# Repost of some old recovery information - Still stand by my views 2 years later



## colors (Mar 9, 2008)

A msg I sent to a fellow member years ago,

The following may have more relevance for an individual who's DP began with a co-morbid depressive or anxiety disorder:

Meditation helped me in numerous ways. Firstly, in the form I did, mainly lying down, it was relaxing. Being able to learn to tune down your own nervous system and recognise specific areas of held tension and being able to release. Secondly, by developing concentration and focus. This helped with things such as clarity of mind and to be able to stick to habits that I knew would help DP. Thirdly, Just reading all the benefits of it such as lowering cortisol, lower blood pressure, lower basal stress levels, improving memory and on and on, helped motivate me to practise. But the key thing with meditation is that it embeds in the practitioner mindfulness. This is a very popular word now, but to actually understand and attempt live it can make a real difference. For the Dp sufferer this could mean picking up on certain patterns of thought or behaviour that lead to dissociation and making a positive change in that regard. But, I have found after time, a combination of yoga (which is basically moving meditation) and mindfulness meditation are invaluable. As long as it is not used as an escape and it becomes a routinized practise (as it can take time to see results) then it is great. I made some of my biggest strides in recovery came from doing meditation as it helped me to get focused on goals/routines and to aid in coping with, managing and recognising symptoms when they appeared. But I think it helps so much because it helps you in reconnecting with your body and tactile experience even for a tiny moment, as the DP person lives dissociatively and very much in their head, as a result of their disorder. I would encourage a more physical mindfulness practise, such as yoga, if meditation makes you feel even more dissociated, which is entirely possible.

Best mindfulness (MBSR sources): Book; Full catastrophe living; works by Jon kabat-zinn

Webiste - Free online MBSR course - http://palousemindfulness.com/

I think an analogy to have in regards to dp/dr recovery, is that of an injury. If you broke your leg in a car accident, you would hopefully instead of spending all your time obsessing on how the surgery was done, how bones break, how bones bones heal, how to do surgery, the biology of the issue.... spend your time doing rehabilitation instead. DP/DR, from what I have seen, has some very common themes, that of:

- Massive Stress (physiological, psychological)

- Drug use (Massive contributer)

- Obsessional thinking styles

- Predisposition to all clusters of anxiety disorders

- Depression/anxiety

The brain isnt in a state to be on a computer for massive amounts of time a day. It is broken by stress, neurotransmitter imbalance, and overload, simple as that (ok, not that simple, but you understand what I mean - got to keep it simple and to the point!). It was already overloaded before you got dp. Like the leg analogy, you don't need to know how to perform surgery (and be a doctor) to get better. It can takes weeks, months, years of physical rehabilitation to get better in some cases of, for example, severe car accidents. Just like dp, we don't need to insanely over-analyse our past, understand neurochemistry, psychiatry, become master psychologists, dieticians etc. infact i'd go as far to say that the plethora of information and obsession over knowing it all, is an impediment to getting better. We know what works with dp, it has been written thousands of times (possible medication, massive distraction, staying busy 24/7 despite feeling completely dissociated, potent stress reduction techniques done on a consistent basis, counselling, exercise in all forms, quitting drugs and stimulants, going to bed at the right time and getting good sleep, getting off the computer, good nutrition) and people have and do get better, that is a fact. A small portion do not, but at least hit a plateau of improvement to the point where they can live a generally 'normal' life, I am not discounting the severity of dp/dr at all. I see meditation and yoga as the best (long-term) rehabilitation program for dp/dr along with potential medication an and counseling, if needed. What medication I cannot say, as some individuals have a variance of co-morbidity with their disorder. I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Also, different individuals react differently to different medications, keep that in mind, and don't be discouraged if you take that route and it doesn't help the first time. Nothing of value is gained without trial, error, patience, effort, and even a little courage. Always follow advice from your doctor before putting any advice into action from here, do what feels the best, and most right according to your situation.

I hope this post saves you some a little time and mental energy, and points you towards something tangible you can do for yourself beginning today. Good-luck.


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## riley87 (Mar 11, 2016)

When you say don't use meditation as an escape, what do you mean by that? I meditate twice a day and it is, in fact, a great escape - reducing stress, allowing positive emotions to flow in, and generally more healthy thinking. This ends up, eventually, spilling over into real life. For me, anyway. I do worry that it's an 'escape', but it does feel healthy.


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## colors (Mar 9, 2008)

In so much as it stops you from addressing other needs. Also, the act of actually meditating is not trying to get away from something and be with what is, i'm sure you're aware of this, I wouldnt read into it too much, haha.


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## 99880 (Mar 17, 2016)

Hi,

It would be interesting to learn of the meditation techniques that you use, as I have a particular interest in certain techniques which lead to trance states.

There are so many forms of meditation (hundreds, if not thousands), and often the use of the words meditation and mindfulness is rather vague. It's possible to possess trait mindfulness without practising any meditation techniques, this affects any future meditation practice and has the potential to cause some issues. It shouldn't be assumed that all people who experience DP/DR are not mindful. Some people who experience dissociation have endured extremely traumatic events, mindfulness and other meditations may cause problems for these individuals and caution is necessary, which is why some meditators do not recommend mindfulness/ meditation and various forms of yoga in these circumstances.


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