# Paresthesia in the head. Is it DP or am I REALLY going crazy?



## Nanickore (Jul 25, 2013)

Hi everyone.

I've been having constant DP for over 4 years, which at times gets stronger and sometimes decreases. In January of this year I went to dinner with some friends and it was all ok. Then when I got home, I remember feeling a really weird shock in my head, and then suddenly the entire left part of my body got anesthetized. I still could feel it but it just wasn't the same, and pain became almost inexistent in that part. I went to sleep really scarred, and then the next day the sensation continued.

I did several exams, including cerebral spect, MRI and electroencephalogram. They found nothing that could explain the paresthesia, so the doctor concluded it was mainly stress and that I should rest. In the cerebral spect in fact there was something different than normal - the anterior right side of my brain was over-stimulated, while the left side of it was under-stimulated. My psychologist told me that this was a consequence of chronic depression and intense anxiety, so after a long time of mental masturbation and agony upon these things, I was trying to move on over this feeling.

The problem is that 11 months after that, I still get the paresthesia! In fact, I haven't got less anxious through time, but I think I will never be able to relax as long as this feeling doesn't leave me. At times, when I can sleep properly over a stable amount of time (which under my chronic insomnia pattern would be like 2 or 3 consecutive days) the paresthesia disappears almost entirely - that, when I'm relaxed and not trying to think of anything. But then, when I get to college and start to have any sort of mental exercise, paresthesia strikes again and when that happen, I cannot think in any other thing except "oh ####, I can't feel the left side of my head. I can't think straight. I'm going crazy". This has been following me through this entire year and it's a really exasperating feeling.

Sometimes, it seems like it makes me unable to think with the left side of my brain. It seems like a part of my brain is dead, because I don't know if you guys can feel the same, but I literally "feel" when my brain is under activity. Like, it gets warmer etc. But now I can't feel that with the left side of my brain - except when I'm totally relaxed or totally focused on any activity. I should also point that since the beginning of the year, I can't focus on any activity straight. It's like I'm always under a pattern of thoughts that doesn't let me enjoy anything, and that really fucks me up! I can't have fun anymore, cause my thoughts are always screwing me up and not allowing me to enjoy the most trivial activity. The only time when I feel that I can really focus on something, is when I'm doing college tests - which you might agree with me that it's not the most funny thing to do.

Today I was watching a theater play and I just couldn't enjoy it, cause my thoughts were always running through my mind, remembering of my condition, remembering of my left side anesthesia, remembering of the #### I go through because of it.

I've been under psychological treatment for over 2 years. Last month I've had some dissarangements with my psychologist, and now I'm leaving it to try a psychoanalytical approach, since cognitive-behavioral therapy seemed to have no effect upon my thoughts pattern. I'm posting this if you guys think that is a result of anxiety and dp, or that it might be something else. Some time ago I really believed this was something more serious (I've read that it could even be a brain stroke) but since the exams didn't point anything like this, it just leaves me no alternative rather than face it as an anxiety problem. What do I do to stop this, guys? Has anyone ever felt symptoms like that?


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## Nanickore (Jul 25, 2013)

Correcting: the front part of my left brain hemisphere is under-stimulated, just like my back part of the right side of my brain, while the front part of the right side is over-stimulated. This shit is confusing D:


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## odisa (Sep 2, 2013)

Dude I have the same fluctuating feeling of headspace. To be honest; they are my most disturbing symptoms; together with the disrupted body image.
Interestingly I have the same left-side-is-messed-up thing. Possibly right temporo-partial junction implications? Dunno, but you've been the first that describes what I experience.

Anyway; try to tone it down on the hypochondria. It is most likely a symptom of anxiety and DP. One must approach this as such.
Thus; see if you can find/try a sustainable anxiolytic. Effective herbal anxiolytics I've found are Cannabidiol, Damiana, and (>) Kava Kava.
Benzodiazepines might provide short-term relief, but often have long-term detrimental effects. I'm personally going on a short-term benzo treatment as I'm having a bad bout myself.

One thing I've found to help a lot is for this feeling is tDCS, but it's a drag applying the electrodes and running electricity through your brain, plus effect are rather transient.

tl;dr: deal with the anxiety


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## Nanickore (Jul 25, 2013)

odisa said:


> Dude I have the same fluctuating feeling of headspace. To be honest; they are my most disturbing symptoms; together with the disrupted body image.
> Interestingly I have the same left-side-is-messed-up thing. Possibly right temporo-partial junction implications? Dunno, but you've been the first that describes what I experience.
> 
> Anyway; try to tone it down on the hypochondria. It is most likely a symptom of anxiety and DP. One must approach this as such.
> ...


Wow, it's really relieving to know I'm not alone on this. I think you're right about the right tempo-partial junctions implications, but it's really weird to think that a subjective feeling like this could result in such an organic consequence.

