# "It's all in your head" .. Entirely recovered :)



## Optimist

Hello everyone,

After spending about a horrible year in the midst of this so called "disorder", I can say I am entirely 100% out of it. DP has shown no trace for months. Everything feels normal, nothing feels alien or unreal. I don't do those existential thoughts anymore. Everything in my life feels exactly like it did before DP hit me. My emotions are absolutely back to normal and exploding. The most important indication that I have conquered this is that I don't even remember how DP feels like. It feels like I've been normal all long, even during the times when DP was at its peaks. It's funny how your brain works. When DP'ed, you will feel like you've always been in that state, you even start questioning how you were before DP, or whether or not you ever were even normal. After recovery, it feels like you've always been normal, even when in the middle of DP struggling. You will even start laughing at yourself for suffering this long.

I remember back then when I was suffering, I would read the posts of those who recovered and said "it's all in your head, you're all normal to earth, just live a normal life and you will recover". My reaction would be: " screw you, this all can't be just in my head !! You obviously have no clue what you are talking about." I used to believe that I have an illness and I am fucked in the head. This made me waaaay more stressed, and thus dp would get worse. I always thought those who recovered had a DP that was milder than mine, or theirs was somehow different altogether. Somehow i knew that I won't recover like them. yeah, all the negativity, no wonder DP lasted that long. Somehow, everyone believes that their version of DP is the worst.

Now, to the main question, how to recover.

The answer: NOTHING. yep, nothing. Other than to fully accept it. Some would say: but I tried to accept but DP still lingers for years. Well, I've been there, you weren't actually accepting it deep down. Believing that you have accepted it doesn't mean that you actually have successfully accepted it! There are two different levels of acceptance: accepting on the surface, and accepting deep down. Do you want a proof that you haven't fully accepted your state: what the hell are you doing on this forum? and why are you reading my post?

You aren't on this website unless this condition is bothering you, so tell me again how you have come to accept it? Well, you haven't. To accept it is to actually live with it as though it exactly never exists. It should never bother you anymore. Even though I heard this advice once DP hit me, I only started to apply it successfully after about 10 months of suffering. It is that hard. You actually have to feel or show no emotions/reactions AT ALL whenever an episode of DP strikes. Here's a list of questions, if you answer to even one of them with a yes, then you haven't accepted your DP:

- Do you sincerely hate your DP feelings?

- Do you wish to recover from this and never have it again?

- Are you trying to rush your recover?

- Have you stopped practicing some of your activities or postponed them until after recovery?

- Do you constantly check on how your feeling, or rate your DP from 1 to 10?

- Do you spend hours researching the condition online?

- Do you wish you never had this condition?

- Do you think fate was unfair for you to have suffered with this?

- Do you think you are unhappy because of DP?

The list can go on and on, but I think that would be sufficient to convey my message.

I am sure that vast majority here would answer with a yes to all of the questions, or even add 50 more questions and answer them with a yes. If you do, then I suggest reconsidering that you actually haven't even taken the first step into recovery. Stop moaning and start living !!

I repeat, it's not easy to fully accept it. It's hard to pretend that you don't hate those feelings it brings. It's hard to not think negatively and ruminate all day long when it strikes you. One word: distraction. No matter how chronic or severe your condition is, if you distract yourself for long enough without rejecting your DP in anyway, you will be on the right track.

Now, you all have to realize one thing, this website is TOXIC. Not only that it's filled with negatively and people who halt your recovery, it actually forces you subconsciously to think about DP. Remember: thinking about DP even in the slightest means you're not fully accepting it.

You don't have to follow a certain lifestyle or take specific medications to get over this. Many different studies have shown that SSRI pills have the same effect as placebo pills. You don't need them as they do more destruction than to actually cure you magically.

If you want to have a strict lifestyle for recovery, sure please do. If that works, good for you. However, This actually can work against recovery for some people. For example, some would say you have to cut down on coffee since it increases anxiety. Whenever I did that, I found myself more thinking of DP and rejecting the its feelings. In other words, it kept me away from accepting it. A strict lifestyle to get rid of DP means you're trying hard to recover, which means you're NOT fully accepting it. Though some people managed to recover following that. Not me however.

