Will derealization ever go?

[sedalia]

Ever since my big panic attack over a month ago, I have been left with this awful feeling of derealization. This has now made me agoraphobic. Please tell me how I can help myself and that I won't always feel like this. It's so frightening. I thought it would have worn off by now, it's really wearing me down. It's just feeding my anxiety and not giving me a chance to relax.

[den68]

Have you down loaded the claire weeks series off the website. It sounds a bit weird when you first hear it but it works and i dont suffer hardly any derealization anymore and when i do it soon passes
denise

[sedalia]

Is that the four part series? If so, yes, she talks about derealization in part 3 but I couldn't find any advice there on how to cope with it. (perhaps I didn't listen properly!)

[den68]

its all about trying to accept it and realising the more you fight it the more hold it gets, listen to the bits on panic attacks and treat it like that if you can. I also found having a cold drink and sucking a sweet helped me. Unfortunatly facing the fears you have such as going out is the only way to beat it and its not easy when you start you will need someone with you for your first little trips and make sure there short and you set a goal before going such as i will walk to end of street and when you have dont expect the feeling to just go you have to do it quiet a few times before you feel comfortable with it. You have to work at it and sometimes you think this isnt working i cant do it but keep trying and you will get there. Everytime you manage to do something write it down and then when you feel you arnt getting anywhere look at your list and youll be motivated to keep going
good luck
denise

[sedalia]

Thanks for your reply denise, that all makes perfect sense. It is so disheartening when you have a setback like I did at the weekend. I really thought I was making progress the weekend before, my husband drove me to the seaside and we were out for 4 hours! I felt quite normal again by the end of it, but saturday just gone, we did a 15 min walk into town and I got dizzy in every shop we went to and had to come home. I felt such a failure, as if I'm back to square one again and afraid even to go round the block. But as you say, I must keep practising and remember I did it before so I can do it again (hopefully). I'm relatively new to panic and agoraphobia and had no idea how debilitating it can be. Thanks for your support.

[cymraig_chris]

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