maybe loss, disappointment, toxic relationships) your nervous system eventually reaches anxiety overload and your nerves become over sensitised. In this state they start to play tricks on us like upset stomach, pains, missed heartbeats DR and we always fear the worse. This fear causes more anxiety which adds further fuel to your over sensitive nerves. So you get caught in a vicious circle.

The way out is to concentrate on the cause if your anxiety not the (false) symptoms. Free yourself of the cause of your anxiety (examples listed above) and your nerves cease to be over sensitised and return to normal. At that point all the fake symptoms including DR resolve.

So first identify what it is that's caused you to acquire anxiety disorder and do everything in your power to neutralise it, you may need to be ruthless. Change your job, bring toxic relationships to an end, move, whatever it takes.

Meanwhile stop fighting your DR because fighting causes tension and strain and that just makes things worse. Instead learn to 'accept' your DR for the time being. Accept it completely knowing full well it is not life threatening and will go as soon as you stop fearing and fighting it.

Agree to coexist with it for the moment and get on with your life. Stop testing every few minutes to see if it's still there. Replace fear with acceptance. But it must be genuine acceptance not just 'putting up with it'.

Zperry4 has mentioned the famed self-help author Doctor Claire Weekes and I recommend her first short book ' Self help for your nerves' which sets out what Acceptance is and how it leads to you recovery. It's available new or used on Amazon or Ebay.

DR is not pleasant but it will pass as long as you learn to accept it and let time pass.

[Ashfaren]

i have it, but i don't know how to explain it. I just feel it but can't describe how i feel. Its kind of detachment from external reality into your deeper innerself.