# Can it cause HARM?



## LS_RT408 (Feb 8, 2013)

Hi,

I am new to this whole DP thing, and I was wondering if it can cause you any harm or even kill you. I am concerned about the total loss of my identity, and not being able to ever recognize myself or my family members again. This is worrisome to me because I love them so much and I want them to appear familiar again.

Also, I have been trying to educate myself on the subject as much as possible and are still questioning WHAT exactly this process is all about (the DP). I was going to take a trip to the neurologist to see if there is any malfunctioning in my brain, because I still do not understand the concept behind this, and my therapist is not very well versed in the subject. 

I would just like to know WHY the brain would do this to a normal, healthy, young human being. Why would the brain strip you of your sense of self....your existence and identity? 

And, why would your brain cause you to feel as if you cannot recognize familiar things or people around you? Yes, I am still having a difficult time with the "people" questioning...For example: I see a person, and they seem like a foreign concept to me. As if they are aliens. 

Is it also possible to actually feel like you have NO physical feeling? Like a feeling that your face is numb and if you were to get punched in the face it wouldn't even hurt? I have been experiencing that tremendously. 

With all of the literature out there, none of them truly suggests anything that you can do to lessen the symptoms or overcome the sensations. 

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would also really love to finally understand this thing, so feedback is GREATLY appreciated! 

Thank you for reading this.


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## ClassC (Jan 23, 2013)

You are over-thinking this too much. These thoughts have cannot harm nor kill a person. They can't cause memory loss. There's nothing to worry about. And the numbing of physical sensations as people describe is caused by a person thinking that their body does not belong to themselves, or does not feel so. It creates some emotional distress that amplifies the feeling, but it's nothing more than a thought.


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## Jewells (Feb 28, 2013)

Hey LS RT408,

I feel this way everyday all day for over a year now it is very scary nothing seems familar it really sucks...They say the best thing to do is go with the feelings and thoughts the more you fight it the worse it gets, I dont get how a mind can do this either it does make you feel like you losing you mind, my thought now is I have no arms so I have to think about what everything feels like when I touch it and that helps a little..All we can do is work on being in the moment. How long have you felt this way?? Is it all day long?


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## daydreambeliever (Jun 15, 2011)

I think this condition can cause harm to relationships in general, the one with myself, my body (eating, drinking, exercise, and sleeping are strange to me), and my fellow humans. But I just hang in there. Even though things seem unfamiliar and I get anxious about losing it from time to time, I can be good to people in the meantime, and they still love me.

I think perhaps you need to do something fun for yourself. I have the most fun in my life. I listen to music and dance almost every day. I try to laugh at how serious I get because it's just life, after all! Lol. We can get so caught up! It's really pretty funny. What does being normal mean? Is it really that much better anyhow? I may be stuck here forever, but I can still go out and take a walk, breath deeply, read a meditation book, be grateful, make some killer food to eat, etc. I mean I can worry about this or just have a good day. I put one foot in front of the other. Anxiety comes and goes with this condition, but it gets better because I learn how to let it pass and not to feed it. The more times I've gotten through it, the more I know I can, and it is a lot less scary. I go many days without anxiety. If I am losing my mind, I'm losing my mind! But so far I have been able to carry on. Best of luck to you.


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## Haumea (Jul 11, 2009)

The mind can do things to protect itself from unbearable thoughts, or long duration of unbearable thoughts. Powerful things. Things that seem like you have major physical damage.

People can go blind, deaf, can become paralyzed, can develop major pains, can become unreal to themselves.

But there's nothing wrong with their eyes, ears, limbs or brains (in a gross physical sense - something that shows up on a scan), and when their conflicts are resolved their physical functioning returns.


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## daydreambeliever (Jun 15, 2011)

Well I've tried to resolve my conflicts to the best of my ability. I am happier and more satisfied with my life, but I am still very much living in a dream. Perhaps reality is just too painful to bear. Or perhaps dpd is a real mental illness.


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## gonegone (Jun 20, 2012)

It has often been stated on this site that dp can not bring harm. This may be true in a physical sense but when something brings such deteriation to a persons quality of life, how they feel, relationships and so forth, this in my opinion is harm in the true sense of the word.


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## Midnight (Jul 16, 2011)

It can't cause harm. I don't know how it will pan out in the long term and the effects that being on 'lockdown' have on the body over a long period, but it's unlikely to cause problems.


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## Bjorn (Nov 8, 2012)

~The only harm you can cause yourself is heart palpitations.. which will cause chronic tiredness.. The body thinks its sick when its not..


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2013)

DP will 100% not harm you. It's impossible.


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## Midnight (Jul 16, 2011)

Fearless said:


> The only harm DP can do and does is robbing your time. Today is another day of your life spent in misery, and you don't live forever.


Very true. While I've been experiencing DP/DR I've been so zoned out 24/7 I forget that this is my life and it won't last forever.


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## gonegone (Jun 20, 2012)

This is a tricky one. what one person peceives as harm.

No it will not kill you. you are not going mad. But while this thing persists it is harmful to your life. The way you function and live that is to say.If it wasnt we wouldnt be on this site. If you get what i mean.


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## daydreambeliever (Jun 15, 2011)

Well if we are talking physical harm I have to say yes it can. I have forgotten to eat, and drink water. I forget all the time. I have to remind myself constantly. This is not good for me as I get older. So if you are having these kinds of problems, please take notice. Get outside, eat, drink water, breath deeply too once in a while. I'm telling you, myself with severe depersonalization disorder, needs to keep those things in mind at all times. Cause if something comes up, I forget them instantly. This also adds to depersonalizing I bet. So be sure you are taking care of your body.


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