# Tips to help derealisation and my story



## Thisisme.. (Nov 30, 2015)

Hello, I am new here, so just thought i'd say hello and share a bit about my story and share some tips.

My DR/DP all started from a panic attack from a bad trip taking hits from a bong. I have never had a panic attack before and this brought on so many horrible symptoms. My legs would shake, I couldn't eat, I was throwing up, everything looked different etc. That traumatic experience forced my mind to protect itself and that is what DR/DP is trying to do, however frustrating and horrible it is. Gradually I started eating more and becoming more confident that I could beat this horrible feeling, I started working at a supermarket and the only symptom that remained was my eyesight and how things looked "off" or too intense, which really unnerved me.

I was working still and then had three days off and was alone, as people I knew were working and this was when these horrible intense existential thoughts crept in, I researched into evolution, solipsism, illusions, dreaming etc. and quite frankly was feeling suicidal, I couldn't even look my family in the eye, as they were strangers to me as I was a stranger to myself. I would wake up about two times on a good night and five times on a worst and I got so bad I could hardly eat and threw up sometimes with persistent shaking. There was no way I could get to work, as I woke up shaking erratically and throwing up so I had to quit my job. These existential thoughts faded extremely quickly when I distracted myself and changed my thinking to positive, so to anyone out there experiencing these thoughts DIVERSION and POSITIVE THINKING IS THE ANSWER. Mine went a little like this: "Well I could be real, I could not be, but I'll never know, so might as well enjoy whatever this life is." As soon as you start telling yourself that things (existence, reality) start to seem normal again.

I think the most frustrating thing about us sufferers of anxiety or DR/DP separately is that we are creative, sensitive and very observant. Our imaginations are very complex and intricate and can create all sorts of thoughts such as the existential ones and used correctly can be such an advantage in our lives but used incorrectly without us meaning to can be such a burden on us.

I believe the DR/DP symptoms are because we are so highly tuned to our surroundings or so highly tuned to ourselves, being so observant we will notice these sensations and inappropriately hang on to this feeling, risk assessing ourselves, maybe because of our inner perfectionism as well. Maybe what we need to do is let go of that control, let go of them horrible sensations, and not give them any credit whatsoever. When you let them hinder your life (which I am hypocritical in saying) this is when they win, they become important and our brain thinks we therefore need to focus on them. I personally find when I wake up in the morning I feel a lot better, because my mind has temporarily forgotten what it was worrying about. For example, someone with health anxiety, thinking they are going to die, they will constantly be monitoring their heart, focusing on it's heart beats and by having that fear attached to their heart beat will increase and they'll assume something is wrong with their heart.

With me personally I've never had anxiety about health conditions, when I have panic attacks I don't think I'm going to die, I think it's going to get so bad that I'm going to have to kill myself. Same with this one: I more fear I'm going to live like this forever and then terrible consequences will occur. (such as suicide.) Another example, I am going to Specsavers to get my eyes tested to see if anything is wrong there, in a weird way I would rather it be a problem with my eyes than part of this DR, as I know how much harder it is to conquer this behavioural condition, especially when we can't escape our environment or ourselves which is the whole roots of this condition.

I was also wondering what symptoms people have, I have mainly slight numbness in my head depending on how distracted I am, but more importantly my eyesight is severely distorted, eyes water and light is very intense.

Thank you for reading, good luck everyone x


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## Chicane (Oct 8, 2015)

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for telling your story. It always feels good just to get it all off your chest. Anyway, there's lots of great info here and loads of helpful members who'll be supportive throughout your journey. Wishing you all the best.


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## Surfer Rosa (Nov 27, 2015)

Keep strong. You're doing an impressive job, all symptoms considered.


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