# Ray Of Hope



## UKMike (May 7, 2009)

Hi everyone,

sometime last year I posted a few threads about my apparent dp/dr, It was at a time in my life where I was; alone, anxious, worried, obsessive and unhappy. My dp/dr feelings followed a textbook pattern; a build up of anxiety and stress coupled with a bad drug experience, which led me to mental and somehwat visual displacement. I couldn't remember how I was before my 'breakdown', couldn't settle myself into my surroundings, and woke up in fear everyday of what was happening to my brain. I know that there are many people on here that have dealt with dp/dr for an almost unbeleivably long time, and I hope I'm not offending any with my advice or opinions but there were certain lifestyle choices I employed to help me overcome my depression, anxiety and dp/dr and reconnect with who I was before everything went wrong.

- I can't stress enough how negative an influence the Internet was; I was checking forums and symptoms for 10 hours a day, scaring myself into believing the damage was irreversable and I was forever trapped in the 'dp world'. This place is great for information and support but you need to stear clear of anywhere where dp/dr is the main topic of conversation; how can you overcome such an obsessive disorder with further obsessive behaviour ?

- Competition; for me this was the best way of regaining normal thought patterns, become consumed in something you are passionate about and you'll soon be so engrossed that afterwards you will 'remember' you have dp/dr ... which is a brilliant feeling. (the realization that you can forget it momentarily).

- Therapy; just talk to someone who knows their stuff, it will help to talk about your experiences with dp/dr and what you think may have caused it; tackling the route of the problem may help you with the consuming obsessive thoughts.

- Belief: There aren't too many complete recovery stories on here which was disheartening to me during my problems, but there probably arent many because those who were diagnosed and recovered stayed clear of the claustrophobic, obsessive atmostoheres such as these and other online sources. They were probably diagnosed, pointed towards healthy activities and thought processes, and recovered without dwelling on the problems they faced.

I don't want to understate dp/dr and it's effects, I know first hand that it is terrifying and disabling; I'm not saying man up and get on with it because I know it's hard when you are set in a certain obsessive pattern, all I'm saying is it can be done. You can beat this and you can return to discover your old selves, just unplug your moniter and go live.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2010)

UKMike said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> sometime last year I posted a few threads about my apparent dp/dr, It was at a time in my life where I was; alone, anxious, worried, obsessive and unhappy. My dp/dr feelings followed a textbook pattern; a build up of anxiety and stress coupled with a bad drug experience, which led me to mental and somehwat visual displacement. I couldn't remember how I was before my 'breakdown', couldn't settle myself into my surroundings, and woke up in fear everyday of what was happening to my brain. I know that there are many people on here that have dealt with dp/dr for an almost unbeleivably long time, and I hope I'm not offending any with my advice or opinions but there were certain lifestyle choices I employed to help me overcome my depression, anxiety and dp/dr and reconnect with who I was before everything went wrong.
> 
> ...


You are exactly right about everything. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen, over and over again, people who have recovered say pretty much exactly the same things that you have said. Stop obsessing, no matter how hard it is make yourself do normal stuff, leave the house, get physical activity, get therapy. I have found that all of these things are incredibly beneficial and have helped me to start to recover. I used to be one of those people who layed in bed without showering for days and I would see someone post that you need to get out of bed and live life and I would tell myself that I couldn't because I was sick. I couldn't fathom how someone could drive themselves somewhere or even go for a walk outside. Then one day I decided that I wasn't going to give myself license to believe that I was special and sick and give myself excuses not to heal. So I pulled myself out of bed every day, no matter how hard it was and started living life again. I also started therapy and started facing my fears. All of it is helping me recover. While I am having a bad night, I've been in reality for 21 of the past 70 hours and that is EPIC. I know recovery is right around the corner. I can taste it and I am going to get better.


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## Misia (Nov 1, 2009)

Are...are you Jesus?









This thread should be stickied. If I ever come back to this site it will be only to view this post. I don't care how supportive this forum has been for anyone, it's a black hole. It's one of the most hypocritical and dangerous websites for someone who wants to overcome dp. The darkest moments of my life were caused by the negativity from the members on this site. dpselfhelp? More like dpselfhurt. If you think that you have some rare dissociative disorder that will never ever ever go away, do what you want. Mope around on here all you want. If you accept how you feel as a reaction to an overload of stress, be it from trauma, drugs, or a pre-existing mental issue, you will recover.

Vote my post down. I dare you. I don't care, I'll never come back. I have recovered.


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## curseofconstantsight (Feb 8, 2010)

On the road to recovery...

This is what works for me:

Symbyax (6 mg olanzipine/25 fluoxetine) - This combination saved me by helping me overcome my visual and aural distortions...

Recovery system - AA. Not to assume that anyone else may have alcohol or substance abuse problems but this puppy will work regardless of abuse problems...

Therapy - work on coping skills and talk about how the derealization affects ambition and realistic daily tasks

What I'm looking for:

Substantive literature to give to family and friends who don't understand DP so that I'm not written off as a lay-about or obsessed ne'er do well. (which I can be ha ha)

Anyone care to contribute anything they have that's worked on family and friends?


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## pancake (Nov 26, 2009)

curseofconstantsight said:


> What I'm looking for:
> 
> Substantive literature to give to family and friends who don't understand DP so that I'm not written off as a lay-about or obsessed ne'er do well. (which I can be ha ha) Anyone care to contribute anything they have that's worked on family and friends?


I have not given this anyone to read but it is a comprehensive, well written easy read: "Feeling Unreal" by Daphne Simeon, M.D., and Jeffrey Abugel. New York, Oxford University Press, 2006

A chapter or so is available to read on google books: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=M-Cgs_T7Cl8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=feeling+unreal&cd=1&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false


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