# Recovering after second bout with DR/anxiety



## recoveredonce (Feb 8, 2014)

I've already had this terrible condition once, and it lasted a year. I got over it and recovered (Miraculously, since I felt terrible and it seemed impossible). I felt perfectly normal and that lasted for over a year and a half. Then recently, I had a stressful experience and after it was over, I realized it was 4AM and I was super tired. This gave me anxiety for a few days, which eventually evolved into DR. I was thinking to myself "Again, seriously? Dammit.." However, I am significantly more optimistic this time knowing that I beat it. But despite knowing that I've beaten it and that it's merely anxiety and a though process, it is still scary nonetheless. I get thoughts of *"How/Why are we humans, why are we like this, why is the world the way I know it" *Things like that. Also thinking too much about space and the universe and existence just freaks me out. When I observe my body and reflection in the mirror, I feel very weird and freaked out. But I suppose that's how you all feel too, right? Also, *the best way to describe recovery is: a bit long, annoying, and confusing*. I can feel generally good some days, then I'll have a day where new (and old) thoughts begin to intrude, and I feel generally bad for awhile. It's a roller coaster, you'll go up and down. I can get distracted easier this time (considering that I'm in an early point in the condition). Yesterday I was out from 7AM until 10PM. I was with friends in the morning, then I worked from 12-6:30 PM (It was my first day on the job, so I was very distracted meeting new people, learning, and helping customers) I felt DR a few times, but I was able to distract myself and feel normal for most of the day. Once I left work, I felt tired and was no longer distracted, so my thoughts eventually got the best of me and I felt very panicky and scared. That eventually passed, however, when I saw my family later that night (not my immediate family, I mean extended family who I don't see everyday, just every now and then). I was so happy to be with them, I felt love, and that feeling of love felt so real. I was distracted talking with them, though the DR popped up frequently. It seems impossible to get over, but it's actually very possible. It's hard, but once you learn to stop thinking all of those existential thoughts and learn to distract yourself with things you love or even don't love, it will go away. As I said, recovery is annoying as hell. You will all be fine, I'm the proof. Just be patient. *The reason I posted this is to ask if anyone else has my same thoughts and experienced the same recovery process.* I'm sure most of you have, but the confirmation would just make me feel better. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. What helped me is simply distraction and not thinking about it. It's a thought habit linked with anxiety, after all. Thanks!


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## recoveredonce (Feb 8, 2014)

I forgot to note that I got it from smoking weed, though it only lasted a day and I got over it. However, months later, I got it through a random panic attack which was triggered by absolutely nothing. That was when the first year of DR I was talking about started. To recover I didn't use any medicaiton or supplements, not even vitamins. However, if you can recommend supplements that help you, please share!


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## Manof_theFuture (Dec 14, 2013)

recoveredonce said:


