# It does get better!



## imalostgirltoo (Sep 22, 2008)

I am writing this post because I just want to give some hope to people who are suffering with this disorder. I'm a 22 y/o female and I suffered from severe DR/DP for 2 years and have now been without any severe symptoms for over a year. It all started for me after smoking some very potent weed one night. I had smoked a handful of times before without any problems and always had a good time. I had never been a nervous or anxious person, never experienced anything like it before. It came completely out of the blue. I suddenly began "losing it".. It was my first panic attack. I became completely disoriented, lost understanding of time and space, couldn't focus, everything felt like it was miles and miles away from me- like I was out floating in space. I opened my eyes and everything moved in frames. I tried to walk but couldn't keep my balance. I was so afraid I wouldn't let anyone come near me. I covered my face and cried until I fell asleep. When I woke up I felt like everything had changed within me. I felt like a different person. It was an awful concoction of panic and dissociation that became my every waking moment. I felt completely trapped inside my mind.. like I couldn't wake up from a dream. I had strange and disturbing thoughts that would often send me into a panic. Everyday things that I had done a thousand times before and people I had known for years seemed strange and scary.. foreign and fake. I couldn't sit through a class without having to get up and leave because of a panic attack. After a few months I was able to control my panic but the DR/DP was worse than ever. I had no way of relating to anyone or anything.. I might as well had been an alien sent from another planet. I was so completely alone and afraid and empty feeling. I fell into a deep depression and often thought of suicide. But.. even in my darkest moments I KNEW my "old" self was still there, somehwere.

What I really am wanting to let sufferers know is that no matter how bad things get, you CAN recover. In my worst moments I couldn't imagine feeling like I do now. The biggest piece of advice I can offer is... don't expect to ever be the completely the same after this experience. I know that may sound pessimistic but really it isn't. It's all about acceptance. After I finally stopped fighting the DP/DR and starting accepting it as a part of me- it went away! Sounds simple but so very hard to do until you figure out what it means to truly accept something that you hate so much. Embrace it, learn to enjoy it even. Not only am I back to "normal" but Having DP/DR has put me more in touch with myself and has given me a new perspective on life.. the ability to look at the bigger picture and see things that others can't. Once you accept it, it can become a gift rather than a curse.


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## Robsy (Dec 3, 2007)

Thank you for that wonderul post, it is great reading things like this !!!

Im so glad u are doing better and have a better chance at life xx thank you for sharing your story with us xx


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Thank you for the post.
That is just the greatest news.
I have heard from other people that they are never the same after recovering. 
Makes you grow up fast.

I got it from pot also.
So, it?s nice to hear that you can get out of it.

Don?t forget about us.

Join us to fight for a cure.


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