# distraction... how can it work



## jenny1 (Aug 21, 2012)

Hey there,
this is a question for all those that are gaining benefits from being able to distract themselves from the dp. I have just finished reading the dp manual and think the positive and hopeful message it sends is fantastic. the central message is obviously to re focus attention onto more positive activities than thinking about dp. However I am having trouble with incorporating this approach into my life. I dont really have any problems with existential thoughts or feelings that my body doesnt belong to me, its more a persistent numbness to my surroundings and feeling like im living in a cut off bubble. I guess this is derealisation. In the manual it states that dp and dr are practically the same thing but im not so sure because i can understand how distraction would work if it was a case of ignoring specific thoughts, but how can you distract yourself from how you percieve things. for example I might be reading good novel and getting into the story but i am still painfully aware that things dont feel quite as real as they should. Also When i am having conversations with people....which should be A distraction, I am also registering how tiring/odd/horrible it feels to speak with someone when you don't really feel your completely connected. what i am trying to say is that other activities no matter how seemingly pleasant they are literally dont distract me.

Does any one have any advice regarding how to go about using distraction and re focus as a technique for overcoming dp. Am I going about it in totally the wrong way? I would really appreciate any thoughts from those that are using thi approach


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## PositiveThinking! (Mar 5, 2010)

jenny1 said:


> Hey there,
> this is a question for all those that are gaining benefits from being able to distract themselves from the dp. I have just finished reading the dp manual and think the positive and hopeful message it sends is fantastic. the central message is obviously to re focus attention onto more positive activities than thinking about dp. However I am having trouble with incorporating this approach into my life. I dont really have any problems with existential thoughts or feelings that my body doesnt belong to me, its more a persistent numbness to my surroundings and feeling like im living in a cut off bubble. I guess this is derealisation. In the manual it states that dp and dr are practically the same thing but im not so sure because i can understand how distraction would work if it was a case of ignoring specific thoughts, but how can you distract yourself from how you percieve things. for example I might be reading good novel and getting into the story but i am still painfully aware that things dont feel quite as real as they should. Also When i am having conversations with people....which should be A distraction, I am also registering how tiring/odd/horrible it feels to speak with someone when you don't really feel your completely connected. what i am trying to say is that other activities no matter how seemingly pleasant they are literally dont distract me.
> 
> Does any one have any advice regarding how to go about using distraction and re focus as a technique for overcoming dp. Am I going about it in totally the wrong way? I would really appreciate any thoughts from those that are using thi approach


Well, I'm over most of the symptoms yet I still get some Derealization, now, there's no absolute distraction from it, you'll always notice how your surroundings look weird, somehow I got used to it and it doesn't bother me as much, I guess time's a healer if you're willing to get better


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## TheGame (Feb 1, 2011)

I would say this for starters. The always thinking obsessing about the condition usually turns into such a debilitating thing that it can actually lead you to become very confused about life and who you are etc so it would be very good if you could distract yourself. But you cant say use distraction as a technique to overcome DP i will explain why later. DP is selfcreated and does not exist as a standalone condition. Let me explain: for a condition to be real it must exist without you beeing the cause of it, that is to say as long as it is you doing this to yourself DP cannot be considered to be an existing condition in and of itself. for it to be so it would have to affect you without you doing anything to make it better or worse.

Now with that cleared up think about what it IS that you are distracting yourself from? is it obsessing? is it always thinking about it and that has become a habit that you find very hard to break? (essentially the same thing). if it is either one of the two your objective then is to distract yourself from thinking about DP but does that really solve this whole deal? No it doesnt. the OCD and always thinking about it is a really big part and essentially all you need to really stop to feel somewhat normal again BUT people with DP generally have a heap of emotional issues codependency, depression, anxiety and selfesteem problems and you cant distract yourself from these things. These things like depression, anxiety and emotional turmoil insecureties and introvertedness can also be things that make you feel like your not yourself and that youve become somewhat of a broken person.

However this topic is about distraction and what it can do to alliviate symptoms of DP. It can do quite the bit but if you dont realize other things you will end up using distraction the wrong way and youll end up saying to yourself "oh hell even distraction doesnt work what do i do now??". What i instead would advocate as a better sollution is beginning to see what is you and what is the DP. If you can tell the difference between you and IT youll also begin to separate from your mind and therefore feel more present and at the same time finding out whats more truly who you are. This has greatly alliviated my OCD it has taken me to a whole different level of understanding of what this condition is and what its not (because well yeah the condition exists but it doesnt because the condition basically revolves around you thinking there is a problem you need to fix when infact your perfectly fine)

As for perceptions and misspercieving things in the way you are talking about it seems like what you mean is feeling like things around you feel unreal and its not familiar in the way it used to be. Well you have changed with this and until you return to normal you will feel that your surroundings are unreal. Its not much more than that really. your reality has changed and therefore this is why you percieve things differently.


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## kate_edwin (Aug 9, 2009)

Distractions make you not notice things. Works for things inside and outside your head. Distracion can work for noises in the environment that cause my migraines, and the "noise" I preceive caused by the ringing in my ears, should work for dr too


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## jenny1 (Aug 21, 2012)

thanks for your replies everyone.... I hear what your saying, Accordsing to the dp manual distraction and acceptance seemed to be the only suggested techniques.....think I was a bot disappointed after paying so much that there wasnt more detail... has any one else read it?


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## kate_edwin (Aug 9, 2009)

Sorry I can't pay that much for something without a money back gueantee







so no I haven't read it.

Keep tellin people mindfulnesssssss.

Sorry you're out the money


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