# Possible cure to DP/DR



## Quarter Pounder (Jun 17, 2011)

_Disclaimer: This will be a long post._

Hello guys! I've been lurking here for a loooooong time and been struggling with DP/DR -mostly derealization- even longer (about 2 and a half years). Like to many other people, mine was brought by smoking weed just once and triggering a panic attack, dammit.







But at least I've come up with a possible but very awkward solution to it. I'll explain it along with my train of thoughts, so you understand why I came up with that and don't disregard it immediatly.

First of all, let me say that after reading A LOT of stories and experiences in forums, I've come to the conclusion that there are two completely different types of DP/DR:


One, which is the most common, is a symptom of anxiety and stress, and can go away with time, acceptance and all those stop fearing/divert yourself/hang out with friends/take vitamins/exercise/eat healthy/sleep well/Charles FUCKING Linden guides (which I'm personally tired of). This kind of DP/DR is just a "focus turned inwards" mind, fueled by fear and anxiety. It is a psychological path, and it can be reversed in the same way (psychologically) by getting rid of the fuels (anxiety and fear).
The other, much less common, is a stand-alone condition, where no anxiety nor stress are necessarily present. This kind of DP/DR is way more fucked up, because no matter what you do (how much you divert yourself, try to live in normal way, socialize, whatever), doesn't go away. This one is, in my opinion, caused by an actual change in the brain. And no, it is not because you obsess over it, it is not a symptom of something else, and it does not go away with time. There IS actually something wrong.

That being said, this "solution" is specifically for the second type (the DP/DR as a stand-alone condition).

For the longest time I thought -as many other people- that DP/DR was just a defense mechanism gone wrong. It made complete sense and fitted with my personal experience. An extremely stressful situation made the brain try to protect your mental integrity by putting you away from reality into some "protected" place, and as the cause of that stress or fear wasn't properly identified at the beginning, it never stopped. This "protected" place is DP/DR.

Now, what was the cure? What could make the defense mechanism stop for good? Well, I thought that maybe it was a matter of overcoming your trauma (whatever it was that triggered the mechanism) and making your subconscious understand that "the danger was over", having some sort of epiphany and snapping back to reality. So I tried to force myself to revive the original panic attack, and I tried some Emotional Freedom Technique (yeah, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking at the time) day after day, but it was still the same. I had come to accept my original panic attack and understand that it was just an irrational fear, I even smoked weed again to prove myself that nothing bad would happen and it didn't. But nothing changed, my DP/DR was still there, so I got very frustrated with that. I also begun to wander why it was that some people out of the blue got DP/DR and I realize that this theory didn't fit so well with them.

That's when I stumbled upon *JJ70's thread about his hypothesis on DD*.



JJ70 said:


> The point of transition from a normal state of thinking to DP/DR is caused by a micro-seizure that opens a new neural pathway for processing information.


That's a complete new understanding of the condition and, at least for me, makes complete sense.

Explains why medications -generally- do not work with DD: it is NOT a chemical imbalance, but a structural or "electrical" problem, a new and wrong way the brain processes input, hence a distorted perception of reality (derealization) or yourself (depersonalization).

Explains why some people get short episodes of DP/DR during their life, why some get DD out of the blue, why some "never get off the high", and why some develop DD after a panic attack or a near-death experience: they get a micro-seizure (due to a sudden brain malfunction, due to the use of a brain affecting drugs such as marijuana, extasis or LSD, or due to the extreme stress and fear, respectively) at the moment, which opens a new neural pathway and their brains instantly begin to process their world (either internal (DP) or external (DR), or both (DP/DR)) in a different way.

More importantly, this explains why some "snap out" of it in a sudden way. And I've heard a lot of stories like this, of people snapping out suddenly and going back to reality with "no reason whatsoever". Aside from being some lucky basterds, something must have happened inside their brains, it cannot be just pure randomness; and this hypothesis fits: they get another micro-seizure which makes the brain go back to the original neural pathway hence back to their original perception of life, reality and themselves.

