# Can Derealization cause a permanent loss of intellectual capacity?



## bsfgsdfg (Jun 6, 2011)

I'm wondering if it is possible for long-term derealization to cause permanent brain damage resulting in decreased intelligence, or other intellectual faculties, or retrospective loss of memory (meaning, not only is it harder to remember things during your derealization, but you loose memory of things that you learned before the derealization). I'm asking this because I seem to find myself, to put it bluntly, getting more stupid. It is harder for me to remember words them I'm writing, and concepts that I used to understand, I don't anymore. I've searched things like 'derealization brain damage,' but I haven't found anything on this subject yet. I was also wondering if any of you have experienced this symptom, or anything relating to it. After extended periods of dr/dp do any of you find yourself more stupid, or increasing your intelligence/knowledge at a decreased rate from before you had it?


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## cris24333 (Oct 30, 2010)

bsfgsdfg said:


> I'm wondering if it is possible for long-term derealization to cause permanent brain damage resulting in decreased intelligence, or other intellectual faculties, or retrospective loss of memory (meaning, not only is it harder to remember things during your derealization, but you loose memory of things that you learned before the derealization). I'm asking this because I seem to find myself, to put it bluntly, getting more stupid. It is harder for me to remember words them I'm writing, and concepts that I used to understand, I don't anymore. I've searched things like 'derealization brain damage,' but I haven't found anything on this subject yet. I was also wondering if any of you have experienced this symptom, or anything relating to it. After extended periods of dr/dp do any of you find yourself more stupid, or increasing your intelligence/knowledge at a decreased rate from before you had it?


idk i think u get back to normal once dp goes away. i wonder if were still the same and not more matured if weve had it for years


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

bsfgsdfg said:


> I'm wondering if it is possible for long-term derealization to cause permanent brain damage resulting in decreased intelligence, or other intellectual faculties, or retrospective loss of memory (meaning, not only is it harder to remember things during your derealization, but you loose memory of things that you learned before the derealization). I'm asking this because I seem to find myself, to put it bluntly, getting more stupid. It is harder for me to remember words them I'm writing, and concepts that I used to understand, I don't anymore. I've searched things like 'derealization brain damage,' but I haven't found anything on this subject yet. I was also wondering if any of you have experienced this symptom, or anything relating to it. After extended periods of dr/dp do any of you find yourself more stupid, or increasing your intelligence/knowledge at a decreased rate from before you had it?


Derealization is a symptom, not a cause or disease. So it isn't going to cause brain damage.

It is most likely the *getting more stupid* is where you are at with you DP/DR. DP/DR is often 'stupefying' -one of its _many_ frustrations.

*After extended periods of dr/dp do any of you find yourself more stupid, or increasing your intelligence/knowledge at a decreased rate from before you had it?*

This is unlikely (though others will need to speak their experience).

There can be neurological causes of DR, so it is best to see doctors (even if they can be frustrating)

I am one of the few here with a bona fide, diagnosed, brain injury. There are 'cognitive' difficulties - very selective and seem strange (though not to doctors trained in this sort of thing). Slowly, over time, these are rewiring/repairing. Am not 'stupid' [let the reader use discernment







]

Your concern is understandable but there is a large probability that you will end up just fine.

Have you seen doctors?

You mention having DR but not DP, what are your main symptoms right not? (other than memory and concepts)


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## bsfgsdfg (Jun 6, 2011)

One of the reasons that I find it likely for this to happen is that marijuanaapparently, if taken enough, causes a decrease in intelligence, and the experiences of derealization has been compared what is experienced when someone takes marijuana.


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## bsfgsdfg (Jun 6, 2011)

Visual said:


> Derealization is a symptom, not a cause or disease. So it isn't going to cause brain damage.
> 
> It is most likely the *getting more stupid* is where you are at with you DP/DR. DP/DR is often 'stupefying' -one of its _many_ frustrations.
> 
> ...


Well, I find it harder, basically, to think--especialy with things like self-reflection. And, not only does there seem to be short-term memory loss, but trying to remember things in general is more difficult.


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## = n (Nov 17, 2004)

bsfgsdfg said:


> I'm wondering if it is possible for long-term derealization to cause permanent brain damage resulting in decreased intelligence, or other intellectual faculties, or retrospective loss of memory (meaning, not only is it harder to remember things during your derealization, but you loose memory of things that you learned before the derealization). I'm asking this because I seem to find myself, to put it bluntly, getting more stupid. It is harder for me to remember words them I'm writing, and concepts that I used to understand, I don't anymore. I've searched things like 'derealization brain damage,' but I haven't found anything on this subject yet. I was also wondering if any of you have experienced this symptom, or anything relating to it. After extended periods of dr/dp do any of you find yourself more stupid, or increasing your intelligence/knowledge at a decreased rate from before you had it?


