# How I cured DP/DR 95%



## sixtiessoul (Aug 10, 2004)

So, 10 years ago, I was saved by Andy's Boards (DPSELFHELP.COM) in the olden days of 2000-2001 when I thought I was losing my mind. I don't claim to have the cure for "everyone", but I come back from time to time to say..."Hey this is what worked for me!"

So a little *background*: I was attending university and had a *very* bad experience with cannabis. I didn't feel "me" for a few days. And 6 weeks later? Full-blown DP/DR. I didn't know what I had. I went through everything from Neurologists and Spinal Taps to many Psychiatrists (who didn't remember the DSM-IV blurb about DP/DR) giving me all sorts of drugs like Seroquel and such. FINALLY, I typed "unreality" into a search engine, and found Andy's Boards. And gosh did it help! People like Dreamer and JeanineBaker really gave me great guidance, and this is how I got "well".

*Getting Cured:*
Okay, I had to realize. There's no "end-all" cure. I will get to that in my closing, but first I'm gonna get to Dosages and the upfront stuff. So...

Firstly: 
You need two things: Knowing what medicines to take (which I will provide), and having an open-minded Psychiatrist who doesn't have a B.S. attitude like "I am the doctor, I'll decide what medicine you take!"

It was common opinion at the time in 2001 to get two medicines. (Believe me I went through THOUSANDS of pages and posts, and "this medicine is better than THAT one, etc", to finally realize, okay *THIS* is what works.

*Meds:*
I went through the gamut...but the consensus was that you needed two...

These were a BENZODIAZEPAM & an SSRI. The benzo alleviates your anxiety, while the SSRI "corrects" the chemicals that stabilize mood which became "out of balance."

The benzo in my case is KLONOPIN (Clonazepam)very important to have a benzodiazepam to control anxiety it was believed (with Klonopin having "special properties that helped with DP/DR specifically, as opposed to Ativan, and such). The SSRI I took for awhile was Celexa (now Lexapro).

*Klonopin*: was *amazing*. It helped very much with dealing with this illness, and the haunting stuff / cloudy mind / randomness, and the fear those feelings would cause.

*Celexa*: was not so amazing. It made me feel like *hit, gain weight, and I hated every second of it. But it did the trick. Once I felt I was "getting there" I got off it, straight away, and now stick with Klonopin.

*Third Medicine*: Neurontin. I found out by doing a study at UCLA neurological, that my DP/DR is "secondary", and came about because I have "Migraine Disorder". Migraine Disorder is not "headaches". (In fact I encourage you to look it up). Primary DP/DR is *very* rare, though, and I was happy to find mine was secondary. It was explained that if I took Neurontin, my "synapses would fire more correctly", allowing me to focus more, and alleviate symptoms.

*Dosage / Time*
1mg Klonopin 3x / Daily
40Mg Celexa 1x / Daily
300Mg Neurontin 3x / Daily

So I was on this regimen a year. You *will* feel tired, and sluggish. But you'll be able to confront your fear, and do the "fake it til you make it" we read all upon here. I am not of the "try flaxseed oil and vitamin C" variety + Yoga. I am of the type that says "I want a pill. I want to take it, now, and have this be OVER with, NOW."

*Doctors*
I went to at least 3 doctors. A few of them said "Well I will decide what you should take!" and had me tripping out on Seroquel (anti-psychotic drug), until I finally printed out literature from these boards (there should be findings from studies in NYC and London nowadays), and showed it to a *very open* psychiatrist, whom when I said "And not only that, but they seem to all be trying these medications!", to which he replied 'Well I don't see why we couldn't start you on those...'

The key is to keep going to doctors until you find one who wants to work "with you", as opposed to one who wants to "figure you out" and "correct you."

*Recovery*
In time I found the Celexa 'balanced out' the chems in my brain, and I felt heavy & sluggish, so I cut it out. I then added Neurontin, and lowered my dosage to:

1mg Klonopin 1x per day.
300mg Neurontin 1x per day.

That's it! I have been taking this regimen 10 years. I am 95% cured, and have been able to go from sleeping on my parents couch, scared, searching the boards for answers, hating myself for trying recreational drugs like cannabis, all that stuff, to...going to Japan for a year, studying in a university there, becoming independent, holding down a job in high stress, getting engaged, holding friends, and moving on.

It is not easy. But I've done it.

*Closing:*
This board is *alot* different than it was in 2001. I do *not* get into "discussions" or "arguments" over 'What treatment is better!' etc. I *HAVE* been known to randomly take calls [one of my friends for three hours who was a state away!], and would not be opposed to being written to. "Could you elaborate on this?" Etc. I am no salesman, pitch artist, or "Hey, IIIIiii have the cure!" person. I am just a guy who was really lost, had good friends on Andy's Boards (DPSELFHELP.COM), got support, and sometimes come back, to "pay it forward".