So, I've been looking for this "snapping back into reality" stories and tried to find a common factor. I found that sleep deprivation was involved in two or three cases, but no other visible pattern.

I concluded that, in theory, the only thing one needs to snap back to reality is another micro-seizure with the exact opossite efect: think of it as an mini electrical shock in the brain which would make it retake the original neural path of perception. You would notice the difference instantly and you'd feel at "home".
Now, to depend on pure luck is not a good solution. It could take years or decades for another micro-seizure with the opossite effect to happen, if ever.
Then I thought, maybe inducing myself a micro-seizure (I know it sounds crazy as fuck) could, if it had the opossite action, send me back to my good ol' reality. So I looked up for the possible causes of seizures and to my surprise I found that sleep deprivation was among the first ones.

You see where I'm going now, right?

I know it sounds stupid and unlogical, but maybe, following this hypothesis, not sleeping for a few days could -with some luck, and trying several times- bring you back to reality. After all prescription drugs affect your chemical balance but they do not affect your neural paths. Lack of sleep, on the other side, does. And think it this way, lack of sleep is bad for your brain, yes, when your brain works properly, for a normal person's brain. But since I have DP/DR I felt like my brain is just malfunctioning so, that criteria doesn't apply. I mean, my brain is already fucked, not sleeping for a few days can't make it worse.

Yes, it is a long explanation for just "try not sleeping for 3 or 4 days in a row", but I want to give the background thinking process behind this. Probably it is just that, an hypothesis, and probably it won't work. But at least with this train of thought it makes sense.

Summing up: In a few days I'll give this "hypothesis" a try and I'll stay up for a 3 or 4 days and I'll write about my experience in this thread. If it doesn't work, I'll try again in a month or so. I know it sounds like a madman or just stupid idea, but I'd do almost anything to back to my good old reality and, after all, I have nothing to lose...
So what do you guys think about this? Please, only constructive criticism.


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## Aridity (Jun 12, 2011)

Then I honestly think I have the second type of DP/DR. Because I never had ANY problem with Anxiety/Depression or anything at all. It just happened out of nothing,maybe because of two migraine attacks I dont know







. Also please stay up for 3/4 days,and say if it got any better lol. Then I will fucking stay awake for 2 weeks if it helped you,I wil do anything to get out this shit.


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

hmm, this is interesting. i'm going to refer back to this from time to time.

i should say that I actually pulled an all nighter last night for an EEG i had done today, requested by my neurologist. oddly enough, he thinks I could be having micro-seizures in my brain causing the DR, so that's what the EEG was for. it is my 2nd EEG though. my first one came out normal, but the doctor says you should run at least 3 tests before coming to a conclusion.

back to the all nighter (staying up the whole night with no sleep). it was extremely tough without caffeine haha. i didn't notice anything about my brain changing back to normal though...maybe i need to be deprived longer?


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## Jayden (Feb 9, 2011)

To be honest, I hope that this is all just a "micro seizure" that has put us in this state.

I don't know whether I have the first or second type of DP/DR. For me, DP/DR seem to have come out of the blue. I woke up one morning and my world was changed, and I had been feeling sort of shitty and "off" the night before. So maybe it was a micro seizure.

But I have BAD anxiety now, because I developed a massive fear of going crazy. I always feel like I'm losing it.

I was told by a psychiatrist to get a checked out to see if I had any possible micro seizures so I should get on that.

Anyways, definitely keep us updated, I think your on to something!

- Jayden


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## strangeways (Mar 19, 2011)

This might be a stupid question but would electro shock therapy possibly help? I agree with everything in this post but it seems like in this case some of us are going to be stuck forever. I would hate to think that.