In my opinion, psychiatrists aren't the best to treat this. They will label you with a "disorder" and give you drugs that work no better than a placebo. This labeling alone can crush recovery for some people. You will start to think that you are different, unfortunate, and less than other people. Even though you aren't in any way. You will research online to only find stories of those others who got labeled and didn't feel better, and you will assume the same will happen to you. Labeling will force you to walk in a very specific way in life, even though you are free to walk wherever you want. Dark thoughts and pessimism will be planted in your head, and worse suffering is to follow. Even though their intention might be pure, I do believe a lot of psychologist and psychiatrists worsen the condition of sufferers. All of anxiety, depression, and many other mental disorders are still unclear to them even though they believe they know it all. However, when you ask those who actually recovered WITHOUT medication, and you will hear different approaches.

I have mumbled for a little while, I apologize for a long post. I even have not organized my thoughts before typing this. I just opened a new thread and said here whatever I had on mind. I just know how much I loved reading recovery stories back then. It lit my tunnel with hope, and I would like to do the same here. This is completely curable I assure you. I do believe that most people recover from this. However, we all leave forums for good and forget about it. That's why you only see those negative people lingering around here and spreading false facts.

I will try to answer questions as much as I can. I will try to pull myself back to this forum from time to time.

All of you DP people, this will go away I assure you. Just never come back to these forums again and live your life to the maximum. FULLY ACCEPT YOUR DP, DEEP DOWN. Don't just say that you do. There's nothing wrong with your brain. Remember that !!

Wish you all the best.


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## Guest

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## philandrjack

I'm sorry but I disagree. What about the array of psychological problems that brought on dp? Like codependency, low self esteem, emotional abuse, disfunctional families, people pleasing, anxiety, not having a secure base etc?
I tried ignoring Dp and things got better I was able to live on my own, go to uni, get a girlfriend, but basically my life still sucked and dp persisted because I never faced the true causes of the disorder.
Maybe people like you and Delicate don't have proper DPD maybe you have just DP brought on by stress, because it makes no sense that if DP is brought on by emotional repression, just by ignoring dp you start to emotinally express yourself again.
Cheers


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## JuliusCeasar

Optimist said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> After spending about a horrible year in the midst of this so called "disorder", I can say I am entirely 100% out of it. DP has shown no trace for months. Everything feels normal, nothing feels alien or unreal. I don't do those existential thoughts anymore. Everything in my life feels exactly like it did before DP hit me. My emotions are absolutely back to normal and exploding. The most important indication that I have conquered this is that I don't even remember how DP feels like. It feels like I've been normal all long, even during the times when DP was at its peaks. It's funny how your brain works. When DP'ed, you will feel like you've always been in that state, you even start questioning how you were before DP, or whether or not you ever were even normal. After recovery, it feels like you've always been normal, even when in the middle of DP struggling. You will even start laughing at yourself for suffering this long.


haha that is true...i have dp/dr again from depression... but what you said is true...this is what was i thinking when i recovered back in 2009/2010. It was like dp was just like flu. But now it is like first time... pure hell for 3 months. Still remember after i recovered sometime when i was depressed i wanted to go to Dp state thinking like Dp was way better then this shit depression. Wish you all the best...and hope you don't go trough dp again like me....now it seams it will last forever.


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## Guest

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## philandrjack

I understand your point of view, and I'm not trying to undermine your struggle with the disorder, and if I did I apologize. However I don't understand how you can separate DP from the cause. For example you say that you had a great life and a great family with a lot of love but still had DP, so what was causing it? Just the fact that you obsessed over it? I don't obsess about DP, I am able to fully function in my life with DP but I don't like my life, I'm not able to express myself and this is causing DP.

And to say "If you have these other issues, then why are you on this forum, trying to recover from DP?" makes absolutely no sense, as DP is CAUSED by these issues. It's like saying: "If you're fat, why are you going to the gym you need to loose weight first".


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## Someoneone

@Optimist, Amazing topic! I am so happy to have read your story and I wish you the best in your life man!

I am preparing myself to start not giving damn about DP/DR but first I need to do a bit more tests. I want to eliminate all possible physiological causes of my DP/DR cause that's the onyl way I cab become completely determined and start not caring at all 

@Administration and Moderation, my ultimate respect to you! As opposed to so many other forum staffs, you people actually haven't made this topic mysteriously disappear regardless of the fact that this text by Optimist doesn't help promote traffic and activity to this forum, for obvious reasons 

If today's doctors and society in general was as good as you people are, this world would be a much better place to live in.

