# DP/DR vs. Inner Ear Disorders



## Magneto (Sep 18, 2004)

Hi all

I've been reading your posts for the past few weeks, trying to figure out what it is that I myself am going through. I must say, I can certainly relate to the majority of the symptoms/feelings you have all expressed. But does this mean that I (or perhaps others) necessarily have DP/DR? Please bear with me, and understand that I am certainly not trying to tell anyone what they may or may not have.

My "condition" started shortly after experiencing pain and fullness in both ears following a bout with the flu. Thus in addition to this board I have been reading the posts on several inner/middle ear disorder boards, and I must say the similarities are striking and "too good" to turn a blind eye to.
Every inner ear disorder board I have been to has posts describing virtually identical symptoms to those I have seen on this (and other) DP/DR boards. Most notably, the "unreal", detached, spacey, fog feeling. Most of the people who *believe* they have an inner ear disorder complain of the fogged/spacey feeling. Keep looking and and you'll also see a number complaining of feeling "unreal" or detached. In addition, inner ear disorders can account for many of the noted visual and sensual disturbances: poor or nonexistant depth perception, sensitivity to light, "floaters", difficulty focusing, reduced field of view, poor sense of the surrounding area/space or other forms of disorientation. Many claim they feel the "floor is moving", or that they have difficulty looking at "busy" visuals (patterns, carpets) or at constants such as a uniformly painted wall. Headaches, neck and shoulder tension, head "fullness" is also a regular occurance. On an emotional/mental level, sufferers complain of an inability to concentrate, extreme anxiety, depression, memory issues and so on.

As most here are aware, extreme anxiety and internal self-focusing can cause a host of problems, in particular the emotional blunting. Could it be possible that an inner ear disorder, with the natural perceptual shifts that come with it, coupled with the anxiety it produces leads to an state of extreme anxiety, further manifesting the feelings of unreality and detachment (along the lines of DP/DR)?

The numbers of people posting/viewing on the ear disorder boards far outweights those who use the DP/DR boards. Why do these people on the ear disorder boards, for some reason, not consider the fact that they may actually be primarily suffering from a psychological condition? Or conversely, when the anxiety has become so bad, how many people originally assume they have a psycholigical condition (as I have done), not knowing that these ear problems can cause these strange sensations?

This all being said, those who have found relief on the ear disorders board noted near immediate relief from the spacey, detached feelings when their ears were allowed to drain or a infecting bacteria was destroyed.

I notice many people here complain of ear fullness/plugging whereas many others do not. What results/feedback have those with the ear problems received from their doctors? I, for quite some time now, have been sent on my merry way with a prescription for expensive nasal sprays or a recommendation to buy decongestants. But these techniques, upon further research, clearly do not work for many. All the while, I continually suffer with these symptoms that could potentially be all attributable to an ear disorder and the accompanying anxiety disorder.

Regardless of whether the ear condition is primary or secondary, I think huge relief could be found by those who would pursue sorting this issue out to completion. I'm sure many of you know the majority of this information already, but hopefully I've given some additional insight to others.

What I had mainly hoped to get out of this post is responses that in any way pertain to this. If anyone has this condition, has beaten this condition, been told that it is definitely not the cause of their more major problems etc., I would be most pleased if you would share it. I am trying to eliminate any "possibles" on my road to recovery, and this seems like a major one.

Thanks! Sorry my first post and introduction had to be so massive. 
Magneto


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## Magneto (Sep 18, 2004)

Hi all

I've been reading your posts for the past few weeks, trying to figure out what it is that I myself am going through. I must say, I can certainly relate to the majority of the symptoms/feelings you have all expressed. But does this mean that I (or perhaps others) necessarily have DP/DR? Please bear with me, and understand that I am certainly not trying to tell anyone what they may or may not have.

My "condition" started shortly after experiencing pain and fullness in both ears following a bout with the flu. Thus in addition to this board I have been reading the posts on several inner/middle ear disorder boards, and I must say the similarities are striking and "too good" to turn a blind eye to.
Every inner ear disorder board I have been to has posts describing virtually identical symptoms to those I have seen on this (and other) DP/DR boards. Most notably, the "unreal", detached, spacey, fog feeling. Most of the people who *believe* they have an inner ear disorder complain of the fogged/spacey feeling. Keep looking and and you'll also see a number complaining of feeling "unreal" or detached. In addition, inner ear disorders can account for many of the noted visual and sensual disturbances: poor or nonexistant depth perception, sensitivity to light, "floaters", difficulty focusing, reduced field of view, poor sense of the surrounding area/space or other forms of disorientation. Many claim they feel the "floor is moving", or that they have difficulty looking at "busy" visuals (patterns, carpets) or at constants such as a uniformly painted wall. Headaches, neck and shoulder tension, head "fullness" is also a regular occurance. On an emotional/mental level, sufferers complain of an inability to concentrate, extreme anxiety, depression, memory issues and so on.

