# how long did your "gradual" recovery take?



## Pmz623 (Sep 15, 2013)

Ive read a few people their recovery was gradual. What does that mean? Days, weeks, months? From the time you stopped having panic attacks, how long did recovery take?


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## cacophony (May 28, 2012)

Hi! I consider myself as "cured", by that i mean I've learned to cope with dp over the last couple of years, so it barely bothers me anymore. Haven't had any full blown panic attacks since 2011.

First i decided and promised myself to try to live as I didnt have DP, and I didnt let it stop me from doing things I normally would do. My focus gradually started to shift to other things, and I felt more normal as time went by.

I HAVE felt DP feelings since then, but Im getting better at controlling it and shifting my focus.

Just keep distracting yourself, and make a deal with yourself that you will live as normally as possible, and DP will fade eventually.


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## Pmz623 (Sep 15, 2013)

cope with it? Dude. I feel like I just cant enjoy my life, is that something I can cope with? are you just accepting a lame life? or are you forcing your self to do stuff regardless of enjoyment?

If it was just disassociation feeling, that I can cope with. but the depression and lack of joy shit, that no, I will never be able to cope with


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## heartless (Apr 29, 2013)

from the stories i have read (trust me, a lot), the average is around 8 months. mine lasted 7 months, but most of the time i'm not dp'ed at all, so i'll give it another 2(?) months so u can count mine as ~9 months.


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## Sike25 (Apr 30, 2012)

cacophony said:


> Hi! I consider myself as *"cured"*, by that i mean *I've learned to cope with dp over the last couple of years, so it barely bothers me anymore.* Haven't had any full blown panic attacks since 2011.
> 
> First i decided and promised myself to try to live as I didnt have DP, and I didnt let it stop me from doing things I normally would do. My focus gradually started to shift to other things, and I felt more normal as time went by.
> 
> ...


You aren't cured then.


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## cacophony (May 28, 2012)

Pmz623 said:


> cope with it? Dude. I feel like I just cant enjoy my life, is that something I can cope with? are you just accepting a lame life? or are you forcing your self to do stuff regardless of enjoyment?
> 
> If it was just disassociation feeling, that I can cope with. but the depression and lack of joy shit, that no, I will never be able to cope with


I've never said I have a lame life. I have a pretty great life, actually.

But yeah, my life WAS shit some years ago. I dropped out of school because of DP, broke up with my GF, started isolating myself and so on. I questioned every damn thing in this universe.

It was until I realised that this shit isnt going to get me anywhere until I did something about it myself.



Bamartinez4582 said:


> You aren't cured then.


Who are you to decide whether im cured or not?


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## Spadde (Oct 29, 2013)

cacophony said:


> Hi! I consider myself as "cured", by that i mean I've learned to cope with dp over the last couple of years, so it barely bothers me anymore. Haven't had any full blown panic attacks since 2011.
> 
> First i decided and promised myself to try to live as I didnt have DP, and I didnt let it stop me from doing things I normally would do. My focus gradually started to shift to other things, and I felt more normal as time went by.
> 
> ...


Do you still feel as if you are getting rid of DP slowly, or is it there permamently but at a mild state?


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## cacophony (May 28, 2012)

Spadde said:


> Do you still feel as if you are getting rid of DP slowly, or is it there permamently but at a mild state?


I've noticed that once I start focusing and concentrating on other things than my DP, I feel normal. If I start dwelling on my DP, sure, I get DP'd feelings.

No, its not permanent anymore. When it was at its worst, I did nothing but think about DP.

I think a complete change in lifestyle is the most important aspect if you wanna get out of this.

Try focusing on eliminating stress factors in your life, and the almighty "cure" will come by itself.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2013)

For me recovery was a case of dpdr getting so bad for me I just thought, 'fuck it, there's nothing I can do about it'. By that I mean laying in bed crying pretty much. So i just walked about accepting I was going to be a zombie. Well, the funny thing is that you get so use to it that one day you eventually think "I've not noticed this feeling for a few hours", which then becomes "I've not noticed it for days/ weeks...", etc.

In short though, gradual for me meant not noticing I'd actually recovered until about a year after I must have recovered, if that makes sense


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## Pmz623 (Sep 15, 2013)

anyone else?


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## Swansea (Jun 11, 2013)

Recovery has been very slow for me. It's been 8 months since DP/DR started. DPDR hit really hard in early May- I literally barely left my bedroom, horrible anxiety, panic attacks, agorophobic from May-August about. September I started really being able to leave the house, take care of shit, run errands, get groceries, etc. but it was still really uncomfortable being outside and in open spaces because I felt super Dr'd. October- December I started being able to hang out with friends and socialize a bit however some of my anxiety turned into depression. December until - now I am able to do things, hang out, socialize am working on getting back to work, etc. But I still have good days and bad days. It definitely isnt as debilitating anymore but I would by no means say that I am having a totally normal mental health experience and compared to average I am defnitely struggling. But, I am functional now. Depression is difficult and I definitely have good days and bad days with that as well. I have found st. johns wort to help wtih that


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## Sike25 (Apr 30, 2012)

cacophony said:


> Who are you to decide whether im cured or not?


http://inspirepub.hubpages.com/hub/Finding-Ones-Self---Recovery-From-Dissociation This person. THIS PERSON IS RECOVERED. What you are is not recovered.



cacophony said:


> Hi! I consider myself as "cured", *by that i mean I've learned to cope with dp* over the last couple of years, so it barely bothers me anymore. Haven't had any full blown panic attacks since 2011.
> 
> First i decided and promised myself to try to live as I didnt have DP, and I didnt let it stop me from doing things I normally would do. My focus gradually started to shift to other things, and I felt more normal as time went by.
> 
> ...


You said it yourself. You *cope* with it. People *cope *with AIDS, people* cope* with cancer and people *cope* with depersonalization. Until you get over resolve your issues you will have this.


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## Midnight (Jul 16, 2011)

Fearless said:


> You'll not get an answer to this question. Recovery depends on how YOU take the steps that are needed. It'll happen in your tempo and in your way.
> 
> Full recovery can happen in weeks, and you can realize very important things which'll make you feel a lot like yourself literally in seconds.


what can make you feel like yourself? I would give anything to be the old me.

Cliffs pls


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## JJ123D (Dec 6, 2013)

Sike25 said:


> http://inspirepub.hubpages.com/hub/Finding-Ones-Self---Recovery-From-Dissociation This person. THIS PERSON IS RECOVERED. What you are is not recovered.
> 
> You said it yourself. You *cope* with it. People *cope *with AIDS, people* cope* with cancer and people *cope* with depersonalization. Until you get over resolve your issues you will have this.


I read the article, and feel that this guy didn't get back to himself, he took the philosophical way of "becoming free and finding my true self". Didn't you really feel that he was dream talking? Lol. I wouldn't trust a post like that. After all, this "finding your true self" is what got me to get rid of my old self to become what they call free and on my "true" purpose. And the title is, "finding one's self", not getting yourself back, the title is intentional, it's a "new true self", they are all the same.

I just want my old self back and fuck that shit.


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