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## christy (Dec 19, 2010)

really interesting... cant wait to hear about your results


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## Frosty (Jun 13, 2011)

tbh...if you told me that putting my hand in warm water, singing 'im a little tea pot', while only wearing socks could fix it....id probably do it lol

so yeah, ill give this a go


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

hey quarter pounder, just letting you know that staying up 4 days will be so tough. i did only 1 day, and I was dying to sleep by the next morning (i stayed up without caffeine though). i started to hallucinate a little and have some visual disturbances, so just be careful


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## erufneriufneri (Jun 7, 2011)

I'm gonna try and do this too for like 3 days.
I want reality to feel "normal" again.







and my 18th birthday is in 11 days.. woo. or NOT


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## Timer (Feb 10, 2011)

It is interesting, your theory behind it.

Sleep is described by many as a contributing factor, I know from before having dp/dr constantly, pulling an all nighter or having little sleep would often leave me spacy and disconnected as I'm sure it does many who do not have dp/dr.

I would always experience problems with my vision after a night out drinking, the same framelike vision and behaviour characteristics as I show now 24/7 with dp/dr, same emotional responses in not wanting to see people, agrophobic. I often wondered how people who get drunk and turn up to work the next day and actually work as I would never drink on a weekday as despite having a hangover I would feel not myself, not able to concentrate, spaced, anxious etc.

I always but this down to a hangover and thought EVERYONE felt like this and I just took it worse, but was always amazed and how much easier people got on with it.

The night my dp/dr came about, it was a very similar night, stayed out til 6 - 7 in the morning at a club, very little sleep, a lot of drinking. This time I felt the same on awaking BUT instead of it wearing off after another night sleep, it just didn't go....I was very anxious at the time with work etc but I do feel like there was a 'shift' or noticable change in EVERYTHING from that day. Motivation, outlook, personality - I guess just dp/dr set in...

What I'm getting at, perhaps it wasn't the alcohol that made me like this in the past and it was the fact I had a massive lack of sleep, my friends would sleep and sleep to get over a night out, often sleeping through the day, but after a few hours I would awake, always had problems sleeping and I guess while hungover and dehydrated it was even harder.

Not too sure about the micro seizures or neuro pathways, but in everyones - dp/dr cure guide they post, they suggest float through it, dont think about it, get on with life in normal. What they describe is restructuring your neural pathways to think differently and learn, new habits and ways to percerive things.

I dont know too much about neural pathways so perhaps someone could add to this about them but I agree that changing whatever 'switched' that day and for all of us brought on that dp/dr is the key to getting cured.

I do not think depriving yourself of sleep will bring about a change as it usually just leads to dpdr getting worse, but I do think the cure leads in changing or somehow effecting neural pathways.


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## gill (Jul 1, 2010)

I think sleep deprivation will just make dissociation worse. I do think you're right though in the sense that dissociation, neurologically, is the result of excess activity in the brain.

I had a full blown seizure once, after a brain injury. Before the seizure, there was a 30 minute aura, (a mini-seizure). During the aura, my dissociation started increasing massively.

So if anything, I wouldn't try to induce another seizure, I would try things which are *anti*-seizure.


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## Totally DP'D (Jun 8, 2011)

Gill, did your brain injury occur before or after the onset of DP/DR?

I was knocked of my bike by a car and had a brain injury that caused internal bleeding in my brain. I had DP/DR before the injury and it was much worse afterwards. That was 6 years ago. Trouble is I don't know whether how i feel now is due to the original DP/DR and how much to the brain injury


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## gill (Jul 1, 2010)

Totally DP said:


> Gill, did your brain injury occur before or after the onset of DP/DR?
> 
> I was knocked of my bike by a car and had a brain injury that caused internal bleeding in my brain. I had DP/DR before the injury and it was much worse afterwards. That was 6 years ago. Trouble is I don't know whether how i feel now is due to the original DP/DR and how much to the brain injury


Injury was after.


