# Scared the DP is actually reality



## Tash (May 25, 2006)

I have loads of questions, but for starters:
My husband suffers with DP and one of the regular things that comes up when we are chatting to get him calmed down before sleep, is that he is not sure if what he is experiencing is actually reality and it's the rest of us that are living in a "dream" world of some kind.
He has trouble describing things to me (as I'm sure most of you will understand) and although I think I know what he means, I don't have any answers or suggestions for him.
These types of thoughts and "The big question" about life, is what actually scares him the most and can keep him awake at night.

Does anyone else experience this?
Does anyone have any suggestion of how he can get past this and how I might be able to help him?
I am so desperate to help him but I find it very difficult to know what to do.


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## Pancthulhu (May 27, 2006)

I philosophise a ridiculous amount and it isn't great when combined with DP. Even before I had DP I considered the idea that the world could be merely a hologram or an illusion, but I rejected it.

When you experience depersonalisation you essentially live in a world of fear. A world of fear is not a balanced one. When you feel 'normal' you experience the whole spectrum of emotions - happiness, sadness, wonder, fear, anger, love - all untainted by irrational phobia. This is a balanced universe. For the universe to be as unbalanced as it is when you experience DP doesn't make sense.

I worry a lot that I'll end up believing this world is merely an illusion, but deep down I know that it is only anxiety. The world is far too complicated to be contained inside one mind, as complex and huge as our minds are. When you think about how much we don't know about the universe, and how much mankind is discovering every day, you realise that you cannot merely be dreaming this. How can you dream of a universe you don't fully understand?

Solipsis, or the belief that oneself is the only 'real' being in the universe, is also a frequent trait of the psychedelic experience. Two of my friends have had a strong sense of solipsism and depersonalisation while tripping on psilocybin mushrooms. Derealisation can be induced by smoking (or more commonly by eating) cannabis. This indicates that solipsism and DP can be triggered by chemical reactions in the brain - DP is merely a chemical reaction.


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## CECIL (Oct 3, 2004)

Despite popular opinion, reality is different and unique for each person. Yes, this is reality your husband is experiencing. His own reality that he has constructed for himself.

The good news is he (and the rest of us) can create it however we like


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