This just worked for me, I'm a young 29 y/o who got afflicted with this at 18, and learned how to get "cured" I'd say 95%...and on my worst day 75%. It fades into the background. In my opinion (and controversial) DP/DR is psycho-biological. I.E. You get a chemical imbalance in your brain, and the reactions that happen are "psychological in nature". It's sort of like, "I have a computer with messed-up software"...and having to say "Well I can't replace the computer, so I have to learn to live with it.

But it gets easier! Trust me. I've had this most of my adult life, and have achieved many things which I never thought possible when I was alone, scared, having a family not understand me, friends & coworkers not "get it", when DP/DR was in it's infancy, before there was the internet (as we know it now). So have faith, try this out if you like...

if it helps, great...if not...keep hope, you'll find something that does!
Cheers
Doug / Sixtiessoul / DJ / that70sboy


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## FoXS (Nov 4, 2009)

sixtiessoul said:


> So a little *background*: I was attending university and had a *very* bad experience with cannabis. I didn't feel "me" for a few days. And 6 weeks later? Full-blown DP/DR. I didn't know what I had. I went through everything from Neurologists and Spinal Taps to many Psychiatrists (who didn't remember the DSM-IV blurb about DP/DR)


i am happy that you feel better








but this part of your text made me remember what it was like at the beginning when i experienced DR. horrible. i was crying very often, i was so afraid what happened to me. i had such fear of losing control of my mind, every second of my existance seemed wrong, artificial, i did not believe anymore the things i saw in front of me, i thought i was dead and only dreaming everything, i was blurry and tired, and with those feelings i was totally alone and my friends didnt understand me but said i should not make a big deal of it.


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## septimus (Jun 1, 2010)

I'm glad you feel better, but I still stand by my reasoning that medication only masks the problem. I'm looking to recover completely of anxiety, not cover up symptoms and continue to suffer subconsciously.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2010)

I'm also glad that you feel better but dp isn't a blanket secondary disorder and what works for you is not going to work for everyone. I was on neurontin and it screwed me up. Actually the only thing that has allowed any progress in recovery is coming off of medication. I'm still weaning off of klonopin but feel a billion times better as I lower my dose. I am at 75% most of the time now and I've had it for 9 months. Oh and I have primary dp. I've never done drugs in my life. I've been through a lot of medical tests. I don't have anything physically or chemically wrong with me that has been unearthed so far. Mine just happened because of trauma.


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## pancake (Nov 26, 2009)

sixtiessoul said:


> It's sort of like, "I have a computer with messed-up software"...and having to say "Well I can't replace the computer, so I have to learn to live with it.


I can relate to that







Glad things are going well for you.


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## ZachT (Sep 8, 2008)

Glad you are feeling better. I like to hear more people getting better.

-zach


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

I was just thinking "if you'd come off the medication, you'd be a 100%"...

10 years of meds to cure a psychological problem is mental! And you say it's "secondary" (whatever that means).

I was feeling a lot better when I first took benzo's, but then I started to realize that if I didn't take it at my usual time of day, as my anxiety got worse, my DP got better!
It made me think that meds, even though helpful (life-saving even) at first, might actually hinder your body's own healing process. It also hit me that the first two times with DP, I recovered once I STOPPED the medication! I've read so many stories about recovery, from both dissociation and schizophrenia, and they all include getting off the drugs at some point, to become 100% yourself again.

Trust in your capacity to heal, and get your intelligence around this shit, and you have the best chances to recover.


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## cm0102 (Apr 23, 2010)

Yes SSRI's do mask the problem, BUT whilst its masking it, your thinking patterns change and you start thinking positively whilst on the meds.

If your on them for a year or so, then taper off, your brain is used to thinking positively and doing normal things, that its re-wired itself

Thats what happened to me

I think if you give the meds a chance, and you work with a psychologist whilst on them, you can start your life over again

Everyone is different I understand,but im just stating what happened to me


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## septimus (Jun 1, 2010)

cm0102 said:


> Yes SSRI's do mask the problem, BUT whilst its masking it, your thinking patterns change and you start thinking positively whilst on the meds.
> 
> If your on them for a year or so, then taper off, your brain is used to thinking positively and doing normal things, that its re-wired itself


Touche


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## university girl (Aug 11, 2004)

A doc who will work with you.... well said! That is exactly what i looked for and found. Thanks to that psych I got to try 2 meds i had been wanting to try.


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