# How do you feel connected to your memories again?



## BenElger (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi, I know this is part of depersonalization, I will get random memories in my head it could be of anything but I don't feel connected to the memories and I tend to obsessively analyze the memory to see if I can feel connected to it in some way but I can't, I know not analyzing it would help but it's obsessive, I almost cannot stop myself. This causes anxiety because I don't feel like the same person, I obviously know that I shouldn't be feeling this way and that it is dp but that doesn't stop it from causing that shoot of anxiety through me. I have been told to ignore it but I'm finding it difficult too, If you have struggled with this how did you or have you been dealing with it?


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## kate_edwin (Aug 9, 2009)

Are they trauma memories?


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## BenElger (Feb 8, 2012)

No they aren't trauma memories, they're more happier memories I kind of feel like I wont be that person again or that I wasn't ever that person? if that makes sense, I don't know if that is part of DP or not?


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## Abigail- (Jun 28, 2012)

I know how upsetting it can be to feel so dissconnected to happy times and memories.. What I find really helps is if you have any photos of that day or time, it really helps me to look through them so the memory feels more real and I feel more connected to it and feel more that it was actually the true me that experienced it, not the me that for the time being dp has projected. Also if you have any happy memories that you experienced with close friends sit down and look back on those memories with them.. Talk and laugh about them. Also it helps me to go back to anything in relations to those memories like for an example if you can remember what you were wearing during those memories perhaps even any scents you can remember... Perfume scents are actually a huge trigger and help for me on feeling close and connected to past times! This all may help you like it does for me or you may find it useless! Hopefully it helps you though and you can feel a connection to your happy times again







xx


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## onlygirlintheworld (Jul 3, 2012)

That is so weird! This used to happen to me when I was a little girl! I never told anyone, I thought it was normal, maybe it is normal to get those feelings sometimes coz they always went away







but then one day I got stuck in it an couldn't come out for 2 months! I think the things that helped me come out of dp were having a loving, supportive an patient family, good friends who I could talk to, a job that I really like, being busy an distracted an taking medication to calm me down lol







x


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## BenElger (Feb 8, 2012)

Thank you for all your replies!

Abigail - I will definitely try a few of those things out! cheers


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## Ivan Hawk (Jan 22, 2010)

I feel a lot less personally connected to my memories too.
I remember a few things here and there at times but often it feels like I think of many ideas and concepts of the current time and future instead.
Thinking back to my distant memories is interesting when I remember a time when I wasn't plagued with DP/DR and then when I began to experience them over a decade ago. Even now I think back to the time when I first became aware of the DP 3 years ago when marijuana exacerbated it tremendously to the point of where I had to look up the phenomenon at that point. I just knew it wasn't normal and had to learn more. A lot has happened those past three years and it feels like I've been very different since.

The cause of my DP is such a detailed case - but to put it simply, some people have high-functioning autism and never feel like they've belonged to this world.
I'm probably one of those people and seeing the way society treats a rare individual they do not understand is enough stress and abuse to lead some into massive DP/DR.
Used to have a much more serious problem with depression and anxiety from this, but great understanding in the core philosophy/psychology/science behind these has been enough to resolve those back to relatively healthy/livable levels. I've also suffered from chronic spine pain since a decade ago. Circumstances that would cause a more sociable pain-free extrovert to probably commit suicide if they suddenly experienced them. Of all this though, the most painful thing is the loneliness.


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