Anxiety: Depersonalization and Derealization

[purplehaze]

Now that makes sense

We may feel being with our safe place or person will stop the panic/agoraphobia but the reality is these are just chains that hold us back.

well said charles and I must admit I never thought about it like that

[BasilCat]

I must admit that like purplehaze, I had not seen it like that. Its a good point.

Shirley

[jl1987]

Wow I am so relieved to see that there are other people who experience these terrefying symptoms! I feel doomed when I feel like this and it's so disheartning I feel like I am just waiting to wake up from this nightmare and get back to my normal life! Is there anyone who is willing to chat about this over msg or something?? I feel like I really need to talk to someone, thanks
Julia

[BasilCat]

Hi Julia, I will chat if you want. I will PM you my e-mail address.

Shirley

[football12345]

I get this quite alot of the time, even sometimes when I don't feel anxious about anything.

The best way I can describe it is that it feels as if I'm not in control of my actions.

[072106]

Yeah, and it sucks horribly.

I'm aware of the little things you wouldn't really be worried about.. Like breathing, and all those aches and pains when that happends.. and that's how the panic starts to kick in.

Each time I try to stand or walk it feels like i'm trudging 10000 pounds behind me and i just wanna fall flat on my face,
but than i tell my self.. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU IT'S JUST STRESS RELAX. and even that dosn't help.. my mom has to slap me in the face at times.. it's horrible.. i just want things to go back to normal..

[bishops]

to be honest now i know what it iknow ive had it over 3oyears, finding out what it is and why it happens has helped a huge amount, indeed from being one of the worst things that happens to me its now one of the few i can really dealwith. So everyone it will pass and does no harm but it really is a horribe strange feeling

[Lel]

Gah! Depersonalization interferes with everything. Mine has lately manifested itself in this way: I'll be talking and all of a sudden, it's as if I'm talking without being connected to myself, part of me is thinking and responding to others and the other part is... well, separately aware of me talking and almost just watching myself talk. Bizarre to say the least, it makes me feel like I've lost myself. Then I get into a horrible chain of thoughts like, what makes a personality? What IS it? Is it made up? What's mine? Do I even have one? If everything is just my brain controlling things... what makes me feel like ME?

It goes on and on and on. Senseless questions that have no real concrete answers. But I agree with another post, earlier on, where someone said that the brain just latches on to the inexplainable or illogical. It keeps the anxiety going. You can start to feel really surreal and expansive and so apart from regular life. When it happens I just try and be as present as possible. It's something I've been honing through yoga, but I just find if I kind of try and empty my mind or be completely present... kind of like an animal that just acts and doesn't think... then I can sometimes get in a mode where I forget to think about myself for at least a little while. It never lasts completely, I inevitably realize I'm OK and then the whole self-attention starts again. But it's what's helped so far.

[Pennymoo]

I have this at the moment and It totally sucks :( I keep thinking that nothing really exists, which is really irrational and stupid. But it bugs me no end and I just feel so tense all the time. I go through brief moments of thinking rationally and I feel better, but it soon creeps back in. Its been going on 3 weeks now, It's getting better than it was in the beginning It made me so depressed in the first week but now I'm just trying to deal with it.

[BasilCat]

Here is the link again Pennymoo to the page about DP/DR, or as I call it, unreality. It has helped me a lot over the years. Mine is better too, not perfect but better. It has taken 3 years to get to this "better" stage and I am so relieved. It is really awful isnt it. Anyway read this. I keep reminding myself of what it says when I feel unreal. Another thing I think of is this: What we resist, persists!!! In other words, if we fight and struggle and get mad etc with the DP/DR it will only last longer. So I try and just "go with it" and not struggle.

Hope this helps.
Shirley