Derealisation is the worst! Please help

[Rotirghtelf]

Hey, guys, I'm 18 and never had such horrible experiences as the ones I had since this winter.

I used to wake up at night very rarely with my heart racing, inability to breathe or even sleep paralysis (yes for about 10 seconds). It was really weird but it didn't bug me that much.

Then during the winter I started having panic attacks, a lot of them for a month or two like at least 2-3 panic attacks that lasted for an hour or so. It was horrible, I hated it, I couldn't understand -- my life was going well, there was nothing to be anxious about.

I would get rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, chest pain, high blood pressure, dizziness, fear or everything, that I'm going crazy.

I went to a cardiologist, endocrinologist, neurologist, they found nothing! They all said I need a psychiatrist and the psychiatrist tried anti-depressants but I had a hallucination so we stopped them. That realyl freaked me out.

Last two months I've had 0 panic attacks but 24/7 I have this feeling of unreality, like everything's a dream, nothing's real. My memory is really bad now, I question everything, all my memories seem like a dream.

I never thought I'd have something worse than panic attacks but this derealisation is truly worse. At least the attacks lasted for some period and they would go away, now I'm constantly confused and surreal. It's weird how the panic attacks stopped but this new symtpom emerged.

I've read most of the threads here about it and I'm sorry if my post is unnecessary but I'm scared thinking this is how I'll have to deal with life for the rest of it. I've tried not thinking about the derealisation and yes I do forget it, I can be happy, I can laugh but even then it's still there! Nothing works! I have no energy, I feel totally spaced out. I'm scared it might progress to schizophrenia but maybe it's just general anxiety.

The thing is that I'm not anxious, THE SYMPTOM is making me go crazy. Is there anyone who managed to get rid of it with something? Anything - medication, relaxation techniques, some sort of trick cuz I'm really starting to give up. I have to learn to live this way obviously.

Thank you in advance!

[Deano_08]

Hiya, I'm Dean
I suffer from panic attacks and I know they're awful.
After a few months of suffering from panic attacks I also began to feel like I was in a dream like trance all the time.
So I Started getting really worried about it then I told myself I wouldnt allow this to happen anymore so I made a conscious effort to block it from mind and it hasnt botherd me since. Just remember its all in the mind and you are in control of your mind!:)
I hope this works for you also m8, If you wana chat feel free to send me a message anytime.

Dean

[TidusRawlings]

Sorry To Hear You Are Feeling So Bad I Have The Same Feelings At Times And I Know You Are Worried But Please Don't. I Assure You You Wont Go Crazy.

The Thing That Helped Me Was A Medication Called Buspirone Combined With One Called Olanzapine. I Have Also Been Sent For CBT In Next Few Weeks. So There Is Things Out There To Help. I Reccomend You Talk To Your psychiatrist as they can give you expert advice on Meds. One Thing I Will Say Is That There Are LOTS Of Different Medications So Don't Give Up Just Yet.

Hope You Feel Better Soon

[Pixel]

This is what im suffering fromright now ive been like it for about a month. i really thought i was going crazy until i read up this symptom. Its all a sort of protection method your body uses. It happens when your mind is tired from the constant panic and anxiety. It is awful i know. Ive been a lot better since friday when decided to just ignore the symptom. I still think about it everyday and i have seconds where i think i ma go crazy, but i just taking it one step at a time and so far so good. The way i look at it is i have no other option!

[Rotirghtelf]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Carstar, I know too how awful it is. It feels like nothing's real, you're crazy. I sometimes have incredibly weird thoughts, like the world doesn;t exist anymore, I'm asleep or in a coma which have no rational logic.

I hope for both of us it disappears forever!

[Pixel]

I have really wierd thoughts too. Ive been having them loads today. They dont even make sense to me sometimes. Today i kept thinking if i i think im crazy then i must be because all that i know is what i think. Its making me panic to even type. I hope it goes SOON!!!!

[amber17]

Hi
Im 17 and also have been suffering from this for a few months now. It was only a week ago that I thought I had a mental illness or something as I had'nt yet found this site. Its soo horrible and you couldnt have described it better. If it wasnt for moments of not feeling like this I dont think I would know any different and sometimes I worry that I will forget that life shouldnt be like this and just get used to it. Its good to know that theres people out there going through the same thing although I wouldnt wish this on anyone. If you find any methods of dealing with this please let me know and I will too. I know exactly how you feel...Hang in there, Amber

[andie73]

Hi Guys

I had really bad derealisation over the winter too. I can only advise you to try to ignore it. Easier said than done, I know, but it is totally harmless and very common. The more you focus on it the worse it feels believe me. I read things like this when I was suffering from it and thought yeah yeah whatever. But if you just pay the feelings no attention what so ever they do start to fade. It took a long time, so don't lose heart, over time though ignoring it gets easier until it's so natural for you to ignore the weird feelings, you don't even notice them.

I still get split second bouts of derealisation, but I tell myself come on you've been here before remember, and just occupy myself with something else. I found gardening was great, as was washing the car, and cross stitching. I used to worry I'd crash the car or start talking rubbish, or self combust sometimes lol , but believe me none of these feelings are dangerous.

I went to work with derealisation, drove the car, walked the dogs, cleaned the house, etc etc and eventually I felt like I was back in reality again, not in a dream. Do not let it stop you doing anything you would normally do, as this only adds fuel to the fire. It took me a long time to learn this, but it's TRUE. I read quite a lot about it too, and that helped. But ltimately it is testing your own boundaries and realising that there is nothing dangerous happening that will make this go away.

Sorry for the waffle, hope it helps a bit.

[so jems like]

i feel the same way. you are not alone! =)
i know this feeling is something horrible. but like everyone is saying, just go on with your life. do the things you enjoy doing and take your mind away from it. you'll feel so much better, i guarantee it! The more i thought about it, the more scared i was. I was so confused and i questioned everything. It didn't feel real, and i hated the feeling. But, during the weekend i was out with my friends and i didn't think about this anxiety/derealization and i was completely fine =) it takes time. patience. but you'll be fine. don't worry. worrying about it will make it worse. hang in there :] keep your head up!!