# If given the option which DP specialist would you see?



## freezeup (Oct 1, 2016)

I may have the option in a month or so to be able to pay to see either daphene simeon or Orna Guralnik. Both of which I assume are a decent amount of money, but a family member who has known about my suffering for a while now is willing to help me pay.

I don't know much about either, except that daphene simeon has written a book or two on the subject.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> I don't know much about either, except that daphene simeon has written a book or two on the subject.


I would say it's a waste of money to see Daphne Simeon. She can't do anything for you any psychiatrist could do as well. I don't think she has any "secret" knowledge left that you couldn't find on the internet or in her book. She has left research several years ago, which is surely a loss and now she is just a living monument of herself.

Orna Guralnik is a psychoanalyst. If you really want to waste your money on one of both then you would better choose Simeon.


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## freezeup (Oct 1, 2016)

TDX said:


> I would say it's a waste of money to see Daphne Simeon. She can't do anything for you any psychiatrist could do as well. I don't think she has any "secret" knowledge left that you couldn't find on the internet or in her book. She has left research several years ago, which is surely a loss and now she is just a living monument of herself.
> 
> Orna Guralnik is a psychoanalyst. If you really want to waste your money on one of both then you would better choose Simeon.


Understood. Would it better to just see a psychiatrist around where I live for cheaper? I found one not too far away who claims to help dissociative disorders, but I've met up with one previously who also claimed that and she had no idea what depersonalization was lol


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> Understood. Would it better to just see a psychiatrist around where I live for cheaper?


Yep.



> I found one not too far away who claims to help dissociative disorders, but I've met up with one previously who also claimed that and she had no idea what depersonalization was lol


At the moment I'm collecting all issues of the journal by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissocation (ISSTD). So far, it seems like between 1988 and 1995 there was *never* an article on depersonalization disorder alone in this journal. For the most part the articles are about the questionable dissociative identity disorder. They neglected depersonalization disorder like anyone else, which leads me to the question why they want depersonalization disorder to be a dissociative disorder when they don't care about it.

Moreover it looks like professionals who specialize in dissociative disorders are highly significantly more likely to be quacks. There are some creepy stories about many of them and scandals surrounding dissociative identity disorder. I neither consider them trustworthy nor competent to treat depersonalization disorder.

A good idea would be to find a psychiatrist who is liberal about prescriptions and ask him for Lamotrigine and hope to be one of the lucky ones who respond to it.


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## freezeup (Oct 1, 2016)

TDX said:


> Yep.
> 
> At the moment I'm collecting all issues of the journal by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissocation (ISSTD). So far, it seems like between 1988 and 1995 there was *never* an article on depersonalization disorder alone in this journal. For the most part the articles are about the questionable dissociative identity disorder. They neglected depersonalization disorder like anyone else, which leads me to the question why they want depersonalization disorder to be a dissociative disorder when they don't care about it.
> 
> ...


I'm almost hesitant to mention DP\DR. Although its probably best I do if I want to try things like lamictal and other combinations of medications that have shown promise.


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

> I'm almost hesitant to mention DP\DR. Although its probably best I do if I want to try things like lamictal and other combinations of medications that have shown promise.


Or just let them diagnose a "depression". The majority of people with depersonalization disorder satisfy the diagnostic criteria for depression anyway in addition to their other symptoms, so it wouldn't even be wrong. Some doctors seem to use Lamotrigine for treatment-resistant depression, so it would be a good way to get it.


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## Pondererer (May 18, 2016)

Not to burst a bubble or anything, but seeing a psychiatrist is going to do very little for you. It's nice to just talk about things, maybe try some meds and all that, but at the end of the day they can't really do anything about the actual DP.


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## freezeup (Oct 1, 2016)

Pondererer said:


> Not to burst a bubble or anything, but seeing a psychiatrist is going to do very little for you. It's nice to just talk about things, maybe try some meds and all that, but at the end of the day they can't really do anything about the actual DP.


Eh, I'm not so sure about that. I have faith in medication. It may not fully heal me but if I can deal with at least some of the depression and anxiety, AND get possible treatment for DP it seems worth it.


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