derealisation/depersonalisation?

[Jenwales]

My anxiety attacks have started back up after years and with them brought a new symptom- unrealistion or whatever you want to call it.
Can someone explain how this happens and how can I ease it or stop it?
It's a horrible feelings :scared15:
I'm seeing a doctor but they are not very helpful with anxiety.
thank you

[kittikat]

I discussed DP/DR with my therapist this week. Her idea is that you focus on something that reawakens your 'senses' eg. smell, touch/feel, taste, music....I kind of get her thinking but I don't know how easy it will be help me to snap out of it....I usually just try to focus on something, anything, but it's not always successsful. I will give this a go though, I haven't had a chance to put it into practise yet, but it's worth thinking about next time I get that awful feeling......

Take care,
Kitti :)

[PanchoGoz]

Hi Jen
When you are anxious, your mind blocks out unneccessary information - nice things like smells and feeling and general life becomes so far away as your mind is blocking out all the external stimuli to focus on the danger, whatever that is to you.
If you go back to cavemen times, if there was a tiger coming, focusing on finishing your tasty meal won't do you much good, it becomes insignificant so that you can focus on the tiger and your escape. Or bear. Or mammoth I dunno.
Some of us have it nearly all the time, some of us just get it intensely during a panic attack.
Don't focus on it and try to work it out or fix it - the trick is to not give it attention, as kitty says, be mindful of the environment, notice things, take in all the colours and sounds of life.
It's the scariest symptom, but as you work on reducing the overall anxiety, this will ease also.
Take care.

[AngelHeart]

Thank you for your posts as I have also had this feeling lately and its really horrible. I will take your suggestions about being mindful about the environment and hopefully it will help when I'm in this situation again xx

[lleksam]

Most believe that depersonlization and derealization are the minds defence mechanism when overwhelmed with anxiety and stress.

People who say they have outer body experiences when say on the operating table or god forbid a rape or near death experience are actually having depersonlization.

[mandshere2000]

Hi everyone
I also suffer from the above and it's so frightening
as I sure you all know that have experienced this....my sleep pattern
is awful and has been for years on/off and I'm to scared to take sleeping tablets
I had my first DP/DR in 2004 and was really poorly and had to take a antipsychotic
which made me feel like a zombie, had to stop this because I have a disabled son
to care for, I managed to conquer this and didn't get it again until august 11 and it's been
on/off since but worse when had none or very little sleep....I was awake at 3am this morning shaking and panicky with it
I know if I can just get my sleep sorted I can conquer this again, but I think
I'm becoming phobic about sleep now because it happens all the time now
where I fall asleep and wake suddenly and feel like I've slep hours when intact
it's been only 1 hour at the most I then feel weird and the either panic sets in or
both panic, violent shaking, DP/DR.....i really feel at the end of my tether with this
and dread bedtime
If anyone's going through the same would love to hear from you
Manda xx