# How strenuous exercise helped my dpdr



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

Hey. Fortunately, my second post is a positive update. First, some background: I had dpdr for about 5 months after a bad trip on really strong weed (I later learned that marijuana's a psychoactive substance). I experienced the existential, dismembered body, anhedonia, OCD, 2D world, "people are just organs", etc. phases. I was completely miserable and was convinced I would go insane. I developed chronic insomnia and communicating with others became nearly impossible. However, three days ago I decided to buy a road bike, and ive been riding the shit out of it ever since. I rode 50 miles (that's 4 straight hours!) a day at an intense pace. That's 150 miles so far. After the first day, I didn't feel much of a difference, but after the second day I was 90% recovered and now I'm completely cured. What motivated me was noticing that most people on here are always indoors and relatively inactive. I realized that even though I felt like I could use sheer brain power and logic to defeat dpdr, it's not going to happen: just look at 90% of the people on this thread who've tried/are still trying. I don't mean to sound harsh. It's just that I can see myself having never recovered from dpdr if I solely relied on conventional coping methods. I've tried various levels of exercise before. Weightlifting an hour a day. Running an hour a day. Walking 3 hours a day. I realized that the only way to exercise yourself out of it is by setting a routine for 4-5 hours of strenuous working out everyday. Setting a routine is extremely important: I've run a marathon with dpdr and felt the same afterward because I didn't run at all for the next month. Also, part of dpdr is developing a caustic inner narrator who bullies you for doing xyz wrong. Mine completely shut up after I saw what I was doing was good for me no matter what. The physical grind is definitely worth the freedom from dpdr! If you have questions about my story, just dm me. Love you all!


----------



## yoloking123 (Jul 6, 2016)

So your saying exercise made your dp and dr go away?


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

Yeah, but it has to be really strenuous, aerobic workouts for 4+ hours a day many days in a row. If you're a runner that's like 15-20 miles and if you're a bicyclist that's about 40-50 miles. Weightlifting marathons never did it for me because of all the mini breaks you take before sets. If you're not very fit, 7-8 hour long walks also work. They force you to slow down. Also, you'll be amazed by how much spending half-2/3 of your day in the sun will affect your mood. If you're in the San Francisco bay area we can workout together if you want!


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

Felt like time was randomly speeding up/slowing down, things had no "back" (like 2d doodles), people were walking computer animations, I was a walking computer animation, I was in a dream, I could alter physical objects with my mind, things were always shrinking/expanding/rotating, I was a stranger in the mirror, my hands/feet were not attached to my body, I had no control over my brain, I was looking at things through a window, people looked HD, etc.. I also had anxiety attacks, depression, ocd (I'd repeat the same thought 10-15 times until tiring myself out), insomnia, "zombie mind" (no thoughts), existential thoughts, skipping memory (extremely vivid glimpses of recent events while doing an unrelated task), disorientation, and hypervigilance. I can't think of more atm bc it's so late. But it's literally the closest thing to hell that someone can experience.


----------



## whatislife (Aug 19, 2019)

There's no way I couldn't try this. Why aren't more trying this and posting their results? I've been doing crazy cardio in the gym for a couple weeks now and noticing improvements all the time. You said you've done the same but had way better results with the road bike so I'll be testing that myself ASAP. I'm curious how you even figured this out though it's almost like you knew this was the answer. Thanks for sharing your story I'm happy for you

Ps. I found this post because someone else had the same experience and linked to this post to give you credit for this routine. That means it worked for at least two people so far


----------



## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

Thank you for coming back to share your recovery! I would say that after 5 months it was relatively early days so may have passed on its own, and been linked to anxiety which exercise helped .Was your DP chronic or intermittent? Did it worsen with stress?

You aren't the first I've seen say extreme amount of exercise cured their DP. Makes sense, burning off stress hormones, increases brain blood flow and neurogenesis. The only thing is, my legs are killing me and I only ran a mile a day last week lol. But I am aiming to stick to 1 mile every single day and an hours meditation. Doing 4-5hours a day for 3 days is pretty darn intense lol but it could work for some, I think it would burn me out in all honesty, but I am working on my fitness so maybe one day. Well done to you, very happy you have recovered


----------



## fieldsmatt31 (Dec 16, 2009)

Awesome story and great advice. Thank you very much for sharing your story. Exercise helped me recover from DP also. I really believe exercise is a good remedy to help treat DP.


----------



## lulu87 (Jul 12, 2021)

Will 1 hour of cycling on a stationary bike help dpdr. 3 hours is just too much for me


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

whatislife said:


> There's no way I couldn't try this. Why aren't more trying this and posting their results? I've been doing crazy cardio in the gym for a couple weeks now and noticing improvements all the time. You said you've done the same but had way better results with the road bike so I'll be testing that myself ASAP. I'm curious how you even figured this out though it's almost like you knew this was the answer. Thanks for sharing your story I'm happy for you
> 
> Ps. I found this post because someone else had the same experience and linked to this post to give you credit for this routine. That means it worked for at least two people so far


Hey! Sorry, I've been off this website for years and noticed some folks asked for help! Yeah exercise and meditation helped me tremendously


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

Broken said:


> Thank you for coming back to share your recovery! I would say that after 5 months it was relatively early days so may have passed on its own, and been linked to anxiety which exercise helped .Was your DP chronic or intermittent? Did it worsen with stress?
> 
> You aren't the first I've seen say extreme amount of exercise cured their DP. Makes sense, burning off stress hormones, increases brain blood flow and neurogenesis. The only thing is, my legs are killing me and I only ran a mile a day last week lol. But I am aiming to stick to 1 mile every single day and an hours meditation. Doing 4-5hours a day for 3 days is pretty darn intense lol but it could work for some, I think it would burn me out in all honesty, but I am working on my fitness so maybe one day. Well done to you, very happy you have recovered


Hey! Wow, I've changed so much over the years haha. I remember posting this 6 years ago, and DP/DR ironically sent me on a very positive trajectory in life. I started working out and meditating because of it, and those habits have stuck with me for a long time. When I first experienced DP/DR, I was terrified by it. I didn't know what was going on and simply freaked out, thinking I was done for lol. In retrospect, DP/DR is what happens to the mind when it's been over-exposed to stress and needs rest. I highly recommend to anyone with DP/DR to try to find a way to spend several months practicing the art of living stress free. DP/DR is medically recognized as a form of anxiety, and warrants as high of a dose of relaxation as possible haha. And the point of recuperation is to create a womb of peace around your being so you can develop vital skills like grounding, mindfulness, self affirmation and physical development. If anyone has any questions let me know!


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

fieldsmatt31 said:


> Awesome story and great advice. Thank you very much for sharing your story. Exercise helped me recover from DP also. I really believe exercise is a good remedy to help treat DP.


totally! It's been a while since I've been on here, and one thing I've added to my routine is meditation!


----------



## tryingtohelp (Apr 20, 2016)

lulu87 said:


> Will 1 hour of cycling on a stationary bike help dpdr. 3 hours is just too much for me


yeah that's great! I highly recommend spending time in nature, meditating, and maybe even finding a super chill job. DP/DR is your mind telling you to take it easy!!


----------