> I've already had this terrible condition once, and it lasted a year. I got over it and recovered (Miraculously, since I felt terrible and it seemed impossible). I felt perfectly normal and that lasted for over a year and a half. Then recently, I had a stressful experience and after it was over, I realized it was 4AM and I was super tired. This gave me anxiety for a few days, which eventually evolved into DR. I was thinking to myself "Again, seriously? Dammit.." However, I am significantly more optimistic this time knowing that I beat it. But despite knowing that I've beaten it and that it's merely anxiety and a though process, it is still scary nonetheless. I get thoughts of *"How/Why are we humans, why are we like this, why is the world the way I know it" *Things like that. Also thinking too much about space and the universe and existence just freaks me out. When I observe my body and reflection in the mirror, I feel very weird and freaked out. But I suppose that's how you all feel too, right? Also, *the best way to describe recovery is: a bit long, annoying, and confusing*. I can feel generally good some days, then I'll have a day where new (and old) thoughts begin to intrude, and I feel generally bad for awhile. It's a roller coaster, you'll go up and down. I can get distracted easier this time (considering that I'm in an early point in the condition). Yesterday I was out from 7AM until 10PM. I was with friends in the morning, then I worked from 12-6:30 PM (It was my first day on the job, so I was very distracted meeting new people, learning, and helping customers) I felt DR a few times, but I was able to distract myself and feel normal for most of the day. Once I left work, I felt tired and was no longer distracted, so my thoughts eventually got the best of me and I felt very panicky and scared. That eventually passed, however, when I saw my family later that night (not my immediate family, I mean extended family who I don't see everyday, just every now and then). I was so happy to be with them, I felt love, and that feeling of love felt so real. I was distracted talking with them, though the DR popped up frequently. It seems impossible to get over, but it's actually very possible. It's hard, but once you learn to stop thinking all of those existential thoughts and learn to distract yourself with things you love or even don't love, it will go away. As I said, recovery is annoying as hell. You will all be fine, I'm the proof. Just be patient. *The reason I posted this is to ask if anyone else has my same thoughts and experienced the same recovery process.* I'm sure most of you have, but the confirmation would just make me feel better. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. What helped me is simply distraction and not thinking about it. It's a thought habit linked with anxiety, after all. Thanks!


Welcome to the club of weed induced, existential questioning, DP/DR I would first like to thank you for this wonderful post...it is wonderful because it totally correlates with how I am feeling...the existential thoughts destroy my thinking pattern especially when i'm alone....other then that I dont get scared of not feeling my body anymore..but I do notice a slight brain fog when speaking to others...I also feel more like my body is mine again...I like you felt sorta fine (not too dp'd) after my panic attack on weed but like a month later I got messed up and BOOM severe dp and dr (vivid dreams, unreal feelings, memory flashes, high anxiety, the works lol) though I never fully recovered about a week ago I felt very close but suddenly this passed week I was hit with intruding existential thoughts/questions/feelings...what helps still is the gym,being social (even though I feel weird when I do talk to people) praying,and staying calm through the seemingly restless storm and last but not least remembering YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Hopefully we beat this beast and live to tell the tale  I have a question for you: did you ever overthink on words so much that they seemed meaningless ? sorry if I trigger that because it sucks


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## recoveredonce (Feb 8, 2014)

Manof_theFuture said:


> Welcome to the club of weed induced, existential questioning, DP/DR I would first like to thank you for this wonderful post...it is wonderful because it totally correlates with how I am feeling...the existential thoughts destroy my thinking pattern especially when i'm alone....other then that I dont get scared of not feeling my body anymore..but I do notice a slight brain fog when speaking to others...I also feel more like my body is mine again...I like you felt sorta fine (not too dp'd) after my panic attack on weed but like a month later I got messed up and BOOM severe dp and dr (vivid dreams, unreal feelings, memory flashes, high anxiety, the works lol) though I never fully recovered about a week ago I felt very close but suddenly this passed week I was hit with intruding existential thoughts/questions/feelings...what helps still is the gym,being social (even though I feel weird when I do talk to people) praying,and staying calm through the seemingly restless storm and last but not least remembering YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Hopefully we beat this beast and live to tell the tale  I have a question for you: did you ever overthink on words so much that they seemed meaningless ? sorry if I trigger that because it sucks


Haha, the thing about the meaningless words are funny. I would notice that in a non-derealized state then just shrug it off, now that whole "loss of meaning" sensation applies to life! That is much more terrifying, so I don't notice the word thing. Don't worry, you didn't trigger it, haha. Thanks for your reply (and to you as well Selig) , it's good to know that we all have extremely similar symptoms and are not alone. I know for a fact that we can and will get over it, we just need patience. It's funny, I thought having recovered already would make it easier, but I underestimated it. It's very hard, because it's a pattern of obsessive and irrational thought. Shaun O'Connor was right when he spoke of "knowing but not feeling". I know I'm normal, I know this is the world I'm in, but I just don't feel it. It sucks, but we have to be patient and keep busy.


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