# New here and to DP/DR



## allie_oops (Sep 18, 2006)

Hello everyone. It is good to find a place and people who understand what I have gone through the past month or so. It started with DR and panic attacks. I would feel like everything was a dream and nothing was real and this would lead to panic attack after panic attack. Doctor did ECG to check for seizures (normal of course). I also have a history of trichotillamania (hair pulling) and other OCD symptoms. So he prescribed paxil and klonopin for OCD and Panic disorder. After hours on the internet I have come to the conclusion that I may have Dissociative Disorder (depersonalization and derealization) that stems from years of childhood trauma and abuse. 
I was suprised to read that this disorder can pop up at anytime usually in your 20's. I am 29. Came on all of a sudden and my dear family does not understand. 
I am slowing learning to control the panic attacks when I feel the strong DP/DR, which is often. I feel like a ghost walking around in a world that I should not really be in. Does that make sense?
I feel like I am not me, sometimes a strong detachment from my body, and see things either through a fogginess (blurry) or tunnel vision. I can hear people talking to me but don't always understand what they are saying and/or can not answer back. This freaks my dear husband out. He is getting used to it and now asks "Are you feeling weird again?" I either don't answer or shake my head yes. Either way he knows.
Does this sound like DP/DR?
What meds is everyone else on?

Thanks 
Allie


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

What you have definatly sounds like dp/dr. I used to get the feeling like a ghost thing alot as well. I always felt as if everything had no meaning and i was just going through the motions of life. I felt no real connection to anything i was doing.

You also sound like you have brain fog. Brain fog seems to be pretty common in people that have dp/dr because a few other people on here describe similar symptoms. I also suffered from this lovely condition as well. The looking at everything through a fog described it well. I also had a hard time understanding what people where saying sometimes when i got really bad.

Im also on klonopin 2mg's a day. What dose are you on? This drug basically cured me of all my anxiety, panic attacks, dp/dr and brain fog. So its been a wonder drug for me.

I had dp/dr all my life and i am 24 now. Its only been in the past year that i got treatment for it because i got to the point where i couldnt function. Id end up lying in bed all day because i had dp/dr so bad. The derealization was what really creeped me out. Everything and everyone looked different but i knew that everything was the same.


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## allie_oops (Sep 18, 2006)

Thanks for your reply! 
Brain fog is almost a constant for me. And, i agree that creepy is a good word for D/R. 
I am on 1.5 mgs of klonopin a day. .5 mg 3x day. I go to doc on Wednesday. He doesnt know anything about the d/p d/r yet. Last time I saw him, about 3 weeks ago he thought he was treating me for the OCD and panic disorder, because I had no clue about d/r or d/p. So I'll have to see if he changes any meds, because nothing is helping the d/r at all.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Klonopin seems to be the most effective med for dp/dr judging from what ive read and the results people get from it. It doesent work for everyone though. Maybe you just need a higher dose 1.5mg's is nothing really there are people that take 8mg's for anxiety. The max dose is 20mg's a day but thats usually only for epilepsy.

There is a anti-depressant called clomipramine thats specifically approved for OCD but it's also showing promise as a treatment for dp/dr. Maybe that might help you more then paxil. It might be worth mentioning to your doctor. It's a tricyclic anti-depressant so its got a different side effect profile then paxil. The main side effects are drowsiness and dry mouth.

You might have to try a few different meds before you find one that helps get rid of your dp/dr. I was lucky because i found the right one on the first try which is probley nothing but blind luck.

Anyway dont give up hope. It might take awile but you should be able to find something to get rid of your dp/dr.


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