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## Quarter Pounder (Jun 17, 2011)

theoneandonly said:


> I think sleep deprivation will just make dissociation worse. I do think you're right though in the sense that dissociation, neurologically, is the result of excess activity in the brain.
> 
> I had a full blown seizure once, after a brain injury. Before the seizure, there was a 30 minute aura, (a mini-seizure). During the aura, my dissociation started increasing massively.
> 
> So if anything, I wouldn't try to induce another seizure, I would try things which are *anti*-seizure.


Sleep deprivation in fact, has a lot of symptoms. Disassociation is one of the most common, but for everyone, not just for DPD sufferers. And it would make disassociation worse temporarly. It doesn't worsen your DP/DR, when you sleep again you go back to your "normal" DP/DR state.
Now, when the brain is deprived from sleep for some time, things start happening. All I'm saying is that if you are lucky enough this abnormal activity in your brain (often bad, but in this case might be good) could very well fix you.

Also, don't get me wrong people. I'm not saying that DPD sufferers have a constant seizure activity on their brains. I'm saying that an initial micro-seizure made the brain change it's (mostly emotional-perceptive) processing routes. So in my opinion, anti-seizure drugs wouldn't work.

In a few days I'll try, and I'll keep you updated!


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

keep us updated


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## Quarter Pounder (Jun 17, 2011)

Sup guys. A little update in case some of you are interested. I was looking for an actual link between derealization and sleep deprivation, something more formal than just a hunch. And surprisingly enough, after doing some research, I found something.

The first thing I found is a neurological explanation for the derealization phenomena. It basically says that derealization _might_, for the most part, be caused by an excessive inhibition by the prefrontal cortex (an emotional regulator) to the amygdala (where the actual emotional response occur). Now, that would explain the lack of emotional colouring of things and lack of connection between one and the environment, which ultimately produces the "dream-like" state.









And then, I found a study about the effects of sleep deprivation in the brain which concluded that, after enough hours of continuous non-sleeping (at least 36), the amygdala started to bypass the connection to the prefrontal cortex. And that's why after a few days of sleep deprivation one begins to act more instinctively, not giving proper thought to one's actions.









There are more sources that say both of these things, but this are the more to-the-point one's that I found.
So I figured, maybe, staying awake for long time could break that connection and make one snap out of it. It's very unlikely but I think it is worth trying. Of course this is an *extremely over-simplified* and abstract idea of the interactions inside the brain, but who knows.
So I'll try staying awake for 72 hours beginning tomorrow and I'll post here how it goes. Cheers.


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

Quarter Pounder said:


> Sup guys. A little update in case some of you are interested. I was looking for an actual link between derealization and sleep deprivation, something more formal than just a hunch. And surprisingly enough, after doing some research, I found something.
> 
> The first thing I found is a neurological explanation for the derealization phenomena. It basically says that derealization _might_, for the most part, be caused by an excessive inhibition by the prefrontal cortex (an emotional regulator) to the amygdala (where the actual emotional response occur). Now, that would explain the lack of emotional colouring of things and lack of connection between one and the environment, which ultimately produces the "dream-like" state.
> 
> ...


I am so happy that someone out there is researching and not giving up.

I'm a little confused though. Doesn't your research say that being sleep deprived _causes_ DR? or am I just reading it wrong?

I will print your research out and show it to my psychiatrist.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2011)

Dear Quarterpounder:
I keep debating the seizure angle, and it does come around again. And it is interesting that the medications that have worked best for me (and a number of others) are anti-seizure meds. But what they do indeed is keep "brainstorms" of electrical activity from setting off a grand mal seizure or smaller type seizures in seizure patients.