As most here are aware, extreme anxiety and internal self-focusing can cause a host of problems, in particular the emotional blunting. Could it be possible that an inner ear disorder, with the natural perceptual shifts that come with it, coupled with the anxiety it produces leads to an state of extreme anxiety, further manifesting the feelings of unreality and detachment (along the lines of DP/DR)?

The numbers of people posting/viewing on the ear disorder boards far outweights those who use the DP/DR boards. Why do these people on the ear disorder boards, for some reason, not consider the fact that they may actually be primarily suffering from a psychological condition? Or conversely, when the anxiety has become so bad, how many people originally assume they have a psycholigical condition (as I have done), not knowing that these ear problems can cause these strange sensations?

This all being said, those who have found relief on the ear disorders board noted near immediate relief from the spacey, detached feelings when their ears were allowed to drain or a infecting bacteria was destroyed.

I notice many people here complain of ear fullness/plugging whereas many others do not. What results/feedback have those with the ear problems received from their doctors? I, for quite some time now, have been sent on my merry way with a prescription for expensive nasal sprays or a recommendation to buy decongestants. But these techniques, upon further research, clearly do not work for many. All the while, I continually suffer with these symptoms that could potentially be all attributable to an ear disorder and the accompanying anxiety disorder.

Regardless of whether the ear condition is primary or secondary, I think huge relief could be found by those who would pursue sorting this issue out to completion. I'm sure many of you know the majority of this information already, but hopefully I've given some additional insight to others.

What I had mainly hoped to get out of this post is responses that in any way pertain to this. If anyone has this condition, has beaten this condition, been told that it is definitely not the cause of their more major problems etc., I would be most pleased if you would share it. I am trying to eliminate any "possibles" on my road to recovery, and this seems like a major one.

Thanks! Sorry my first post and introduction had to be so massive. 
Magneto


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## shadowness (Sep 12, 2004)

hey hey!



great post...interesting read...

i approached my doctor recently to look at my ears and they have been bothering me...feeling blocked and itchy at times...

but nothing seems to be wrong... :?

i think if you have dp/dr...whether it is due to mental or physical probs...it is best to get your health checked out incase some things are a co-incidence...

it does not halm you to have yourself checked out...if anything i find it helps to make me realise that it is just the anxiety or whatever....

sorry...now i am going off track :roll:


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## shadowness (Sep 12, 2004)

hey hey!



great post...interesting read...

i approached my doctor recently to look at my ears and they have been bothering me...feeling blocked and itchy at times...

but nothing seems to be wrong... :?

i think if you have dp/dr...whether it is due to mental or physical probs...it is best to get your health checked out incase some things are a co-incidence...

it does not halm you to have yourself checked out...if anything i find it helps to make me realise that it is just the anxiety or whatever....

sorry...now i am going off track :roll:


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## Magneto (Sep 18, 2004)

Hey Shadowness, thanks for the reply. I'm glad you enjoyed the post 

You echoed my sentiments, in that one would of course need to get everything checked out prior to jumping to the "psychological conclusion" :wink:

I suppose am just wishfully thinking that the ENT I see next week will declare that I do indeed have a problem with my ears, that I will get it fixed, and all of my problems, save the bad memories, will dissapear (like others have reported on the ear disorder boards).

Magneto


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## Magneto (Sep 18, 2004)

Hey Shadowness, thanks for the reply. I'm glad you enjoyed the post 

You echoed my sentiments, in that one would of course need to get everything checked out prior to jumping to the "psychological conclusion" :wink:

I suppose am just wishfully thinking that the ENT I see next week will declare that I do indeed have a problem with my ears, that I will get it fixed, and all of my problems, save the bad memories, will dissapear (like others have reported on the ear disorder boards).

Magneto


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## g-funk (Aug 20, 2004)

I am by nature very inquisitive into ailments and the such. This is possibly and very likely linked to anxiety/hypochondria. I think far too much on these subjects and like the saying goes, if you put enough monkeys in a room with enough type writers, with enough time, they will complete the works of Shakespeare.

Through my need to deconstruct the very nature of dp and anything related, I have covered ground on anything that could possibly be related-physical and psychological. Any of these could be relevant, some could be just plain hypochondria but here we go...

I have, since I was born, always suffered from ear infections. To this day, I have allergies, asthma and sinus problems. This is not hypochondria as have been hospitalised due to asthma. Every time I go to the doctors he says my ears look like swimming pools. Whenever I feel dizzy and disoriented I can always relate it to a recent cold/allergy and from time to time I go deaf in the one ear, always the same ear. I could wax lyrical on allergies and sinus trouble in my family...

