Any recovery stories that can give hope?

[Rhys1879SAFC]

Okay it has been 15 months of anxiety now and about 13 months since I started to suffer badly with depersonalization/derealization.

I'm largely up and down but lately I have started to have really bad thoughts that I think I might impulsively act on.

I was driving my car before and doing about 70mph, I could see the end of the road and knew I had to slow down but just thought "what's the point? Might aswell keep driving and slam into a wall to get this over with".

I've just turned 20 and I'm finding this all hard to deal with, I would honestly rather die than carry on like this for the next God knows how many years.

[Chris52]

Hiya, I have suffered from depersonalisation for many years and it is very frightening I agree. Don't lose hope though and make sure you are in touch with your GP. I am currently having a very bad time and having my first days off work for many years due to it. BUT, I will not give in to it and though hard keep on going.:)

[oldtime]

I've been there, my anxiety lasted about 2 years. It was hell on earth.
Surprisingly anxiety is not that difficult to treat. It does take a long time to recover, but the technique is relatively easy. I followed a CBT programme, and at the same time started a course of anti depressants. The drugs slowly brought my anxiety levels down, and the CBT taught me why I suffered from anxiety, how to correct the thought patterns that cause me to think that way and how to de-sensitise myself to the sensations that I was experiencing. You do have to fully embrace CBT, believe in it and religiously work through the exercises for it to work.
I am now off my AD's and feel 90% ok, I cannot score myself 100% as I still get minor relapses, but they are reducing in intensity.