However, my understanding of the concept of "microseizure" in the literature, are tiny events that lead up to full blown epilepsy. That is the true medical term. And I have several friends who have epilespy ... one who had it since childhood and has very few seizures as an adult (in her 50s), a woman who IS my age (I'm 52) who suddenly got seizures out of the blue -- can't find the reason, and another whose husband got them out of the blue at 40. In the adult-onset cases, they have gone through sleep studies as these show variations in an EEG and other tests and you need to be in the hospital under observation for long stretches. Anyway, oddly enough with the two adults they cannot and have never found WHY these people have epilepsy, and interesting is these people have no idea about my description of DP/DR.

But I agree, everyone here should be aware that "chemical imbalance" is only a simple catch phrase for all brain disorders. Genetics, epigenetics, and electrical activity in the brain are all involved. Changes in brain structure (cause or effect?) -- not tumors, etc. but size of certain structures vary with certain illnesses.

I have thought sometimes for me as I have this 24/7, 365 days a year at a tolerable level it could be a "constant" migraine AURA. IDK.

BUT, it is a "perceptual glitch" like deja vu. And I said somewhere else our brains are like computers only infinitely more complex. Imagine the small glitches in your computer hardware or software. Think of minor glitches in the brain, like deja vu, which seems to serve no purpose at all, while fight/flight does serve a purpose.

Lack of sleep ... IDK. It always destroys me. My DP/DR get so bad I can't function at all. I don't see how this could "reset" anything. Which leads to the next question:



strangeways said:


> This might be a stupid question but would electro shock therapy possibly help? I agree with everything in this post but it seems like in this case some of us are going to be stuck forever. I would hate to think that.


Not a stupid question. One person on this board some years ago tried ECT. As I recall he said, after a session the DP/DR would go completely away, but then would slowly return (a period of days?). He would have another round, the DP/DR would go away, then come back.

Another individual who has severe depression had ECT for that. It made his DP/DR so horrible, mainly because ECT can cause retrograde amnesia and he was all confused about everything which is anxiety provoking and I suppose that made the DP worse. (Chronic DP for years.) He did say (and he had to be in the hospital for this) that he remembered so little of the whole ordeal later he was glad for the amnesia.

I myself wanted to try ECT. I also have depression, but severe anxiety. I have been told by 2 doctors they do not recommend it, partly re: the second story. The amnesia could cause confusion which could be extremely disorienting and worsen the DP. I chose not to do it.

----------------
Forcing one's self to stay up for extended periods of time isn't good for anyone, though I suppose we could all have a sleep disorder of sorts. IDK. I have always had vivid dreams (since I can recall), MORE DP in the dreams, need more sleep, and if I don't sleep or travel through many time zones the DP/DR become HORRIBLE.

Healthy individuals who do not sleep GET DP/DR episodes that go away when they get some sleep. Some also have hallucinations which go away when they get a normal night's sleep.

But whatever anyone wants to try ... I say go for it.

But I really believe we have some messed up electrical circuitry, and it could be that in the future there will be better options for this save sticking electrodes in our skulls, or even trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, etc.


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2011)

theoneandonly said:


> I am so happy that someone out there is researching and not giving up.
> 
> I'm a little confused though. Doesn't your research say that being sleep deprived _causes_ DR? or am I just reading it wrong?
> 
> I will print your research out and show it to my psychiatrist.


Yup, sleep deprivation causes DP/DR, even in healthy people. The studies illustrate where they observe this on tests, etc. This is why this is very fascinating, but I don't see as a solution. We NEED sleep, HEALTHY sleep, all people and animals do. Taking it away doesn't help other brain functions and in so many here exacerbates DP/DR. Also, as noted when I travel and have a time zone change of more than 3 hours ... say 5-8 or more ... I have horrible DP/DR and my functioning goes WAY down until I have some time to adjust.


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## Quarter Pounder (Jun 17, 2011)

To theoneandonly and Dreamer*:

I think you are both misunderstanding what I'm trying to say here. I'm not talking about having little sleep for a long period or anything like that (unfortunately, because of my college exams, I experience that oftenly and that worsens my derealization). No, no, no. I'm saying that *having no sleep at all for about 48 or more hours* could, if you are lucky enough, reset some connections in the brain, specifically those which produce the derealization. Maybe not the first time, but the second or third time you try.