I don't mean to kiss up to you or anything like that, as a matter of fact I just registered here, and I did so mainly to tell you this!


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## OvercomeTheAnxietyDP/DR

Delicate said:


> Curing DP and curing those issues are not done in the same way, or even at the same time. They shouldn't be. If your other problems are big enough, then the focus should be on those, and DP should be put to the side, until you have those deeper issues sorted. Then, when they are, the DP may have naturally left you but if not, THEN come back on this forum for advice. If you have these other issues, then why are you on this forum, trying to recover from DP? One way to stay stuck is to try and tackle both at once - which is evident in your case as you are still on this forum. If DP however IS the bigger issue for you, then you can recover from that and move on in your life. I had a neglectful upbringing, parents who never changed their selfish ways (to this day) but it was a lesser issue to the DP, which I had in fact slowly, without therapy, "matured" myself away from the situation, so I now have a home in a different county, I'm married, I have security, love, happiness - I don't need to be in that situation that I grew up in, I accepted my parents and I let it go. So for me, DP was the bigger issue. All I had to deal with was the present moment and in that present moment my life was great - but I had DP, for 6 years. So that was my focus (or not, as it works out ) for recovery. To say that we didn't have "proper" DP (whatever that is) for being able to recover a certain way is a little naive.


Same thing, i'm 23 now, I live in a dysfunctional house hold, but let me say this, do you think I should go to Job Corp? They take ages 16-24


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## timzie

I think DP is different for everyone, one has it because of anxiety another because of depression, I have it because I have mini seizures in my brain so it s organic, so I can accept all I want and not think about it but it won t go away...happy that you recovered but you cannot generalize for everyone...


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## kimnyborg

great written but before i take you advice i have to try antidepressive maybe it will make DP less annoying.


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## lautje

I now it really works. Because it works for me before and distraction. 
But I'm on now again and forget how I accepted it. 
Do you have any tips how you can accept it?


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## chelsy010

Optimist, I have only one for you or maybe two. THANKYOU.


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## blackkey1

Awesome post! You can't please everyone optimist. Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail your thoughts and experiences on the matter. To those who want to recover, take this advice and don't look back.


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## dancintrulife

I kind of have to agree, although a medication has helped me manage dp, the main thing for me is just not thinking about it and forgetting about it. I am not cured but I am able to control it now which was completely out of my control before. In face, just yesterday I had a break through, there is a certain shop I usually get dp in but yesterday I was in and out of the shop no problem before I even thought of dp, and because I hadn't thought of it I didn't experience it. It might seem likea small step but it was big for me. It's true to manage dp, just don't let yourself think of it. I haven't been on this forum in a long time, randomly thought if it tonight and decided to drop by,but I don't get bogged down in the whole dp thing anymore, I just forget about it and live my life.


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## Arabella_Stuart

Help me. Great post. I dont know where to start. Dp is so annoying.


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## NEEDMOREBLAZE

I crack up at the thought that this website is "toxic", believing that visiting a web page will prevent you from recovering fully is ignorant in my opinion. This site is about sharing experiences and recovery techniques, not sure why that is considered "toxic" in some peoples imagination, to me that type of rationale encompasses the same mindset of fear and worry that leads most people to DP.


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## Guest

How bad this site is for someone depends on how they use it. It's great if you read recovery stories and learn about your situation and how to handle it from those more informed. But, there are quite a few "DP IS AN INESCAPABLE HELL!!!" threads that can really drag people down if they read them; I full well know recovery is possible and those threads can still make me feel scared and shitty, so I just avoid them.

The other thing is, part of getting over DP is moving on with your life, so coming to this site is just going to remind people that they have it and make it hang around that much longer.


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## Guest

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## Guest

Therapy is good to a point, but it's an individuals own efforts that will see them to recovery with things like, anxiety, depression or DP. There will come a time when the therapy has given you all the tools and support you need to get going and use them, and a then it will be somewhat counterproductive to keep going. Once you have everything you need for recovery, going back to therapy will just reinforce that you have an issue and you won't be gaining anything. So really, therapy is best used as a crutch like medications; if you want to fully recover you have to get off of the crutches at some point,

So, if your having serious issues with anxiety and you can't manage it your self, then therapy would be good. If it's mostly under your control and you've learned how to handle it and recover, then it might be best to stick it out on your own.