I'm pretty sure my hypochondria doesn't help with the anxiety, but it's hard not to get stressed out with sicknesses with Google reporting you the most nefarious illness to our symptoms! Hahaha

I took bach florals for some time, and you may be these skeptic people that thinks this is lame but it really helped me! Whenever I took it I felt more calm and relaxed, specially on the first days. I used to take Xanax but the long-term effects scared the shit out of me so I'm not taking it anymore. Also, I take some herbal stuff like valerian, mulungu, passiflora, but to be honest, I just don't see any result from them. Maybe because of their subtle act I might not be realizing its effects. Who knows. I'm still taking them anyway.

I've never tried TDCS. Even with its transient effects, should I give it a try?


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## odisa (Sep 2, 2013)

Yes or vice versa with the neuro-subjective link.
I dunno.. I don't really care much about other illnesses I might have. Just focus on one thing at a time I guess.
Yes I'm very skeptic of bach flower remedies.. It's homeopathy.
Yep Xanax ain't sustainable. Anyway like I mentioned in chat; those herbs are generally quite mild.
Maybe try a different dose or another route of administration. (Passiflora tea does nothing for me; smoked I can get pretty relaxed).

Depends on how much you pay for tDCS. If you do it DIY style like I did; it's worth a shot for sure.


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## Doberg (Sep 12, 2013)

I have paresthesia in my brain too, which is why I think anticonvulsants would be a good start for me once I overcome my fear of medication. Its a weird sensation, kind of tingly in my frontal lob and on top of my head as well. I made mention in another post that I get involuntary jerks occasionally. Usually when I am super tired or laying down about to sleep. There is a word for it but I forget. This is normal with DP/DR I believe. Its the brain misfiring because its too stressed.

Stay positive my friend


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## seafoamwaves (Sep 20, 2013)

Doberg said:


> Its the brain misfiring because its too stressed.
> 
> Stay positive my friend


If your brain got too stressed, we'd all be having strokes and what not. All these weird symptoms just come along with us having anxiety, aka fear.


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## Nanickore (Jul 25, 2013)

Hey guys. Something really weird happened to me last night.

While I was laid in my bed struggling to sleep, I've had a tender memory of when I was younger and those days I would spend the entire morning on the computer lab of my school. This was a pleasant memory, and while the feeling of it started to take part of myself, I felt something weird in my head - right on the left side. Then suddenly I've felt like a really strong shock in my brain, like if one of my neurons got completely disintegrated out of nothing. It hurt a little bit, but then I just wasn't feeling that much of paresthesia anymore. That brain-dead feeling started vanishing too and I soon fell asleep.

Today I woke up feeling much better about the paresthesia, not only on the head but in the entire left part of my body. I'm still not 100%, but my well being considerably increased after this awkward event. Now I don't know what this can be related to - it might be a memory that wasn't properly processed through my brain. Or maybe this happened because a traumatic event would be remembered at that time and my brain didn't want my conscious part to know it, since it would be too much for my conscious self to handle.

This only leaves me more confident that I badly need a psychoanalytical approach. Psychoanalysis is pretty much about reprocessing inhibited memories and trying to uncover your non-conscious traumas, getting them exposed and learning how to deal with them. I'm starting the analysis sessions next week and I'm really confident about it. I'll keep you guys in touch if I find anything else that might be helpful.

Peace!


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2013)

This is my most persistent and concerning symptom since getting DP. It feels as though the left side of my head is dead/numb. As a result, I feel sideways all day. When I get a headache or a brain freeze, it only affects the right side of my head. It feels like I can't think with my whole brain. Furthermore, the left side of my face experiences less sensation than the right side. When theres a cold breeze outside, I feel it differently on the left side of my face different than on the right side. When I drink a hot beverage, I feel the steam on the left side of my face differently than on the right side. It almost feels like my right eye is bulging out, although it obviously is not actually doing that. Has anyone found relief for this horrible symptom?


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## Linguos (Jan 12, 2012)

Nanickore said:


> Hey guys. Something really weird happened to me last night.
> 
> While I was laid in my bed struggling to sleep, I've had a tender memory of when I was younger and those days I would spend the entire morning on the computer lab of my school. This was a pleasant memory, and while the feeling of it started to take part of myself, I felt something weird in my head - right on the left side. Then suddenly I've felt like a really strong shock in my brain, like if one of my neurons got completely disintegrated out of nothing. It hurt a little bit, but then I just wasn't feeling that much of paresthesia anymore. That brain-dead feeling started vanishing too and I soon fell asleep.
> 
> ...


I saw this exercise on Youtube... it will seem silly. That's a given. Just try it.






If successful, the axiety symptoms might diminish.

At least until the anxiety returns. To avoid that try some cognitive defusion afterwards, try to realize your thoughts aren't you, don't identify with them--at all. Ignore them actually.

Might help?


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