The prefrontal cortex inhibits the limbic system (the emotional center in the brain). Now, that can be good in a stressful situation but if that inhibition maintains for long enough, you start experiencing attenuated emotional experience, numbness and feelings of unreality to a lack of affective "colouring" in things perceived.

There are two cases to distinguish:


DP/DR fueled by anxiety: In this case what you have to get rid of is the anxiety per se, there is no way around it. That means that the prefrontal cortex is still inhibiting the limbic system and causing all those nasty symptoms *for a reason* (even though the anxiety is irrational, but then the anxiety is the actual problem to treat).

DP/DR on it's own, not as a symptom of anxiety but as a disorder (hence depersonalization disorder): In this case you are really fucked up, because there is *no reason at all* for the prefrontal cortex to be still inhibiting that area. You could say that it's stuck (maybe because of seizure activity or whatever, it doesn't matter).

Now, this is the good part. And if it works, it would only for the second case:

In those studies of the brain during sleep deprivation, at some point, the "functional connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex" would be lowered a lot. That means that the prefrontal inhibition of the amygdala would stop. The amygdala would bypass it's connection with the prefrontal cortex and start producing emotional response no matter what. So maybe, that "stuck" connection between those two areas would be cut at that point, and you'd feel normal _instantly_.

What I don't know is what would happen when you finally go to sleep and woke up the next day. Hopefully, that connection would have been reset.

Of course, this is just an amateur and most likely incorrect hypothesis, but it's easier to actually try it than to keep discussing it.







. I'll pull all nighter today, and I'll stop after 48 hours. I'll tell you how it goes!


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

QP, I am indeed still confused, and am confused about this:

Electroshock therapy is called ECT, electroconvulsive therapy. It can be produced in two common ways -- insulin shock therapy (out of date?), and ECT -- electro-convulsive therapy where you must be in a hospital and the electrical shock you are given is INTENDED to give you a seizure. I don't understand why, but these seems to help with depression in certain people where nothing else works, and these people cannot function at all.



> It could but I don't think so. The electroshocks just stimulate the brain and make it release the same types of neurochemicals that are released when you take antidepressant medication, but much faster (it can do in a week what Prozac does in two months). *But it doesn't produce seizures*, at least not intentionally. Only to people very vulerable to them (epileptics). So it wouldn't work in my opinion, not for this at least.


Unless I'm really reading this incorrectly you are saying ECT doesn't give you seizures. That is the purpose of it. Also, I believe it has varying success with people, but again is used for individuals with severe chronic clinical depression that will not respond to any other treatment.

I do always "feel" that I need to be "rebooted" lol.

Re: sleep. Doctors, military personnel, police, etc. are FORCED to stay up 48 hours or longer. For some reason these individuals if they are healthy do not get DP/DR, manage to function brilliantly as they are so focused -- many people are like this and go for days without sleep and function very well -- no naps.

And say a neurosurgeon may have to work on a serious case for 16 hours at a stretch, or individuals on a transplant team -- nurses, all staff. Medical residents are forced to stay awake for several shifts ... as this is often required when medical emergencies must be attended to. It is sort of "baptism of fire" ... SOME will get brief episodes of DP/DR during these times. At some point, if they get no rest they will HAVE to rest or their functioning will diminish, and at some point be subject to hallucinations, etc. Everyone NEEDS sleep at some point. Think of the NAVY Seals who captured and killed bin Laden. I know those guys do not have DP, and Lord knows how long they were awake, how much pressure they were under, yet how FOCUSED and IN REALITY they had to be.