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## Optimist

Well, hello again.

Yep, I know and I am sorry  . I wrote my story and I kinda disappeared for a while. This is why you don't see many recovered people around here. We move on and and DP never crosses our minds, let alone remembering these forums and actually visiting them. Back then I remember telling myself:" once I recover, I will be helping people on those forums for as long as I can". When I really moved on I returned to my old selfish self and never kept my promise of returning here. I got busy and forgot about all of this. Since deep down DP isn't a threat anymore, I wouldn't feel compelled to visit here. I am not proud to say this.



Fearless said:


> If you don't understand what is happening to you, you'll relapse. Regardless of how enthusiastic you are right now. Enthusiasm goes away, and you'll be left with those feelings again, powerless. You didn't get DP by reading dpselfhelp.com.
> 
> I wish you the best, anyway.


I hope I understand what was happening to me. Back then I used to read a lot about psychology, the physiology of brain, and neuroscience. I believe I had a firm knowledge of DP, anxiety, and why any related feelings struck me.

I am not really much enthusiastic right now as you say. I wasn't waiting for my recovery and I didn't long for it so bad. I really feel indifferent as I've been recovered for a while and haven't even realized that. I was enthusiastic the moment I said fuck this I will live life to the maximum. you say I might have the DP feelings again, so what? almost all people might experience a degree of DP. The only difference is that they don't fear it or dwell on it. They don't even know that this feeling has a name. I asked many of my friends who never had anxiety/dp issues if they ever felt like they are in a dream or that life is unreal. Many said "yeah sure" so causally. It's a stress symptom like headaches for example. anybody can get it. I can't say I will never have headaches again in my life, nor will I fear them. If DP ever hits me again, I will let it run its course until my body rests and stress hormones are back to normal.

I don't mind it if DP hits me again right now. As I said, the first key to recovery is to never expect to never have DP again in your life.



NEEDMOREBLAZE said:


> I crack up at the thought that this website is "toxic", believing that visiting a web page will prevent you from recovering fully is ignorant in my opinion. This site is about sharing experiences and recovery techniques, not sure why that is considered "toxic" in some peoples imagination, to me that type of rationale encompasses the same mindset of fear and worry that leads most people to DP.


On the contrary, I find the opinion of considering this page as "toxic" to be a knowledgeable opinion  rather than ignorant. Allow me to tell you why.

Visiting here can slow down your recovery for two reasons.

*One:* The fact that you took the time to come and visit here means DP is still a big deal for you. You can't come here unless you think DP is a pain in the ass. This is against accepting it and not giving a damn about it, the very first step for recovery. It also forces you to think about it and make it the center of your day. You might say, but this is like you're fooling yourself !! you can't run away from what gives you the feelings. Because that won't be real recovery. Right, but just stay away from the forums until you feel better. Once recovered, come back here all you want, and it won't bring DP feelings back by then !!

It's like an athlete who got an injury in his legs. He will be asked to stay away from any kind of exercise until his bones fully heal. If he doesn't, even a simple jog might cause his injury to worsen and his recovery will be slower. After the injury is overcome, he can go and do whatever he wants. When in the state of DP and anxiety, we become hypersensitive and the smallest thing can scare the shit out of us. Just like with the athlete and his bones, our nerves are overloaded and the smallest thought can set us back to square one.

*Two:* some members here might make you feel worse.

I have found many people here to by pessimistic by nature. Hence, I signed up with an optimistic username to convince myself that I am not falling for their negativity. It all makes sense, DP could very well be merely a result negativity. "what if I have those feelings for ever?, what if I can't recover?" are very common questions thrown away by almost every sufferer on those forums. We anticipate the worse. Those dark thoughts are the *only* reason why I suffered for so long. I am sure many recovered folks would say the same things. It's a clear fact that negativity and fear are what keep those feelings coming back, right?

alright, now: who writes the most here? happy people? I think not. Depressed people? Hell yeah. I am pretty sure your desperation is what drove you here. You are here to let out of whatever feelings you have cuz it's only other sufferers who would understand you the most. You come here feeling down and depressed, those feelings make you draw emotional conclusions and spread false facts. You come here and find a story of a man who's been like this for 10+ years. He tells you he's done everything but nothing seems to get him feel better. He also says some people just have this for life due to brain wiring issues. Talk about a buzzkill. Now your dark thoughts become even darker and pull you deeper into DP. I remember after feeling down every time I visit the forums, I decided I would only read the recovery threads. Nothing negative comes form there right? Fuck no, just scroll down and read the first reply that says:" this doesn't work for anyone, you might not have had a real DP in the first place" ..Then the negativity makes me think " yeah, what if he is right? what if this doesn't work with anyone?" how the hell am I supposed to feel better with such people?

