# Depersonalisation/Derealisation, could it be sleep deprivation?



## Alfredo (Apr 13, 2013)

Hey guys, as some of you know I've been suffering from dp/dr for a few months now. Let me take you through my story.

In January I had my first panic attack watching a horror film, after sleeping on it I felt fine, a few weeks later I had a rough night sleep (about 3-4 hours) and came to school absolutely exhausted, during one of my lessons I experienced derealisation for the first time, I had a huge panic attack, this sent me spiralling into a horrible cycle which lasted a few more weeks, I soon felt back to normal. Then I went to Amsterdam, for two nights, the first night I didn't sleep at all, and was extremely tired, but didn't seem particularly derealised. I innocently followed my brother into Amsterdam's renown coffee shops, where there was literally a cloud of smoke in the entrance. I stayed in there for about 10 seconds before leaving back into the streets. Then the dr hit me like a wave, and I haven't really been the same since (got slightly better during the easter holidays, but got it as soon as I got back to school) I'm 15 and generally sleep for about 7 1/2 - 8 hours a night. Two nights ago I had an early night and slept for 9 1/2 hours, and felt slightly better in the morning than I had done for the past week.

So, my two questions are: Would that 10 seconds in a coffee shop full of cannabis smoke cause my dp/dr? and will I get better if I keep having these early nights and sleep for about 9 1/2 hours?

P.S. I'm normally constantly tired, literally from the second I get up to the second I go to bed, except for the other night when I slept for longer, then I felt slightly better.

P.S.S. I'm normally a hugely anxious person, and feel anxiety all the time.


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2013)

So, my two questions are: Would that 10 seconds in a coffee shop full of cannabis smoke cause my dp/dr? and will I get better if I keep having these early nights and sleep for about 9 1/2 hours?

P.S. I'm normally constantly tired, literally from the second I get up to the second I go to bed, except for the other night when I slept for longer, then I felt slightly better.

P.S.S. I'm normally a hugely anxious person, and feel anxiety all the time.

Hi,

Don't know you at all, but I'm typing this as I'm trying to stay awake, lol. And I am constantly tired myself.

Also, everyone here is unique, and your getting out of this depends on so many things. I hope the very best for you -- it is a struggle if this is for 10 minutes or 10 months or 10 years.

IMHO, the key to what you've said here is that you are a very anxious person. You are most likely more prone to dissociate (it's on a spectrum -- some people never understand what DP/DR are and have never had it, others experience it sometimes with no worries, many can experience it with lack of sleep and/or excess stress.)

GUARANTEED DP for me (and I've had mine non drug-induced for most of my life) is lack of sleep. Also, traveling into different time zones ... more than a 3 hour time difference truly causes my DP/DR to be horrendous. But if I don't get a "normal night's sleep" -- that is going to bed at a decent hour, and letting myself wake up on a regular schedule (about 8.5 hours) -- I WILL feel bad.

I doubt you have this from a brief encounter with pot.

Best recommendations are:

1. Work on various methods of dealing with your anxiety (anything from exercise, to CBT, to talk therapy, to whatever works)

2. Keep a regular schedule

3. Eat on a regular schedule and the usual -- have a healthy diet/keep up with exercise

4. Distract yourself -- try not to dwell on fear of having a DP/DR attack, etc. And I am not saying this is easy to do!

I was amazed hearing the other night -- with this crazy Boston Marathon bombing, etc. -- that many law enforcement personnel, medical personnel, and broadcasters and journalsists stayed up for 48 hours or more at a time. Doctors do the same. If they got DP/DR they wouldn't be able to do their job, so it depends on the individual.

Hope this helps.

With me keeping myself up right now, gets me to bed at a better time so I don't wake up too early. Practice with different coping tools. See my Blog for other stuff.

Nite.


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## Alfredo (Apr 13, 2013)

Thanks for the reply Dreamer , I now get dp constantly, except when I'm distracted. The trouble is I can't stay distracted, and soon I'm thinking about the dp again, I'm doing the worst and dwelling on it. Many people have told me to try and find the root of my anxiety, but I can't find it. I'm also worried that I'll have this forever, I wouldn't be able to cope with this for more than a year, I'm scared I'll do something horrible like kill myself  I'm stuck in a rutt now, depressed, anxious and depersonalised - I don't know what to do, I'm literally thinking about this horrible symptom every minute of every hour of every day. It's terrifying  I don't know what to do anymore.


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