# Derealization. Some thoughts of a therapist.



## vfrankl (Nov 25, 2017)

I'm a therapist, age 65. Long history of anxiety dating back to early childhood. Derealization started in 2004 when I had many health scares. I think derealization is secondary to being such an inward individual........too much in my own head. So that very familiar surroundings become 'not real', because I've made my inner world the whole reality in a sense. I don't generally experience DR when I have a lot to focus on outside of myself. I'm a musician, and practice a lot, which helps. But my office is in my home, so my main external focus is my work....where i never have DR. Probably, an office outside of my home, with more people around, would have helped the cause. I take a low dose of paxil, which gets me out of my head, and thus lessens the DR indirectly. I've tried to adopt the method of John Nash, "A Beautiful Mind", who learned to ignore his hallucinations. I try to ignore DR, or think of it as a hiccup that doesn't need my attention. I go with the flow as they say. Paradoxical Intention helps too. It comes and goes. It's who I am.


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## Cosmic.loser (Jan 8, 2018)

Thank you


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## bigpwn (Dec 14, 2017)

Hello, nice to meet you.

My depersonalization/derealization disorder also started from very bad health scares after a panic attack (age of 23), I started analyzing every little thing happening in my body because I was constantly scared that I was dying and I just had to google and find out what was wrong with me. Went to the doctor at least 10 times in 2 months, wasted so much money, even went to the ER once, and of course they all told me maybe my problem is psychological, but I just wouldn't believe them.

I lost my job due to it, and now I also work from home, so that is what's maybe keeping me from improving?

Thank you very much for your post

Edit: I just realized this was posted in 2017...


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