Sure, there is great help here as well. I did learn some stuff here. A lot of recovery stories echoed loudly in my head. My advice: if those forums make you discouraged, only read like 10 recovery stories and leave. Don't look back. You have gained the tools you need to overcome this. All recovery stories are essentially the same. Accept and distract.

*Note: * I said it, not everyone would feel the same about the forums. If you never find those forums to be affecting you in a negative fashion, please keep surfing here and I apologize if I offended you. If you think some comments are halting your recovery. Don't come around here. Simple

I appreciate that you read my reply, and I also appreciate those who replied.


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## Optimist

Just checking in.

I gotta say: Wow, It was me who used to suffer DP and feel so hopeless. I don't even remember how it feels like.

DP hasn't even crossed my mind for so long. I just somehow remembered how I used think I would never recover. This memory made me laugh. Today, I feel happier, more confident, and more alive than ever. In fact, I got engaged, and I also got a new promotion. A year back I would NEVER have imagined I would be where I am today. If you asked me back then, I would've said that I would still be DP'ed/depressed for sure on the 3rd of December 2013.

"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing"

Just remindesr:


If you feel something right now, that doesn't necessarily mean you will have the same feeling for ever. Someday, it will go away. Regardless of how long you've had this feeling for. 
Don't read too much into it, DP will go away if you don't feed it with fear and obsessive thoughts, period. No matter how you look at it, changing your thinking pattern will *slowly* take you to recovery. Give it as long as it needs. Don't go for a few weeks and then give up or start looking for quicker fixes. Patience is key. 
When DP hits you, stay indifferent towards it. Say: "oh yeah another DP episode" and keep doing whatever you were doing. Don't analyze, don't conclude, don't try to figure anything out. Stay completely indifferent. Ride it out. 
The more significance you give it, the longer it sticks around. 
To recover, deprive DP of all significance you've given it. Don't research it, don't include it in your future plans, don't think it has power or control over your life, don't think DP can stop you from doing anything you like, and most importantly, don't fear it at all. 

Stop coming to this website. The more you do, the more you teach your brain that DP is a threat, and the more significance you will give it.

I wish you all the best.


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## Danger0187

Great overall postings in this thread. I have to say though, I disagree with one thing about it. You say that you should just accept DP. While I do feel that you need to come to some level of acceptance about your symptoms, you should never accept that you're just going to have this disorder. I had accepted this disorder for many years. While I lived a mostly normal life, it did make me take less risks and I avoided situations that would cause anxiety. I had accepted that this was going to be with me in one form or another for the rest of my life. Let me tell you... That mindset is poisonous! I wish I would have figured that out years ago. Full recovery is possible if you believe it. If you constantly tell your brain that you'll have it for the rest of your life, then that's what will happen. I now believe that I can recover fully, and my brain is adjusting accordingly. I've made more progress in my recovery the last 3 weeks than I have in 6 years. Don't let the fear control you. Don't ever be afraid to do something because you might get afraid while doing it. Fear feeds fear, and it's a hard cycle to break.

He is right about the website though. Don't come here everyday and then expect your brain to not think about your symptoms. If you were afraid of spiders, would you go to a forum with tales of horrible spider experiences and expect your fear of spiders to get better? No. That's just stupid. I've been dropping by here from time to time to try to help others. The best way to get rid of dp is to not think about dp. Trust me, I know that's hard. Good luck to everyone!


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## Optimist

Hello everyone,

I cannot believe it's been three years since I started this thread. Just like you'd think, there are no traces of DP in my life whatsoever 

I was driving for over 7 hours the other day, it was very dark and I was alone. I started to have funny thoughts about the place around me and then BAM, I remembered there is such a thing called Depersonalization. I smiled, as this word has not crossed my mind for very long.

aaghh, it is crazy. There was a time where overcoming DP was my only goal in life, as I thought it was impossible to achieve. There was a time when I used to spend all of my day fearing and thinking about this state. That time has been long gone.