I'm not clear here. I have been up for at least 48 hours at a stretch when traveling. IT IS HORRIBLE. Going to sleep for a simple 8 hours could make me feel better. But in college, say I stayed up all night typing a paper that was due at 8 a.m. I would only be able to blindly walk to the building where the prof's office was, drop off the paper, and blindly go back to my dorm and go to bed. Totally DP/DR. COuldn't even make it past say a night of sleep.

I'm still unclear what you are trying to do. Sorry if I've misunderstood. I have had NO SLEEP for extended periods of time, in college, in work situations, in emergencies, traveling. In all cases without any naps and I fell into DP/DR HELL, from my normal DP/DR. Often I would have to make up some story that I felt ill and go to sleep, or miss a class, or whatever.

Anyway, yes, keep us posted.

Also, Depersonalization Disorder is indeed now recognized as secondary symptom (say of anxiety, or of panic, or BPD, stroke, migraine, etc.) and a syndrome of its own and the DSM-5 in 2012 will reflect that. I believe it has to do more with chronicity AND the strange thing about it that in some, there is very little anxiety, and in other tremendous anxiety. In my case I am horribly anxious. My first episodes in childhood though of DP/DR were not scary. But then at some point, social anxiety/anticipatory anxiety would lead very quickly to DP/DR. First for short periods of time, then longer and longer. It became 24/7 somewhere in my teens.

The best researchers, and there are some out there are indeed trying to understand this. What is so difficult is that this affects our sense of SELF. It isn't clearly understood where we have "sense of SELF" or then we get into the nature of consciousness.

Oddly enough over the years, one fear I've had, is not going crazy, but suddenly having everything just "shut off" as I am so close to being "gone" there is like a molecule of me left. I'd be relieved if the molecule would just die. I've overcome MANY of my DP/DR fears. I have more overall performance anxiety now, and suddenly a bad DP/DR switch will "click" ... but that doesn't happen as much either, even under great stress.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

Frosty said:


> tbh...if you told me that putting my hand in warm water, singing 'im a little tea pot', while only wearing socks could fix it....id probably do it lol
> 
> so yeah, ill give this a go


LOL. I'll even take my socks off.
I have also been quoted as being quite happy to drink turpentine if it would help.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2011)

Just found this ... this woman did swim twice, once for 50 miles when she was much younger.
This makes me feel like I can do anything -- especially if the darned DP/DR were gone. She's 61!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/nutrition/19swim.html?src=dayp

KEY WEST, Fla. - Any day now, Diana Nyad will set out to do something no athlete has ever done: swim all day and all night, then all day and all night, then all day again.

She will swim about 60 hours in the churning sea, 103 miles across the Straits of Florida from Cuba to Key West. Every hour and a half, she will stop to tread water for a few minutes as she swallows a liquid mixture of predigested protein and eats an occasional bit of banana or dollop of peanut butter. She will most likely hallucinate and endure the stings of countless jellyfish. Along the way, sea salt will swell her tongue to cartoonish proportions and rub her skin raw.

etc.......
--------------------- 
I can bet she'll experience DP/DR in brief episodes. This is WILD. But she is a professional swimmer. Just in re: how long people CAN stay awake, but at some point ... well this would kill me in 15 minutes.


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

Quarter Pounder said:


> To theoneandonly and Dreamer*:
> 
> I think you are both misunderstanding what I'm trying to say here. I'm not talking about having little sleep for a long period or anything like that (unfortunately, because of my college exams, I experience that oftenly and that worsens my derealization). No, no, no. I'm saying that *having no sleep at all for about 48 or more hours* could, if you are lucky enough, reset some connections in the brain, specifically those which produce the derealization. Maybe not the first time, but the second or third time you try.
> 
> ...


I see what you're saying. I talked to my psychiatrist about it (printed out your post and gave it to him lolol) and he said to just be careful because usually sleep deprivation (even for just 48 hours) can trigger DR in some people, thus being no benefit or making it worse.

I really want to try this myself, too, but I have work Monday's through Friday's







let us know how it goessssssss


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