Derealization

[Abbate22]

I’ve a 20 year old boy in college. Just turned 20. I had a really really bad stage of anxiety for two months. I see a therapist once a week. And I did get on some medicine about three weeks ago called Luvox which is for OCD and an anti depressant because I’ve had obsessive thoughts. Like the last two weeks I’ve had derealization. At least I hope that’s what it is. I usually wake up with my anxiety in the morning and boom it starts my day like that. Nervous as hell. Lately there’s nothing that’s even causing this. I’ve dealt with my problems. But I’m almost just having this anxiety now because of the feeling of the derealization. I feel weird. Not like myself. And I also have thoughts about like existential thoughts and so much more. Just thinking about how weird Life is. I hate this derealization thing and just want to feel normal again. Does anyone deal with this? How long did it take to go away? I’ve kind of learned to just accept how I’m feeling lately cause I know it’s just anxiety but still. Any tips? Please.

[Worried-help]

Abbate22, you are taking the right steps. Accepting your anxiety gives it less power to mess with you. When you try to fight it is when it gets worst. It comes and goes, unfortunately it doesn't leave permanently. I for example am fine for weeks up to a month or so, then it comes back. But I have accepted it as a part of me. I do things to distract myself from it, things that I like to do that will take my mind of it as much as possible.

[Abbate22 in reply to Worried-help]

Thank you for the reply. I know I’ll always have anxiety, but the derealization part to it? You think it will stay forever? It just started a couple weeks ago.

[Worried-help in reply to Abbate22]

Wish i could answer that part. Everyone is different and get a few different symptoms than one another. I get the derealization part but not often. It might go away, it might stay or come and go. It's not easy but as time goes you will learn to control and get a grip on it.

[Calm_mama]

Hi Abbate22,

You are doing a great job with this. I highly recommend the resources I like so much, which are on my profile. They are all about recovering from Anxiety and the derealization that is a very common symptom of anxiety. Swamy G in particular (A Coach Called Life website) has a lot of great info on derealization. Dr. Weekes' material is fabulous. She calls derealization, "Feelings of unreality". Check out her stuff.

On a tangent but not really - Do you like rap/hip hop? There's a hip hop artist, Logic, who has been through all of this. His song "Anziety" is all about this. *Avoid Logic if 4-letter words offend!* He's got quite the mouth He gives great interviews about all this too (again with the mouth). Wishing you all the best~

[Abbate22 in reply to Calm_mama]

Thank you so much. Very helpful. I have listened to that song and at the end he does talk about derealization. Thank you!!

[lynella]

I too feel exactly like you from the moment I wake up with extreme anxiety symptoms and the feeling that the world outside my home isn’t real and inside a fish tank!

[Abbate22 in reply to lynella]

Yes it’s awful! You’re not alone though