Your brain is not screwed up. Your luck is not miserable. You are fine, just like me and hundreds of people who recoverd and left those forums .. it is very hard to recover and still remember DP, that's why most of those who recover leave and never come back.I am sure all of you will recover and forget about the whole thing. To do so, accept it deep down. You have not accepted it deep down yet I am sure. Otherwise you would not be on those forums. You think you have, but you really havn't. I have been there, and then I had an epiphany:" Aha, now I think I am accepting it" .. It took me about 10 months or so to learn to accept it, even though I thought I had accepted it in the first week I had this condition. Remebmer: believing that you accepted and really accepting it are two different things.

Good luck to all of you, distract yourself and enjoy your life.


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## KJames

Thank you for taking the time to share your story.

Congratulations.


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## Guest

This post made me feel really good. Thanks so much!


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## illmatic

Great post! Thanks for keeping us updated and helping out the community after you have recovered. I totally agree that acceptance is the key to recovery


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## hennessy

Nearly everyone in life has traumas, a little low-self esteem issues and everyone gets depressed from time to time. Nobody is perfect. That doesn't mean that you have to suffer from DP all the time. Try to fix yourself, trust yourself and KEEP ON living your life as you want it to be. It's possible.


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## Zed

Sin-eater said:


> Do you remember anything at all? And why is it that we are like this, not remembering?


Dissociation is detachment. Our memories can be dissociated (detached or disconnected) from our consciousness. We still have the memories, except we can't access them. The memories are compartmentalised behind dissociative walls in our minds. Sooner or later the dissociative walls begin to crumble and the truth spills out - whatever that truth may be.

It's not uncommon for traumatic memories to be dissociated as well, leaving absolutely no conscious trace of the events. In other words, it's quite possible to have a very traumatic background and have no recollection of it at all. That's the nature of dissociation.


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## mmdpri

Best post in all the internet
It's holy words for me 
I love this post so much!
I try my best from now on to love this thing and accept it and live with it like it never happened 
You give an amazing feeling 
God bless you ,tnx for this post


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## Optimist

Wow, can't believe it's been 5 years since I started this thread. The term DP as a whole crosses my mind like once a year now. Even By going through my posts, it feels like they were written by a different person, funny how a person's thoughts and interests change overtime.

Annnnnnnyhow, 
just checking in to remind you all that beating this is possible. Everyone thinks their DP is the worst, myself included. Everyone thinks that those who recovered had a different type of DP, myself included, until one day you find yourself that you finally 'got it'. Your mindset and reaction to DP and everything that comes with it changes, and that's when recovery starts. What you feel today is a result of your thoughts and experiences in the past, and what you will feel in th future is a result of your thoughts and experiences today.

Remember, it doesn't matter how long you have had this for, suffering for a longer duration only means that it would take you longer to rewire your brain into "Acceptance" mode. Just like smoking, anyone can quit, regardless of how long one was smoking for. It's only that those who smoked for 20+ years might have to try harder and longer until they get past the addiction. Your fear and obsession over DP is an addiction as well, and that's why you guys come to those forums.

Stay strong, and STOP making DP and the center of your lives. You won't recover this way.

Best of luck.


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## Shiny

Hey Optimist. I sometimes visit this site just because it used to play a pivotal role when I was in dire need of help. I scoured the internet high and low for the elusive miracle cure like many others but of course the topic title in this particular post is the only cure... 'it's all in your head'.

And it most certainly is. Initially.. when I first had it, I didn't understand what was going on, it was caused though by my intense utter focus on myself. Anxiety ridden, I wanted it gone and so desperately that I made myself worse and worse until my brain said enough is enough, and it gave me DP/DR. It has without doubt, been the worst ordeal of my life... I've endured it for a year and a half , off and on. I've now come to realise one thing and one thing only. The more we 'think' about it and 'check' to see if it's still around, the more we depersonalise. If we go about our day as everyone else does, unbeknown to dp/dr as they've never heard about it... it doesn't exist, nor do we even think about it.

So ... DP/DR only returns for me now (very very mildly) through no more than a thinking habit. The less I immerse myself in the subject / condition the more sustainable my recovery.

Your post really helped me Optimist, it's great advice. On top of beating my DP/DR, I've also overcome my Anxiety Disorder. Both of which were done by getting on with my life, exposing myself to everything, accepting it and letting time pass.


