depersonalisation/derealisation

[waterfall]

hi all and seasons greetings to everyone at NMP
i am about to enter my 17th week [can hardly believe i stuck it out this long as i read this] of Citalopram.
presently my dose is 40mg[nearly 4 wks on this dosage].
i do find that my progress has def improved at 40mg and the 'blips' as it were are less frequent, but there is one experience that i find harder to cope with, as until i was prescribed Cit this never happened - and that is the feelings of depersonalisation/derealisation [thanks Poet, I found the correct name for them in your survival guide!]
it really messes with me when i find myself what can only be described as 'zoning out', or looking at myself in the mirror and seeing a stranger, or hearing the sound of my voice in conversation and feeling like it is someone else, or feeling so distant from your family like you dont know them anymore.....those are just some examples of my experiences, and since i have not found any comments about these feelings, i thought i would let my 'madness' be publicised!!
can anyone empathise with these experiences [ i have plenty more examples to share!!] i really am trying to erase them from my mind, but if anything it is v tiring and emotional to do...i had hoped that after 4 months, i would see more improvements............:blush:

[pheetuz]

Hi waterfall, seasons greatings to you too :)

Yeah i can completely empathise with what you are feeling and it is horrible, i lasted 12weeks at 20mgs and have been coming off since, just couldnt handle to dissassociation and derealisation, the only problem for me is that i think that i may have been experiencing dissassociation before i went onto the cit and am kinda worried that its going to happen again when im off the cit.

The main thing i found about it was that it makes me really anxious that i am going insane, although im sure im that im not lol, just hard to get that thought out of my head.

Sorry i cant really offer any advice on this, it all got a bit too much for me and ive had to come off the cit which is very dissassociative in itself.

How is the cit helping you in general other than these feelings ?? Might be worth you talking to your gp about it?? They could change you onto another AD maybe, i know that doesnt sounds appealing, especially with all the starting side effects.

If you want to talk about it or w/e then pm me :)

/Pete

[PoppyC]

Hi :)
I had depersonalisation and derealisation long before I took Citalopram. I have found that the Cit has taken it away, thankfully, as it was one of the worst aspects I found about having anxiety. I am now on 45mg Citalopram and have been taking it since Feb time.
Maybe give the medication a little while longer to take effect and also tell your gp about how you are feeling. Personally I find that the longer I am on the tablets the less the side effects become and the better I feel.

[waterfall]

thanks for your comments guys...having a slightly better day today thankfully, so that helps.
unlike you both, i dont recall having these feelings/experiences before Cit...as you've said it is the worst part in a way.....