# Just had my first major breakthrough



## FindingMyStrength34 (May 21, 2013)

So bear with me but I have been suffering with DP/DR for about 3 months now and through reading and researching things I think I just had my first major breakthrough. I don't know if I am cured but I suddenly feel like there is this giant weight lifted off of my mind. I was reading this letter and it helped me realise that what is happening is totally normal and that I need to stop fighting it so much. I suddenly realize that actual acceptance is extremely important. This is the statement that helped me feel like I can accept my situation and not let it run my life. "You are supposed to feel fear towards some things." I am not sure why this had such a profound effect on me but it helped me realize that fear is natural and is there to keep me safe. Therefore I should stop trying to control my fear and not be afraid of being afraid. I'm not sure if that makes any sense but for some reason it really makes me feel alot better and almost like I may have broken the cycle of my fight/flight mechanism. Some things are supposed to scare you so why try to not be afraid of them? Let yourself feel fear for what is and react appropriately. Here is one of the things I read to really help me hammer this point home.

http://nothingworks.weebly.com/

It has been posted on here a few times already but it really helped me understand what was going on with me physiologically and emotionally. I expect to use the knowledge I acquired through reading this to help me further and ultimately cure myself totally of DP/DR (and by cure I mean forget it ever happened in the first place because it totally in my own head and there is ultimately nothing wrong with me). This is the first time in months I have felt like myself. Time to reclaim my life and never look back again. Please let me know if this helps you at all!

-Rob


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## CindyinMontana (Nov 10, 2009)

Great resource. I love how he normalizes anxiety and makes me feel a sigh of relief in my body and mind. Thanks for posting. I will refer to it again!


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## FindingMyStrength34 (May 21, 2013)

I know that it really helped me deal with my existential thoughts. Just yesterday I was caught in a loop of anxiety and it felt like I would never recover from DP/DR and just by realizing that the fact that I was fearing fear itselt was the very thing that was keeping me in that seemingly endless cycle I felt like things suddenly got so much clearer. It made me realize that my mind was creating these weird uncomfortable hopeless thoughts to deal with the fact that I was literally looking for something to be afraid of. When you are afraid of being afraid your mind plays tricks on you and creates reasons (however irrational) to feel the way you feel. Once you recognize that fear isn't something to fear because it cannot hurt you, you have taken a huge step in the right direction when it comes to silencing your bullshit thoughts. This is so important in learning to accept your actual fears and helps you put things in perspective with regards to both rational and irrational thoughts.


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## CindyinMontana (Nov 10, 2009)

I've re-visited this "'letter" again. It really is awesome! Everyone on this site should take the time to read it. I wasn't prepared for how long it was or the format it was in yesterday when I started reading it. I'll admit that I only skimmed through it, now that I have taken the time to read it from top to bottom in it's entirety, I am so glad I did. It really helps!!!! Think of it as a little book, written in letter form, and be prepared for it's length. Also trust that it is intentionally long and the length increases effectiveness. The author knows his stuff. This reminded me of Paul David's book At Last A Life...also a 15 year ex-sufferer of anxiety and DP. These long term sufferers become experts on what doesn't work and eventually, the simplicity of what does. Love the A-R=cure (anxiety minus rituals=cure). I will definitely be printing this and binding it into a little book for my bedside table. This little book of his will turn on your parasympathetic nervous system and turn off your sympathetic nervous system. One of the better resources I have seen! It is really helping to turn me around! This resource will be going into my DP Recovery Kit. Thanks for posting!!


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