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## mmdpri

After few months I'm back to say I lived my life like a normal person who have no DP but the thing is I still have DP
YES I BEAT ANXIETY I KILLED DEPRESSION BUT IM STILL OUT OF MY BODY BUT I STILL FEEL DEATH BUT STILL EVERYTHING IS WEIRD AND UNNATURAL
Anyway I won't give up I know somehow I have the power to cure myself
Thank you for this post again it really gives hope


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## JBailey23

i feel like i have done the same thing mmdpri and still have dpdr. less depressed and trying to live life normal but nothing is changing :/


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## Bpsnarak

Can me who is scared to death of my very own existence and life ever recover like you? It seems like I have absolutely nothing to fall back on to because I'm already scared of life itself. What do you think? Anyway thank you so much for such an inspiring positive post.


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## Xerei

Bpsnarak said:


> Can me who is scared to death of my very own existence and life ever recover like you? It seems like I have absolutely nothing to fall back on to because I'm already scared of life itself, unlike other dpers who may find relief if they can finally feel 'alive'. What do you think? Anyway thank you so much for such an inspiring positive post.


Yeah, man. That shit goes through everyone's head when they got DP, man!


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## Bpsnarak

Thank you Xerei.


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## PerfectFifth

Your reasoning is flawed in multiple ways and oversimplifies the issue:

How do you know that we all have the same "this"?
How do you know that "this", which may not even be shared among all of us, has the same cause? If it's a symptom from an organic pathology, for example, ignoring it won't do anything.

You're applying your experience universally and assuming that we all collectively have the exact same thing because we somewhat relate to vague verbal descriptions, such as "feel spaced out".

Read the bottom part of my signature.

That said, I agree that focusing on the symptoms certainly isn't going to improve the situation. What I don't agree with is saying "because X worked for me, X will work for you". Regarding "the only reason you come to these forums is because DPDR bothers you" (paraphrased), that's not true for me. I come here because I'm interested in the "disorder" and people's experiences. I don't come here to vent my frustrations about how DPDR is or isn't ruining my life. Right now, it's not even bothering me.


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## Array

I sort of agree, seems like the more distracted I am a day, the more normal I feel. Do you think it's just obsessive thinking, because funnily enough - I never associated these symptoms with DP until I looked up. One day I had racing thoughts and looked online for help, I didn't feel DP'ed until I found DP the condition itself.


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## unicornsparkles

No. I disagree with this. Accepting and ignoring doesn't work for everyone.

Im not saying that your method didn't cure you. Im saying your method is not full proof in everyone's case.

I've "ignored" and have let my DP go on untreated for a decade now, and only when symptoms WORSENED have I recently began seeking professional help. Don't tell me I haven't "truly accepted it" I have. Been there, bought the t-shirt, went on with life to no avail. Was incredibly resistant to medication, therapy but at this point I know I need help.

Underlying causes of DP can be diverse. Dp can be purely anxiety, or from a complete chemical imbalance in the brain, ect. Since not everyone has the same underlying causative factor for their DP/DR not everyone is going to have the same cure.


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## Grindelwald

As someone who went though DP and recovered, I can say this is one guy who gets it. His recovery is genuine. It was the very same with me. Everything feels like it did before DP, no existential thoughts, and perhaps most important, you don't remember what DP feels like.

That may sound weird and rather unnerving, but it's absolutely true. All you remember is that it's something really bad and really weird. But you don't remember how it feels.

And I'll add it's that which makes people think they can smoke weed again (if that was their trigger), and then they relapse. The DP is still there deep down, dormant, but weed or hard drugs will bring it out again. So be warned.


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## Chip1021

I feel like if your DP is caused or fueled by excessive obsessive existential thinking, then distracting yourself from the thoughts and "living your life as before" might be sufficient to rid yourself of the feeling. For many of us that's not the case...we must seek answers elsewhere, or, as many of us have done, just accept that he rest of our lives are going to be this way and just do our best to survive.


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## Trith

Thank you very much for all this information, it is very valuable to have the experiences of people who recovered, and see what helped them.

Nevertheless, I also find this post quite annoying like several others. For some people, it seems like they have "graduated" at recovery and can give advice and teach to the whole world. The only thing you can do is share your experience about yourself and let others find out if it can be useful for them.


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