Suffering prolonged depersonalization with anxiety

Just wondered if anybody here has suffered this awful feeling and symptom long term? I feel it really has a control over me when I go out feel:

*Weird/Foggy.
*Unreal.
*Worry I will get lost, lose my way, not find my way home, go mad.
*Do something rash or crazy.
*Nothing around me seems real..everything seems tense in my head, light seems dull and so on.
*At worst the feelings can be so intense I can barely think.

It has been worse in previous weeks but I still fear going out. I work in a shop in a mall and I sometimes don't even go outside due to sunlight and I feel safe inside my safe places are:

*Work.
*At home.
*Toilet.

At it's worst my memory goes weird and I sit indoors spending alot of time worrying about it. Only relaxing method that helps is music at the moment but it's a suffocating symptom makes me depressed, feel I can't cope with life, feel it so overwhelming, any enjoyment goes, I feel emotionally numb sometimes with it.

I can't eliminate the fear maybe that's why it won't go? I've had it intense since about May as I have been suffering stress...I even worried it was not DP and kept worrying about my health. I have a fear of travelling alone, going long distance places, don't feel my usual self..as I say the symptoms above are so unpleasant I rather sit at home alot..

Anybody relate to this?

Yes, I am having constant depersonalization/derealization. The feeling you describe I have as well. I am able to go out, I just cannot handle large crowds or big open spaces. However, I still feel this way at home as well. I feel as though my memory is shot and I feel detached from everyone I know. I am trying to occupy myself with new hobbies to see if this helps. I feel for you, because I think this has to be one of the worst side effects of anxiety and depression. Hope you feel better soon.

Hi Phil, mya,

I can have depersonalisation and derealisation for very prolonged time.

In my first year i think i have in in a constant state like that for around 6 months with the brief spells of light. I remember I was actually repeating it loud and to the doctors - "There is something seriously wrong with me - what is it, can you not see it?"

Now when i know what it is - its still very scary and weird but it lasts couple of weeks maximum, as I just cannot be bothered to react to this weardness later on.

But all the symptoms you have mentioned I have and also more physical symptoms on top.

Hope it helps...

I have had symptoms lately like:

*Feeling very apart and away from my thoughts, very distant from what I am thinking (sometimes feel I'm here but my mind is on another planet).

*I can lie in bed feeling very foreign and it just seems weird.


Sometimes I get a rush and lights go weird is that derealization? and is a constant state of weird feeling depersonalization?

Is this really anxiety? This is my main symptom and I've so many other physical symptoms at the moment they switch daily. I have had like one or two days feeling relaxed and me in the last few months most days I wake up feeling "this"...

Any tips? I feel this will never go away?

Also is there any ways to neutralise these thoughts to make them less scary? Like I worry my mind will float away and I'll go mad? :shrug:

Are you still on cipralex Thumbalina? if so is it helping?

Yep this is all the dark, twisted world of depersonalisation/derealisation. This is interesting because the thought patterns you mention are common with depersonalisation, mainly: going mad,scared you will lose control, fearing losing your mind or being trapped in a place where the depersonalisation will take over and you will lose control. Fear not! These are all fears which come out of this symptom and these will all pass. I have this feeling all the time whenever I walk around now and particularly in the kitchen, I think because its bright and busy in there. It will disappear with your anxiety. Remember that you are always in control and you are not going mad, because anxious people never go mad. Its a fact. Different brains. Try to ignore it, or tell your new buddy depersonalisation to come back at a suitable time of day when you can deal with it. Best of luck.

.

I am suffering these terrible feelings at the moment. I am still working full time etc and have to drive for an hour each way to get there :wacko:. I feel like i'm just watching in and monitoring what i'm doing and i feel drugged up and as if i'm in a dream and i'll wake up any minute. Its so scary. I've had it for about a week now (this time around). I"m hoping I can lose my fear shortly so it will go (fingers crossed) :weep:

Good Luck everyone and I hope we all feel better soon

Luv Tracy

Had depersonalisation for around 10 years, at first it only lasted a day then a few days then a week etc. Now i have just come through a 6 week period of constant dp. Although i have read books and everything on here that says it's a harmless offshoot of anxiety sometimes it's really difficult to stop it getting the better of me.

Hi

Since my anxiety came back bad a few weeks ago i have got this back with it. Im trying to ignore it and carry on because i no its likely to go away quicker. Very hard to do this though as its such as horrible symtpom

mandie x

I'm still battling the symptom..spent all last night in bed feeling spaced out my head..I felt I lost touch of reality as everything seemed so unreal and distant.

I'm worse when in the house doing nothing. I can keep googling and googling looking for answers.

The fear won't go away and I'm not sure how I can accept it properly. Each time I work myself into an adrenaline panic attack I either feel I'm dying or going mad.

Any deep thinking, stress, decisions seem to send me more into melt down and I feel even more disconnected with life.

Not sure what I can do to let go of the symptom..just can't say it's just anxiety..no reassurance seems to make it go away as I still get scared..and I've had it strong for months. :shrug:

Hi Phil

Sorry you had a bad night. I do no how your feeling and i wish i had the answer for all of us to get rid of it.

I wokr this morning and i have it again. Im trying not to think of it but i cant!!

Im off into london tonite. I was gonna say no i wasnt going but i hate the fact my life is ruled by this anxiety so thought if im gonna be at home feeling bad i mite as well be out trying to enjoy myself while feeling bad!!

Who knows if im enjoying myself i mite be able to forget about it for a while

love mandie x

I can totally relate to this I have felt like this constantly for months although the last month has been the worst. I suffer from constant high anxiety and have done for about 6months. Life is a dream emotions all over the place, memory is totally shot, can't think or make decisions easily and getting worse. All I can think about now 24/7 is the anx and the symptoms. Find it hard to talk to people or even watch tv is hard like whole life is dream. Trying to convince gp to refer me for conselling/psyc as they haven't offered much support.

Phil, what meds (if any) are you on?

hello everyone i also have this very bad .....its so sceary and i feel like iam going get lost if i go out and i will forget were iam going everyone and everything looks and sounds weird i know what u are feeling ive been like this for around 7 months and it will not go away i just want my life back i sometimes get tired of ppl saying it will pass WHEN cause this is so freaking me out daily and i also get so diizy i cant walk sort of breath its awfull

Anybody else here on meds? I was on 20mg Cit. for over 5 months but has done nothing for my high anxiety, went onto 30mg for 1 week but the side effects were horrible and the depersonalisation worse. Gone back down to 20mg now just over 1 week and still felling awful and appear to be getting worse. Even feel off balance a bit just sitting at my computer.