The symptoms of other physical conditions overlap with the above and dp/anxiety. Infact, there are many links that I think could be explored, that would point to the kind of person who is predisposed to dissociation.
I could go on for hours on the this but I am aware of the fact that it is all too easy to make conclusions when you want to something to be true or when you are not being rational.


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## g-funk (Aug 20, 2004)

I am by nature very inquisitive into ailments and the such. This is possibly and very likely linked to anxiety/hypochondria. I think far too much on these subjects and like the saying goes, if you put enough monkeys in a room with enough type writers, with enough time, they will complete the works of Shakespeare.

Through my need to deconstruct the very nature of dp and anything related, I have covered ground on anything that could possibly be related-physical and psychological. Any of these could be relevant, some could be just plain hypochondria but here we go...

I have, since I was born, always suffered from ear infections. To this day, I have allergies, asthma and sinus problems. This is not hypochondria as have been hospitalised due to asthma. Every time I go to the doctors he says my ears look like swimming pools. Whenever I feel dizzy and disoriented I can always relate it to a recent cold/allergy and from time to time I go deaf in the one ear, always the same ear. I could wax lyrical on allergies and sinus trouble in my family...

The symptoms of other physical conditions overlap with the above and dp/anxiety. Infact, there are many links that I think could be explored, that would point to the kind of person who is predisposed to dissociation.
I could go on for hours on the this but I am aware of the fact that it is all too easy to make conclusions when you want to something to be true or when you are not being rational.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2004)

This is very interesting. I don't think mine has anything to do with my ears, though. I got mine directly during and after a panic attack. I know many new moms to get this after the birth of a baby, like myself. Many others get this after they smoke pot or take LSD.

I wish this was the answer, Oh, that would be so nice!! Thank you for sharing!!!

Carla


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2004)

This is very interesting. I don't think mine has anything to do with my ears, though. I got mine directly during and after a panic attack. I know many new moms to get this after the birth of a baby, like myself. Many others get this after they smoke pot or take LSD.

I wish this was the answer, Oh, that would be so nice!! Thank you for sharing!!!

Carla


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi Magneto,

I have an inner ear vestibular disorder and know for certain that when it's worse so is my dp.
Even though I had a very mild form of dp prior to my diagnosed vestibular condition.
My dp became chronic after I took a 6 hour flight with a horrid flu.The pain during landing in my ears was unreal.

I have also spent time on these balance/dizzy/inner ear boards and discovered the same thing as you.Common threads.

Personally I think there is a connection for some people.
I actually think it could be why klonopin can be helpful.It is also used to treat vestibular disorders.

Cheers Shelly


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2004)

Hi Magneto,

I have an inner ear vestibular disorder and know for certain that when it's worse so is my dp.
Even though I had a very mild form of dp prior to my diagnosed vestibular condition.
My dp became chronic after I took a 6 hour flight with a horrid flu.The pain during landing in my ears was unreal.

I have also spent time on these balance/dizzy/inner ear boards and discovered the same thing as you.Common threads.

Personally I think there is a connection for some people.
I actually think it could be why klonopin can be helpful.It is also used to treat vestibular disorders.

Cheers Shelly


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

this is a good post. i saw a tv show recently that talked about the inner ear. and how it regulates so much in your body mainly your equalibrium. and if something goes wrong.. you wouldnt even be able to stand. things would look distorted and unreal. you would exibit symptoms that you wouldnt think had to do with your ears.. but your ears do much more for you than to just help you hear.


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

this is a good post. i saw a tv show recently that talked about the inner ear. and how it regulates so much in your body mainly your equalibrium. and if something goes wrong.. you wouldnt even be able to stand. things would look distorted and unreal. you would exibit symptoms that you wouldnt think had to do with your ears.. but your ears do much more for you than to just help you hear.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2004)

That's so true Sleepy,sometimes I walk like I'm drunk  
Unfortunately our balance mechanism is situated insdie our inner ear.... a poor design really.It is also very close to the brain.
It supposed to send signals tot he brain telling us up from down and our orientation in space.

Our vision also plays a big part.
In the dark,I couldn't walk walk straight if you paid me.
I have to have a night light on so I don't bump into the walls,looking for the loo.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2004)

That's so true Sleepy,sometimes I walk like I'm drunk  
Unfortunately our balance mechanism is situated insdie our inner ear.... a poor design really.It is also very close to the brain.
It supposed to send signals tot he brain telling us up from down and our orientation in space.

Our vision also plays a big part.
In the dark,I couldn't walk walk straight if you paid me.
I have to have a night light on so I don't bump into the walls,looking for the loo.


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## Pure (Nov 4, 2010)

I know this is from quite a while ago... but does anyone have any thoughts on this? I am in total agreement that DP/DR has something to do with my ears.


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