In short, no. There are certain ramifications regarding aspect of memory and perception, but all of it is to do with the way you are perceiving things, as far as i can tell. People who have recovered are in no sense handicapped (except that theyve lost time, opportunities etc). Read 'Feeling Unreal' for the lowdown. Essentially, its more difficult to make or retain new memories, but we are in no sense permanantly 'brain damaged'. This is the kind of worry, or catastrophic thinking that makes things worse.


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## bsfgsdfg (Jun 6, 2011)

Thanks you both, this helps alot.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2011)

No, it doesn't cause even temporary brain damaga. It's only you feeling like you're retarded. And if you fear it, of course you feel like you don't remember things because of your adrenaline high levels. but there's NO permanent and temporary brain damage.

your brain has no problem at all.


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## theoneandonly (Nov 17, 2010)

i'm going through the exact thing you are man.

that's the best way i can describe it to my doctors, that i feel like im just getting/have gotten dumber.


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## thebluanimal (Apr 1, 2011)

i've had this same fear for the last few years. i work with languages as part of my profession, and for example over the past few years i've found learning and especially retaining language stuff incredibly difficult in a way i never did just a couple of years ago...and this scares the crap out of me. i also just have this feeling of "brain fog" that a lot of other DPers talk about. i just feel slower, less intellectually engaged, less creative, less insightful. if i can ever get back to the US to have an MRI and an EEG done (i'm in china and medicine here is woefully underdeveloped), i'd like to because i had those done once a long time before i got DP so that doctors can compare them and see if my functioning is actually visibly reduced. i don't really buy the conventional wisdom that there is nothing wrong with the brains of those with DP simply because i am kind of a biological determinist; i think everything has a physical basis. even if the damage is reversible or short term, it definitely has a biological basis, even if contemporary medicine is not sophisticated enough yet to pinpoint what that is. i can't wait till it can and then we can have some DRUGS to finally fix this shit.


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## violetgirl (Apr 11, 2011)

I'd recommend to anyone who's starting to feel their memory or concentration get worse because of DP, to try origami.

I did it for a few months, and I noticed a difference with my memory and my concentration was better, and my brain felt a bit more structured.
Plus its relaxing.


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## noname (Sep 23, 2008)

Seing some research article, our verbal side are better than those who arent DP. 
I link this with the fact we often are NF temperament, who are notoriously good at this.

But I think our brain have some damage, yes. Anxiety -> excitotoxicity -> neuronal death or a process like this.


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## Marking it (Jan 8, 2011)

Hi,

I've struggled with similar fears for many years. Having DP/DR has meant that I had fragmented memories about my life. I also had real problems remembering factual information making exams and the like a nightmare.

I began to undertake some research into memory. One possible explanation of the problems you experience relates to state memory. State memory means that information is encoded into the brain dependent on your mental state, thus, retrieving the information effectively is dependent on your current state. If you encoded information while feeling happy and you are trying to retrieve it while feeling happy (in the same state) then memory retrieval will be easy. However, attempting to retrieve information encoded while happy when in a sad state it will be much more difficult as you are using a different decoder, a sad decoder not a happy decoder.

I often feel that I know information and memories are there but I really struggle to pull them out; this has resonance with theories of state memory. It took quite some time to get over the fear that I was losing my intellectual capacity. Now I'm working on ways and means to lessen the problem; the intensity of DP/DR transitions and their speed of cycling makes memory a particular problem for me.


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## Montezuma2Tripoli (Jan 15, 2012)

So, say I *was* able to learn a tremendous amount while being dp/dr, and my dp/dr at some point does goes away, does that mean I would have difficulty recalling those things that I *did* learn while I was dp/dr according to how state memory works? Because all those emotions that were present while learning when I was dp/dr would not be present or occurring as frequently once I return to normal.


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## gonengg1 (Aug 14, 2015)

Interesting, wonder how you guys are doing now?


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## MiketheAlien (Nov 7, 2013)

Nothing is permanent, look into brain plasticity and the amazing things we are learning and seeing the brain do and recover from.

There is an episode of "the nature of things with David sazuki" which really opened my eyes on brain plasticity.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2015)

I do not feel as though Depersonalization Disorder has diminished my mental abilities whatsoever. I am still able to easily articulate my werds an' hav no trubble gettin my point across lol.


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## gonengg1 (Aug 14, 2015)

Yup, I highly doubt anyone who hasn't seen a drop in grades truly has DR (maybe grades remain the same with DP but def. not with DR)


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