Am i suffering with depersonalisation or derealisation

[Kathymary]

Hi

I am not sure if my particular problem is depersonalisation or derealisation or whether i have something really peculiar to me, because no-one seems to understand what i am talking about, i have had this on an off for over 40 years now - i am 56 I suffer from anxiety and always have done but I get by as best i can and live normally just try to accept it - i too have read Claire Weekes and she is absolutely amazing and her books are like so many other people's my bibile, the feeling i get she mentions and calls an exagerrated awarenes of self, but is it the same as my feeling? Sometimes i read it and i think yes thats it then i read it again and think no, if i can try and explain, it comes on suddenly, i will be doing normal thing like say, washing up, walking along, typing at work, just speaking to someone then suddenly i am aware of "me" what i am touching, what i am saying, its like i go right inside myself, its reallly awful if i am speaking to someone i can hear what they are saying and listen but "know" i am doing it, does that makes sense? sometimes it will happen so suddeny it has stopped me in my tracks, say suddenly going upstairs i will become aware of what i am doing and it will make me more or less stop for a second or two and it absolutely terrifies me, i have had this sometimes for months on end, then it goes sometimes it comes for short time then goes away, but when i do get it i am always afraid it will come back and last for ages, its so awful, if its particularly bad and i wake up during night and have to get out of bed to get a drink i even have it then -

sorry this is so long and i am not sure this is the rght place to put this question as i am new to this today but i thought i would ask if this is depersonalisation or derealisation because although it is awful i just want to know what it is -

thanks to anyone who can help

Kathy

[pinkpiglet]

:)Hi! I'm 34 and have suffered with derealisation/depersonalisation for around 10 years (possibly longer) and for me these are pretty much the same thing, its sort of a combination of the two.

Its parlaysing when it happens and it always comes over me suddenly without any warning. I dont have to be particularly stressed out at that given moment either.

I get it on and off too and have recently experienced several episodes, one been whilst driving along the M60 with my son and godson in the rear seats...VERY FRIGHTENING!!
40 years is a long time and I would imagine that you are really fed up by now as 10 years as been too long for me.

I cant even offer you any advice on this as i'm sure you know yourself that its impossible to shake it off.
What I can offer is my support and understanding and lots of big hugs!!

:hugs::hugs::hugs:

Please feel free to PM me any time x

[Ralphie09]

Hi Kathy

I have suffered with anxiety as a child and had exactly what you are describing. It then stoped when I was about 11 but I never knew what it was and could describe it to my parents so I used to just go to sleep in fear and then it would go away.

I am now 28 and my anxiety came back last year. After looking into it I know its a symptom of anxiety, just like if you have a cold you get a runny nose etc so its nothing to worry about.

until a few months ago i was constantly feeling like I was floating out my body but still in the room if that makes sense, kind of like a ghost, I would then work myself into a terrible state and not be able to breath and start panicing. It was a vicious cycle as the more you worry the more adrenalin your body releases fueling the anxiety which then in turn gives you these horrible symptoms such as derealization. As you probably know anxiety can cause many diffrent side affects like blured vision, shortness of breath, chest pain etc but they are all just side affects. NO ONE HAS EVER DIED OF THESE SYMPTOMS OUT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

I found that if you can just accept these are just symptoms and tell yourself if something was going to happen to you it would already have, over a few weeks you will feel so much better. I know its easier said then done but I promise it will work.

Also eat lots of green food with B vitamins as it helps the nervous system. I also found a supliment called spirilina will help. Its very high in vitamin B and you can get it in any health shop.

Best of luck with your anxiety.

[Kathymary]

Hiya

Thank you both so much its is really reassuring to know that other people do know what i am talking about! I think thats the worse part of it really that its just so hard to describe -i remember beng about 16 when i first had it and kept asking everyone "have you ever felt like yourself" they looked at me like I was some sort of freak and said "no" and that was it - i have as i said had it on and off for 40 years now, i am 56, i have suffered with anxiety all my life and had practically every symptom you can get, i do live a full life however and accept most things but this feeling is the worse one - its just so frightening and it goes away and comes back just out of the blue with no warning - horrible. But it has helped to see your replies i do thank you- i was almost frightened to look at the replies in case they said "dont know what you are talking about" i was frightened but had to look.


By the way, that feeling out of your body i had an experience once when i was walking to work and someone bumped into me, didnt say sorry and i immediately thought well i am obviously dead and therefore no-one can see me!! i had to ring my family and speak to someone just to make sure i was alive -

Anxiety can bring some terrible symptoms and feelings but i agree with what you say you can only do your best to try and accept them, i read claire weekes books which are fantastic - but sometimes nothing helps. But hopefully my suffering with this for so long may at least give you some hope that life does go on even with derealisation and depersonalisation!! so somehow i must have got through it, so if i can then so can you eh?

God bless and thanks again

Kathyx